842: Software development, like the tech landscape as a whole, is constantly evolving, and the pace of change is faster than ever. Now, with the advent of generative AI and ChatGPT, a significant paradigm shift is occurring. Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of the code acceleration toolkit Codeium, joins Peter High on the broadcast to explain this shift and how generative AI is being leveraged to accelerate coding and the software development lifecycle. Varun shares the genesis story of Codeium, the benefit his infrastructure background had on building the company, and the trends he noticed signaling the impact of artificial intelligence on software development. He shares the future ahead for generative AI as a whole, the value proposition that Codeium’s generative AI toolkit offers its customers and the best practices that executives should follow when partnering with generative AI vendors. Finally, Varun talks about how Codeium competes with larger-scale organizations, the company's plans with its new Series B investment, and the lessons he learned from his career. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GvcPP4IJocI

841: The product development lifecycle includes a list of many disparate stakeholders that if not aligned properly, can result in disagreements, delays, and potential negative financial impacts. At Northrop Grumman, CIO John Russell has developed a “digital thread” that brings every stakeholder together to align the team before the product hits production. In this interview, John discusses the concept behind the “digital thread” and other methods he has adopted to create a more efficient enterprise. He explains the sanctity of data in a highly sensitive industry, the advantages of implementing automation across the organization, the implications of AI on talent development, and the critical process of including cybersecurity early in the product development process. Finally, John looks ahead at trends in AI and remote collaboration and reflects on the key elements of his career ascension. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/p1Zg_sEYuqI

840: Adopting a customer-focused culture requires the implementation of internal processes that allow the organization to quickly deliver improvements to the client experience. In this interview, Michael Hicks, CIO at Jackson, shares how he has fostered a customer-oriented culture by understanding the customer journey and setting up an agile architecture with the customer at the center. Michael underlines Jackson's commitment to customer service and a strong technology strategy that includes data, AI, portfolio management, and more. He speaks about the rationale behind centralizing IT across the organization, separating the CIO and CTO responsibilities, and adopting agile practices on his team. Given his diverse set of leadership experiences, Michael shares how his non-IT background prepared him for the CIO role and what lessons he has brought to his current role. Finally, Michael looks ahead at trends in APIs, AI, and digital experiences that continue to shape the financial industry. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/65oyN4RAVWQ

839: The healthcare industry is constantly evolving and finding uses for new and emerging technologies. Zeeshan Tariq, CIO at Zimmer Biomet, shares his experience exploring the use cases of AI in this latest episode and explains his metrics-based approach to driving that transformation internally. Zeeshan describes the company’s transition from purely medical devices to a full healthcare solutions provider and what new operating models came along with that transition. He details the company’s adoption of KPIs for every facet of performance and why it has led to immense success in benchmarking over the last few years. Zeeshan also discusses the value of artificial intelligence, the advantages of collaborating with strategic partners, and the challenges of collaborating with a global team. Finally, Zeeshan looks ahead at the trends in emerging technologies that are on his radar and the advice he has for those early in their careers. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X7PefCt-viE

838: There’s no shame in being called a “geek”. In fact, according to Andrew McAfee, it’s actually a compliment. In this episode, Andrew, co-founder of MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy, shares insight into the research he’s conducted while writing his latest book “The Geek Way”. He explains the ‘Four Norms’ of geeks; science, ownership, speed, & openness; and how companies can foster and navigate a culture that follows ‘the geek way’. Andrew discusses what it means to adopt Agile, how to leverage Agile practices to accelerate the pace of innovation, and why companies often get trapped in planning-heavy processes. Finally, Andrew looks back on his career and the learnings he has drawn from his writing process. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EO90_l_t48c

837: The media and publishing industry has undergone a massive evolution over the years as more and more readers prefer a digital experience. To talk about this shift in customer expectations towards digital, Sanjay Bhakta, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Condé Nast, joins Peter High on the broadcast and speaks about the company’s digital-first strategy. He begins with an overview of his role that combines product and technology and explains the rationale behind having a single executive focused on both. He shares his insights on centralizing the IT function across his global team, building offshore capabilities like the Condé Nast Technology Lab in India, and his transition from traditional IT to broader engineering responsibilities. Finally, Sanjay talks about the trends on his radar for the coming years, the ethics behind generative AI in media, and his reflections from across his career. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gvfaz_Fqi-A

836: The world of technology is increasingly becoming more and more connected offering valuable data to enterprises offering such products. At Textron, this data provides critical insight into product usage and allows the company to offer true value-added services to its customers. On this episode of Technovation, Global CIO Todd Kackley explains how he has built a better-connected business and aligned the IT function that reports to him. He discusses the collaboration between the Divisional CIOs, ascending to the Global CIO post, and the North Star Strategy he follows to foster this alignment. Todd also talks about the technology he uses including the adoption of generative AI tools, the advantages of digital twins, and the necessity of connected products. Finally, Todd covers his talent strategy, succession planning, and the trends in technology that are on his radar for the future. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gBHTgtvluWE

835: No matter what the latest technology is that’s available to IT organizations, the need for talent and a seamless digital employee experience is a constant for organizations to compete in the digital age. This episode of Technovation features a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Digital Symposium where Munir Hafez, CIO of TransUnion, and Muru Murugappan, CIO of BNSF Railway, spoke with Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton on optimizing the digital employee experience. Muru shares insights from the company’s digital transformation and how it has impacted the employee experience, speaks to the impact AI has had on improving safety for employees, and explains how AI tools have increased internal productivity for the organization. Munir makes the case for the digital experience citing the importance of that experience being “human-centric” and details the way he has optimized the developer experience balancing efficiency with security. Finally, both panelists provide their strongest piece of advice for other executives looking to drive a digital employee experience transformation at their enterprise. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oFq6bcOZD5E

834: The introduction of ChatGPT and generative AI this past year has pivoted the conversation around AI in terms of how this new technology fits into a company’s broader transformation strategy. In a panel from our December 2023 Metis Strategy Symposium, Vishal Gupta, CITO of Lexmark, and Sumedh Mehta, CIO of Putnam Investments, join Metis Strategy’s Steven Norton in a conversation about driving an enterprise AI mindset and the implications the new technology has across the business. Vishal adds color to his role and team structure at Lexmark, the value he aims to deliver with new AI capabilities, and the importance that trust holds when driving a mindset shift. Sumedh expands on this with details on how he breaks down the silos present between teams at Putnam, collaborates with strategic partners to deliver AI capabilities, and brings talent into the organization to realize a successful AI strategy. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kLxeCToJwNM

833: The advent of artificial intelligence comes with a host of new cybersecurity risks that technology and business leaders alike must consider when adopting these tools. In a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Digital Symposium, Peter High spoke with Martin Stanley, Chief of the Strategic Technology Branch at the US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to discuss the ways executives can prepare for these risks and the work he is doing to stay ahead of bad actors in the space. Martin explains the relationship between CISA and NIST and the basis behind their collaboration on the AI Risk Management Framework. Finally, Martin shares the advantages of collaboration with both private and public sector organizations on AI cybersecurity and what the path ahead looks like for cybersecurity innovation. Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jYmzY6odmWc