In this episode of IT Matters, host Aaron Bock interviews Curtis Hughes, CIO of steel manufacturing company Midrex Technologies.

Conversation Highlights: 

• Curtis’s journey to becoming a CIO (2:29)
• How Curtis’s consulting background has guided his leadership at Midrex (4:20)
• What IT means to an organization in 2022 (6:17)
• The importance of a people-centered approach to technology (7:38)
• How Curtis got started in technology (9:23)
• Automation trends and technology priorities across industries (11:36)
• Misconceptions about IT departments and why “invisible IT” is a good thing (15:57)
• How IT’s function within a company has evolved over the last 20 years, and how it has stayed the same (20:04)
• AI, predictive data, digital twins, and other IT trends transforming the manufacturing industry (25:46)
• The increasing focus on decarbonization and environmentally green technology in steel manufacturing (30:57)
• Curtis’s advice for starting a career in IT (32:32)
• What IT departments will look like in 10 years (35:59)
• The #1 piece of advice Curtis would give to millions of people in a technology state of the union address (39:27)

About Curtis Hughes:
As the CIO of Midrex Technologies, Curtis is responsible for defining and executing the company’s global technology strategy across more than 20 countries worldwide. Prior to joining Midrex, he spent nearly two decades as a trusted business leader and technology advisor to organizations throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, founding three technology companies along the way.

Curtis holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UNC Charlotte, has been named as one of Charlotte’s “40 Under 40”, and frequently shares his experience by writing on leadership and technology trends, and speaking at business and technology conferences around the world.