Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business - CIO & IT Leader Interviews, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation

What does it take for new technology to stick inside a people-first business? David Wright speaks with Ankur Anand, Group CIO and Member of the Executive Council of Harvey Nash, about framing AI around real business problems and bringing people into every decision.

Ankur traces his path from Citibank and ManpowerGroup to Harvey Nash. He explains why clean data, human judgment and lasting relationships shape the future of recruiting and why strong leadership rests on clarity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 The question that decides whether any new technology earns its place.

05:45 The one piece of career advice that outlasts both experience and skills.

08:56 What a move from banking to staffing teaches about unlearning.

14:32 Why leadership rests on clarity instead of certainty.

17:25 The gap between solving a business problem and deploying a shiny tool.

21:32 An early-career lesson about outcomes that comes at a cost.

25:45 What seeing a real quantum computer reveals about the risks of AI.

30:42 Why people-focused industries struggle to capture clean, usable data.

35:23 How the recruiter's role changes as technology takes on administrative work.

37:16 The advice for a younger self that favors curiosity over looking smart.

Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Harvey Nash website, the technology talent partner where Ankur leads as Group CIO:

https://www.harveynash.com/

IBM Quantum, the cloud-accessible quantum computing Ankur saw firsthand at an IBM event:

https://www.ibm.com/quantum

“Bhagavad Gita,” the text Ankur studies to balance learning new technology with questions of right and wrong:

https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address, the source of the "stay foolish" advice Ankur gives his younger self: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2005/06/steve-jobs-2005-graduates-stay-hungry-stay-foolish

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

Luxury brands once sold themselves on product alone. Today, brand experience is the differentiator, and Chad Anderson, Head of Customer Care and Roadside Operations at Mercedes-Benz USA, sits at the center of that shift, turning service calls, dealership visits and customer data into a single view of loyalty.

Chad also walks through the years that shaped him: starting on the phones at a 1990s call center, working through early setbacks with the help of an unlikely mentor, and building the resilience he now brings to leading customer strategy at one of the world's most recognized automotive brands.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

00:00 Pushing a manager who can't give you what you want only makes things worse.

03:48 Asked for one piece of career advice, the answer keeps coming back to resilience.

09:15 A career in contact centers that begins in the late 1990s takes an unexpected turn through a college-era diagnosis of depression.

11:09 One manager's belief turns a bottom-ranked agent into a top performer within six months.

16:00 Being on three antidepressants inside one organization becomes the signal that the environment, not the person, needs to change.

22:15 A decades-old management theory reframes how to read a leader who has stopped being effective.

28:11 The customer service call turns out to hold a form of intelligence that AI is only beginning to surface.

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Mercedes-Benz USA, official U.S. site for vehicles, service and ownership support:

https://www.mbusa.com/en/home

“The Peter Principle”, the 1969 management book by Laurence J. Peter that Chad returns to

when reading dysfunction in corporate hierarchies:

https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Principle-Things-Always-Wrong/dp/B000MWDD32 

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

Most patient experience data never becomes learning. It gets collected, filed, and forgotten, instead of turned into the improvement it was meant to drive. Claire Marshall, Founder of Improving Experiences Ltd, spent three decades inside the NHS closing that gap, and argues most organizations already have everything they need. They just aren't using it.

Claire reflects on three decades in the NHS working to improve how patients, families, and unpaid carers experience care. She argues that most organisations already have the data they need to improve; they just aren’t turning it into meaningful insight. She also discusses her new venture, redesigning care pathways around the people who use them, why bringing lived experience into decision-making can change outcomes, and what she hopes will shift in patient experience over the coming years.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

00:00 The question every care pathway should start with.

08:55 Three decades of NHS clinical work and the mindset shift that changes how care is designed.

11:10 Why patients often open up differently to volunteers.

16:39 What daily ED walks taught a chief executive about listening.

18:35 Rethinking who really holds expertise in healthcare.

20:59 The NHS policy that pays people for sharing lived experience.

24:40 Turning collected data into practical, organisation-wide improvement.

29:51 The patient-waiting experience is finally getting policy attention.

31:26 The US-UK blind spot hiding in patient correspondence.

33:04 What complaint data revealed about a surprisingly simple source of frustration.

Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Improving Experiences Ltd, Claire’s consultancy helping organisations embed experience as a core strategic driver of improvement and culture:

Improving Experiences Ltd does not currently have a dedicated public website. Because it is a newly launched startup, professional updates, announcements, and direct contact options are managed through Claire Marshall's LinkedIn Profile [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-marshall-783467b/] rather than an official web portal.

“Return on Human Experience”, Jason Wolf and Stacy Palmer's Beryl Institute book on eight principles for experience excellence in healthcare, which Claire calls the best she's read on the topic:

https://theberylinstitute.org/return-on-human-experience/

NHS England, the organisation where Claire led the National Always Events Programme, a quality improvement initiative focused on ensuring key aspects of patient care: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/minimum-standards-planned-patient-care/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/quality-strategy-for-nhs-funded-care-in-england/ 

#DisruptiveInnovation #DisruptiveTech #DigitalBusiness

An executive carries a reputation built on credentials and results. David Wright talks with Tricia Gray, Chief Executive Officer of Aditus Partners, about what leadership actually requires, and turning personal loss into a legacy of storytelling and connection.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction to Tricia Gray and her journey from personal trauma to executive leadership.

02:28 Tricia introduces Aditus Partners and its mission of bridging strategy and execution in healthcare.

06:21 Tricia recalls the public death of her mother and the decision that shaped her future.

09:49 The drive to change her mother's legacy becomes the spark behind Tricia's education and career.

12:22 Reaching chief operating officer does not deliver the fulfillment Tricia expected.

13:08 Fear of judgment delays the publication of her memoir, “A Lotus Legacy,” for years.

18:04 Tricia explains why today's leaders must share their struggles, not just their successes.

20:42 The biggest leadership lesson Tricia learned has nothing to do with strategy or metrics.

26:17 A difficult conversation with a struggling employee reshapes Tricia's view of leadership.

36:44 Tricia shares the advice she would give her younger self about seeking approval.

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Aditus Partners website: 

https://aditus-partners.com/ 

“A Lotus Legacy” (book by Tricia Gray): 

https://triciangray.com/ 

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

Boyden has spent decades building trust as the world's oldest executive search firm. Gary Pikul, its CTO, joins David Wright to break down the AI threat now testing that trust. He unpacks AI-driven impersonation scams in recruiting and the career risks that shaped his path to the C-suite. From a bike-riding analogy to a career-defining early mistake, Gary makes the case for why judgment, not just technology, is what will separate the firms that survive this shift from the ones that don't.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction to Gary Pikul, CTO of Boyden, and his path from accounting into technology leadership.

02:24 Boyden's global reach and its focus on family-owned and mid-cap client organizations.

05:54 Gary's top career advice: take on the biggest problem in front of you, even without the answer.

10:40 David's honest take on the risk he almost didn't take.

19:13 Gary recalls an early career mistake that taught him to question his own certainty.

26:40 Boyden's AI strategy, tackling FOMO across offices while scaling internal tools.

30:00 AI-powered impersonation scams are eroding trust across the recruiting industry.

33:08 Why today's scam emails look polished, personalized and increasingly convincing.

36:15 The skill AI still can't replace — explained with a bike.

39:33 The advice Gary wishes someone gave him decades ago.

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Boyden website:

https://www.boyden.com/

#DisruptiveInnovation #DisruptiveTech #DigitalBusiness

So many digital investments in healthcare fail to solve the problem they were meant to fix.

Jessie Gungor, CNIO of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, joins David Wright to explore why, and shares why he believes digital leadership belongs to every member of a care team, not just senior staff.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction.

02:31 The role of CNIO at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

04:49 Identify the actual problem before reaching for a digital solution.

11:47 Jessie traces his path from frontline nursing to digital health leadership.

17:34 Why it's never too late to try something new in a career.

20:47 Recognizing and managing imposter syndrome.

34:52 Jessie outlines his vision for building a digitally literate workforce.

38:04 Why digital leadership isn't limited to senior staff.

50:11 Closing advice: take the opportunities in front of you.

Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust website:

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/

#DigitalHealth #NHS #NursingLeadership

Healthcare AI often gets scrutinized at the front door. The real risks live downstream in workflows and handoffs no one is watching.

Dr. Ami Bhatt, Chief Innovation Officer of the American College of Cardiology*, joins David Wright to unpack the governance gap in healthcare AI and where systems need to look.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction.

02:24 Ami names the governance gap in healthcare AI as the most urgent issue to address.

03:18 The American College of Cardiology represents 60,000 members across more than 2,500 health systems worldwide.

11:42 More patient data does not automatically improve care without infrastructure to interpret it safely.

13:23 Ami learns that management requires collaboration, not simply telling people how to do their jobs.

20:53 Reframing "barriers" as "dependencies" changes how technology adoption conversations unfold with health systems.

24:10 PRIME-Heart shifts cardiology's focus upstream, toward prevention rather than only treating advanced disease.

27:59 Predictive tools only help patients when timed to a moment where care can change outcomes.

32:03 Expanding clinical teams to include pharmacists and community health workers could close the caregiver gap.

38:10 Ami predicts population health will shift toward wearables and monitoring in the patients' homes. 

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

American College of Cardiology Website

https://www.acc.org/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

https://www.fda.gov/

PRIME-Heart Initiative

https://www.acc.org/education-and-meetings/products-and-resources/features/prime-heart

Dr. Ami Bhatt Website

https://dramibhatt.com/

“A Guardian and a Thief” by Megha Majumdar

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guardian-Thief-sensational-author-Burning-ebook/dp/B0F6ZZ145N

Eko Health

https://www.ekohealth.com/

DispatchHealth

https://www.dispatchhealth.com/

23andMe

https://www.23andme.com/ 

#DisruptiveInnovation #HealthcareAI #DigitalHealth  

*Since recording this interview, Dr Bhatt has become Chief Medical Officer of WHOOP

Recorded live at the CCW Las Vegas show floor, David Wright sits down with Sarina Swan, Sr. Director, Customer Contact Center of Vitalant, and Chad Anderson, Head of Customer Care and Roadside Operations of Mercedes-Benz USA, to unpack culture, AI adoption and customer experience. Sarina speaks to the upside once things are working, and Chad flags the prerequisite — you can't skip the culture/process work and expect AI to compensate. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction.

03:33 Sarina explains why customer experience is critical to donor retention at Vitalant, the second-largest US blood bank.

05:21 She argues CX leaders should look past the AI hype and refocus on the fundamentals of the customer journey.

07:02 The cultural and change-management work required before new technology can succeed.

09:03 Vitalant's five-year strategic plan uses technology to support, not replace, its people.

11:04 An anti-rotation calling service more than doubled Vitalant's connect rates, from about 12–16% to 22–26%.

14:00 Sarina’s advice to her younger self: be confident in your ability, and take more risks.

16:40 Chad describes leading cultural transformation and customer insights at Mercedes-Benz USA.

18:38 Organizations invest heavily in technology but too rarely invest in preparing their people.

21:04 AI will only amplify a broken culture, not fix it.

28:26 Chad’s closing advice: never forget your employees, because they drive every technology outcome.

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CCW Las Vegas 2026

https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/

Vitalant Website

https://www.vitalant.org/

Mercedes-Benz USA Newsroom

https://media.mbusa.com/

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

David Wright talks privacy, AI and customer experience with Jason Frame, Chief Information Officer of Southern Nevada Health District, and Aaron Johnson, Interim Chief Marketing Officer of Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, live from CCW Las Vegas. Jason and Aaron bring perspectives from healthcare IT and marketing leadership, showing how problem-solving culture and privacy-first thinking shape the customer journey from two very different vantage points.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00 Introduction.

03:45 Southern Nevada Health District protects 2.3 million residents and 50 million annual visitors.

07:58 Privacy is the CX priority healthcare leaders cannot afford to ignore.

12:03 How Jason's team is piloting AI-powered call handling to catch calls the front desk cannot answer.

13:56 Jason's biggest regret is being too risk-averse early in his career instead of taking chances.

16:00 Early-career leaders should ask their boss directly what it takes to move up.

18:15 How Aaron leads demand generation and patient access as interim CMO at Penn Medicine.

20:15 A solution-first mindset is creeping into how organizations approach AI.

25:25 Penn Medicine is unifying its websites onto one cloud-based content platform system-wide.

30:14 Aaron compares marketing to demand, and access to supply, calling their connection intuitive.

33:03 An urge to leaders to tie cost-cutting wins to the revenue those solutions help protect.

Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CCW Las Vegas 2026

https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/

Southern Nevada Health District website

https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/

Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System Website

https://www.pennmedicine.org/ 

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

Antrea Dowd of HCA Healthcare, Shmuel Saklad of B&H Photo Video, and Dale Sturgill of Memorial Hermann Health System join David Wright live from CCW in Las Vegas to explore how AI is reshaping contact centers, workforce development and the patient experience. Antrea explains how HCA is bridging the healthcare workforce gap by upskilling employees and using AI to move patients through their journey more efficiently. Shmuel challenges CX leaders to pay attention to the managers now responsible for leading mixed human-and-AI workforces, and argues that translating metrics into business language is what separates practitioners from leaders. Dale reveals that the 55-and-older demographic has been the most enthusiastic adopter of new contact center technology at Memorial Hermann, upending common assumptions about digital resistance.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

00:00  Introduction.

03:36  Antrea Dowd's role at HCA sits at the crossroads of workforce development, operations and patient-centered care, turning students into employees and upskilling current staff to close healthcare workforce gaps.

08:10  In healthcare, resistance to AI is rooted in fear of replacement rather than a genuine capability gap — leaders who communicate AI as a collaborator, not a competitor, change the dynamic on the floor.

11:16  Automating student placement and rotation scheduling would free HCA teams to focus on the higher-value work of curriculum design and programme rollout.

14:46  Shmuel Saklad built a 12-year career at B&H Photo Video starting as a phone agent, working up through a contact center that serves corporations, governments and educational institutions at B2B scale.

19:28  The conversation about AI in contact centers focuses on agents — but the managers responsible for leading mixed human-and-AI workforces are adapting too, and that shift is not getting enough attention.

20:17  Translating contact center metrics into executive language — framing CSAT in terms of lost revenue rather than scores — is what allows CX practitioners to influence decisions in rooms that matter.

25:00  Designing AI solutions for diverse audiences requires intentional human-centred design: age, geography and culture all shape how customers want to communicate.

30:14  Dale Sturgill has spent 30 years in contact centers and is now leading Memorial Hermann Health System's strategic shift toward AI, digital innovation and improved patient and consumer experience.

33:00  The 55-and-older demographic has been the most engaged adopter of new contact center automation at Memorial Hermann, challenging assumptions about which customers resist self-service technology.

35:26  Memorial Hermann's new CIO is conducting a deep-dive review of technology across contact centers, hospitals and pharmacy to identify the highest-impact AI initiatives.

38:23  A naturally bilingual voice talent at Memorial Hermann is being augmented with AI to scale English and Spanish voice capabilities across the contact center. 

Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

CCW Las Vegas 2026

https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/ 

HCA Healthcare Website

https://www.hcahealthcare.com/

B&H Photo Video Website

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Memorial Hermann Health System Website

https://memorialhermann.org/

Purpose. Presence. People. - Antrea’s podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purpose-presence-people/id1864633571 

ElevenLabs

https://elevenlabs.io/

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech