CIO Classified

Latest Episodes:

Create a Great Employee Experience with Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO and SVP of IT at Freshworks, and Carter Busse, CIO at Workato Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO and SVP of IT at Freshworks, and Carter Busse, CIO at Workato, discuss how IT Leaders can play a vital role in the employee experience, getting ahead of pain points, their secrets to security and automation, and much more.

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“We get employees involved in the decision making process. We want them to have a say in terms of which tool they like, which vendor and features they like …We believe that the technology out there is now like a utility. Everybody has an opinion and everybody needs to participate in the process.” - Prasad Ramakrishnan

“I look up to [CIOs] that are really passionate about understanding how the business works… They're not necessarily concerned about the technology, but how they can enable the business to go faster and with the right cost measures in it, and really understand the business.” - Carter Busse

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Time Stamps:

* (2:22) Prasad & Carter’s roles at Freshworks and Workato

* (4:10) How they view the scope of the CIO’s role

* (6:10) Carter and Prasad’s secrets to gauging results

* (11:45) Getting ahead of pain points to create a great employee experience

* (16:48) Building resiliency during uncertain times

* (26:15) Maintaining while scaling

* (29:55) The future of automation in the employee’s security experience

* (35:23) Secrets not enough executives know

* (38:20) Prasad and Carter ask each other questions

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Sponsor

This podcast is brought to you by Asana. Asana is a leading work management platform that empowers teams to orchestrate their work — from daily tasks to big strategic initiatives — all in one place. By enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly, Asana helps organizations of all sizes and industries achieve their goals, faster. Learn more at Asana.com.

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The Back-to-Basics Guide to the Future of Work with Jim Chilton, CIO at Cengage Group, and Rob Lee, CTO at Pure Storage Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Jim Chilton, CIO at Cengage Group, and Rob Lee, CTO at Pure Storage discuss overcoming obstacles during a digital transformation, building infrastructure with ransomware in mind, and staying secure while scaling up quickly, and much more.

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“Over the last couple of decades, you've heard the CIO, or even the CTO, considered to be the CEO's mechanic or plumber… The reality is that technology is the enabler for nearly every company on the planet today – that means that the mechanic and plumber are now the architect. I would encourage executives to think differently about technology executives and the contribution they can make to the strategy of the company.”
- Jim Chilton

“When you're in a game of ‘build a better mouse trap’, ‘build a better mouse’, you can't just focus on the next mouse trap in front of you. [Security] has got to be an upfront consideration, in all of the product and process, in all the decisions that you make… for a performance system.”
- Rob Lee

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Time Stamps:

* (1:14) Impacts of the ‘overnight’ shift to remote work

* (6:21) Remember the basics when undergoing digital transformation

* (9:33) Predictions for the future of work in 2022

* (14:26) Prioritize security when building infrastructure

* (31:03) How to scale up quickly and securely

* (26:08) What keeps Rob engaged and Jim’s technology predictions

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Sponsor

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Links

Connect with Jim Chilton on LinkedIn
Connect with Rob Lee on LinkedIn
Learn more about Cengage Group
Learn more about Pure Storage

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How IT Can Lead the Future of the Employee Experience with Johan Dowdy, Global Head of IT at Asana, and Apratim (AP) Purakayastha, Group CTO at Skillsoft and SumTotal Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Johan Dowdy, Global Head of IT at Asana, and AP Purakayastha, Group CTO at Skillsoft and SumTotal, analyze the always-evolving job description of an IT leader, before sharing valuable insights on improving employee experience as well as engagement, and much more.

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“There's the adage that the customer is always right, and that's very much as true today as it was 10 years ago. Now, that wasn't always the perception of folks in IT… but that is the north star of all great IT organizations. They are perceived as going the extra mile and providing outstanding customer service.”
- Johan Dowdy

“Employees, more and more, are looking for more than just a job. They're looking for growth. They're looking for a purpose… So, IT's role is to help employees grow continuously, to learn with whatever tools we have, and to do that naturally and seamlessly with the workflow.”
- AP Purakayastha

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Time Stamps:

* (1:42) IT’s role in employee experience

* (5:44) Must-have tools for productivity

* (7:46) Using IT to increase employee engagement

* (18:33) Building resilience into tech stacks and strategy

* (21:46) Career secrets AP & Johan have learned

* (24:06) Predictions for the future of work in 2022

* (27:29) Biggest changes in tech from the past 20 years

* (28:08) Making the case for automation

* (30:44) Adopting a customer service mindset in IT

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Sponsor

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Links

Connect with Johan on Linkedin
Connect with AP on Linkedin
Learn more about Asana
Learn more about Skillsoft and SumTotal

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Driving Insurance into the Digital Future with Shivani Govil, Chief Product Officer, CCC Intelligent Solutions, and Seth Rachlin, Executive Vice President, Capgemini Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

Shivani Govil, Chief Product Officer at CCC Intelligent Solutions, and Seth Rachlin, Executive Vice President at Capgemini, discuss the ways digital technology is transforming the insurance industry, share advice on balancing internal innovation with external stability, and much more.

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“At the end, it's about streamlining towards the outcomes that you're trying to deliver. It's very important that as we think about this need for digital transformation, it's not an isolation of, ‘Oh, I want to go on this journey because everyone is doing it.’ It's about how do you deliver those better outcomes as a business and as an organization?”
- Shivani Govil

“I think many who sit in the CIO and CTO seat, we are enamored of technology. We love technology. I think too many of us don't recognize that there needs to be a business imperative for technology to make a difference… The secret is figuring out how to make it relevant and meaningful, and how to make it resonate for customers, employees, and for stakeholders through the ecosystem, because otherwise it's just cool technology.”
- Seth Rachlin

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Time Stamps:

* (1:53) New tech’s influence on consumer’s expectations

* (5:11) Balancing internal innovation and external stability

* (8:22) How new tech and world events will impact insurance in 2022

* (11:04) Reasons for digital transformation outside remote working

* (17:10) Advice to legacy companies for digital transformation

* (21:07) Innovating with a purpose and plan

* (23:03) Shivani and Seth share what keeps them motivated

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Sponsor

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Links

Connect with Shivani on Linkedin
Connect with Seth on Linkedin
Learn more about CCC Intelligents Solutions
Learn more about Capgemini

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Avoiding a False Sense of Cybersecurity with Michael Oberlaender, CISO at LogMeIn, and Wayne Sadin, Board IT Advisor at Via Group Partners Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

Michael Oberlaender, CISO at LogMeIn, and Wayne Sadin, a Board IT Advisor at Via Group Partners, talk about today’s biggest threats in cybersecurity, risk management responsibility, preparing for a sophisticated digital world, and much more.

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“Cybersecurity is not going away. You cannot ignore it, shortcut it, or under fund it, and the moment you do that - you pay the price later. What has changed is the sophistication on the attacker’s side, and response and preparation needs to take this into account. That is why it’s key to invest in threat intelligence, threat modeling, and similar subjects.”
- Michael Oberlaender

“We've got to be building the ability to deliver whatever services the business wants, which means breaking down the monolithic stacks and breaking down the mindset that we have to do it in house…We've got to adapt the IT department, and the company, to the idea that we set a data architecture, a security architecture, a delivery architecture, and then move to a modular IT environment where we would be the stewards of the work, and not necessarily arms and legs of all of them.”
- Wayne Sadin

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Time Stamps:

* (1:41) The current state of cybersecurity

* (2:42) Ensuring cybersecurity improves employee experience

* (6:43) Avoiding a false sense of proper security hygiene

* (10:18) Risk management responsibility and third-party analysis

* (16:15) Prepping technology stacks for the future of cloud-based work

* (23:52) Predictions for 2022 & adapting IT to the future of remote work

* (33:39) Michael and Wayne share secrets they wish more executives knew

* (34:43) Advice on asking for funding for preventative security measures

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Sponsor

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Links

Connect with Michael on Linkedin

Connect with Wayne on Linkedin

Check out Michael's books:

Learn more about LogMeIn and LastPass

Learn more about Via Group Partners

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The Digital Revolution of ‘Old School’ Industries with Adam Rasner, VP of Technology Operations at AutoNation and Claire Hough, CTO at Carbon Health Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Adam Rasner, VP of Technology Operations at AutoNation, and Claire Hough, CTO at Carbon Health, discuss their experiences as Tech Leaders in historically analog-first industries, building infrastructure for the digital native customer, prioritizing the employee experience, and much more.

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“If we're going to roll out all this new technology and innovation, we could have the best ideas, the best solutions, but if it's not robust, and if it's not resilient, and we don't have a good disaster recovery plan - it's only as good as the uptime that we're able to commit to.”
- Adam Rasner

“Technology itself doesn't solve any problems. It's how people are going to use it and leverage it to make their work much better... Partnership is super important and including those stakeholders as you're building, deploying, and supporting products, that holds the key to success together as a team.”
- Claire Hough

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Time Stamps:

* (2:24) Prioritizing the digital native customer in an “old school” industry

* (4:15) Building infrastructure for a digital-first experience

* (11:00) Making sure technology helps your employees

* (15:40) Challenges faced while simplifying a multi-step customer transaction

* (18:00) Moving off the IT island and working closer with company leaders

* (24:12) Why being proactive can help Tech Leaders stay resilient

* (29:32) Adam and Claire share industry predictions for 2022

* (32:42) Scaling Up - lessons learned and advice from Adam and Claire

* (35:47) Advice for employee retention in a competitive job market

* (43:20) Adam and Claire talk about their favorite bulldogs

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Links

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The Secrets to a Productive Workforce with Brian Peterson, Co-Founder and CTO, Dialpad and Olivia Rose, CISO and VP of IT & Security, Amplitude Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

Brian Peterson, Co-Founder and CTO of Dialpad and Olivia Rose, CISO and VP of IT & Security of Amplitude, talk about increasing productivity, security in remote work, advice for going public, and much more.

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“We're never going back to regular work. No one's ever going back—it's too hard to go in reverse.” - Brian Peterson

“As a company, security equals trust. Without trust, you don't have customers, stakeholders, or shareholders.” - Olivia Rose

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Time Stamps

* (6:44) Technological innovation and its impact on workplace productivity

* (14:42) The role trust and transparency play in the employee experience

* (27:18) How to prioritize security within your team

* (41:41) Fidelity when going public

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Links

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How to Create a Culture of Security with Mike Kelly, CIO, Red Hat, and George Gerchow, CSO, Sumo Logic Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Mike Kelly, CIO of Red Hat, and George Gerchow, Chief Security Officer at Sumo Logic, talk about how to build a culture of security and foster innovation in a secure environment, and why CIOs play a critical role in creating the employee experience.

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“Security is one of those things you can't compromise on. It's just too important.” - Mike Kelly

“To be a security leader today you have to have three fundamental skill sets: 1) knowledge of the business, 2) technical breadth, and 3) you've got to be able to sell your program. You’ve got to sell it at a board level and you've got to sell it at a customer prospect level.” - George Gerchow

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Time Stamps

* (4:51) How to build a culture of security in remote work

* (17:27) The impact security has on innovation

* (30:19) The CIO’s impact on employee experience

* (45:11) Mike and George’s questions for each other

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Links

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The Secrets to Digital Transformation with Mark Settle, Seven-time CIO and Author, and Viral Bajaria, Co-Founder and CTO, 6sense Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Mark Settle, Seven-time CIO and Author, and Viral Bajaria, Co-Founder and CTO, 6sense, talk about what’s going on in the startup scene, the different facets of digital transformation, mistakes to avoid when scaling your company, and much more.

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“At the executive level, you can't rest on your laurels because the criteria that are going to be used to measure your success change over time.” - Mark Settle

“If you're vulnerable with your employees, and you accept your mistakes and faults. Many times it rubs off on your team and they will own up to their mistakes too and do it the right way next time.” - Viral Bajaria

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Time Stamps

* (4:23) The science behind startups

* (8:28) The overlap of digital transformation and being customer-centric

* (24:27) How to talk digital transformation in the C-Suite

* (30:30) How to scale your company

* (38:22) Advice for fellow CIOs

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Sponsor

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Links

Mark's book “Truth from the Valley: A Practical Primer on IT Management for the Next Decade”