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

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.  

720: Doug discusses the evolution of ethernet and how it continues to be used today. Doug explains the difference between ethernet and other similar technologies it is often confused with, its use across industries, and where it has been used for cost efficiencies. He also shares a personal anecdote about how the technology he works on has been used to impact his life in a meaningful way. Doug then talks about his long career at Intel, the collaboration he experiences across other groups within the company, and the skills he hires for. Finally, Doug looks ahead at trends in autonomous vehicles and other technologies that he is excited about.  

719: Bill discusses his latest book True North: Leading Authentically in Today’s Workplace and why authentic leadership is crucial for success. Bill reflects on his upbringing, his time at Honeywell, and why he felt that joining Medtronic was the perfect move for him. He then talks about insights from his book including the importance of building strong relationships based on trust as a leader, why EQ is as important if not more than IQ, and the COACH framework he developed on organizing people. Bill then talks about the men’s group he has been a part of, how it helped orient and support him through his life, and why everyone should find an equally supportive group. Finally, Bill looks ahead at the future of hybrid work, gives advice for young leaders as we face major economic headwinds, and shares what have been the major keys to his career success.  

718: Kamran and Roelant discuss the genesis of Adyen and the company’s vision for driving the future of Unified Commerce. Kamran gives a brief history of the company, how he got introduced to the platform, and why Adyen has chosen to grow organically instead of pursuing an M&A strategy. Roelant gives his perspective on why unified commerce is imperative for the future of digital transformations, and shares learnings from working with customers during the pandemic. Finally, both executives then talk about the process of international expansion, the hurdles associated with it, and translating the business model across regions.

717: Mario discusses his journey from CIO to CEO and his vision for the future of the business. He begins with his initial reflections on his transition to the CEO role and explains what helped him rise to the position. He gives an overview of how XPO was founded and the different verticals and spin-offs that have been a part of the company’s history, including the Less-Than-Truckload vertical he served as President for before his promotion. Mario describes the skillsets on his team, lessons from the company’s many successful M&A integrations, and how he fosters a culture of innovation. Finally, Mario speaks about the tech trends in data that are on his radar for the future of XPO and looks back at the keys to his career success.

716: Greg discusses the innovations in digital health that he is driving and how they have accelerated the pace of drug discovery. He gives an overview of BMS’s business and the company’s digital health program as well as how collaboration with physicians and hiring for various skills have been critical in developing game-changing innovations. Greg also covers the way his team collaborates internally across the silos within the organization and leverages technologies like artificial intelligence to increase the speed at which drugs are tested and developed. Finally, he explains why he chooses to immerse himself deeply in more technical aspects of the business, looks ahead at what trends in technology he believes will continue to make important contributions to healthcare, and reflects on the keys to his career success.

715: Sigal reflects on her seasoned career in technology, what she derives from her experiences, and what’s next for her. She explains the growing strategic nature of the CIO role, the insights from her advisory experiences, and how they have all paved the way for her journey to board membership. Sigal also weighs in on how IT can be a differentiator for high-power intellectual organizations like the ones she has been a part of and why GE Capital became a powerhouse for growing the great CIOs of today. She looks back on her time at the Israeli University Technion and the tech and entrepreneurial community coming out of Israel. Finally, Sigal looks ahead at the trends in cloud computing and advises future CIOs on the difference makers in her career.

714: Rob discusses how he is leveraging technology to improve customer and employee experiences, build a closer connection between them, and improve overall operational efficiencies. He describes the three verticals under his purview; technology, digital commerce, and strategy; why it makes sense to combine them under one role, and how he fosters cross-functional team culture to drive customer experience improvements. Rob shares perspectives from his experience across the retail industry, the insights he has drawn from across the different segments in retail, and how it has led to securing a board-level position in his career. Finally, he looks ahead at trends in data and artificial intelligence and reflects on the keys to his career success.

713: Cindy discusses tapping into the global talent network and leveraging the company’s innovation hubs around the world. She explains her purview as both CIO and CDO, why she chose to commingle her team between digital and IT, and how she manages the global team. Cindy gives insight into change management practices, creating firm buy-in to ensure successful execution, and why startup ecosystems around the world are becoming more popular. Finally, she talks about the lessons she learned coming out of the pandemic, trends in technology on her radar, and the keys to her continued success.