Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

From Tesla to Tekion: How Jay Vijayan Is Transforming the Automotive Experience In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Jay Vijayan, Founder & CEO of Tekion and former CIO of Tesla, about revolutionizing the dealer-to-consumer automotive experience through a cloud-first, AI-powered SaaS platform. Jay shares how his time at Oracle, VMware, and Tesla inspired the vision for Tekion, now valued at over $4 billion and serving major OEMs and dealer groups across the U.S. Jay explains Tekion’s three-cloud architecture—Retail Cloud, Enterprise Cloud, and Partner Cloud—and how it’s streamlining operations, enabling e-commerce, and connecting a vast automotive ecosystem. He also unpacks Tekion’s innovative use of AI agents to enhance after-sales service, deliver transparency, and empower both dealers and consumers. Key topics include: How Tekion modernizes the fragmented automotive retail experience The impact of AI co-pilots on vehicle service and customer trust Lessons from Tesla and Elon Musk that shape Tekion’s product philosophy Jay’s advice for CIOs aspiring to become CEOs

Join Hasmukh Ranjan, CIO of AMD, as he unveils a four-stage AI adoption model focusing on data-driven strategies. Chris Davis moderates a lively discussion on how to extract value from AI investments. Dham Pathervellai, CTO of Ingram Micro, shares insights on transforming partner integrations with GenAI. The conversation also touches on rethinking productivity, leveraging lean teams, and enhancing operational efficiency to stay competitive in the evolving tech landscape. Get ready for a playbook on turning AI potential into real-world impact!

Marina Bellini, President of Global Services and Digital Technologies at Mars, discusses the company's innovative integration of AI and digital services across its vast portfolio, including pet care and food. She shares insights from her first six months, emphasizing the balance between scalability and customization. Topics include Mars’ strategic AI platform MAX, the adoption of agile product models, and how the family-owned culture drives sustainable innovation. Marina also highlights GenAI applications enhancing pet health and marketing, showcasing Mars' commitment to long-term, responsible growth.

How are digital leaders driving real business impact with GenAI and agents? In this Technovation episode, we feature a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Summit where Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton speaks with three top executives who are driving innovation through generative AI and agents: Motti Finkelstein, CIO of Intel; Shri Santhanam, EVP & Chief AI Officer at Experian; and Jaime Montemayor, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at General Mills. Together, they explore what it takes to move from pilots to production at scale, how to build trust in AI agents, and the organizational shifts required to maximize GenAI’s potential. With insights spanning financial services, semiconductors, and consumer packaged goods, this conversation dives into strategic frameworks, technical foundations, and real-world use cases. Key topics include: Experian’s EVA: A financial agent handling personal credit data at scale Intel’s 2,500+ AI use cases tracked through finance-validated buckets MillsChat at General Mills: Securing and scaling enterprise AI tools AI training compressing certification time from 12 months to weeks Future of AI agents as full digital coworkers across B2B and B2C

“The genie is out of the bottle” In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, co-CEOs of Forum3 and co-authors of AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand. Adam is a former co-CEO of J.Crew and Starbucks Chief Digital Officer, while Andy is a longtime entrepreneur, VC, and former advisor to Satya Nadella at Microsoft. Together, they’re helping executives and brands navigate the unprecedented opportunities and risks of generative AI. They discuss lessons from their book, including their conversations with thought leaders like Sam Altman and Bill Gates, the imperative of becoming an AI-first company, and why future-proofing requires both agility and principled leadership. Adam and Andy also share practical advice on building an “AI council,” experimenting at all levels, and keeping pace with a technology that’s reshaping work, society, and competition. Key insights from this episode: Why AGI could arrive within 3 – 5 years and what it means for your business How to build an AI-first culture, starting with leadership Lessons from Moderna’s AI adoption playbook The importance of balancing innovation, security, and ethics How generative AI can act as a “co-founder” and personal productivity multiplier

994: Leading Through Change Requires Culture, Clarity, and Courage. In this episode of Technovation, Metis Strategy’s Andrew Krusell moderates a powerful panel with three accomplished CIOs: Richard Donaldson (CIO of Duke Energy), Neal Sample (CIO of Walgreens Boots Alliance), and Darlene Taylor (CIO of Superior Industries). Together, they share candid lessons and actionable strategies for leading large-scale transformation amid disruption. From building cultural permission for failure and branding your own leadership style to balancing customer needs with operational rigor and navigating AI-driven growth, these executives illustrate how technology leaders can drive meaningful, sustainable change in complex environments. Key topics include: Building cultural agility at legacy, risk-averse organizations Branding transformation through authentic leadership Balancing internal and external forces driving AI adoption Managing through market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty Avoiding pitfalls and cultivating resilience through networks and listening

Customer-first IT and innovation at scale. On this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Mike Trkay, Chief Information Officer at FICO, a $2B analytics software company. Mike leads not only internal IT but also the operations of FICO’s customer-facing SaaS and PaaS platforms making him a unique, customer-facing CIO. Mike shares insights from his 12-year tenure, during which FICO’s stock has risen 3,600%, and explains how his team drives customer trust, operational excellence, and innovation. Topics include his customer-centric approach to IT, leveraging AIOps and AI to scale operations, and the emergence of focused language models to reduce complexity and deliver business impact. Key topics include: Evolving the CIO role to include customer-facing operations Driving revenue retention through world-class SaaS delivery Scaling with innovation and a culture of experimentation Applying AI, AIOps, and focused language models at FICO

“Healthcare, first of all, unlike other industries, has to be held to a higher standard in terms of responsibility.” In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Sandeep Dadlani, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital & Technology Officer of UnitedHealth Group, the Fortune 3 healthcare leader. Sandeep explains how his team’s technology and digital strategies are tightly aligned to UnitedHealth Group’s mission: helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone. He shares how AI, cloud, and data-driven innovations improve care delivery, enhance provider and patient experiences, and reduce administrative burden while driving transformation at scale. Key topics include: Aligning digital-first strategies to UHG’s mission and patient outcomes Using AI to free clinicians and advocates to focus on care, not paperwork Empowering patients with seamless, portable, digital healthcare experiences Partnering responsibly with startups to accelerate mission-aligned innovation Embedding responsible AI governance to uphold trust and fairness

Rajeev Dham, Partner at Sapphire Ventures, specializes in investing in enterprise tech and champions founders who prioritize first-principles thinking. He discusses the evolution of venture capital in the AI era, emphasizing the need for authenticity in AI innovation. Rajeev delves into the transformative potential of agentic AI and its implications for SaaS and software development. He also provides insights for CIOs on identifying promising technologies and adapting organizational culture to embrace these advancements.

In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from the Metis Strategy Summit moderated by Ozlem Ulusoy, exploring how senior technology executives are preparing their talent for an AI-driven future. Joining the conversation are Kristie Grinnell, CIO of TD SYNNEX; Madhu Ramamurthy, CIO of Zurich North America; and Sesh Tirumala, CIO of Western Digital. Together, they share how they create safe spaces for experimentation, assess and reskill their workforce, and strike the balance between innovation and governance. The panelists discuss approaches to building transparent and explainable AI models, retaining subject matter expertise, and aligning people, process, and technology to unlock business value while managing risk. Topics include: Creating “playgrounds” for safe AI experimentation Building transparent, incremental AI in regulated industries Assessing and reskilling talent across IT architecture, data, and operations Balancing insourcing, outsourcing, and SME development Fostering a mindset of curiosity, business literacy, and innovation