The Catalyst by Softchoice

We all know the best offense is a strong defense – and that’s as true for cybersecurity as it is for football. For all the attention we devote to cybersecurity, it’s a wonder that one essential tool can make all the difference...cyber insurance.  Erika meets with Softchoice’s Director of Security, Matt Sirbu, to discuss the best practices and policies for businesses to stay afloat in a digital era and keep their bottom lines safe. 

Featuring: Matt Sirbu – Director of Security at Softchoice 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

The Catalyst listener contest has begun! 

We’re giving away 10 Amazon gift cards to subscribers between now and the end of October. Taking part is as easy as subscribing and leaving us a review. Find out more and see full contest rules at: https://www.softchoice.com/thecatalyst/contest 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

Technology leaders need to constantly communicate about complex, nuanced topics – and get people to act on those insights. So, what’s the best way to do it? The answer for Google’s Chief Content Officer, Priyanka Vergadia, lies in visual storytelling. Erika meets with Priyanka – better known as “Cloud Girl” to her online followers – to discuss the beauty and benefits of technical storytelling, female leadership in tech and getting creative with cloud computing. 

Featuring: Priyanka Vergadia – Chief Content Officer Google.  

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

This episode of the Catalyst is brought to you by Google Cloud Next -- a free, global hybrid event taking place live from October 11 to 13, 2022, and always available online. Learn more about the streamed broadcasts, on-demand digital content and in-person events to connect with Google Cloud experts. Visit cloud.withgoogle.com/next. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

With the pandemic (mostly) behind us, organizations are struggling to shape their return to office policies. For Microsoft’s Head of Modern Work and Security Business, Jason Brommet, the answer is a no-brainer – the future of work is hybrid and there’s no going back. Erika meets with Jason to discuss how organizations can plan for a future-focused work environment. They explore ways to define the employee experience in a hybrid era and the three tenants that lie at the heart of this exercise. 

Featuring: Jason Brommet – Head of Modern Work and Security Business at Microsoft. Special thanks to Softchoice’s Karly Pierce and Craig Smith for sharing their thoughts. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

This episode of the Catalyst is brought to you by Microsoft Viva. Download our new e-book “An Introduction to Microsoft Viva” today. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

Blockchain isn’t just about crypto gains and trading NFTs. Aside from endless industrial use cases, you can now use it to invest in the world’s finest wine. Erika meets with Corey Parkinson, the Global Head of Product of Cult Wines, to talk about how his organization is innovating and democratizing the fine wine trade through blockchain technology. Plus, Corey shares insights on how to make the most of Cult Wines new trading app. 

Featuring: Corey Parkinson, Global Head of Product at Cult Wines. Special thanks to the Pilgrim production team for sharing their thoughts. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

How will the metaverse transform modern business? And how can companies seize this virtual opportunity? Medha Parlikar, co-founder and CTO of CasperLabs, joins Erika to explore how IT leaders can leverage the metaverse with real-world applications. Medha reviews the pros and cons of engaging in a virtual world and explains how a 3D version of the internet will create the most immersive user experience yet. 

Featuring: Medha Parlikar, Co-Founder and CTO at CasperLabs. Special thanks to Softchoice and the Pilgrim production team for sharing their thoughts. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

While on vacation last Spring, Erika caught COVID-19. When her symptoms went from bad to worse, she decided to head to her local hospital, where she was treated and monitored using their highly innovative, digital post care program. On this episode of The Catalyst, Erika speaks to the Director of Community Partnerships at Southlake Regional Health Centre, Gayle Seddon, and the VP of Strategy, Analytics and Communications, Tyler Chalk, to discuss the integrative and collaborate approach they used to create their highly regarded – and transformative – COVID at Home Program. 

Featuring: Gayle Seddon, Director of Community Partnerships at Southlake Regional Health Centre and Tyler Chalk, VP Strategy, Analytics and Communications at Southlake Regional Health Centre. Special thanks to Softchoice’s Nicole Francis and the Pilgrim Production Team for lending their thoughts. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

How do we start to close the ever-widening IT skills gap? In the second of this two-part series, Erika meets with technologist Shauna Begley to talk about the importance of digital literacy as a way to create a more robust and adaptable future of work. Shauna also shares valuable insight on how companies can encourage employees to “learn as they earn.” 

Featuring: Shauna Begley, faculty member at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and co-founder of Modern Work. Special thanks to Softchoice’s Ashley Arruda for sharing her thoughts. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

This episode is sponsored by The Design Studio at Softchoice. Visit www.softchoice.com/solutions/consulting-and-complex-solutions/digital-acceleration to learn more
 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

The IT skills gap is bad – and it’s only getting worse. The good news is there’s still plenty you can do about it. In the first of this two-part series, Erika meets with AWS’ Brian Graf to share some tips to train and retain talent in our highly-competitive industry. You’ll also find out how companies of all sizes can encourage innovation in order to bridge the cloud skills gap.  

Featuring: Brian Graf, Senior Partner Solutions Architect at AWS.  

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology. 

This episode is sponsored by VMware Cloud for AWS. Visit softchoice.com/asksoftchoice to learn about our fully funded Cloud Readiness Review. 

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

From dial up to high-speed connectivity, the Internet has come a long way in shaping and shifting how we connect with people and business. 

Host Erika Van Noort meets with Softchoice’s Vice President of Digital Acceleration Craig McQueen to discuss the internet’s next big wave: Web3. He explains what exactly Web3 will entail, how it differs from Web 1.0 and 2.0, and why IT leaders need to be paying attention to this budding tech. Plus, Craig shares key use cases for Web3 and gives practical tips for how anyone can get involved.

Featuring:
Craig McQueen, Vice President of Digital Acceleration at Softchoice
Special thanks to Softchoice voices, Makenzie Wiwchar and Evan Wee, for lending their honest thoughts!

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology.

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology. 

Is it really time to get rid of the IT department? According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it may just be. In this episode, Erika Van Noort sits down to discuss a 2021 article where the author warns that our traditional concept of the IT department and the way it’s set up is not only outdated, but it’s also putting the way we grow business and drive innovation at risk. For a deeper look at whether it’s really time for IT leaders to ditch their self-titled department, Erika welcomes Chris Woodin, VP of the Cloud Business Unit at Softchoice, along with Jeff Reis, Senior VP of Information Technology & Workplace. In a roundtable discussion, they dive into how we can create more value for organizations by integrating the IT function into core planning processes.

The path forward is going to come down to a lot of teamwork, a lot of vision, and a lot of groundbreaking technical transformation.

Featuring:
Chris Woodin, VP of the Cloud Business Unit at Softchoice
Jeff Reis, Senior VP of IT & Workplace at Softchoice
Special thanks to the Catalyst production team for voicing the comments on the article.

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast shining a light on the human side of IT leaders and reframing our relationship with technology.

The Catalyst by Softchoice is the podcast dedicated to exploring the intersection of humans and technology.