Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

Today we're sharing another insightful presentation from our most recent Innovative Executives League Summit, where Deepika Duggirala, SVP of Global Technology Platforms at TransUnion, spoke about how focusing on your people and the developer experience leads to improved business performance.At TransUnion, Deepika leads the technology strategy and execution of cloud-based platform transformation. With over two decades of leadership experience, she has led teams that build high-performing software across a variety of companies, ranging from startups to large global enterprises. Prior to joining TransUnion, Deepika led product development as the CTO and VP of Engineering at Yello. She also served as SVP of Engineering at SPINS and held various technology leadership roles at SAP, Nielsen, and Motorola.Deepika holds a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University and a Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering from Nagpur University in India. She serves on the Regional Advisory Board of Comp-U-Dopt, an organization that designs programs to eliminate limited computer access, increase technical literacy, and support the future of youth in communities across Chicago and northern Illinois. She is also a passionate advocate for women in technology and the importance of balance in our work and personal lives.(02:34) - Recruiting, developing, and retaining high-performing talent(03:29) - Background on TransUnion & Global Technology Platforms(06:45) - Engaging development talent in the current environment(09:06) - Software development is a creative process(10:36) - Increased retention and productivity(11:33) - Listening to the engineering community(13:06) - DevX: TransUnion’s onboarding program(14:59) - How to continuously listen, engage & support(17:09) - Upskilling, investing in training, and future-proofing (18:26) - The results for TransUnionIf you're unfamiliar with the Innovative Executives Leagues, it's an invite-only community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with a growth mindset and a passion for innovation. It was founded to increase the network of innovation in the Chicagoland area and also on a national scale. If you're interested in becoming a member, send us a message at LinkedIn or visit our website at www.dragonspears.com/innovative-executives-league.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Tasked with accelerating digital transformation at Allstate, Christopher Paquette recognizes the digital potential embedded everywhere. Reflecting on his first year as Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate, Christopher shares essential lessons in collaboration, creating value for the customer, and transformation strategy. In this episode, Christopher discusses focus areas of connectivity, automation, decisioning, and pattern recognition. He gives examples of analysis indicators and the various speeds of digital transformation. Christopher dives into the idea of influence when your discipline is not siloed and discusses his passion for community building through music and music education.(01:42) – Introducing Christopher Paquette(03:21) – Digital transformation(07:04) – Decisioning(09:11) – Relationship building and collaboration(13:34) – Influence (18:10) – Outcomes and determining the “why”(21:51) – Indicators: starts, containment, and satisfaction(24:40) – Beginning a role in Q2(26:01) – Dedication to music and The People’s Music SchoolChristopher Paquette is the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Allstate. Previously, Christopher served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company for twelve years. His over two-decade career has orbited strategy, digital, and analytics. Christopher earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Today we're sharing an insightful presentation from one of our Innovative Executives League Summit speakers, Jack King. At the November summit, Jack spoke to the audience about creating an effective innovation culture and leveraging disruptive technologies through VR and AR.Jack currently serves as the CIO for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, AAOS. He provides vision and leadership to help develop and manage both the application, data, and service portfolios to enable AAOS to be the trusted leader in advancing muscular skeletal health. Prior to AAOS, Jack served as the Chief Technology Officer of Broward Health and the Chief Technology Officer for the state of Illinois.(01:25) - Background of AAOS(02:54) - Supply and demand mismatch in innovative thought(04:09) - Innovation within an established industry(05:22) - Introverts vs extroverts(06:22) - Walks in the woods: earning trust(07:57) - Making it safe to ask questions(08:55) - Move from hierarchy to accountability(10:22) - Alignment & autonomy(11:49) - Flywheel of innovation(12:47) - AAOS Digital Front Door mobile appIf you're unfamiliar with the Innovative Executives Leagues, it's an invite-only community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with a growth mindset and a passion for innovation. It was founded to increase the network of innovation in the Chicagoland area and also on a national scale. If you're interested in becoming a member, send us a message at LinkedIn or visit our website at www.dragonspears.com/innovative-executives-league.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

In an industry deeply focused on the “now”— scheduling down to the minute—and dedicated to safety above all else, how can innovation with an eye to the future and taking risks fit in? In aviation, United Airlines found a solution by tasking Jorie Sax with launching and leading its first innovation lab, Airshop. In this episode, Jorie shares how an innovation lab can foreground collaboration and inspire peers throughout the company while maintaining safety standards and continuing to produce value. Jorie dives into how leading with play and exploration can naturally guide collaborators back to constraints and tensions without having to lead with those limitations. She discusses guiding others to find their spirit of curiosity, how “inclusion propels innovation”, and embracing a startup mentality in order to lead innovation. (2:07) – Airshop at United Airlines(3:42) – Leading the industry through innovation(7:48) – “Inclusion propels innovation”(10:07) – Encouraging an open mind(15:40) – Accelerator and break(18:09) – Seeing value in potential(22:00) – Looking beyond the aviation industry(23:56) – Collaboration in innovation(27:35) – Producing and impact(29:40) – Creating an innovation structure(31:43) – Embracing a startup mentality and entrepreneurial spiritJorie Sax serves as the head of the first innovation lab, Airshop, at United Airlines. She has held positions in legal, marketing, corporate partnerships, innovation, and digital technology functions throughout her two-decade career at entertainment and lifestyle brands, such as MillerCoors and the Chicago White Sox.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Deploying the most critical systems to the cloud first was a bold strategy for Fitch Group. It’s an approach Derek Ferguson, Global Head of Enterprise Architecture, and Chris Lalor, Senior Director – Technology Enablement, believe was essential to the successful transformation to the cloud for the Group’s companies and is how they continue to manage complex, new technology to date.In this episode, Derek and Chris dive into avoiding friction in the development process, enabling developers to innovate, and embracing the possibility of failure while reducing potential failure points. They also share their perspectives on service mesh, creating functionality that scales, and the exciting innovations ahead in 2023.(01:23) – Fitch Group(07:58) – Journey to the cloud(11:31) – Reducing friction for developers(15:25) – Avoiding bottlenecks(20:19) – Reducing points of failure(23:33) – Key innovation of service mesh(28:14) – Expanding the tech team(30:36) – Looking ahead in 2023Derek Ferguson is the Global Head of Enterprise Architecture at Fitch Group, Inc. Derek is an experienced head of technology professional with previous roles at JPMorgan Chase and Bear Stearns. Chris Lalor is the Senior Director - Technology Enablement at Fitch Group, Inc. Previously, Chris led cloud and compute architecture at Viacom MTV Networks. If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

How do I use cloud services intentionally? What might I build out on-prem? What might my edge architecture look like? – These are just some of the questions Amanda Blevins is hearing from technology leaders these days. Finding solutions to those challenges is a big part of her current role as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas at VMware.In this episode, Amanda shares her thoughts on the future of cloud technology and how to tame the "cloud chaos" by creating an intentional multi-cloud strategy that makes sense for your business. She also discusses accounting for talent availability in your infrastructure planning, leveraging existing team skillsets, and hiring appropriately. Listen in to hear this and more including Amanda’s insightful perspective on aligning personal interests with the strategic goals of your company. (01:13) – VMware(05:36) – Starting a career in the dot-com bubble(09:20) – Lessons from a layoff(11:33) – Authenticity and leadership(13:18) – The move to Multi-Cloud(16:08) – Avoiding “cloud chaos”(17:57) – Setting an intentional cloud strategy(22:03) – Factoring in talent availabilityAmanda Blevins is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Americas of VMware. She joined VMware as a senior systems engineer in 2010, and a few years later, she became the company’s first female principle systems engineer. Amanda is VMware’s first and only female chief technologist. She leverages her twenty-five years of industry experience and network to drive awareness and equality for women and all underrepresented people in technology fields. Amanda earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from American Sentinel University and attended Vanderbilt University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Participating in school activities and community building has been challenging for remote and hybrid students, let alone the near impossibility of "running into a friend." Rich Alapack, founder of we all live here, witnessed this experience early in the pandemic and envisioned a program in which this was all possible: SchoolTopia.In this episode, Rich shares the mission of we all live here and their commitment to public art projects that promote inclusivity and empower students to challenge hatred in their communities. Rich discusses his experience developing an off-campus housing website in college and his current journey of bringing SchoolTopia to beta partners. He provides insight into virtual schooling and the customization available to provide an enriched experience with a focus on the social aspect of attendance, virtual safety, and integrating outside partners, like we all live here, into the software for a complete school experience. (1:18) – we all live here(3:05) – Simplicity vs. complexity(9:02) – Taking action(11:14) – SchoolTopia(19:14) – FindAPlaceToLive.com(23:30) – Product customization(26:24) – Safety in virtual spacesRich Alapack is the founder of we all live here, an organization that uses art, community, and technology to develop experiences, programs, and activities that remind us all to get along and help each other. He is a creative team builder, collaborative leader, consistent closer, frequent speaker (including TEDx), innovative thought leader, and public advocate of diversity and inclusion. His career has orbited sales and brand strategy, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Winona State University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

When Tommy Richardson enlisted in the United States Army at 18, he narrowed his options to operating a tank or going into computer operations and programming. In selecting the latter, he launched a lasting career in the field, has led several major companies in C-suite positions, and recently arrived as Chief Product and Technology Officer for Litmos, leading product innovation. In this episode, Tommy discusses balancing technology evolution to remain competitive, feature development to meet customer demand, and product innovation to keep ahead of the curve. He shares insight into establishing the right resource allocation for the various product development workstreams, including security, tech debt, enhancements, defects, and support. Tommy also dives into lessons learned from his time at startups and in private equity, as well as what’s ahead for Litmos this year. (01:01) – Product at Litmos(04:21) – Training in a rapidly changing world(06:29) – Feature-richness as a differentiator(08:23) – Individualized content(10:10) – Technology innovation and prioritization(18:57) – The journey and the destination(21:13) – Learning from startups(23:35) – The world of private equity(24:57) – Major influencesTommy Richardson is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Litmos with over twenty-two years of experience across industries. He’s held executive leadership roles at FinThrive, BARBRI Global, Vector Solutions, Nextech Systems, Teradata, Siemens Healthineers, ADP, and more. Introduced to computer programming in the United States Army, Tommy studied at Auburn University in Montgomery and earned an MBA from The University of Georgia.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

Between confidentiality agreements, polite manners, and ego, it can be difficult to get a real story of what selling a company is like. Breaking that taboo was the inspiration for Exit Right, a book co-authored by today’s guest Mark Achler, Managing Director at MATH Venture Partners.  In this episode, Mark shares the hard-earned lessons captured in Exit Right about key actions that lead to successful exits. He makes the case for viewing these transactions not as a moment in time but as an opportunity to build relationships and value over a long time horizon. Mark emphasizes the need to deeply understand the rationale for the transaction, the value of maintaining empathy for all stakeholders, and why trust is everything.(01:36) – MATH Venture Partners(04:23) – Exit Right: how to sell your startup(10:29) – FAIR framework for successful acquisitions(18:53) – Start early & build relationships(21:03) – Mark’s empathy rules(25:40) – Upcoming debt apocalypse(28:52) – Are economic interests aligned?(31:25) – The inevitable economics of trust(39:00) – Widening your lens beyond a single dealMark Achler is the Managing Director at MATH Venture Partners, an early to growth-stage venture capital fund focusing on technical and digital companies. Mark is a faculty member at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in entrepreneurship and innovation and co-authored Exit Right with Mert Iseri. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Purdue University.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.

One consequence of success for a startup is outgrowing the very strategies that made you successful. As an experienced founder, it’s a challenge Justin McNally was prepared to tackle as Chowly grew from a seedling idea to a market leader in point-of-sale integration. At each stage of growth, Justin’s role, and sometimes title, evolved to meet the changing needs of the organization. Through the lens of his current role as Chief Innovation Officer, Justin discusses traversing the gap from startup to established company, shifting hiring emphasis from generalists to specialists, and adapting competitive strategies as a market matures. He also offers perspective on avoiding stagnation and continuing to innovate even as the risk calculations change with scale.  (01:07) - Starting Chowly (05:16) - Growing up with entrepreneurship(12:33) - Defining your moat(16:55) - How risk tolerance changes with growth (19:06) - Checking your ego at the door as a founder(21:52) - Role of the Chief Innovation Officer(24:35) - What’s ahead for Chowly and the industry Currently, Justin McNally is the Chief Innovation Officer at Chowly, a direct POS integration for third-party delivery platforms. Justin is an experienced founder with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. He graduated with a BLA focused on Interactive Arts & Media from Columbia College Chicago. Some of his skills include Digital Strategy, PHP, WordPress, Ruby on Rails, and Content Management Systems.If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Innovation and the Digital Enterprise in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts. It really helps others find the show.Podcast episode production by Dante32.