Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

Proving AI works was never the hard part. The hard part is industrializing it. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Dilip Venkatachari, Chief Information and Technology Officer at U.S. Bank, about what it actually takes to move from scattered AI experiments to a common platform with reusable components and measurable outcomes. Drawing from eight years leading technology at one of the country’s largest banks, Venkatachari explains how U.S. Bank treats model risk management and regulatory requirements as design parameters rather than obstacles, why the real technical challenge is plumbing rather than models, and how an internal AI marketplace uses social incentives to drive reuse without mandating it.

Key Highlights:

This episode is sponsored by Tines. This episode is presented by Tines: Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

AI is reshaping every stage of pharmaceutical distribution, but only if the organization is built to absorb it.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Pawan Verma, Executive Vice President and Chief Data and Information Officer at Cencora, about leading technology and data strategy at one of the world’s largest healthcare companies ($320B+ in revenue, 5 million pharmaceuticals moving through its network daily).

Verma joined Cencora in 2024 after serving as Global CIO at MetLife, with earlier leadership at Foot Locker, Target, and Verizon, a cross-industry arc that shapes how he thinks about patient access, workforce transformation, and what AI can and cannot replace in leadership.

Key Highlights:

This episode is sponsored by Tines. This episode is presented by Tines: Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

A digital-only bank can’t afford to retrofit security. Ally Financial builds it in from the start.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Spencer Cremers, Chief Information Security Officer at Ally Financial, about designing security and resiliency into cloud infrastructure by default — and what that requires organizationally.

Cremers spent 20+ years at Ally progressing through divisional CIO and engineering roles before becoming CISO, including a stretch as interim Chief Information and Data Officer. That delivery background shapes how he positions security: not as a gatekeeper handing down requirements late in the cycle, but as a design partner embedded from the start.

Key Highlights:

This episode is sponsored by Tines. Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

What separates a great founder from a great company? For XYZ Venture Capital Founder and Managing Partner Ross Fubini, execution is only part of the equation. The company also needs to find its “wave.”

In this episode of Technoventure, Fubini joins Peter High to unpack the investment philosophy behind XYZ’s bets on founder networks, defense technology, and AI. Drawing on his experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, executive coach, and investor, he explores:

Fubini also shares how he personally uses AI to research, challenge investment theses, and sharpen his thinking.

In this episode of Technovation, Nationwide CTO Michael Carrel joins Peter High to discuss how the company is building an AI-ready workforce while modernizing technology across its insurance and financial services businesses. Carrel explains why Nationwide made everyday AI available to associates across the company and paired access with future-ready learning sprints, manager certifications, and role-specific skill development.

He also shares how Nationwide is applying generative and agentic AI across underwriting, claims, software engineering, and other domains while maintaining disciplined governance, trusted data, and human judgment.

This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

What happens when AI moves beyond generating content and starts autonomously optimizing the physical world?

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Riaz Raihan, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Trane Technologies, about how the company is applying AI, connected equipment, and massive volumes of IoT data to make buildings more autonomous and energy efficient.

Riaz explains how BrainBox AI acts as an “autopilot” for complex HVAC systems, continuously making small adjustments to optimize energy use without sacrificing comfort. He also discusses Trane Technologies’ three-pillar AI strategy, responsible data use and cybersecurity, and a future in which smart, resilient buildings coordinate energy consumption, storage, and generation autonomously.

This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

For Goodyear CIO Raman Mehta, enterprise AI cannot remain stuck in pilot mode. His mandate is to bring a startup mindset to a 128-year-old manufacturer by making speed a strategy and turning AI experimentation into measurable business impact.

In this episode of Technovation, Raman joins Peter High to discuss Goodyear’s push toward industrial-scale AI, Lighthouse Projects, enterprise-grade intelligence, and connected manufacturing. He explains why trusted master data is essential for AI systems that reason, how his team is using AI itself to improve data quality, and why reskilling must happen through live work rather than courses alone.

Key topics include:

This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

Bobcat is transforming machines that were once physical “tool carriers” into software-enabled, connected products. Behind that evolution is a broader effort to modernize the digital foundation of the business.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Bobcat Chief Digital Officer Roy Greco about harmonizing global processes, building a trusted data intelligence platform, and scaling practical AI applications.

They explore how Bobcat is:

This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com

Before the market is obvious, what gives an investor the conviction to act?

In this episode of Technoventure, Peter High speaks with Shardul Shah, Partner at Index Ventures, about why exceptional founders can matter more than early market signals. Shardul shares lessons from investing in companies including Datadog and Wiz and explains how he evaluates conviction, high agency, and founders who can “hold contradiction with ease.”

They also explore:

Moving from reactive operations to predictive AI starts with trusted data.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Ajay Waghray, EVP and Chief Information Officer of PG&E, about the technology, data, process, and people transformation behind the company’s shift toward more predictive and proactive operations.

Waghray explains how PG&E combines trusted asset, weather, environmental, sensor, and smart-meter data to support continuous monitoring and AI-driven decision-making. He shares how these capabilities have helped avoid 19 million outage minutes, prevent 28 potential ignitions, and eliminate more than 5,000 emergency response hours.

The conversation also explores PG&E’s three-pillar AI strategy, foundation, democratization, and execution, and why cybersecurity, responsible AI, and standardized processes must advance together.

Listen to the full episode to hear how PG&E is building the foundation for predictive AI at enterprise scale.

This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com