Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders

There is no better guest to celebrate our 100th Whisperers episode with than Denise Russell Fleming, CIO and EVP of Technology & Global Services at BD. Denise has built a remarkable career across telecom, aerospace, defense, and healthcare, leading large-scale transformation while staying laser-focused on three vital areas: purpose, people, and impact. Throughout her leadership journey, her ability to ensure clarity and deliver outcomes at scale has made her the go-to for orchestrating the most complex cross-company, high-stakes initiatives.
Denise embodies everything it means to be a Tech Whisperer. In this episode, we’re unpacking her playbook, the experiences that shaped her career, and the lessons she’s learned—and that you can apply—from navigating complex transformations.
Connect with Denise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniserussellfleming/
BD: https://www.bd.com/
Tune in for wisdom from Denise’s journey, including:
Balancing executive responsibilities, community engagement, and personal growth
The key to wearing multiple leadership hats simultaneously
Finding alignment between enterprise strategy and IT investment
Leading enterprise-scale transformation in highly regulated areas

Featuring submitted questions from:
Ted Colbert, Former President & CEO, Boeing Defense, Space, & Security
Larry Quinlan, 11x Board Director, Former CIO, Whisperers Guest - Episode 7
Michael Bennett, Board Member, Former CIO
Dani Brown, EVP & CIO, Whirlpool, 3x Board Director, Episode 4 Whisperers Guest
Hermes Vallejo, VP of IT, Medical Segment NA, Marketing, R&D RAQA, BD
Rona Bunn, CIO, NACD (National Assoc of Corp Directors), Episode 32 Guest
Sabina Ewing, CIO, Business & Technology Services, Abbott, Episode 11 Guest
Tony Ezell, President of the Americas & Chief Marketing Officer, BD
Bharat Amin, 4x Board Member, Former CIO
Earl Newsome, CIO, Cummins, Episode 71 Guest

What does it take to lead technology at enterprise scale in a world defined by AI, ambiguity, and nonstop disruption?
That’s one of the big questions we’re exploring in this episode with guest Mojgan Lefebvre, EVP and Chief Technology & Operations Officer at Travelers. Since joining the property casualty insurer in 2018, Mojgan has been the driving force behind its digital and operational transformations, modernizing core platforms, strengthening customer experience, and enabling business growth through technology.
Mojgan’s professional journey spans senior leadership roles across insurance, healthcare, consulting, and technology, with a perspective that’s been informed and expanded by her board experience and her passion for developing future-ready talent. From leaving Iran at 19 to leading a 15,000-person global tech and ops organization, she shares how her leadership philosophies were forged long before she ever held a title and why a human-centered approach to AI is the way forward.
Connect with Mojgan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mojganlefebvre
Travelers: https://www.travelers.com/
Tune in for practical insights from Mojgan’s playbook, including:
The keys to fast execution at enterprise scale
Leadership skills necessary for leading enterprise transformation
How to balance innovation with optimization
Using technology to improve customer experience
The mindset and skillset for leading during transformation

Featuring submitted questions from:
Shelia Anderson, EVP, Chief Information & Digital Officer, Unum, Episode 87 Guest
Marc Wood, CIO, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty
Jason Galvin, SVP & CIO, Personal Insurance, Travelers
Kamalesh Dwivedi, President & Partner, 3Lines
Christine Kalla, EVP & General Counsel, Travelers
Andreas Wetterwald, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Travelers
Kevin De Sa, SVP & CIO, Business Insurance, Travelers
James McGlennon, EVP & Global CIO, Liberty Mutual (ret)

There are leaders who understand technology, and there are leaders who understand people, but when someone comes along who truly masters both, incredible things start to happen. Shelia Anderson, EVP and Chief Information & Digital Officer at Unum, is one of those rare and special leaders. A four-time CIO and Hall of Fame inductee, Shelia has built a career defined by transformation, resilience, and developing others.
In this episode, we are unpacking Shelia’s playbook to learn about:
Leading enterprise-scale transformations
Recognizing when it’s time to step into a new environment
Leading human-centered AI integration
Attracting and retaining top talent
Being a leader people want to follow even—and especially—in moments of high accountability

Featuring submitted questions from:
James McGlennon, EVP & Chief Information Officer (Ret.), Liberty Mutual
Mojgan Lefebvre, VP & Chief Technology & Operations Officer, Travelers
Matt Keane, VP Data Science & AI, Enterprise Value Stream Builder, Head of Innovation
Kelley Kage, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Employers Insurance
Andrew Walker, Chief Customer Operations Officer, Unum Group

In this episode, we are sitting down with Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of Never Eat Alone and Never Lead Alone, to talk about what leadership, teamship, and trust really look like in an AI-driven world, and how to strengthen relationships by embracing candor.
Drawing on his research and insights as well as strategies and tools from his books, Keith is opening up his playbook to share how leaders can stop thinking about AI in silos. We’ll explore the secrets to growing meaningful professional relationships, building high-performing teams, and leading in today’s dynamic and interconnected business environment.
Connect with Keith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithferrazzi/
Ferrazzi Greenlight: https://ferrazzigreenlight.com/
Never Eat Alone: https://a.co/d/cOdJlPx (Amazon Link)
Never Lead Alone: https://a.co/d/0ZFWB3a (Amazon Link)

Tune in for expert wisdom from Keith, including:
How to build high-performing teams in the AI era
The importance of candor and collaboration
The power of asking the right questions
Building and strengthening leadership relationships

Featuring submitted questions from:
Deepa Soni, CIO, New York Life, Episode 40 Guest
Leigh-Ann Russell, CIO & Global Head of Engineering, BNY
Frank Congiu, EVP for Human Capital Strategy & Executive Partnerships, Randstad Enterprises
Stephanie Kramar, CHRO, L’Oréal
Lisa Buckingham, Global Chief People & Culture Officer, Vialto Partners

In this episode, we are shining the light on a leader whose journey truly plays out like a movie. Sastry Durvasula has one of those rare stories that blends technical mastery, human-centered leadership, and bold reinvention. After starting out as an engineer, his career journey has included leading transformation for a number of big brand organizationizations. He’s now the Chief Operating, Information, and Digital Officer at TIAA, a $1.4 trillion, 100+ year-old financial institution. From film knowledge to navigating AI, uncertainty, and large-scale change, Sastry’s expertise knows no bounds, and now, you’re getting a front-row seat to tap into all of that leadership knowledge and insight.
Tune in for expert advice from Sastry’s playbook, including:
The challenge of solving yesterday, today, and tomorrow all at once
How he uses reinvention as a superpower
How to know when transformation has turned the corner
Navigating decision-making in the fog of uncertainty and leading with conviction

Featuring submitted questions from:
Sathish Muthukrishnan, Chief Information, Data, & Digital Officer, Ally, Episode 50 Guest
Eileen Lash, Chief Administrative Officer, TIAA
Neal Sample, Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Best Buy
Swatee Singh, CIO for Data, AI, & Corporate Technology, TIAA
Yogs Jayapraksam, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, Deluxe