Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders

• Netskope CIO Mike Anderson on Future Proofing Your Team & Career

  This week, we are shining a light on Mike Anderson, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Netskope, to unpack the mindset and playbook behind his exceptional ability to “lift as he climbs.” Mike’s not your typical tech exec; he’s a business guy in an IT wrapper, someone who’s as comfortable in the boardroom as he is in the scrum room. From his early days at Schneider Electric to helping Netskope go public, Mike shares hard-earned lessons on balancing transformation with operational excellence, reshaping pressure into performance, and leveraging storytelling as a leadership superpower.Tune in for insights from Mike’s playbook, including:The importance of learning the business in your first 90 daysInstilling ambition and helping people aspire to moreSecuring buy-in for bold ideasHow he approaches his dual role leading Netskope’s strategy office and ITLearning from adversity and staying positiveFeaturing submitted questions from:Annette Clayton, Board Director, OshKosh, Nordson, Flash, NXP Semiconductors, & Duke EnergyAmanda Anderson, Senior Director, Integrated Marketing, Digital & Marketing Ops, NetskopeClint Clark, VP, IT Engineering & Architecture, NetskopeDanyel Bischof-Forsyth, Chief Technology & Information Officer, 7 Brew Coffee, Episode #73 GuestAlan Rankin, Mike’s Long Time Friend

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• CIO as Teacher: Inside Ken Piddington’s Leadership Excellence Playbook

  This week, we are shining the light on one of the most intentional and inspiring CIOs in the game, Ken Piddington, Chief Digital, Technology, & Integration Officer at RelaDyne. Ken exemplifies what it means to be a leader who teaches, mentors, and communicates with purpose. Over the years, we’ve collected several of his “Ken-isms,” the short, punchy expressions that encompass his leadership philosophy, strategy, and core beliefs. In this episode, we’ll explore these pillars of his leadership playbook and dig into how he uses teaching in his leadership approach, giving you new insights on how to lead transformational change successfully for your organization as well as your people.Tune in for insights from Ken’s career, including:How to balance business results and team development“Anchor the Why”: Ken’s approach to vision and purposeThe relationship between execution and speedCharacter consistency and being the thermostat instead of the thermometerFeaturing submitted questions from:Mohammed ShareefKath Marston, Executive Director, Technology PartnersAlex Pore, Senior Director, Business Integration, RelaDyneStephen Webster, President, CEO, Founder, SIS Holdings Group

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• How Mindy Simon Guides Aon Through Transformation with Calm & Clarity

  Mindy Simon’s path from a Nebraska farm to her current role as Chief Operating Officer of Aon, where she helms a 22,000-person global operation, is anything but conventional—and that's exactly what makes her story so compelling. Mindy’s a great example of how embracing your roots can empower your future, and in this episode, we are shining a light on why she is the kind of transformational leader everyone wants on their team. We’re unpacking Mindy’s transformational leadership playbook, which is built around a people-first mindset, a sharp focus on measurable outcomes, and a rare calmness under pressure. We’ll also explore how she has successfully led in finance, IT, and operations across multiple industries; how she ties technology to business growth; and what it takes to truly deliver value in a fast-moving, data-rich world. Check out Mindy’s Investor Day talk (Jump to 02:17:25 in the video) Tune in for valuable learnings from Mindy’s career, including:Early startup lessons and transformation at ConAgraTying IT investments to measurable business outcomesHow Aon is embedding AI across the client journeyHow and why Mindy applies a people-first mindset to leadingWhy disrupting yourself is better than being disruptedFeaturing submitted questions from:Steve Zerby, Award-Winning CIO, Advisor, Guest for Episode 17Annie Baymiller, CIO, Owens Corning, Guest for Episode 17Greg Case, Chief Executive Officer, AonAndi Karaboutis, 4x Board Director, 3x CIO, Guest for Episode 68

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• Diane Schwarz on the Humility and Humanity of being a CIO

  In this episode we’re shining the light on the leadership superpowers and industry impact of Diane Schwarz, Group CIO of Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable packaging. Diane’s leadership style is a unique blend of calm confidence, strategic clarity, and operational excellence that turns traditional roles inside out. You’ll hear why those around her refer to her not just as a CIO but as a Chief Integration Officer, Chief Inspiration Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, and more.We will unpack how Diane masterfully led the IT integration of two global giants, and we’ll dig into her philosophies on listening deeply, mentoring with intention, and showing up with authenticity and vulnerability.Tune in for insights and wisdom from Diane’s journey, including:The power of clarity and assigning decision-making ownershipHow duct tape can make you a better listenerThe art of reading a room and unlocking team dynamicsHer approach as a Chief Instigation Officer and “going where the water doesn’t flow”Featuring submitted questions from:Nari Thouda, CIO, Johnson Controls Federal SystemsKim Mackenroth, CIO, L3Harris Technologies, Guest for Episode 21Mamatha Chamarthi, Chief Digital Officer for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Angela Yochem, Global CIO, Krispy Kreme, Guest for Episode 2Alice Brauckman, Senior Director IT, Digital Acceleration, Smurfit WestrockSobha Mulukutla, VP IT, Global Products & Supply Chain, Johnson ControlsMarina Bellini, President, MGS & Digital Technologies for Mars, Guest for Episode 39

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• Winning with AI: Governance, Storytelling, and the Road Out of the Messy Middle

  In this episode of Tech Whisperers, we are joined by two experts who are shaping the future of AI in the enterprise, Dr. Lisa Palmer, CEO of Dr. Lisa AI, and Ashwin Rangan, CEO at DoubleCheck Solutions. Lisa and Ash are sharing a wealth of practical, actionable insights to help us uncover why AI initiatives stall out at the “messy middle” and what leaders can do to reignite progress and start generating real business value. Not only have both Lisa and Ashwin walked in the shoes of a CIO, they are also the authors of new books that will help you lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction in the AI era. Lisa’s book, Show AI, Don’t Tell It: Build Buy‑In with Visual Storytelling, releases on September 30 and is available now for preorder on her website. Ashwin’s book, Governance in the Age of Gen AI: A Director's Handbook on Gen AI, is available now on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.Tune in as we dig deep on AI at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership, featuring Lisa’s and Ash’s insights on:The “Speed with Rigor” PrincipleThe power of Right-to-Left thinkingThe key to sustaining momentum with AIThe long-term metrics that matterThe most important questions boards and CEOs should be asking about AI investments

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