The Digital Executive

In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas speaks with Ahikam Kaufman, co-founder and CEO of Safe Book’s AI. With over two decades of experience in corporate finance, including leadership roles at Intuit, Kaufman shares how his team is revolutionizing financial data governance through intelligent automation. He highlights the unique challenges CFOs face with fragmented financial systems and explains why today's tools often fall short in ensuring accuracy, compliance, and speed.

Kaufman delves into the slow adoption of AI in finance compared to other departments, emphasizing how Safe Book’s AI is bridging that gap. From automating repetitive tasks to enhancing M&A due diligence, he outlines how AI can transform finance from a reactive function to a strategic powerhouse. If you're a finance leader looking to future-proof your operations, this is a must-listen conversation.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas interviews Chris Condon, founder and CEO of Aircon, a Dallas-based platform that’s transforming air freight logistics through AI-driven workflow automation. Drawing on over 26 years of leadership experience in global logistics, Chris shares how his competitive spirit and firsthand frustrations with traditional freight forwarding inspired him to create Aircon. His mission: to empower small and mid-sized freight forwarders with the speed and efficiency needed to compete with global logistics giants.

Chris explains how Aircon’s AI agents—Laura, Rocky, and Rosie—are reshaping the freight industry by automating quoting, booking, and exception management. From cutting quoting time to under two minutes, to rebooking shipments based on predictive analytics, Aircon is eliminating bottlenecks and boosting margins. With a focus on people, trust, and real-world problem solving, Chris paints a compelling vision for a more agile, connected, and AI-augmented future in freight logistics.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Krishna Gupta, co-founder of Presto and founding partner at Remus Capital. Gupta shares the story of launching his venture capital firm while still at MIT and how his early exposure to AI led to his co-founding of Presto, a company pioneering voice AI for restaurant drive-throughs. He breaks down the technical and operational challenges of deploying AI in noisy, high-volume environments, and how Presto overcomes these with a hybrid approach combining LLMs and NLP.

Gupta also explores the compelling case for vertical AI, especially in industries like quick service restaurants (QSRs), logistics, and manufacturing. He emphasizes the importance of industry-specific insights, integration, and go-to-market execution. As he looks ahead, Gupta envisions a fully AI-instrumented business environment—powered by real-time feedback loops, robotics, and automation—with Presto and Remus Capital playing a leading role in that transformation. Don’t miss this conversation packed with insight into the rapidly evolving world of applied AI.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast Gino Ferrand shares the journey behind TECLA, the AI-driven platform he founded to connect top Latin American developers with U.S. companies. Drawing from his personal experience and technical expertise, Ferrand explains how staying hands-on with development shaped TECLA’s evolution into a fast, smart, and human-centric solution for remote hiring.

With over 50,000 users and a 97% success rate, TECLA leverages AI not just for efficiency, but to foster long-term talent success across borders. Gino also reveals his vision for blending automation with community, helping clients onboard talent seamlessly while building deeper, lasting partnerships. Tune in to hear how TECLA is transforming the global tech hiring landscape.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive Podcast Brian Peckrill, Executive Director of the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, shares how the Fund is driving real-world change through place-based philanthropy. He explains why scaling national programs must start with a local lens and how deep community engagement leads to measurable, long-term impact.

Brian also discusses the McGowan Fellows Program and its unique focus on ethics and leadership development for MBA students. Drawing from his global experience in leadership training, he emphasizes the power of experiential learning and the universal need for trust. Don't miss this inspiring conversation on responsible innovation and values-driven leadership.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Josh Hicks, Senior Technical Sales Engineer at Jumpmind, shares his decade-long journey shaping the company’s evolution from its startup roots to a retail tech powerhouse. Hicks dives into the development of JumpMind’s mobile point of sale platform, used by brands like American Eagle Outfitters and Petco, and explains how his transition from coding to customer-facing roles helped him better understand what clients truly need in scalable, data-driven retail solutions.

With deep insights into data architecture, cloud-native tools, and the growing role of AI in retail, Hicks discusses how Jumpmind stays ahead of evolving customer expectations. From building resilient platforms to cultivating a culture of excellence, this episode offers valuable lessons for tech professionals and retail leaders alike.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, host Brian Thomas sits down with Dr. Robert P. Murphy, co-founder and chief economist at Infineo, to explore how Austrian economics is shaping a new era of financial products. Dr. Murphy discusses how Infineo is bringing life insurance to the blockchain with innovative tools like Life Notes, and why decentralized finance (DeFi) offers a natural evolution for traditionally conservative asset classes.

Dr. Murphy also reflects on the growing mistrust in financial institutions and how transparency, philosophy, and AI-driven platforms like Infineo are restoring public confidence. From tokenizing $500 million in life insurance to building an “operating system” for alternative assets, this conversation offers deep insight into the future of finance.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Peter Murphy Lewis, founder of Strategicpete.com and a fractional Chief Marketing Officer, shares his unique entrepreneurial journey. Lewis recounts how he built and successfully sold a nationally recognized tourism company, gaining invaluable lessons in leadership, brand building, and growth hacking along the way. Now, through Strategicpete.com, he helps CEOs untangle overwhelming marketing data and transform it into clear, actionable growth strategies, emphasizing the crucial need for a "map" and alignment on success metrics before launching campaigns.

Lewis also discusses a key insight from his upcoming book, "Interns To A-Players," highlighting the mind shift companies need to make: stop hiring for experience and start hiring for trajectory. He advocates for building talent within robust systems and culture rather than constantly chasing "unicorns." Reflecting on his diverse career, from leading tourism shows in Latin America to advising US banks, Lewis offers aspiring entrepreneurs advice centered on solving problems worth solving, finding purpose in the mission, and collaborating with like-minded, creative individuals. Tune in to hear Peter Murphy Lewis's practical wisdom on marketing, team building, and carving a meaningful career.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Michel Langlois, former CTO and Senior Vice President at Calix Networks, shares insights from his 30-plus year career in the networking and software industry. Langlois discusses how his leadership style evolved across significant transformations at companies like Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Calix Networks, emphasizing the importance of building trust and fostering collaboration in diverse corporate cultures.

Langlois also delves into his new book, "Beyond the Code: Unveiling the Human Factor in Technology Leadership Innovation," explaining his motivation for writing it and the key message he hopes readers take away about human-centric leadership in a technology-driven world. He highlights how innovations like the Software Defined Access (SDA) architecture and cloud-based analytics at Calix Networks enabled them to compete effectively with larger industry players. Tune in to hear Michel Langlois's vision for the future of the networking and software industry and how leaders should prepare for emerging technologies and trends.

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In this episode of The Digital Executive podcast, Dallas Counts, Chief Operations Officer at Vendormint, discusses his extensive background in retail operations, merchandising, and supply chain management. With nearly a decade at Walmart and Sam's Club, Counts shares how his experiences prepared him to champion Vendormint's mission to revolutionize supplier compliance, operations, and deductions management. He highlights the invaluable lessons learned about understanding retail culture, data-driven decisions, and the relentless pursuit of operational excellence, all stemming from the foundational principles of Sam Walton.

Counts also delves into the significant inefficiencies within current supplier compliance and deduction management processes, which Vendormint is actively addressing through its centralized intelligence hub and automated document collection. He explains how Vendormint leverages data and automation to help suppliers recover lost revenue and optimize their operations, emphasizing the importance of proactively identifying and fixing upstream challenges. Finally, Counts discusses key emerging retail trends, including omnichannel retailing, evolving economic pressures, and the transformative power of AI and automation, outlining how Vendormint is strategically positioning itself for the future. Tune in to learn how Dallas Counts and Vendormint are shaping the future of supplier-retailer relationships.

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