Fail Faster

Heather Brizzi is from Cleveland, OH and has over 25 years of experience in Information Technology. She is an IT Director at White Cap, a Construction Supply Distributor, and leads the Functional Systems team as well as the Automation and AI CoE. Heather has been a leader who transforms technology-related strategy and operations across the enterprise. She builds and coaches strong, capable teams that provide excellent service and solutions with technology. Heather gave her first TEDx talk at Indiana University in 2022 called, “Building Resilience on the Playground” for their Playgrounds series and is a regular speaker, panelist, and moderator in the Technology and Women in Technology arenas.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Jaronika Dancy, Manager - HRIS Operations at Amsted Industries. She has worked in HR professional with a robust background in HRIS operations, strategic human resources management, and leadership. She excels in aligning HR technology with organizational goals to optimize processes and enhance employee experiences

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Patrick J Stefanski, Manager - IT Infrastructure & Support at Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation. Patrick has worked in the IT field for almost 30 years in the areas of transportation, healthcare, logistics, and marine construction, Patrick shares insights on overseeing both insourced and outsourced teams in the areas of traditional and cloud infrastructure, enterprise and offshore (marine) network connectivity, business system support, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance, endpoint management, field operations support and user support.

In this episode of Fail Faster podcast, we welcome Catherine Winfield - VP Experience Design at Autodesk. With 15+ years of experience in design and product, she has shaped, built, and launched products in healthcare, education, and consumer services at organizations like Foundation Medicine, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Hinge Health and others. With a values-aligned leadership style, she seeks to create psychologically safe environments that inspire teams to take big bets and thrive in meaningful careers.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Phil Komarny, Chief Information Officer at Maryville University of Saint Louis. Phil shares his unique journey from growing up as an Army brat to becoming a leading innovator in education technology. He discusses his early ventures in the internet industry, his transition into higher education, and his passion for leveraging technology to transform learning. Join us as Phil reveals his insights on AI, personalized education, and the importance of putting people first in digital transformation.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Mark Armour, Senior Director, IT, Governance, Risk & Compliance at Brink's Inc, Mark is a Resilience industry leader with over 20 years of experience in the field. Mark has been instrumental in the implementation and leadership of several global business continuity and crisis management programs. More importantly, Mark has been directly involved in corporate response and recovery for hundreds of events, from IT outages and natural disasters to pandemics. Mark is the author, along with David Lindstedt, PhD, of the Adaptive Business Continuity Manifesto and the book, Adaptive Business Continuity: A New Approach. He has written articles for the Journal of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning, the only peer reviewed publication in the profession. He has spoken on podcasts and at conferences, including Continuity Insights, Disaster Recovery Journal, the World Conference on Disaster Management and the ACP Leadership Council. He is currently the Sr. Director of Global Resilience at Brink’s, Incorporated, the worldwide leader in secure logistics and cash management solutions.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Paul Lewis, Chief Technology Officer at Pythian. As CTO, Paul Lewis drives Pythian’s technology strategy, helping customers leverage and scale their data and cloud assets to deliver valuable business outcomes throughout their digital transformation journey. In addition, Paul steers technical innovations that continue to expand partner relationships. As a 30+ year global CTO and technology executive, Paul is well-known in the industry for his impassioned technology evangelism, client executive advocacy, and technological and business strategy, particularly as it relates to digital transformation and operational IT strategy.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Nate Melby, Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Dairyland since February 29, 2016, leads the company's IT strategy and systems development. He holds a BS in Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, an MBA with a Technology and Training focus from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University, specializing in Information Security and Telecommunications. He has furthered his education with a Certificate of Management Excellence from Harvard Business School and completed the Business Engagement for the Security Professional (BESP) program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. In 2024, he received the Wisconsin CIO of the Year ORBIE award in the Large Corporate category. Active in his community, Nate is Fire Chief of the Town of Campbell Fire Department, serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, and has received the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Rada Distinguished Alumni Award.

In this episode of Fail Faster, we welcome Michael Warren, Associate Vice President of Digital Practice Innovation at AECOM. Michael shares his unique journey from a childhood filled with curiosity and a passion for learning to a career that bridges architecture and technology. He discusses his transition into the tech industry, and how he integrates AI and machine learning into his projects. Join us as Michael provides insights into the future of architecture, the role of technology, and the importance of continuous learning and innovation.

In this episode of InfoBeans Fail Faster podcast, we welcome Sravan Kasarla, the former Chief Data Officer of Thrivent Financial. Sravan shares his 25-year journey in data and analytics, discussing how AI has grown from a niche topic to a powerful tool in business today. He explains the challenges of working with data in large organizations and introduces his framework for successfully executing data and AI projects. Sravan highlights the importance of asking the right questions to get meaningful results from AI and looks ahead at how AI might shape the future, especially in making processes smoother and more efficient. This episode is a great listen for anyone curious about how data and AI can drive real business success.