Technovation With Peter High

904: As technical surveillance, AI, and advanced technologies become increasingly ubiquitous, the CIA, as a human intelligence organization, must be equipped to address these challenges. Through public and private collaborations, the agency is integrating critical technologies essential for national security. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Nand Mulchandani, the first-ever Chief Technology Officer at the CIA. Nand discusses his role working closely with Director William Burns to oversee the CIA’s technological advancements. Drawing on his Silicon Valley experience, Nand shares how the agency fosters innovation, builds relationships with tech companies, and adapts to the evolving challenges of great power competition, particularly with China. He explores the transformative role of AI, data analytics, and other technologies in national security while emphasizing the need for cultural change within the agency to tackle future threats. Tune in to hear insights from a leader at the forefr

903: Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had a transformative impact on the financial services industry by enhancing decision-making, personalizing customer experiences, and driving innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Shri Santhanam, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Software Platforms and Artificial Intelligence at Experian. Shri delves into Experian's evolution from a credit bureau to a platform company, emphasizing the critical role of Artificial Intelligence in driving this transformation. He discusses the development of the Ascend Technology Platform, AI's impact on financial inclusion, and the importance of AI governance. Shri also shares his passion for credit education and how generative AI is helping consumers better understand and improve their financial health. Tune in to gain insights into the future of data-centric AI and Experian's innovative use of technology to create business and consumer impact.

902: AI is reshaping legal services by streamlining tasks and driving innovation, yet it also challenges firms to navigate complex ethical and security issues. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Mike Lucas, Chief Information Officer at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. They discuss the integration of Artificial Intelligence in legal services and how Mike is driving Digital Transformation at one of the world’s leading law firms. Mike shares insights on the firm’s innovative initiatives, including the development of AI tools like the Neuron platform and pilots with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. He also delves into the challenges of change management and the ethical considerations of adopting AI in a traditional industry like law.

901: As AI and analytics evolve, one constant remains: clean, well-organized data is at the heart of these technologies. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Ajit Jagtap, Chief Information Officer at MODE Global. They discuss the rapid digital transformation in the logistics industry, driven by the pandemic, and how MODE Global is leveraging technology to enhance its services. Ajit shares insights on the importance of a robust data strategy to support AI and machine learning initiatives, the role of IT in integrating MODE’s family of brands, and the future of AI in logistics. The conversation also touches on Ajit's approach to leadership and the significance of a people-centric culture within the IT organization.

900: Recognized as one of the most influential CIOs, Rob Carter of FedEx has had an extraordinary career, driving the company’s digital transformation while reshaping the technology landscape and redefining the CIO role. In this milestone 900th episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Rob to reflect on his remarkable journey and explore the evolving role of technology executives in enterprise leadership. They discuss FedEx’s digital transformation, including the transition from proprietary systems to cloud-based, virtualized environments. Carter shares insights from his early career, the impact of key mentors, and how FedEx leverages data through initiatives like FedEx Dataworks. The conversation underscores the critical role of leadership and technology in modernizing one of the world’s largest logistics companies.

899: Digital transformation goes beyond technology, requiring robust enterprise change management and the implementation of secure, responsible guardrails to drive sustainable innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Dolores Mears, Chief Information Officer at Hensel Phelps. They discuss the company’s comprehensive modernization journey, focusing on digitization, data strategy, and the integration of advanced technologies like AI. Dolores shares her approach to leading enterprise change management, fostering innovation through the AI Council, and evaluating investments in emerging technologies. They also explore how augmented reality is transforming the construction industry. Join us for an insightful conversation on the future of technology in complex project management.

898: Target's decade-long experience with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has primed the company to fully leverage the transformative potential of Generative AI. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Brett Craig, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Target. They discuss the pivotal role of Generative AI in transforming retail and how technology has evolved to become a defining element in enhancing customer and employee experiences. Brett shares his journey from various roles within Target, including merchandising and finance, to his current role as CIO, where he leads the company’s technology strategy. The episode also delves into Target's culture of innovation, highlighting initiatives like demo days, hackathons, and 50 Days of Learning that empower technologists to drive progress. Tune in to learn how Brett and his team are shaping the future of retail technology at Target.

897: Successfully adopting AI within an organization hinges on aligning people and processes first, rather than relying solely on the technology. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Leo Bodden, Group Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at New York-Presbyterian. Leo discusses the transformative journey of the hospital system through strategic digital initiatives, the integration of AI in healthcare, and the balance between centralized and decentralized IT management. With nearly three decades at the organization, Leo offers valuable insights into the evolution of healthcare technology and shares his thoughts on the future trends that will shape the industry.

896: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare and enhancing the patient experience by making it more efficient, predictive, and consumer-friendly. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Rajeev Ronanki, Chief Executive Officer of Lyric, a leading AI-based platform focused on enhancing payment accuracy in healthcare. Rajeev discusses the challenges in modern healthcare and the AI solutions his team is building. He shares his journey from Deloitte to Elevance Health and finally to Lyric, highlighting his passion for healthcare innovation. They explore how AI is automating administrative processes, improving payment accuracy, and providing personalized consumer experiences. Rajeev also shares his vision for the future of Lyric and the broader healthcare industry, emphasizing the importance of consumer-friendly solutions and the potential of AI to simplify healthcare transactions.

895: As the AI landscape continues to expand, cybersecurity remains a top priority for technology executives, creating abundant opportunities for venture capital firms to invest in the cyber space. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner at Accel. They discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, highlighting the increasing complexities introduced by cloud computing and AI. Andrei shares Accel's investment strategies, focusing on developer tools, data security, and Web3 technologies. The conversation also delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in cybersecurity and Andrei's journey from Romania to becoming a key figure in Accel's global investment efforts.

894: General Electric (GE) historically has been a powerhouse in the technology world as a bootcamp for some of the most prestigious tech leaders of today. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews David Burns, Chief Information Officer at GE Aerospace. They discuss the company's recent separation from General Electric and its transformation into an independent entity. David shares insights into the challenges of decentralizing IT services, the role of AI and augmented reality in enhancing operations, and the importance of a lean and cloud transformation journey. He also reflects on his extensive career at GE, the lessons learned from crises, and the value of continuous learning and talent development.

893: As the future of work continues to evolve, executives must keep pace with not only technological advancements but also talent strategies, learning to leverage both internal and external talent to succeed as a global enterprise. In this episode, Peter High interviews John Winsor, Executive in Residence at Harvard Business School's Laboratory for Innovation Science and founder and CEO of Open Assembly, about his latest book, 'Open Talent,' and the strategies he has developed for leveraging global talent pools, including freelancers, internal talent clouds, and open innovation contests. John shares his journey from founding an open talent company in the '90s to leading innovation at Havas and exploring the future of work with AI and digital transformation. He offers insights into the challenges large organizations face in adopting new business models and emphasizes the importance of culture in a networked organization. Finally, John looks ahead at how AI and technology, more broadly, can play a role in the

892: Ascending to the CEO role from a technology background showcases the critical impact of tech expertise in guiding business transformation and growth. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Mike Clifton, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Alorica, about his career journey and how his experience as a technology executive has shaped his perspective as a co-CEO. Mike discusses Alorica's strategic approach to enhancing customer experiences through AI and digital transformation, and provides insights into the company's unique Co-CEO model. He also explains his strategy for investing in startups to curate an ecosystem of partners, keeping the company at the forefront of innovative technologies like noise cancellation and voice translation.

891: Proper cybersecurity practices within a company involve a shared responsibility across the entire enterprise, not just the IT organization, requiring a unified approach that encompasses people, processes, and technology. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Sesh Tirumala, Chief Information Officer of Western Digital, to discuss the company's focus on cybersecurity, employee experience, and engineering excellence. Sesh details his experience handling a major cyber incident at Western Digital and the framework he applied to identify vulnerabilities and establish guardrails to mitigate future cyber incidents. He also talks about his approach to improving operational and engineering excellence at the company and explains the importance of culture in IT. Furthermore, he reflects on his journey across various scaled and fast-growing technology companies and shares the future trends in technology that excite him, such as generative AI and digital twins in manufacturing.

890: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Postal Service (USPS) had to rapidly set up infrastructure to ship subsidized test kits, scaling their operations within three weeks. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Pritha Mehra, Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of USPS, about this incredible story and the resulting digital transformation. With 34 years at USPS, including more than three and a half as CIO, Pritha discusses the immense technological infrastructure she oversees, including 32,000 network locations and over 930 applications. She highlights USPS’s modernization efforts to stay competitive, their significant role during the pandemic, and initiatives to enhance employee experience and efficiency. Pritha also delves into the implementation of digital twins for tracking packages, the importance of data, AI, and machine learning, and fostering a culture of curiosity and innovation within her team.

889: Venture capital has driven technological advancement from hardware companies like Cisco to software giants like Google. But what does the future hold? In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High talks with Saul Klein, co-founder and managing partner of Phoenix Court, about his insights on a more balanced future for tech VC. They discuss Saul's innovative approach, which includes managing four distinct funds—LocalGlobe, Latitude, Solr, and Basecamp—to strategically support potential unicorns. With experience as a partner at Index Ventures and a non-executive director at the UK's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Saul shares insights on the European and Israeli tech ecosystems, the historical and social context of innovation, and the need to demystify venture capital. Additionally, he analyzes the impact of Brexit on innovation, regulation, and trade agreements, and delves into the social impact initiatives of Phoenix Court and his perspectives on the future of tech investment.

888: The rapid pace of technological change, particularly with the advent of AI tools, has drastically decreased the average half-life of skills to less than five years, necessitating a focus on continuous learning at every level. In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, where Liberty Mutual Global CIO Monica Caldas and WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi speak with Metis Strategy Partner and East Coast Lead Alex Kraus about future-oriented storytelling, talent upskilling, and innovation processes. Discover how Liberty Mutual leverages its ecosystem of partners to develop the 'Skills to Fuel our Future' strategy, maturing employee skills in data, software, and AI, and how Amir at WestRock emphasizes purpose-driven innovation and a growth mindset. Both executives also share their thoughts on executive storytelling, cultural nuances in approaching different personas, and the importance of metrics for evaluating performance and progress.

887: Peter Zeihan, renowned geopolitical strategist and founder of Zeihan on Geopolitics, wrote in his most recent book, "the seeds of deglobalization were sown decades ago." Since then, the world has seen both demographic and economic shifts that further validate his analysis. In this episode, Peter High interviews Peter Zeihan about his deep insights on topics intersecting demography, economics, energy, politics, technology, and security. The conversation delves into Zeihan's perspectives on Stalin's influence on the global order, the early indicators of deglobalization, and the demographic challenges leading to economic declines. Zeihan provides an in-depth look at the geopolitical futures of major powers like China, Russia, and the United States. He explains the mechanisms driving historic trends, the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and what might be expected on the world stage in the coming years. Pivoting more locally, Zeihan discusses his predictions for the 2024 US Presidential elections, what each can

886: In high-stakes negotiations, whether for ransom, cyber extortion, or business dealings, emotional self-regulation, empathy, and trust-building, alongside practical stress management techniques, are critical to achieving a successful outcome. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Scott Walker, a former Scotland Yard detective-turned-crisis and risk management consultant about his experience in crisis management and the skills he wishes to pass along to help others in similar situations. With 16 years of experience in serious crime investigation and military intelligence, Scott shares his journey into crisis management, his techniques for negotiation, and the importance of emotional intelligence and resilience. He offers practical advice on how to regulate emotions, build trust through empathy, and manage high-pressure situations, illustrating these with stories from his career. Scott also delves into the parallels between kidnap negotiations and cyber extortion, emphasizing the critical r

885: Organizations navigate a landscape marked by frequent AI interface releases, expanding interaction channels, and heightened expectations for quick, seamless, personalized experiences. Emphasizing responsible customer data use, they strive to balance AI with human touch to enhance both customer and employee engagement. In this episode of Technovation, a panel from our May 2024 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium features Bala Subramanian, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at UPS, and Marty Brodbeck, Chief Technology Officer at Priceline, in conversation with Metis Strategy Co-Head of Research, Media, and Executive Networks Steven Norton about customer experience in the age of AI. Bala discusses UPS's tech-driven improvements in customer and employee experiences and operational efficiency, while Marty outlines Priceline's use of AI tools for enhanced customer care and efficiency. They delve into evolving customer expectations, generative AI applications, and the balance of tech