Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders

One of the biggest realities facing CIOs is the fast-paced evolution of their role and the scope of their responsibilities, especially with new AI tools taking the world by storm throughout 2023. We’ve invited two top executive recruiters to help us navigate the seemingly murky waters of what it takes to be a CIO of a large enterprise today and what organizations are looking for in their recruitment efforts as they move into 2024.Shawn Banerji is the Managing Partner for the Data, Digital, and Technology Leaders Practice for Caldwell. He is an expert on change management and helps his clients navigate the convergence of talent and technology and its implications across all facets of the evolving digital enterprise.Martha Heller is the CEO of Heller Search, a premier executive search firm specializing in technology executive search. Throughout her career, Martha has recruited hundreds of CIOs, CTOs, architects, and other senior technology positions. She was the founder of the CIO Executive Council and is the author of two books: The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership and Be the Business: CIOs in the New Era of IT. In this episode, we discuss:What companies need to do to attract top tech resourcesHow CIOs can create thriving, productive cultures for remote and hybrid workThe need for CIOs to be both digitally and business savvyThe increasing need for digital literacy across leadership rolesThe biggest challenges facing CIOsHow to navigate the unprecedented pace of change large enterprises are dealing with today

Ghada Ijam serves as the CIO for the Federal Reserve System, one of the world’s most vital and complex organizations, affecting the economy on an international scale, providing stability to the financial services industry, and facilitating trillions of dollars of payments daily.In her role, Ghada oversees both the technology and cybersecurity arms of the organization, collaborating with both internal leaders and external vendors to drive great decision-making and innovation while shaping the Fed’s digital future.Tune in to learn from Ghada’s leadership playbook, including how she:Navigates a complex federated structure to lead the Fed’s technology organizationMotivates and keeps her team excited about supporting the Fed’s missionInstills confidence in her team during times of changeBalances crisis response and long-term strategic planningFeaturing submitted questions from:Don AndersonDan AnthonyLouise WillardTammy Hornsby FinkDee Waddell

Amir Kazmi is the Chief Information & Digital Officer at WestRock, a $20 billion Fortune 200 company that provides packaging solutions for countless industries. Working as a leader in such a large and established organization means that Amir is responsible for both developing and executing WestRock’s global information systems, technology, and cybersecurity strategy. As if that weren’t enough, Amir is also leading WestRock’s digital transformation with a focus on operations and both customer and commercial digital solutions. Tune in to learn from Amir’s career journey, including how to:Embrace full ownership for P&LLead digital transformation initiatives in large organizationsCelebrate efforts and small wins without losing sight of end goalsStay adaptable and flexible while pursuing specific business goalsFeaturing submitted questions from:Shan CooperJames DallasAbraham Kazmi

What exactly does it take to lead a 213-year-old company through a digital transformation initiative? How about an enterprise CIO whose career has spanned amazing companies like IBM, KeyCorp, and BMO. Someone who knows how to break out of comfort zones, make tough calls, and stay confident in the face of uncertainty. In this episode, we are featuring Deepa Soni, Enterprise CIO at The Hartford, a $22 billion property and casualty insurance company. Deepa is responsible for the overall strategy, vision, and execution of business technology, cyber, data analytics, and data science.Tune in to learn from Deepa’s “answer-the-call” journey and uncover powerful insights from her story, including how to:Harness continuous learning to stay adaptable to new technologiesActively involve middle management in the change management processEngage senior leadership to improve their understanding of AI technologyPrioritize pace over precision and progress over perfectionTake a business-centric approach to technologyFeaturing submitted questions from:Silja PandaranJamie PatelVipin Gupta

From 8 years in Big Four consulting, to 20 years across three global CPG companies, to now the COO of Latin America’s largest bank, Banco Itaú, Marina Bellini has developed a wide breadth of leadership expertise. She has honed her skills to be intentional and laser-focused on the customer while effortlessly balancing fearlessness and courage with kindness, empathy, and gratitude. In this episode, we are celebrating Marina’s incredible career journey and unpacking key learnings from her tech leadership playbook, including how to:Approach leading a major operating model transformationSuccessfully transition into different industriesEncourage different perspectives in executive teamsMaintain a customer-centric approach when driving organizational transformationMeasure your impact as a digital leaderFeaturing submitted questions from:Angela YochemCarlos Sanchez FanjulCenan OrcanerAndrea Carpes BlancoMarianna AmssomsRicardo Neves

The best leaders don’t only pay attention to how they engage with those on their teams, they also devote their attention to how they show up every day. These leaders recognize that leadership begins before there is even anyone else to lead.At Generac Power Systems, CIO Tim Dickson is a leader who knows how to consistently show up, which allows him to seize every opportunity that comes his way to transform his team’s, his role, and his entire organization. In this episode, recorded live at the CIO 100 Awards in Southern California, we are unpacking key learnings from Tim’s tech leadership playbook, including how to:Lean into your personal strengths to enable your organization’s rise to the next levelIdentify and leverage opportunities to elevate IT’s role in your organizationInvest in your team members to enrich their experience, skills, and opportunities Be a high-energy leader even during hard days Featuring submitted questions from:Neal SampleAngela Yochem

When an organization is moving toward its goals, it’s common for teams to get distracted with tasks and projects that are related to the goals, but don’t actually accomplish them. That’s why it takes confident leadership that can keep the overall vision front and center, keeping their teams laser-focused on the goals and steering their team members in the right direction.Today’s guest, Cisco Sanchez, is that kind of leader. As SVP & CIO at Qualcomm, Cisco has led his organization in pushing the boundaries on high-performance computing. In this episode, recorded live at the CIO 100 Awards in Southern California, we are unpacking key learnings from Cisco’s tech leadership playbook, including how to:Lead through complexity, scaling, and speed in a fast-growing companyBuild and utilize internal partnershipsStill “show up” as a leader, even when your tank is lowSell your ideas more effectivelyInvest in your team in a holistic way to develop future-ready leadersSpecial thank you to the team at Delphix for their help in filming this episode on locationFeaturing a submitted question from:Charlie Feld

How do you identify and adopt the differentiators that enable the top CIOs to pull away from the rest of the pack? For Giant Eagle CIO & EVP Kirk Ball, these differentiators have become etched into his tech leadership playbook, allowing him to foster successful C-level tenures at organizations like Kroger. We are unpacking Kirk’s playbook so that you can discover what it means to be a top CIO, how you can differentiate yourself as a tech leader, and how relationship-building is at the center of it all.Tune in as we explore:The Seven C’s of Great LeadersKeeping IT connected to the mission and the customerStaying current with the rapidly-evolving technology landscapeBuilding and sustaining culture in virtual environmentsLeading with courageBecoming an effective storytellerFeaturing submitted questions from:Charlie FeldChris Hjelm

Generative AI has taken the world by storm, opening up whole worlds of opportunity for technology leaders to simplify their processes and empower their teams to grow and innovate.But those opportunities do not come without some major concerns. With potentially serious issues like data privacy, response accuracy, and security, how can technology leaders successfully embrace this technology while mitigating the potential risks? And what will tech leadership look like in an AI-enabled world?To help us answer these questions, we’ve invited Dr. Lisa Palmer, a leading AI strategist and international speaker, and Anna Ransley, a powerhouse CIO whose career spans companies like Godiva and Heineken and who has spent this summer advising boards and C-suites about generative AI. With their help, we are unpacking everything you need to know about GenAI adoption so that you can apply it to your tech leader playbook.Tune in as we explore:The technological advancements that enabled AI’s current boomAggressive vs. cautious approaches to AI adoptionWhy CIOs should take a proactive stance in leading AI adoption and educating their teamsHow to choose which old processes to automate vs. which ones to replaceWhy technology leaders need a variety of perspectives in their team to adopt AI successfullyHow job displacement will be offset by new opportunities Why social engagement and collaborative learning will help teams navigate the AI journey

Many of our most inspiring leaders are people who know their values and stick to them, no matter the cost. For CIO legend Chris Hjelm, values-based leadership is his entire foundation. Drawing from his experience at companies like FedEx, Orbitz, and Kroger, we are unpacking Hjelm’s tech leadership playbook to uncover the truth about the cost of values-based leadership, building and maintaining executive presence, the importance of self-assessment, and so much more.  Tune in as we explore:Why values-based leadership and relationships are crucial to leadership successHow to build and maintain executive presenceHow and why it's important to develop your team members’ communication skillsThe secrets to leading and managing effectively through a crisisWhat makes someone a likely candidate for future leadershipThe necessity of self-care and stress management Featuring submitted questions from:Nick Kaufman, Vice President at Kroger TechnologyAnnette Hater, VP, Global Head of Technology Strategy & Portfolio at TapestryLeon Chism, Fractional CPTO/CPO & CTO CoachRyan Kean, CIO at Total Quality Logistics