CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

With everything getting digitized and slowly moving on to the virtual world, there are some industries and arts that are having a bit of a hard time adapting to the new normal. Sales are one of them. Making sales is hard to pull off in-person, and even harder to pull off online, but people like Chuck Hardy, Head of Engineering at Salesroom, have made it their goal to make it easier for people to reach their potential clients, and remove the obstacles that selling in virtual environments pose. TC sat down with Chuck to learn more about Salesroom, about his own journey to becoming a tech leader, and what drives him. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • The highest level of competency is knowing what you don’t know • The importance of staying humble • Bridging the skills gap is all about bringing the concept of learning to life Our Guest: Chuck Hardy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjhardy/ Website: https://chuckjhardy.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

How would one define tech leadership? Is it all about innovation? About creating something that will serve humanity as a whole? Or maybe it’s about empowering people and nurturing them to become leaders on their own? It’s all of the above, and much more – but the one thing that drives our guest, Knowledge Officer’s founder, Ahmed El-Sharkasy, is to provide the platform for people who are looking to develop and improve their skills and become better at what they love doing! TC Gill sat down for a chat with Ahmed, to pick his brain on the important bits – his journey to becoming a tech leader, the way he operates, and what drives him – day in, day out. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • The highest level of competency is knowing what you don’t know • The importance of staying humble • Bridging the skills gap is all about bringing the concept of learning to life Our Guest: Ahmed El-Sharkasy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elsharkasy/ Website: https://www.knowledgeofficer.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ahmed_Sharkasy Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Healthcare is a sensitive topic around the world, as it becomes bigger, and significantly more complex – not just from a technological perspective, but also from a financial and business as well. Enter Firefly Health – a virtual-first healthcare company that’s all about making healthcare more affordable and easier to navigate. Our TC Gill sat down with the company’s CTO, Mimi Liu, to talk about the company, her journey to where she is today, and how she goes about leading her teams! Key takeaways from the podcast are: - How important it is to see opportunity in crises - Why diversity is not just about the difference in character, but also in how we handle and see stuff - How tech can empower people in navigating their way through anything Our Guest: Mimi Liu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msliu/ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/firefly-health/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

The third installment of our Stories of the Amazonian Tribe is here! For this one, we have Joe Trelin, an Amazon “recidivist”, meaning he had multiple “tours” with the company, working in various departments and in different positions. Charles sat down with Joe to talk about his time with Amazon, as we take a peek and a view on the culture inside Amazon, the processes, and learn more about the bits and pieces that make the big Amazon tick. Key takeaways from the podcast: - Everyone has a role to play in the process of innovation, and sometimes you need to be the spark that gets it all going - How to function in ambiguity and unconventional roles - How customer-centricity can impact product & service development Our Guest: Joe Trelin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-trelin-6a89a7/ Website: https://authid.ai/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

While some tech leaders are focused on the tech, others are focused on spreading the gospel of tech into the halls of politics and decision-making. One such leader is Chris Holmes, a Peer in the House of Lords, who dived deep with TC on topics such as tech and leadership, but with a bit of twist. From his first steps into the tech world, all the way to where he is now, the story of Chris Holmes is one we’re sure will captivate you and give you quite a lot to think about. Key takeaways from the podcast are: - How developing a passion for tech can help you develop a perspective on what to do - Why it’s important to be present – both with people and for people - How can we see the opportunity in the world around us Our Guest: Chris Holmes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lord-chris-holmes/ Website: https://www.channel4.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

In this frantic age, in this frantic world, there is no shortage of demand for more, and more, and more – but what happens when an industry vital for the functioning of modern society is under sustained and increasing pressure? Tech jumps in to help it, ease the burden, and modernize it. Meet Tamás Petrovics, Co-founder & CEO at XUND - an Austrian healthtech start-up. Tamás and two of his friends decided to start a company that will help ease the burden on one of the biggest sectors in the world – healthcare. From how he leads his teams, all the way to his vision and mission for the company, our TC Gill had a good, long chat with Tamás about all of this, and much more. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • How prioritizing people and culture can set you up for long-term success • Make people passionate about what they’re doing • Why scratching an idea itch is almost always a good idea Our Guest: Tamás Petrovics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamas-petrovics/ Website: https://xund.ai/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Air travel is one of the cogs keeping businesses running, and that’s why it’s vital that airports run as smoothly as possible, and technology plays a crucial role in keeping things flowing. To learn more about how it all goes down and all the gears moving in the background, we talked to Maruice Jenkins, Director Information Systems and Telecommunications at Miami International Airport, who guided us through the works, his journey, and the complexity and intricacies of airports. Key Takeaways: • How responsibility helps people grow and develop • Why innovation in the air transport industry is ripe for the taking and could be a massive game changer • Casablanca (yes, the movie, it has some crucial points that tech leaders can learn from Our Guest: Maurice Jenkins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurice-jenkins-iap-c-m-b0b99016/ Website: https://www.miami-airport.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

We live in the era of distractions, and truth be told, our attention spans have shrunk in the past few decades, so staying vigilant and focused while doing some things – such as driving, for example – is becoming a bit difficult. But of course, tech giveth, and now we have a way to ensure that our short attention span and weak focus are not a nuisance or a hazard in traffic. One such company is ‘dreyev’ and our TC Gill sat down with the company’s co-founder and CTO, Roberto Sicconi to learn more about the problem dreyev solves in the market, his own journey in the world of technology, and how he roles as a leader. Key Takeaways: - How bridging existing tech can help elevate tech-in-development - Why decisions have more profound impact if they’re quickly implemented - Why dreaming big is important when diving into innovation and technology Our Guest: Roberto Sicconi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertosicconi/ Website: https://www.dreyev.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

People often talk about how some industries will never get fully teched-up due to the “human element” and the limitations that come with technology, and they might be right – but they were wrong about insurance. Just take a look at Lemonade – an insurance company redefining what it means to be in the business. To learn more about how this company works, and the tech-dealings behind the scenes, we got Ori Erez, their Director of Engineering, who sat down with us to talk in depth about Lemonade, his own tech journey – from young age to present day, and dive deeper into the issues of the industry and how he roles as a leader! Key Takeaways: - How allowing your business to grow without drowning it into processes and structures can help your teams stay more creative and flexible - Why sometimes evidence works better than providing comfort - How hiring carefully can help you passively attract the talent you’re after Our Guest: Ori Erez LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orierez/ Website: https://www.lemonade.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Technology, and specifically IT technology has helped turn dreams that every human being has had at least once – to fly, to dive deep, to be able to reach other people – and now, at the forefront of it all, are people lie Alexander Oelling, CDO at Volocopter, who are at the forefront and pioneering in the world of UAM – Urban Air Mobility – in which vehicles like their Volocopter give us a glimpse into a future filled with flying cars, but allowing us to enjoy it in the here and now. Our TC Gill sat down with Alexander to talk about his tech journey, his leadership style, and his advice worth in gold for techies and aspiring tech leaders. Key takeaways: - How ensuring a product is ready is all about safety and security - Why creating teams the proper way will always deliver - How time is not a real obstacle when it comes to entering the world of technology and IT Our Guest: Alexander Oelling LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderoelling/ Website: https://www.volocopter.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexoelling Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)