730: Kristie joins the broadcast to speak about the “Digital DXC Strategy” that she is driving and how she organizes her team to do it. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and talks about continuing a close relationship with the former CIO of DXC, Chris Drumgoole, and the insight that she has gained from it. Having previously held the role of Chief Supply Chain Officer for General Dynamics IT, she speaks to the supply chain issues that companies are facing and how DXC is navigating them. Kristie also reflects on her career, how she got here, the path ahead for women in technology, and trends that she has on her radar for the future.
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729: Nancy discusses the strategic importance of operations within the CIO role and how that part of her purview overlaps with technology. She also talks about the company’s data strategy, its criticality within operations, and using it to improve the customer experience. Nancy covers the way she organizes her team, creates a culture of innovation, and leverages technology to alleviate supply chain issues that companies across industries face. Finally, she reflects on her career success, describes her pathway to board membership, and looks ahead to trends in technology that she is excited about.
728: Lidia discusses the game-changing innovation that she is driving at the company and the key components that have helped move this forward. She talks about the company-wide initiative as a result of the pandemic to increase the speed of innovation and the role that her team, as well as technology more broadly speaking, has played in this initiative. Lidia talks about developing the careers of employees through a “zigzag” approach to growth, leveraging talent from other areas including the Digital Innovation Center in Greece, and how culture plays into the innovation process. Finally, she reflects on the keys to her own success and the trends that she has kept an eye on as we enter 2023.
727: Paul Heller and Kendall Kowalski, CTO/COO and CIO of Huntington Bancshares respectively, discuss their collaboration over their careers, the responsibilities that fall under each of their purviews at Huntington, and how they have organized their teams. They also speak about the core modernization effort that they are both driving at Huntington, the transformation office that they have set up to drive the digitization of the customer experience, and the key components behind the successful M&A integrations that they have led, among other topics.
726: Michael discusses how he is driving new digital touchpoints for customers and implementing a frictionless experience for truck drivers and other business partners. He describes the structure of the conglomerate, the various verticals he leads, and how marketing and data fit within his purview. Michael covers his career prior to Pilot and what innovations and new trends in technology are on his and Pilot’s roadmap. Finally, he describes the relationship Pilot has with universities to bring in new talent and foster a culture of innovation, among other topics.
725: Marco discusses his journey from one of the premier digital native organizations and applying his learnings from that experience to one of the older and more storied investment banks. He provides a thumbnail sketch of Goldman Sachs’ long history and how the company’s scale is actually an advantage to its digital transformation. Marco also talks about coming from a background outside of financial services, building credibility within Goldman Sachs, and leveraging his time at AWS to build the B2C business within the organization. Finally, Marco dissects the necessary ingredients in becoming a more nimble enterprise, reflects on the keys to his career success, and talks about his passion for music.
724: Jen discusses her philosophies in leadership and how she has used those lessons to realize the art of the possible at Cargill. She explains her preference for the term ‘digital’ over ‘IT’, describes the value both federated and centralized solutions have within her team, and shares anecdotes about how technology has improved the customer experience at the company. When it comes to leadership, Jen shares her “Four Ls of Leadership,” the “platinum rule” she lives by, and how these frameworks have pushed her to be a strategic driver in the CIO role. Finally, Jen reflects on the keys to her continued success, the progress we still have to bring more women into STEM fields, and the trends in technology that are on her roadmap.
723: Steve discusses his latest book, Rise of the Rest and his mission of growing venture capital outside of the three big epicenters of CA, MA, and NY. He explains the thesis of the book, why 75% of VC focuses on these metropolitan areas, and what inspired him to explore this phenomenon. Steve also gives his perspective on how communities can stimulate venture capital expansion into new areas, how the Rise of the Rest Bus Tours help spur greater visibility on entrepreneurship in these areas, and the venture capital firms he partners with to realize this. He then shares specific anecdotes from his book and the stories from cities that stood out to him during his tours. Across these stories, Steve breaks down the ingredients of a successful venture that he has seen, how the pandemic has changed this, and the role government plays in growing venture capital in their cities. Finally, he talks about growing opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs, economic headwinds that entrepreneurs are beginning to face, and how the tech community has grown in the D.C. Metro area.
722: Rob discusses his career journey going from CIO to COO and ultimately to co-CEO. He gives a brief thumbnail sketch of Cenlar’s business and describes his purview in his new post alongside Jim Daras. Rob also talks about the advantages of being a technologist in his role, the importance of developing a solid relationship with the company’s board of directors, and the benefit of having a close relationship with his CIO successor. Finally, Rob covers the trends in technology that are on his personal radar and reflects on what he attributes to his career success.
721: Sastry discusses the company’s mission of powering the business’s strategic shifts and fueling innovation all while transforming the core. He gives a brief overview of TIAA’s business, the two sides to his purview as Chief Information and Client Services Officer, and how his team collaborates with clients to deliver solutions that resonate with each stakeholder regardless of which stage they are at in their retirement journey. Sastry also describes the way his team is organized, how it drives the broader strategy of the company, and how it is developing a data and AI strategy to realize the organization’s mission. He goes into detail on the types of creative partnerships including those with Universities to upskill talent and diversity groups to open up opportunities for members of those groups. Sastry talks about his involvement in one such group, Girls in Tech, and the impact that it has had on his outlook for DE&I in the industry. Finally, Sastry covers trends in artificial intelligence and the metaverse and reflects on the keys to his career success.