Ulta Beauty has positioned itself as an industry leader by merging in-store and digital experiences for a seamless, personalized customer experience. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Ulta Beauty’s Chief Technology and Information Officer Mike Maresca on the company’s digital transformation, cloud expansion, and omni-centric strategy. Mike shares insights on how Ulta’s GlamLab enables virtual try-ons and how data and AI drive hyper-personalization for Ulta’s 44 million loyalty members.

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919: NYU Stern Professor Aswath Damodaran explains in his latest book, The Corporate Life Cycle, that companies must adapt their strategies and leadership styles to match their stage in the corporate life cycle, whether it’s embracing visionary leaders to drive growth during startup phases or appointing pragmatic managers to steer the company through periods of decline. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Aswath about the core concepts of his book, exploring how companies experience growth, maturity, and decline just like humans. He offers insights on aligning leadership styles to different stages of a company’s life cycle and shares examples of companies like Microsoft and Apple that have successfully rejuvenated their growth.

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To create stronger alignment between technology and business objectives, farm-to-fork cooperative Land O’Lakes is embracing Fusion Teams, which combine deep technical expertise with business insights to anticipate needs, innovate faster, and deliver more tailored solutions. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Land O’Lakes CTO Teddy Bekele about the critical role technology plays in driving both innovation and operational alignment within the company’s cooperative model. Teddy shares how Land O’Lakes is transforming its operations through Agile practices, Fusion Teams, and AI-driven decision-making, all while fostering sustainability and growth across its diverse business units, including smarter farming and enhanced supply chain management.

In his newest book, This is Strategy, renowned author and marketing thought leader Seth Godin provides a detailed framework for developing an effective strategy and challenges the way strategy is approached across industries. In this episode, Peter High sits down with Seth to explore the critical difference between strategy and tactics, offering practical insights into how individuals and organizations can craft strategies that stand the test of time. Seth emphasizes the importance of simplicity, demonstrating how profound strategies can be communicated in clear, memorable terms. Seth also dives into the growing role of AI in strategic thinking, sharing his experience with tools like Claude to challenge assumptions and refine strategies. Additionally, he discusses the necessity of empathy in leadership and the importance of embracing change and constraints to fuel innovation. Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about the future of strategy in an AI-driven world, this episode offers actionable insights to help you navigate the complexities of modern leadership.

The ways customers interact with retailers and other organizations have vastly changed in recent years, and the pet care industry is no different, leveraging technology to deliver personalized, efficient experiences for pet parents. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Greg Fancher, Executive Vice President of IT and Chief Information Technology Officer of PetSmart. Greg discusses PetSmart’s ongoing digital transformation, which has included a shift from a distribution center-focused model to store-based e-commerce fulfillment, improving speed and efficiency for customers. He also shares insights into re-platforming PetSmart’s systems to use microservices, enabling faster innovation, and the company’s strategic use of AI for optimizing operations like pick path efficiency and personalized marketing. Greg provides an inside look at the company’s efforts to enhance its omnichannel retail strategy, including cloud-based booking for pet services and real-time inventory visibility. Lastly, Greg highlights the importance of leadership restructuring and portfolio management in aligning technology investments with business goals and discusses his excitement for future technologies like quantum computing and their potential impact on security.

915: Consumer insights are the lifeblood of any company, enabling them to optimize product availability, personalize marketing, and enhance customer experiences through direct-to-consumer channels and loyalty programs. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews John Gigerich, Chief Information Officer of Keurig Dr Pepper. John shares insights into the 2018 merger between Keurig and Dr Pepper, which created a beverage powerhouse, and discusses his role in integrating the companies’ IT systems while ensuring cybersecurity. He elaborates on Keurig Dr Pepper’s digital transformation journey, covering cloud migration, intelligent automation tools like RPA and AI, and the company’s data-driven approach to consumer insights that optimize product offerings and marketing strategies. John also provides a fascinating look into the company’s supply chain optimization initiatives and the role of the digital value chain. Finally, he highlights the importance of ROI in IT investments and shares his excitement for AI and data-driven innovation at KDP.

914: The shift towards cloud computing has accelerated with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and venture capital firms like Bessemer Venture Partners have taken notice. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Mary D’Onofrio, partner at Bessemer, who leads investments in cloud software and emerging technologies. Mary discusses her journey into venture capital, Bessemer’s Cloud Index, and the State of the Cloud reports, while highlighting how AI is transforming the cloud landscape. She also shares insights into the “five Cs of cloud finance” and the importance of customer feedback in shaping investment decisions. 

913: In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High interviews Aaron Gwinner, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Reynolds American. Aaron discusses the company’s ambitious goal to reduce the health impact of its products by transitioning customers away from traditional cigarettes to lower-risk alternatives like vaping. He explains how technology plays a critical role in this transformation, including a significant cloud migration effort aimed at centralizing data and improving operational efficiency. Aaron also shares insights on the evolving challenges of cybersecurity and the potential of generative AI to improve employee productivity and supply chain management. Drawing on over two decades of experience at The Coca-Cola Company, Aaron reflects on how his international career has informed his approach to leadership at Reynolds American. Tune in to hear more about Reynolds American’s digital transformation, its mission to build a better tomorrow, and the key role of IT in achieving this vision.

912: The fusion of IT transformation and AI is revolutionizing how businesses leverage technology to drive growth and innovation. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Satya Jayadev, CIO of Skyworks Solutions, a global leader in high-performance analog semiconductors that power the wireless revolution. Satya shares insights into his six-year journey at Skyworks, leading a digital transformation that took IT from a back-office support role to a business driver and visionary partner. He discusses how Skyworks is leveraging AI to optimize processes and product development and how the AI Enablement Office is identifying critical use cases across the organization. Satya also explains the role of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) in improving engineering efficiency and product design speed. Lastly, he provides a forward-looking view on how AI and 5G are shaping the future of business and consumer experiences.

911: In financial services, automation and AI are transforming risk management, streamlining compliance, and enhancing customer experiences for greater efficiency. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High interviews Jason Strle, Chief Information Officer of Discover Financial Services. Jason discusses Discover’s unique position as one of the first FinTech companies, emphasizing its direct-to-consumer model and its role as one of the four major credit card networks. He highlights how Discover’s customer-first approach drives innovation across the company, earning high levels of customer loyalty. As CIO, Jason provides insights into the breadth of his responsibilities, covering everything from core banking platforms to cloud infrastructure and information security. He also delves into how Discover is embracing AI and automation to innovate risk management, making traditionally complex processes more efficient and competitive. Jason shares his thoughts on how Generative AI is transforming customer service and risk management, while also addressing the challenges it presents. The conversation also explores Discover’s partnerships with FinTech startups and how the company stays on the cutting edge of financial technology.