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

This week, David Wright talks with Lynda Pak, Divisional CIO - Global Brands and Functions of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. They discuss the evolving landscape of the beauty industry, the integral role of technology and the significance of authentic human connections in business.

Key Takeaways:

(04:56) Celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the impact of the Estée Lauder Companies' global tech community in advancing towards a breast cancer-free world.

(07:29) The significance of adaptability, vulnerability and collaboration as a leader in today's volatile world.

(13:37) Promoting a culture of joy within the IT team at Estée Lauder and enabling the business through innovative solutions.

(16:27) Leveraging AI to drive supply chain efficiency, sustainability and inclusive experiences for consumers.

(25:57) The emergence of new categories like wellness, which are blurring lines across beauty segments.

(40:35) Lynda highlights the current challenges at Estée Lauder, emphasizing the impact of markets that are slow to recover.

Resources Mentioned:

Lynda Pak -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndapak/

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-estee-lauder-companies-inc/

The End of Leadership as We Know It -

https://www.amazon.com/End-Leadership-We-Know-Volatile/dp/1394171730

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This week, David Wright engages with Francesco Lagutaine, Chief Marketing, Communications and Digital Officer of M&T Bank, in a dialogue exploring the dynamism in the banking and financial sectors. They consider technological innovations and their implications, the significant pivot during the pandemic and the future of banking services.

(06:12) Francesco underscores the essence of knowing your client base and their diverse needs.

(12:49) The intersection of technology and the pressing necessity for adaptation is discussed, highlighting the emergence of technological tools like electronic signature.

(24:26) The adoption of simple yet disruptive technologies like appointment setting over websites, during the Covid era, is discussed.

(26:32) David and Francesco discuss the paramount importance of understanding operational considerations before adopting new technologies.

(29:14) Francesco emphasizes the critical nature of trust in financial institutions, addressing the role of safety in customer’s financial lives.

Francesco Lagutaine -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescocmo/

M&T Bank | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/m&t-bank/

M&T Bank | Website -

https://www3.mtb.com/

The Phoenix Project -

https://www.amazon.com.be/-/en/Gene-Kim/dp/0988262592

Immortality by Milan Kundera -

https://www.amazon.com/Immortality-Perennial-Classics-Milan-Kundera/dp/0060932384

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Scott duFour, Global CIO at FLEETCOR, to discuss:

- The importance of focusing on the development of teams and talent as a key aspect of career growth.

- The significance of teamwork and how, as one progresses in their career, investing in the development of people and teams becomes increasingly valuable.

- The importance of considering diverse opinions when solving complex problems.

- The critical role of change management, especially when implementing technology solutions in large organizations.

- Learning to say “no” or “not now” to challenges and projects that may not align with the organization’s goals

- Providing context to team members to foster innovation, problem-solving and alignment with organizational goals.

- The role of AI in accelerating product delivery and enhancing security measures, especially in the financial services industry.

Resources mentioned:

Scott duFour -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-dufour-7a57155

FLEETCOR | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fleetcor/

FLEETCOR | Website -

https://www.fleetcor.com/

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Maria Russo, Chief Information Officer at OU Health, to discuss:

- Maria’s career journey from Arthur Andersen to becoming a CIO.

- Transitioning from consulting to healthcare and IT roles.

- The implementation of Epic during the Covid era, including the challenges faced and lessons learned from the implementation.

- Integration of IT systems after becoming an independent organization.

- Empowering business operations with technical solutions.

- Leveraging technology to mitigate challenges and improve efficiency.

- Genomics, precision medicine and the role of technology in healthcare.

- Consumerism and its impact on the healthcare industry, including the shift toward personalized and retail-like healthcare.

Resources mentioned:

Maria Russo -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarussohealthcareit/

OU Health | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ouhealth/

OU Health | Website -

https://www.ouhealth.com/

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Sastry Durvasula, Chief Information and Client Services Officer at TIAA, to discuss:

- Actionable advice on reskilling and learning upskilling.

- The importance of context in leadership and decision-making.

- The challenges and opportunities faced in transforming a large organization like TIAA.

- TIAA's mission and vision for the future, focusing on lifetime income solutions.

- Innovation initiatives, including generative AI.

- Challenges and opportunities in the financial services industry.

- The role of digitization and the potential for new business models.

- The impact of automation on jobs and the emergence of new roles.

- The importance of listening, learning and leading authentically.

Resources Mentioned:

Sastry Durvasula -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/durvasula/

TIAA | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/tiaa/

TIAA | Website -

https://www.tiaa.org/public/

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Jim Miller, Chief Technology Officer of Market, Voice and Video at Symphony to discuss:

-The importance of pursuing one's dreams without overthinking or waiting for the perfect conditions. 

- The value of preparation and doing the necessary legwork to avoid being caught unprepared, drawing from past experiences.

- Symphony’s focus on collaborative tools in the trading space, leveraging cloud technology and AI. 

- The challenges posed by remote work in terms of varied setups and the need for stable audio communication. 

- Aligning technology advancements with business needs.

- Enabling secure communication across various platforms like WhatsApp while maintaining compliance and analytics.

- A shift toward more frictionless communication, combining audio and messaging platforms for a new communication paradigm.

- The significance of data and the potential of machine learning.

Resources mentioned:

Jim Miller -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmiller1/

Symphony | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/symphonycomm/

Symphony | Website-

https://symphony.com/

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Mruna Asoori, Chief Technology Officer at First Command Financial Services, to discuss:

- The importance of getting out of your comfort zone in any industry.

- Weathering disruption and maintaining belief in yourself.

- Mruna’s vision for the future of First Command.

- The biggest challenges Mruna faces in undertaking a digital transformation at First Command.

- The considerations in a digital transformation beyond the technology.

-  Whether the financial industry is actually ready for AI technology.

- The future of banking and financial services.

- The importance of having a mentor.

Resources mentioned:

Mruna Asoori -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrunaasoori/

First Command Financial Services | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-command-financial-services/

First Command Financial Services Website -

https://www.firstcommand.com/

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Alejandro (Alex) Carriles, Chief Digital Officer, EVP at Simmons Bank, to discuss:

- How leading a team is like leading a jazz ensemble.

- The challenges of changing decades-old practices in the finance industry. 

- Leveraging digital solutions across banking.

- Bridging the gap between the digital and physical world.

- The importance of human-centered design.

- Embracing change and accepting failure as a means to progress and improve in digital transformation.

- Leveraging APIs to integrate third-party solutions and create innovative features in online and mobile banking.

- Providing practical and user-friendly solutions to improve customers’ financial lives, resulting in high ratings and customer satisfaction.

- Recognizing the competition from digital players and the importance of winning customers’ hearts to stay relevant in the industry.

Resources mentioned:

Alejandro (Alex) Carriles -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-alex-carriles-48b0158/

Simmons Bank | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/simmonsbank/

Simmons Bank | Website -

https://www.simmonsbank.com/

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.

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On this episode, David Wright is joined by Chris Boult, CIO at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) to discuss:

- Chris’ professional journey from insurance to programmer to CIO.

- Identifying when someone in an organization just isn’t the right fit.

- The importance of collaboration and cooperation between teams.

- Standing your ground, especially when you have data to back up your position.

- The challenges facing CARD and the healthcare industry in general.

- The importance of getting out in the field to experience what’s happening in the organization.

- Over-communicating to get buy-in from your constituents.

- Using AI, machine learning and robotics in autism therapy.

Resources mentioned:

CARD

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.

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This week, David Wright is joined by Zafar Chaudry, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer at Seattle Children's, to discuss:



- How healthcare is the same, no matter where you are in the world.

- Funding for healthcare for children.

- The importance of people and process over technology.

- The power people find in simplicity when it comes to technology.

- Using personal clinical knowledge instead of relying on AI.

- Serving people what they truly need as healthcare IT leaders.

- Doing everything possible to delight the customers, who are patients and clinicians.

- Fighting battles with vendors to control costs and stabilize margins.

Resources mentioned:

Zafar Chaudry -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzafarchaudry/

Seattle Children’s | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/seattle-childrens/

Seattle Children’s | Website -

https://www.seattlechildrens.org/

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.

#DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech #DigitalBusiness