Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls and passwords anymore. It’s an all-out battle where hackers run businesses with customer support desks, insider threats can be disguised as your newest hire, and artificial intelligence is both the weapon and the shield.

In this special episode of IT Visionaries, host Chris Brandt switches roles and sits in the hot seat while Lacey Peace, host of Experts of Experience, interviews him about the three biggest cyber threats IT leaders must prepare for in 2025.

From the rise of ransomware-as-a-service to North Korean nationals infiltrating U.S. companies, and AI reshaping the entire security landscape, Chris reveals what’s really happening behind the scenes of today’s most dangerous attacks.

With stories from his career building high-security facilities — including an EMP-shielded data center buried under a mountain — Chris shares the lessons that every business leader needs to hear about resilience, recovery, and why it’s no longer a matter of “if” but “when.”

Don’t miss this candid and eye-opening conversation. Watch the full episode now and learn how to protect your organization before it’s too late.

Key Moments:

00:00: Lacey Peace Interviews Chris Brandt

04:45 Cyber Extortion and Ransomware

08:17 Supply Chain Attacks

18:20 Creating an Isolated Recovery Environment

20:08 Threat Number Two: IT Worker Attacks

22:14 The Rise of Phishing Attacks

27:26 The Evolution of Social Engineering

30:19 The Role of AI in Cybersecurity

33:01 Challenges in Reporting Cyber Incidents

33:46 The Complexity of Cyber Incident Recovery

34:45 The Role of Governments in Cybersecurity

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

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IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When your AI has to make decisions in the real world, the data you don’t have can hurt people.

DiffuseDrive CEO Balint Pasztor joins IT Visionaries to unpack the $124B data scarcity problem holding back autonomous systems — and how synthetic data (done right) can compress years of data collection into hours.

We dig into: why edge cases matter (and how to safely create them), closing the sim-to-real gap with diffusion models, preventing model drift, and building a data engine for physical AI across defense, robotics, and industrial automation. If you care about self-driving cars, drones, QA on the factory floor—or just shipping AI that survives the messiness of reality—this one’s for you.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Autonomous Driving Challenges

00:26 Meet Balint Pasztor and Diffuse Drive

01:14 The Importance of Synthetic Data

06:39 The Role of Synthetic Data in AI Training

18:07 Understanding Diffusion Models

23:28 Challenges in Real-World Data Collection

26:46 Three Steps to Improve AI Performance

32:13 Overcoming Non-Obvious Data Challenges

36:00 Balancing Data Quantity and Quality

40:28 Future of Autonomous Systems and Physical AI

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

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IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover how to turn decades of data into a competitive edge, build lasting customer relationships beyond the first click, and apply AI in ways that truly drive impact. Joining us is Vineet Mahajan, CTO of US News & World Report, who shares how he’s led the 90-year-old brand through a sweeping digital transformation. From rearchitecting infrastructure to deploying semantic search, generative AI, and agentic tools, Vineet explains how his team is reimagining what a legacy institution can become—and what every tech leader can take from that journey.

Key Moments:

• 00:00 Meet Vineet Mahajan, CTO of US News & World Report
• 04:45 How to Unlock the True Value of Your Data
• 09:55 Why First-Party Data Is Key to Building Customer Relationships
• 14:32 What Is Semantic Search and How Can Generative AI Improve UX?
• 18:39 How to Overcome Data Cleaning and Structuring Challenges
• 21:18 How to Evaluate Emerging Tech Trends (Like Agentic AI)
• 25:43 How to Lead Change: Data Governance and Digital Transformation
• 32:38 What’s Next for US News & World Report and the Future of AI-Driven Strategy

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

IT leaders in regulated industries know the pain of navigating outdated, slow procurement systems – especially when critical missions depend on modern tools. 

In this episode, Bryana Tucci, Lead of the AWS Marketplace for the US Intelligence Community, shares how government agencies are overcoming legacy procurement bottlenecks to access cutting-edge software, AI tools, and cloud services faster and more securely.

Listeners will gain insight into:

• Why traditional government procurement can take up to two years – and how that’s changing.
• How air-gapped environments complicate innovation and what’s being done about it.
• How generative AI is reshaping national security workflows.
• What kinds of tech companies are best positioned to succeed in the public sector.

This episode is a must-listen for IT leaders interested in procurement innovation, cloud adoption in secure environments, and where AI fits into the future of public sector IT. Enjoy!

Key Moments

• 00:00 Meet Bryana Tucci, AWS
• 06:58 The Pain Point: Procurement Then vs. Now
• 11:31 Unique Challenges in Public Sector Tech
• 15:55 The Long Road to Selling in Government
• 19:23 Vetting and Onboarding Sellers (how to meet federal standards)
• 23:49 Government + AI: A Game-Changer
• 30:34 Cost Efficiency, Saving Time, and the Future of Procurement
• 41:46 What’s Next for AWS Marketplace

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

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IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feeling buried under content chaos? You're not alone. Ravi Singh, President and Chief Product Officer at Brightspot, joins us to break down how IT leaders can regain control, cut through AI-generated noise, and build scalable, secure content systems. He shares the secrets behind Brightspot’s success with some of the world’s biggest brands, explains how to avoid costly AI missteps, and reveals how to keep creators at the center of your digital strategy.

Key Moments

• 0:00 Meet Ravi Singh, President and CPO of Brightspot
• 4:02 What Brightspot Does and Who They Serve
• 6:33 Tackling Content Sprawl at Scale
• 10:34 Enforcing Governance and Brand Voice with CMS + AI
• 18:13 Empowering Creators with AI, Not Replacing Them
• 22:46 Common Mistakes IT Leaders Make with AI Adoption
• 32:32 Building Trust and Security Through CMS Capabilities
• 37:47 The Pressure to Create More with Less: How to Adapt
• 40:38 Choosing the Right CMS: What IT Leaders Need to Know
• 45:54 Measuring CMS Success and Business Impact
• 50:10 Future Trends in Content Management and AI Integration

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meet Chris Brandt, the new host of IT Visionaries.

In this special episode, outgoing host Albert Chou passes the mic to Chris—a seasoned Technology Strategist with a passion for connecting bold ideas to real business outcomes.

Chris’s career spans startups to global enterprises, from building an EMP-shielded data center deep underground to deploying 200PB HPC environments in Fintech. His expertise includes business strategy, IT operations, security, and network architecture.

Outside of work, he enjoys life with his wife Julie, their two kids, Lily and Camden, and their dog, Hobs.

Get to know the new voice behind IT Visionaries—and what’s coming next.

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are data-driven decisions overrated? On this special roundtable episode, we challenge the conventional wisdom that more data always leads to better outcomes. Our guests, Kevin McEvilly, Andrew Fox, and Mike Della Porta, discuss the pitfalls of relying solely on analytics and the importance of human insight in crafting successful marketing strategies. Are you ready to rethink your approach?

Tune in to learn:

• Diversity is a significant challenge in the tech space.
• Agencies have always been technology-focused.
• The landscape of marketing is increasingly complicated.
• Investment in technology infrastructure is essential.
• Data governance is critical for effective decision-making.
• Human intuition plays a vital role alongside data.
• Organizations must adapt to rapid technological changes.
• Collaboration across departments enhances decision-making.
• The right questions lead to better insights and outcomes.

Mentions:

• Della Porta Consulting
• Unista
• Canvas Worldwide

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Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.

In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.

Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries
 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at 

mission.org

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This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Andy Tay, Senior Managing Director, Cloud First Lead Accenture Cloud First, Accenture, discusses the critical role of digital transformation and AI readiness for businesses. He emphasizes the importance of establishing a strong digital core, which includes infrastructure, data strategies, and responsible AI practices, and he shares insights on the common pitfalls companies face when adopting AI and highlights successful case studies, particularly in the fast food industry.

Key Insights:

• AI readiness requires a strong digital core with seven foundational elements.
• Companies must embrace responsible AI to avoid ethical pitfalls.
• The success of AI initiatives often hinges on the people involved.
• Technical debt can increase with rapid AI adoption if not managed properly.
• Successful companies balance innovation with strategic investments.
• Understanding customer preferences is key to enhancing engagement.
• Digital transformation is a continuous journey, not a one-time effort.
• Collaboration with partners can accelerate digital initiatives.
• A strong infrastructure is essential for effective AI implementation.

--

Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.

In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.

Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries
 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

-- 

This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 On this episode, Janet Cinfio, Chief Information Officer of Acxiom, discusses the company's role in marketing intelligence and data management, the importance of balancing privacy with personalized marketing experiences, the need for responsible innovation in technology, and the significance of encouraging diversity in STEM careers.

Key Insights:

• Personalization in marketing is crucial for consumer engagement.
• Brands are closer to understanding consumer preferences without identification.
• How Acxiom employs machine learning for data preparation and real-time insights.
• Privacy by design is integral to Acxiom's solutions.
• Diversity in STEM is essential for innovation and growth.
• Investing in young people's interest in STEM is vital for the future.
• Collaboration between technology and business strategy is key.

–

Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.

In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.

Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

-- 

This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Ahmad Bahai, CTO of Texas Instruments, discusses the importance of innovation in the semiconductor industry and the challenges of meeting the increasing demands for faster, more efficient technology. He highlights the need for disruptive innovation to keep up with the exponential growth of data and the widening gap between hardware capabilities and demand. Bahai emphasizes the role of problem-solving and risk management in the innovation process, as well as the importance of talent and multidisciplinary approaches. He also touches on the power of human intuition and the limitations of AI in replicating it.

Key Insights:

• Texas Instruments is a leading semiconductor company specializing in analog and embedded processing.
• Dr. Ahmad Bahai's role as CTO is to identify strategic and disruptive innovations for TI's product lines.
• TI addresses challenges in energy efficiency, connectivity, and intelligence in electronic systems.
• Engagement with customers and suppliers is crucial for understanding system requirements and driving innovation. The semiconductor industry is constantly pushing for innovation to meet the increasing demands for faster, more efficient technology.
• Disruptive innovation is necessary to bridge the widening gap between hardware capabilities and the exponential growth of data.
• Problem-solving and risk management are crucial in the innovation process, balancing the need for progress with calculated risks.
• Talent is essential in driving innovation, and a multidisciplinary approach can lead to new perspectives and breakthroughs.
• Human intuition plays a significant role in innovation and is difficult to replicate with AI.

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Imagine a world where your data flows like electricity—unseen, yet powering everything you do. A world where high availability, low latency, and disaster recovery are not just expectations but realities. Welcome to the future, powered by Zayo's network.
 

In a world that never stops, Zayo is the network underneath it all, helping the most innovative and forward-thinking companies grow. Because Zayo doesn't just connect places, they connect possibilities. Zayo connects what's next for you.

Discover the power of Zayo’s network today. Visit https://go.zayo.com/network/itvisionaries

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

-- 

This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.

That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.

---

IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.