What does it take to lead technology teams in a 24/7, high-pressure environment while still prioritizing people, culture, and growth?

In this episode of The Next Tier Podcast, Betsy Robinson sits down with Adam Gruszcynski, IT Director at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, to discuss leadership, talent development, hiring strategies, cybersecurity, and the importance of creating a culture where people can thrive.

Adam shares his unconventional path into technology leadership, from earning his first Cisco certification in high school to leading six IT teams that support one of the Midwest's premier gaming and hospitality organizations. He offers candid insights into managing work-life integration, developing future leaders, navigating hiring challenges, and building resilient teams in a fast-paced, always-on environment.

The conversation also explores the power of mentorship, the impact of organizations like i.c.stars, why experience often matters more than credentials, and how leaders can use platforms like LinkedIn to build authentic employer brands that attract top talent.

You'll also hear Adam's thoughts on:

• Leadership development and succession planning
• Hiring for culture fit and emotional intelligence
• Cybersecurity and technology operations
• Building high-performing IT teams
• Employee recognition and workplace culture
• Personal branding and recruiting through LinkedIn
• Mentorship, career growth, and professional development
• Lessons from hospitality, sports leadership, and customer experience

Whether you're an IT leader, hiring manager, executive, or professional looking to grow your career, this episode offers practical insights on leadership, talent strategy, and reaching your next tier of success.

Subscribe for more conversations with business leaders, technology innovators, and workforce experts shaping the future of work.

More about Adam:

Adam Gruszczynski is the IT Director at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, where he leads six technology teams supporting the organization's 24/7 gaming, hospitality, cybersecurity, and digital operations. A passionate leader, mentor, and advocate for workforce development, Adam is known for building high-performing teams, developing future technology leaders, and leveraging innovative recruiting and employee engagement strategies. He is actively involved with IC Stars, champions nontraditional pathways into technology careers, and brings a people-first approach to leadership that has helped shape both culture and business outcomes throughout his nearly two decades with Potawatomi.

Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-gruszcynski-7682961a/

What does it take to build a successful revenue organization when the market, the buyer, and the technology are all changing at once?

In Part Two of Robert Bouchard's conversation with Sales Talent Group President Jenna Hicks, the conversation turns toward the future of go-to-market talent and why hiring the right sales leaders and sellers has become more strategic than ever.

Jenna shares why traditional measures like experience and quota attainment still matter, but are no longer enough on their own. Today, adaptability, curiosity, business acumen, digital discernment, and authentic leadership are becoming essential qualities for navigating an increasingly complex business environment.

They also explore the growing challenge of hiring in an AI-driven world, where polished resumes and LinkedIn profiles can make the talent market noisier than ever. Jenna explains why more choices do not always make hiring easier—and why the ability to identify the right candidate for the right role has never been more important.

The conversation also moves beyond business, exploring Jenna's belief that technology should enhance human connection rather than replace it, her leadership work with Wait Until 8th, and the role authentic relationships will continue to play in the future of work.

🎧 Robert and Jenna explore:

• Why adaptability, curiosity, and business acumen are now essential hiring criteria
• How Sales Talent Group's Leadership Lens looks beyond traditional experience and qualifications
• Why an oversaturated talent market can actually make hiring more difficult
• How AI is creating more noise in the hiring process—and what organizations can do about it
• Why quality of hire is becoming one of the most strategic decisions a business can make
• The shift toward outcome-based compensation models in modern revenue organizations
• Why continuous learning, discernment, and judgment matter for the next generation of leaders
• Jenna's perspective on balancing technology with meaningful human connection
• What "Uncommon. On Purpose." means to her as a leadership philosophy
• The legacy she hopes to build at Sales Talent Group
• Why authenticity and a willingness to fail can create new opportunities for growth

From the future of sales talent to the future of leadership itself, this conversation is a reminder that the organizations and leaders best prepared for change are the ones willing to question old assumptions, stay curious, and build meaningful relationships along the way.

About Jenna Hicks:

Jenna Hicks is the President of Sales Talent Group and a go-to-market leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations accelerate growth through sales strategy, customer engagement, business development, and talent. Known for her people-first approach and authentic leadership style, Jenna is passionate about helping companies build modern revenue organizations equipped to navigate rapid change and evolving buyer expectations.

Learn more about Sales Talent Group: https://www.salestalentgroup.com

Learn more about Tier4 Group: https://www.tier4group.com

Before becoming President of Sales Talent Group, Jenna Hicks had already built a successful career helping companies modernize the way they sell, engage customers, and drive revenue growth.

She could have taken the familiar path and led another single revenue organization. Instead, she made a leap of faith.

After nearly 25 years in sales and go-to-market leadership, Jenna found herself asking a bigger question: What if the next chapter wasn't about building one great sales organization, but helping build hundreds?

In this episode of The Next Tier, Jenna joins Robert Bouchard to discuss the pivotal decision that brought her to Sales Talent Group, the leadership lessons that shaped her journey, and why the future of revenue organizations requires a fundamentally different approach to talent, hiring, and growth.

Along the way, they explore the mentors who influenced her career, the importance of authenticity in leadership, why trust is still the foundation of every successful relationship, and how changing buyer behavior is reshaping modern sales organizations.

🎧 Robert and Jenna explore:

• Why Jenna walked away from a comfortable leadership path to pursue a bigger impact
• What it means to lead authentically without sacrificing professionalism
• Building trust through consistency, transparency, and relationships
• How great leaders make decisions for the future, not just the moment
• The shift from traditional sales playbooks to modern revenue organizations
• Why today's buyers are changing faster than most companies realize
• The growing gap between how organizations hire and what tomorrow's leaders need
• Jenna's vision for the future of Sales Talent Group and its next chapter of growth

Whether you're leading a sales team, building a revenue organization, or considering your own next leap of faith, this conversation offers a timely perspective on leadership, growth, and creating impact at scale.

About Jenna Hicks:

Jenna Hicks is the President of Sales Talent Group and a go-to-market leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations accelerate growth through sales strategy, customer engagement, business development, and talent. Known for her people-first approach and authentic leadership style, Jenna is passionate about helping companies build modern revenue organizations equipped to navigate rapid change and evolving buyer expectations.

Connect with Jenna

Connect with Robert

Learn more about Sales Talent Group: Sales Talent Group

Learn more about Tier4 Group⁠: Tier4 Group

What separates great technology leaders from great people leaders?Robert sits down with Jose Veras, CIO, Acrisure, to discuss what it takes to lead through enterprise transformation, balance competing priorities, develop high-performing teams, and stay grounded in accountability. Drawing from decades of experience leading large-scale technology organizations, Jose shares why leadership is ultimately about investing in people, embracing continuous learning, and being intentional in every decision you make.🎧 Rob and Jose unpack:0:00 - Introduction0:13 - Navigating Growth, Priorities & Enterprise Transformation6:00 - Using Data to Make Better Leadership Decisions11:42 - AI, Change Management & Continuous Learning19:33 - Workforce Planning and Building Strong Teams25:13 - Finding the Right Partners and Developing Future Leaders30:11 - Sponsorship, Accountability & Company Culture36:24 - Top Tier Rapid Fire Questions38:57 - Intentional Growth, Mentorship & Career Success43:35 - Gratitude, Perspective & What's Really ImportantWhether you're leading a team of five or five hundred, this episode is a masterclass in leading with intention, discipline, and heart.About Jose Veras:With a focus on innovation and automation, Jose leads teams that have designed and built proprietary platforms enabling the seamless delivery of quality environments with zero-touch deployment. Jose currently serves as the CIO of Acrisure, a global fintech leader empowering millions of ambitious businesses and individuals with the right solutions to grow boldly forward.Connect with Jose: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-veras-01021a1/Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbouchard/Learn more about how Tier4 Group is helping organizations across finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and more navigate complex business challenges through talent. Visit: www.tier4group.com

Before Jose Veras was CIO at Acrisure, or before nearly two decades scaling IT and security for a NYSE-traded exchange — he was rebuilding engines in a garage, getting handed a paycheck by a boss who stopped to ask how his week was going.

That boss, a small-town dealership owner, taught him more about leadership than any org chart ever could: show up, invest in your people, and lead by example.

In this episode of The Next Tier, Jose sits down with Robert to trace that entire arc, from mechanic to Fortune-caliber tech executive, and unpacks the lessons that carried him the whole way.

🎧 Rob and Jose explore:

• Growing up in the Bronx and the mentors who changed his path
• Why he chose a trade school over a four-year degree
• Lessons from a boss who paid his team by hand, every Thursday
• Leading nearly 1,000 people at a NYSE-listed exchange
• Why "team, not family" is the better leadership model
• Migrating 5,000+ employees during the Black Knight acquisition
• Deciding when it's time to hand off leadership to the next generation
• Joining Acrisure as CIO after "retiring" for six months

Whether you're leading a team of five or five hundred, this episode is a masterclass in leading with intention, discipline, and heart.About Jose Veras

With a focus on innovation and automation, Jose leads teams that have designed and built proprietary platforms enabling the seamless delivery of quality environments with zero-touch deployment. Jose currently serves as the CIO of Acrisure, a global fintech leader empowering millions of ambitious businesses and individuals with the right solutions to grow boldly forward.

Connect with Jose: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-veras-01021a1/

Connect with Robert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbouchard/

Learn more about how Tier4 Group is helping organizations across finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and more navigate complex business challenges through talent. Visit: www.tier4group.com

What does it take to lead through uncertainty, embrace technology without losing the human touch, and build a culture where everyone rises together?

In Part 2 of our conversation with Ray Culver, seasoned talent industry veteran with over 30 years across Randstad, Spherion, and Manpower, we dive deep into the leadership principles and workforce strategies that have defined his career.

Ray shares his take on AI's evolving role in recruitment, why the staffing industry is at a crossroads between agentic automation and human connection, and how mid-sized companies can build smarter, more flexible hiring engines using fractional, contract, and contingent models. We also explore what "uncommon on purpose" means to a leader who has seen the industry transform from the ground up.

From rapid-fire questions to real talk on accountability, culture, and what it means to step into your greatness, this episode is packed with wisdom for talent leaders, hiring managers, and anyone navigating the future of work.

Key topics covered:

• AI, governance, and bias in the recruitment landscape
• Contingent workforce strategy for lean and growing organizations
• The fractional leadership model and when to use it
• Building culture from mission, vision, and values
• Leadership accountability and the journey of self-awareness

The Next Tier is produced by Tier4 Group.

What does it take to build a 30-year career in workforce solutions, and STILL be the most curious person in the room?

Just ask Ray Culver.

In this episode of The Next Tier, Robert Bouchard sits down with Ray, Global Managing Director of TALiNT Partners and a 30-year workforce solutions veteran whose career spans Randstad, Spherion, Manpower Group, and beyond. Ray brings a rare vantage point: he's sat on both sides of the table, leading massive global MSP programs and now helping staffing firms and HR tech platforms sharpen their go-to-market strategies.

The conversation goes deep on the forces reshaping talent acquisition. AI adoption, the shift toward contingent work, margin compression, and what it really means to be a "partner" rather than just a vendor.

Ray doesn't sugarcoat it: the volume game is fading, smaller firms are feeling the squeeze, and the industry will have to keep itself in check as agentic technology accelerates.

But underneath the strategy talk is something more human; a story about betting on yourself, the leaders who believed in you before you believed in yourself, and why recruiting, at its core, is still about changing people's lives.

If you're a staffing leader, TA professional, or anyone navigating the future of work, this conversation is a must.

In this episode of The Next Tier Podcast, co-hosts Betsy Robinson and Robert Bouchard sit down with Joe Macchiarella, COO of ISG Technology, for a conversation on leadership, discipline, culture, AI, and what it really takes to grow into executive leadership.

From wiring PBX systems in New York to leading technology organizations through growth and transformation, Joe shares the career moments that shaped his leadership philosophy, including lessons from 9/11, scaling teams at cBeyond, building businesses backed by private equity, and navigating the future of managed services in the AI era.

Joe breaks down why discipline matters more than motivation, how great leaders create “healthy friction,” and why hiring for mindset and coachability beats hiring purely for technical skills. The conversation also explores AI adoption, people-first leadership, mentorship, emotional intelligence, and the importance of authenticity in high-performing cultures.

Whether you’re an aspiring leader, technology executive, recruiter, entrepreneur, or someone trying to reach your own next tier, this episode is packed with actionable leadership insights and real-world career advice.

Topics include:

• Leadership development and executive growth
• Building high-performance teams
• Hiring for culture, discipline, and adaptability
• AI in managed services and technology operations
• Emotional intelligence and leadership
• Mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching
• Creating healthy organizational culture
• Career growth in tech and operations
• Authentic leadership and transparency

🎧 Listen now and learn why the leaders who succeed are the ones willing to “do the damn thing.”

In Episode 2 of The Next Tier, Robert Bouchard sits down with Heather Rocker, CEO of Women in Technology (WIT), to explore what it truly means to lead with purpose in today’s rapidly evolving workforce.

With a career spanning Amazon’s Alexa AI team, nonprofit executive leadership, and decades of community impact, Heather shares how AI literacy, sponsorship, and intentional leadership are shaping the future of work, especially for women in tech.

This conversation goes beyond titles and accolades to unpack the real challenges facing organizations today: losing women at mid-career, misaligned digital-first strategies, poor change adoption, and underutilized talent. Heather explains why nearly 50% of women leave technology roles by age 35, what leaders are getting wrong about AI adoption, and how sponsorship, not mentorship, is the missing lever in building sustainable leadership pipelines.

From responsible AI governance and data integrity to curiosity-driven leadership and the power of authentic relationships, this episode delivers practical insight for executives, hiring leaders, and technologists navigating transformation at scale. Heather also shares why visibility matters, how lattice careers outperform ladders, and why clarity of purpose is essential to reaching your “next tier".

You won't want to miss this. Subscribe to us on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The conversation continues... and it gets even more honest.

In Part 2 of our inaugural episode, Jennifer Baker, CIO at Arvest Bank, and cohosts Betsy Robinson & Robert Bouchard pick up right where they left off, diving deeper into one of the most urgent questions facing organizations today: why are we losing talented women in the middle of their tech careers — and what are we actually going to do about it?

Jen doesn't just name the problem. She dissects it. From return-to-office policies and social battery to multi-generational leadership and the difference between public and private recognition, this conversation goes beyond the surface-level talking points and into the real, uncomfortable work of building environments where people, and especially women, actually stay and thrive.

They also get into what it means to ask for help the right way, and the one simple sentence that makes you 37% more likely to get it.

And yes, it wraps up with walk-up songs, emoji preferences, and a few laughs. Because great leadership conversations don't have to be all business.

In this episode:

• Why return-to-office mandates may be accelerating the mid-career exodus of women
• The introvert's social battery and what it really costs to be "on" all day
• How to give recognition that actually lands across five generations of employees
• The art of asking for help and why four words change everything
• Jen's final piece of advice for anyone trying to reach their own next tier

This one is worth sharing, especially if you're an aspiring leader who wants to do better, or a woman in tech who has ever felt like the support just wasn't there. No matter where you are in your journey, Jen's insights can help you reach the next tier of your career.