753: Having been with the company for nearly a decade and ascending to the role of CDIO one year ago, Sal shares the remarkable transformation she has driven at the company to bring world-class technology to world-class real estate. She speaks about her approach to end-to-end technology, the implementation of a chief data officer role to curate better insights, and the creation of a business information officer role to align her team with the broader business. She also emphasizes the importance of diversity in thought when it comes to business decision-making and why she prioritizes an ESG strategy at the company. Finally, Sal looks ahead at trends in technology and reflects on the keys to her career success.
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752: Our broadcast today comes from our February Metis Strategy Digital Symposium on the topic of establishing a data strategy in complex organizations featuring Krzysztof Soltan, CIO of Vulcan Materials Company, and Anupam Khare, CIO of Oshkosh Corporation. Anupam shares his thoughts on creating a data strategy at Oshkosh and forming an organizational structure that fosters a data-rich decision-making culture at the company. Krzysztof talks about how he helps communicates data across the organization and how he measures the success of its data strategy.
751: Rajan joins us to speak about his experience driving one of the most extensive cloud adoption journeys in corporate America and managing a product-oriented operating model at Intuit. We discuss the company’s ‘Big Bets’ and how technology is being used to bring them to life, specifically the company’s AI virtual expert platform. Rajan covers how he interacts with different customer journeys, how he builds an ecosystem to leverage artificial intelligence tools, and what other trends in technology are on Rajan’s radar. We also explore Intuit’s company culture, the focus on retaining talent, and the keys to Rajan’s career success.
750: We celebrate 750 episodes of Technovation with a discussion featuring Arthur Hu, Lenovo’s Global Chief Information Officer, and Chief Technology and Delivery officer of its Services and Solutions Group (SSG). Peter High discusses with Art the development of SSG, his expanded role within Lenovo, and how this group bridges the gap between IT and the new business group. We also touch on how he divides his time and team across his CIO, CTO, and Chief Delivery Officer roles. Art shares insights on the upstream impacts of new models within SSG and how Lenovo helps organizations navigate the complexities of global business. We also talk about learnings pre- and post-pandemic on managing global teams effectively, the technology that has helped keep him in touch with his team, and the necessity of being physically together in the workplace to build trust. Finally, Art gives his perspective on emerging technology trends and reflects on the secrets to his career success.
749: Allen shares his insights on the evolving role of the CIO and how he has managed the technology life cycles over the course of his 21-year tenure with the company. Allen provides valuable advice on how he has navigated the War for Talent by improving the employee experience, broadening the scope of talent acquisition, and leveraging technology and automation to open up opportunities for process efficiencies. He talks about the strong relationships he has built within the company and how he collaborates with the broader organization to be a better partner to the business. Finally, Allen reflects on the keys to his career success and looks ahead at the trends in technology that are on his radar for the future.
748: Amy joins Peter in a discussion about leading IT at the Cleveland-based regional bank and training talent in both operations and technology. With over a decade of experience at KeyBank, Amy shares her insights on leading digital transformation initiatives and building an end-to-end digital experience for both customers and employees. She also covers the importance of collaboration with the business to understand operational needs and build the digital literacy of non-tech-focused talent. Amy describes her pathway to board membership, provides valuable advice for those looking to develop critical skills to become “board-ready”, and reveals how she keeps up-to-date with emerging technology trends. Tune in to this episode for an informative conversation with Amy on her expansive purview and the keys to her continued career success.
747: Kirk joins us to discuss his role in managing all things digital in the 104-year-old supermarket chain that generates $10B in annual revenue. Kirk explains the structure of his IT team and how he manages a largely virtual team while fostering a collaborative culture. He also shares the areas of priority in Giant Eagle’s technology strategy, including the vision behind the company’s global capability center in Bangalore. Kirk draws from his breadth of industry experience to discuss tech trends and keys to his career success. Tune in for an insightful conversation with Kirk on leading a technology team in a large retail organization.
746: Anita Klopfenstein, CIO of Little Caesars Pizza, joins Peter in a conversation about the IT transformation that she has led at the company, the emerging technologies her team leverages to drive improvements in the customer experience, and the positioning of the IT organization as a profit center for the business. Anita also shares how she implemented an IT steering committee to prioritize the most critical elements of the organization and collaborated with franchisees and customers to identify opportunities for improvements. She describes her team’s process of becoming a predictive enterprise, flexing IT to support the diverse array of additional venues, and giving back to the community during the height of the pandemic. Finally, Anita reflects on her career, the keys to her success, and the tech trends that are on her radar.
745: Matt discusses how he is driving an interconnected experience at The Home Depot bringing together the digital, mobile, and in-store customer experiences. He covers what falls under his purview and what role the CIO plays in improving the customer experience. Matt shares the focus areas in CX that are on The Home Depot’s strategic roadmap, how he measures the progress he and his team are making, and how he partners with the rest of the business to deliver best-in-class customer experience. Finally, Matt reflects on his successful career, the pathway to securing a board position at Chipotle, and the trends in technology and CX that he has kept up-to-date on.
744: Ria discusses the work she is leading at Intel on developing ethical artificial intelligence solutions with a focus on explainability, fairness, and trustworthiness. She discusses her perspective on what it will take to reach ethical AI solutions, the opportunities and hurdles that she faces, and the value proposition that ethical AI offers to companies and communities. Ria also talks about the skills that she hires for on her team, the collaboration she engages in with external and internal partners, and the medium-term outlook for AI given the rise of ChatGPT and other AI tools. Finally, she reflects on her early start in a career in technology and explains how her passion for poetry and writing has helped balance and anchor her during her more technical position at Intel.
