CXOTalk: Leadership, AI, and the Digital Economy

On CXOTalk episode 777, we speak with Kurt John, the Chief Security Officer of Expedia Group, who discussed managing and leading cybersecurity in 2023. From building a decision support structure to explaining the value of security to boards of directors, this interview takes a deep dive into the life of a modern Chief Security Officer.We are joined by guest co-host, QuHarrison Terry, the Chief Growth Officer at Mark Cuban Companies.Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the future of cybersecurity and hear from a seasoned leader in the field.Here are the topics covered in this discussion:On Expedia Group and Kurt John's roleOn complexity in the security landscapeOn technical threats to considerOn security for travelers, partners, and employeesOn security in the Expedia Group brands and ecosystemOn building a decision support structure for securityOn defining boundaries of the security ecosystemOn security and privacy as market differentiatorsOn threat intelligence and business outcomesOn preventing fraud in e-commerce with the security value chainOn information sharing to prevent fraudOn explaining the value of security to boards of directorsOn investments in security and cost savingsOn companies adopting GDPR as a standardOn the imperfect nature of security systemsOn the importance of security post-mortemsOn advice for new CISOsOn the role of AI in securityOn the impact of security and trust in the travel industryKurt John is Global Chief Security Officer at the Expedia Group, where he overseas governance and execution of cybersecurity, physical security and privacy. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council where he helps to think through the most relevant Cybersecurity challenges at the intersection of geopolitics, business and security facing the United States and its allies. This includes making recommendations for policy makers to help bolster the security of our way of life. Kurt holds multiple board positions in private and public organizations including Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority – the Commonwealth’s initiative to drive innovation of the tech economy.QuHarrison Terry is a growth marketer at Mark Cuban Companies, a Dallas, Texas venture capital firm, where he advises and assists portfolio companies with their marketing strategies and objectives. Previously, he led marketing at Redox, focusing on lead acquisition, new user experience, events, and content marketing. QuHarrison has been featured on CNN, Harvard Business Review, WIRED, Forbes and is the co-host of CNBC’s Primetime Series – No Retreat: Business Bootcamp. As a speaker and moderator QuHarrison has presented at CES, TEDx, Techsylvania in Romania, Persol Holdings in Tokyo, SXSW in Austin, TX, and more. QuHarrison is a 4x recipient of Linkedin’s top voices in Technology award.

#cybersecurity #ciso #ai #aisecurityIn this exclusive interview, NVIDIA's Chief Security Officer, David Reber, discusses the complexity of the company's product line and its impact on security. He explains why NVIDIA’s complex hardware and software product line demands a diverse portfolio of security solutions. Reber highlights the role of AI and machine learning in security and data protection, and explains how AI changes cybersecurity.Reber presents an ecosystem view of security, where knowledge and trust play a crucial role in protecting against breaches.The conversation also sheds light on the interlinked relationship between data protection and protecting against breaches, the importance of monitoring the data supply chain, and customer experience in security. Reber concludes by stressing the importance of innovation and how security teams should focus on enabling innovation instead of stopping it.The conversation includes these topics:► How does NVIDIA's product line make security complex?► How does NVIDIA manage security risk?► What is the impact of AI and machine learning on security and data protection?► What is NVIDIA’s security ecosystem and why is it important?► Why are technology, education and training all essential to maintain cybersecurity?► How does AI make security a data problem?► “How do you protect distributed data sets?”► “It's AI until you trust it. Then it's automation.”► How do you balance security and protection against employee productivity?► What does customer experience mean in security?► What is the role of AI governance in security programs?► How does NVIDIA integrate security into product development?► How do we handle negative consequences of autonomous algorithmic systems?► Why do security breaches happen so often?► Advice to business leaders on AI and security?Subscribe for more: https://www.cxotalk.com/subscribeSee related conversations and transcripts: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/cybersecurity-strategy-2023David Reber serves as the chief security officer and head of product security at NVIDIA. Before NVIDIA, Reber served over a decade as a senior staff officer in the US Intelligence Community. He held the position of senior director of security for Nutanix Frame and Government Cloud Services. His background spans enterprise secure cloud service architecture, advanced cyber operations, offensive security research, global enterprise security, secure mobile tactical communications and insider threat. Reber holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Sciences and Technology from the Pennsylvania State University.

As a CIO, understanding the cloud ecosystem is essential for leveraging cloud computing for digital transformation, agility, and innovation.To understand why the ecosystem is so important for any move to the cloud, we spoke with the head of Strategic Ecosystem & Industry Solutions at VMware, Zia Yusuf.During the conversation, Zia explains the cloud ecosystem, why it's a challenging issue for many CIOs, and offers advice for migration planning and investing in the cloud.The discussion covers these topics:► What is the cloud ecosystem?► How does the cloud ecosystem drive customer success?► What are the roles and responsibilities of cloud ecosystem participants?► How is customer success different in the cloud from on-premises?► What are the business impacts of multicloud and hybrid cloud solutions?► How important is the ecosystem to cloud migration?► What is the role of ecosystem in innovation and cloud adoption?► Advice to CIOs on migration from on-premises to cloud?► How should CIOs plan and architect their cloud computing ecosystem?► What are the best metrics to use for evaluating a cloud migration strategy?Read the complete transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/cloud-ecosystem-guide-ciosZia Yusuf joined VMware in 2021 as VMware’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Ecosystem and Industry Solutions, responsible for building joint horizontal and industry-centric solutions with our ecosystem and alliances across Dell, global cloud providers (hyperscalers), global system integrators, and global ISVs.Prior to VMware, Zia was a Senior Partner & Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)—serving as a core member of the firm’s Technology Advantage, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications practices. Before BCG, Zia was CEO of a leading IoT startup called Streetline, and an executive vice president at SAP where he served as head of the global ecosystem and partner group. Zia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College, a Master of Science in International Affairs from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

#creatoreconomy #aitools Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way creators and entrepreneurs build and monetize their businesses. From content creation to e-commerce, AI tools are making it easier and faster for creators to produce high-quality content and build a following.Our guest is AI expert Riley Brown, who has quickly established himself as a leading voice in the creator economy. Riley has used his deep understanding of AI tools to grow his TikTok channel at an unprecedented rate. Riley will share his expertise on the latest developments and best practices for using AI tools to create text, audio, and video.The conversation includes these topics:► Rise in popularity of AI tools for content creation► AI tools improve digital communications► The creator economy and its impact on social media► Differences between AI tools and traditional creator tools► AI-powered content creation is the future of empowering creators► AI tools can help employees create their own personal brand► Employer objections to employees building strong personal brands► Creating AI-generated avatars for storytelling using various tools► How to use ChatGPT for best results► TikTok AI influencer describes future plansRead the complete transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/ai-tools-creator-economySubscribe to the CXOTalk newsletter: https://www.cxotalk.com/subscribe

#cio #digitaltransformation Technology investment strategy and innovation planning are particularly challenging during this period of economic change.In this interview, the Global CIO and CTO of the Solutions & Services Group of Lenovo, Arthur Hu, shares strategies for successful technology investment planning in 2023.He will discuss how he aligns technology investments with business goals, evaluates potential investments, and navigates the ever-changing business landscape. As a CIO and CTO, he has a unique perspective on the role of technology in driving growth and innovation. With his guidance, you'll gain valuable insights and strategies for your own technology investment planning in the coming year.The conversation covers these topics:-- Navigating uncertainty: CIO investment strategy for 2023-- What are the criteria for technology investment decisions in 2023?-- Include technology adoption and change management in investment planning-- Technology debt has a negative impact on business agility-- How to plan technology budgets during times of economic uncertainty-- How does Lenovo align business and technology investments?-- How can CIOs create a culture of business growth?-- The new CIO mindset of growth and business value-- Data sovereignty, privacy, and international compliance-- How to balance short-term results with long-term technology investments?-- Metrics and KPIs for measuring technology investment planning-- The best CIOs innovate to create value-- CIO and CTO investment planning compared-- Advice for CIOs: “Be the person of yes”Subscribe to CXOTalk: https://www.cxotalk.com/subscribeRead the full transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/cio-cto-investment-strategy-2023Arthur Hu is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Lenovo as well as the Chief Technology Officer of the Solutions & Services Group (SSG).As Lenovo’s Global CIO, Mr. Hu leads the enterprise-wide IT organization that is driving the technology-enabled transformation of Lenovo. Under his direction, Lenovo’s IT team has emerged as a strategic partner to the business groups, focusing on innovation, business value, and customer experience.Earlier this year, Mr. Hu was appointed to the additional position of Chief Technology Officer for the Solutions and Services Group (SSG). In this role, he leads the Research and Development organization within SSG, responsible for developing innovative solutions to bring to customers worldwide.Since joining Lenovo in 2009, Mr. Hu has held several executive and operational leadership roles in the company and is a member of the Lenovo Executive Committee.

#digitaltransformation #socialmediatips In this episode of CXOTalk the Chief Digital Evangelist of Salesforce, Vala Afshar, explains digital transformation strategy, trends, and advice for 2023. He also shares special advice for business leaders to be successful on social media, a topic Vala knows well since he has almost one million followers.What are the secrets that make digital transformation initiatives succeed or fail? And how can we overcome the obstacles and challenges? Keep reading to find out!The conversation includes these topics:● Introduction to Vala Afshar● Digital transformation strategy and examples for 2023● Focus digital transformation on business rather than technology● Trust and culture change are the foundations of digital transformation● What are the obstacles to a successful business transformation strategy?● What are digital transformation trends for 2023?● How can we make digital transformation understandable to non-technical people?● Vala Afshar’s advice on how to get followers on social media?Read the complete transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/secret-life-digital-transformationSubscribe: www.cxotalk.com/subscribeVala Afshar is an author, US patent holding inventor, weekly columnist for ZDNET, weekly podcaster, keynote speaker and social media contributor. Vala has over 845,000 followers on Twitter, generating billions of impressions per year. He has written over 250 articles since 2020. His weekly podcast started in 2016 and is projected to have over 2M viewers this year. He has interviewed over 1,000 senior executives, company founders, bestselling authors and venture capitalists. Prior to joining Salesforce in 2015, Vala served as the chief marketing officer and chief customer officer in the technology sector. He was a Salesforce customer from 2003-20215. Vala is currently working on a new book that will be published by mid 2023.

#employeeexperience #futureofwork #workday Employee experience describes all the touch points and interactions that employees have with their organization and work environment. Although it includes the direct benefits employees receive, such as salary and health insurance, less tangible factors like the quality of relationships with coworkers and supervisors, are equally important.But how can companies create an intentional employee experience, which is genuinely part of the future of work? We talk with Workday's Ali Fuller, who explains.She presents the following topics:● What is employee experience?● Why is employee experience so important?● How do we cultivate employee engagement?● How does engagement help us attract and retain employees?● How does careful listening help us meet employee experience goals?● What are best practices for measuring employee experience?● What is the role of middle managers in the employee experience team?● How do we start a workforce transformation strategy to increase employee engagement?● What are the benefits and challenges of employee experience programs?● Advice for HR leaders creating an excellent employee experience?Read the full transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/what-employee-experienceAli Fuller is GM of Employee Experience at Workday. As part of that, she leads product and development in three key product areas: Workday Today (Workday’s new home and search foundation), Workday Journeys (supporting employees during major transition and life events), and Help (knowledge and case management). Ali has led product teams at Workday for 9+ years, and, prior to that, was a consultant in the Human Capital space.

#digitaltransformation #softwaredeveloper Modern software development and engineering excellence requires more than just technical skills. True excellence is built on a foundation of values, principles, and processes that all support the organization's business strategy and goals.For a review of practical steps to create engineering excellence in software development, we spoke with Dan Drasin, Chief Development Officer of the payment processing company Shift4.The discussion includes these topics:● About software engineering at Shift4● What is “engineering excellence”?● How Shift4 aligns software engineering and product development with company business strategy● Working with Intevity to align business strategy and software development● What are important KPIs to achieve engineering excellence in an agile development environment?● Software governance to achieve engineering excellence● Advice to technology leaders on agile software development successRead the full transcript: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/how-create-software-engineering-excellenceDan Drasin is the Chief Development Officer for Shift4 Payments and is responsible for all Software Development across the organization. Mr. Drasin has nearly three decades of experience leading and transforming product development organizations in the hospitality, healthcare, and telecommunications industries.

#diversity #inclusion #womenintechAccording to the Harvard Business Review, diverse teams drive innovation and organizational intelligence. Many business leaders now realize that diverse teams can bring expertise and a range of viewpoints, to help their organizations better solve challenges, drive innovation, and attract and retain talent.In this episode of CXOTalk, two prominent business leaders discuss challenges and solutions to attracting, supporting, and maintaining a diverse and talented workforce.The topics discussed include:● What is diversity?● Why are diverse teams smarter and perform better?● Why are diversity and inclusion so difficult to discuss?● How can organizations become more diverse and inclusive?● What is the distinction between courage and confidence?● What is the role of HR in fostering diverse teams?● On the relationship between corporate culture and creating diverse teams● Advice for business leaders on how to create diverse teamsSee more from CXOTalk: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/workforce-transformation-how-create-diverse-teamsSubscribe: www.cxotalk.com/subscribeChristie Hunter Arscott is an award-winning advisor, speaker, and author of the book Begin Boldly: How Women Can Reimagine Risk, Embrace Uncertainty, and Launch A Brilliant Career. Christie is a leading expert on how we can harness the power of intentional risk-taking to create more dynamic and vibrant careers and organizations. A Rhodes Scholar, Christie has been named by Thinkers50 as one of the top management thinkers likely to shape the future of business. Christie was also selected for the biannual Thinkers50 Talent Award shortlist of the top global thought leaders in the field of talent management.QuHarrison Terry is a growth marketer at Mark Cuban Companies, a Dallas, Texas venture capital firm, where he advises and assists portfolio companies with their marketing strategies and objectives. Previously, he led marketing at Redox, focusing on lead acquisition, new user experience, events, and content marketing. QuHarrison has been featured on CNN, Harvard Business Review, WIRED, Forbes and is the co-host of CNBC’s Primetime Series – No Retreat: Business Bootcamp. As a speaker and moderator QuHarrison has presented at CES, TEDx, Techsylvania in Romania, Persol Holdings in Tokyo, SXSW in Austin, TX, and more. QuHarrison is a 4x recipient of Linkedin’s top voices in Technology award.

#digitaltransformation #businesstransformation #enterpriseai On this episode of CXOTalk, Dr. Karim R. Lakhani from the Harvard Business School explains how established organizations can develop the enterprise AI, digital transformation strategy, and leadership capabilities needed to transform and compete in a cloud-based world.Dr. Lakhani is the co-founder and chair of the Digital, Data & Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard, founder and co-director of the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard, and the principal investigator of the NASA Tournament Laboratory. He is also the co-founder & co-chair of the Harvard Business Analytics Program, a university-wide online program transforming executives into data-savvy leaders.The discussion includes these topics:About Karim Lakhani at the Harvard Business School● On AI business strategy● On the historical uniqueness of AI transformation● On the importance of ecosystems and data in being competitive with enterprise AI● On practical advice for business process transformation and AI● On the challenge of enterprise architecture strategy and transformation with AI● On marketing personalization using data and algorithms● On the business process challenges of digital transformation● On the challenge of bias in AI datasets● On economic displacements caused by AI● Advice for business leadersWatch on the CXOTalk site: https://www.cxotalk.com/episode/business-transformation-how-become-ai-companySubscribe: www.cxotalk.com/nominateKarim R. Lakhani is the Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is the co-founder and chair of the Digital, Data & Design (D^3) Institute at Harvard, founder and co-director of the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard, and the principal investigator of the NASA Tournament Laboratory. He is also the co-founder & co-chair of the Harvard Business Analytics Program, a university-wide online program transforming executives into data-savvy leaders.Karim has published over 150 scholarly articles and case studies and is known for his original scholarship on open innovation and has pioneered the use of field experiments to help solve innovation-related challenges while simultaneously generating rigorous research in partnership with organizations like NASA, Harvard Catalyst, and The Broad Institute. He co-authored Competing in the Age of AI (2020), an award-winning book published by the Harvard Business Review Press. He has developed six online-courses that have educated thousands of executives on AI strategy, technology-driven transformation, and entrepreneurship.Karim is an advisor to senior executives at leading companies. He serves as an Academic Partner at Flagship Pioneering, member of the Board of Directors of Mozilla Corporation and VIDEA Health, and an advisor to several AI-based startups. He is the co-founder of Aspire Institute, a non-profit that aims to transform the lives of first-in-family college students worldwide.Karim was awarded his Ph.D. in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds an SM degree in Technology and Policy from MIT, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Management from McMaster University in Canada. He is a recipient of the Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship and a doctoral fellowship from Canada's Social Science and Humanities Research Council.