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

This week, David Wright speaks with Alice Cathcart, Chief Information Officer of GoodLeap, a sustainable home improvement lending platform and software provider.

Key Takeaways:

(03:18) Figuring out how to be authentic is key — spend time doing what's important to you.

(07:56) Climate change conflicts tied to water access will define this century.

(11:50) Balancing organizational and team needs.

(12:08) Deliver hard messages with compassion — don't set unrealistic expectations.

(17:20) Developing soft skills takes dedicated time and emotional space.

(23:25) Accept mistakes and take the best path forward.

(36:38) If controlled by the few, technological changes may not benefit humanity.

Resources Mentioned:

GoodLeap

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This week, David Wright is joined by Neil Ray, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer of Duke Health Integrated Practice, to discuss embracing change and interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

(04:21) Identify a problem and apply a solution — no matter your role or level.

(05:04) Innovation can take the form of small, practical solutions.

(05:22) Experiment, iterate and learn from failures.

(11:12) Value interdisciplinary collaboration.

(16:16) Integrate technology thoughtfully into healthcare.

(21:06) Prioritize patient-provider relationships.

(21:35) Leverage technology to enhance patient experience.

(22:07) Balance technology and human connection.

(26:07) Cultivate a continuous learning mindset.

Resources mentioned:

Neil Ray -

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

Duke Health Integrated Practice, -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/duke-health-integrated-practice/

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This week, David Wright talks with Josh Goode, Chief Information Officer of SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan. Josh discusses key learnings from his career, including why it’s vital to keep showing up to do your best work, even in difficult situations, while maintaining a growth mindset.

Key Takeaways:

(02:27) Modernization is a continuous journey, not a point-in-time project.

(10:07) Show up and do your best work, even in tough situations. 

(13:19) Look for opportunities to learn and grow daily. 

(23:26) Leverage data aggregation across healthcare to drive personalized member experiences.

(32:21) Develop a network, lean on it, and learn from others’ experiences.

(38:38) Adopt new technologies like AI in an ethical manner to reduce complexity in healthcare.

Resources Mentioned:

Josh Goode -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-goode-a6099a14/

SCAN Group -

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

The Phoenix Project -

https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Business/dp/0988262592

The Mountain Between Us -

https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Between-Us-Novel/dp/0767927028

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This week, David Wright is joined by Dr. Alistair Erskine, Chief Information and Digital Officer of Emory Healthcare, to talk about harnessing the power of technology to improve patient experiences, empower care teams and drive groundbreaking research.

Key Takeaways:

(01:23) Don't overthink — take action and learn from it. This drives innovation.

(06:41)  Build cross-functional teams with both tech-savvy and non tech-savvy users to get holistic input on new technologies.

(10:42) Spend time with nurses and doctors to understand their experience and incorporate it into strategy.

(12:30) IT executives should do rounds to see workflows and technologies in action.

(18:24) Identify early adopters first, then use their momentum to help others in adopting new tech.

(23:18) Vet vendors thoroughly — slick presentations don't always equate to scalable solutions.

(26:02) Fix processes before introducing new technology in "phase zero" preparations.

Resources Mentioned:

Alistair Erskine -

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

Emory Healthcare -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/emory-healthcare/

The works of Jorge Luis Borges  -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges

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 Brad Klaas, Advisor to CIO - Digital Assets and Business Acceleration at Franklin Templeton, to discuss:

-The importance of trust and verification in decision-making.

- Brad’s transition from aspiring veterinarian to financial executive.

- Building the first S&P 500 index fund.

- Lessons learned about transparency and trust in investing.

- The importance of managing expectations for clients and vendors.

- Launching primebroker.com and building client trust.

- Retaining client trust during the financial crisis of 2008.

- Securing rescue financing for clients during Lehman's failure.

- The role of data in financial services and its potential impact.

- The evolution of the financial services industry toward blockchain technology for transparency, efficiency and direct interactions.

- The potential for increased trust and collaboration between investors and companies

Resources Mentioned:

Brad Klaas -

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

Franklin Templeton -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/franklin-templeton/

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This week Dr. Ron Glickman, Award-Winning Author, CIO, and Professor at Cal State LA, joins host David Wright to discuss leadership lessons from his career journey and his book “Lead for a Change.” 

(2:50) Surround yourself with people with complementary skills to fill in your gaps.

(5:00) Get experience and training early in your career.

(9:37) Control feelings like anxiety and fear that arise during challenges.

(13:40) Happiness is not the goal — align on principles and activities to accomplish objectives.

(31:29) Leaders find potential and develop it. Leadership involves making positive change.

(40:44) You are not your successes or failures — separate your identity from outcomes.

Resources Mentioned:

Dr. Ron Glickman -

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

”Lead for a Change” -

https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Change-Strategies-Expectations-Breakthroughs/dp/1632996391

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This week, David Wright is joined by Jared Antczak, Chief Digital Officer of Sanford Health. 

Key Takeaways

- The importance of defining problems rather than solutions.

- The challenge of shifting from a solutions-oriented mindset to a problem-first approach.

- The significance of understanding an organization’s culture and dynamics. 

- Sanford Health’s aspiration to become the premier rural health system in the US.

- Leveraging digital and data to improve patient experiences.

- The importance of patient-centered experiences.

- The need to recognize that creating great digital experiences is inherently valuable, even without immediate quantifiable returns.

- The significance of providing personalized, compassionate experiences in healthcare.

- The growing focus on AI, chatbots and conversational AI in healthcare.

- Utilizing longitudinal datasets to predict disease states and provide timely interventions.

Resources Mentioned:

Jared Antczak -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-antczak/

Sanford Health | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sanford-health/

Sanford Health | Website -

https://www.sanfordhealth.org/

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This week, David Wright is joined by Jason Szczuka, Chief Digital Officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health and Lead at Accrete Health Partners to discuss:

- His key life and professional lessons.

- The importance of external focus in dealing with large companies.

- Having a passion for problem-solving.

- Staying resilient amid challenges and failures.

- Embracing the present moment and mindfulness.

- Working in healthcare and the need for adaptation.

- Managed services, digital patient engagement and AI.

- Nonprofit versus for-profit dynamics in healthcare investments.

Resources mentioned:

Jason Szczuka -

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

Bon Secours Mercy Health | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bon-secours-mercy-health-system/

Bon Secours Mercy Health | Website -

https://bsmhealth.org/

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This week, David Wright is joined by Tahir Ali, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Montage Health, to discuss:

- Approaching conversations with curiosity and empathy.

- Tahir’s career journey from computer science to healthcare IT.

- Leadership, compassion and understanding others.

- Montage Health’s vision for IT and aligning technology with its mission.

- Challenges faced by the healthcare industry, including demographics, workforce and payer mix.

- The importance of technology in healthcare efficiency and patient engagement.

- The role of AI and predictive technologies in healthcare.

- The need for a strategic approach to adopting new technologies in healthcare.

Resources Mentioned:

“Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell -

https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Power-Thinking-Without/dp/0316010669

Montage Health -

https://www.montagehealth.org/

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This week, David Wright is joined by Patrick Woodard, Chief Healthcare Information Officer at Monument Health, to discuss:

- Patrick’s role as the Chief Healthcare Information Officer at Monument Health.

- The importance of listening to clinicians and frontline healthcare workers to improve healthcare delivery through technology.

- Starting as a physician and working to become an executive in the healthcare and health tech industry.

- The importance of effective communication, knowing when to pick battles, and the significance of aligning efforts with the organization's goals.

- Challenges faced when trying to implement change without considering the needs and workflows of independent physicians.

- The complexity of healthcare and the need to find innovative solutions while respecting the uniqueness of each case.

- Patrick’s vision for the role of Chief Healthcare Information Officer being foundational in supporting the organization's mission 

- Driving efficiency, data-driven decision-making and optimization of healthcare tools.

Resources mentioned:

Patrick Woodard -

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

Monument Health | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/monument-health-system/

Monument Health | Website -

https://monument.health/

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries -

https://theleanstartup.com/book

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