“Technology shouldn’t support the business. It should be the business.”

As technology becomes inseparable from how companies operate, the role of the CIO is being fundamentally redefined. Today’s leaders are navigating growing complexity, diverse business models, rapid AI adoption, rising cyber risk, and globally distributed teams, while still being expected to deliver speed, resilience, and measurable outcomes.

In this episode, Andrea Bergamini, CIO, Orbia, joins Karthik Padmanabhan, Managing Partner, Zinnov, for a candid conversation on what it truly takes to lead technology in a purpose-driven, multi-business global enterprise.

Andrea shares his unconventional journey across GE, Heineken, Cargill, and Orbia, and how building cybersecurity from scratch as a Greenfield CISO shaped his philosophy of owning mission-critical capabilities. He explains how Orbia structures technology around a strong core foundation while embedding IT deeply into each business, moving beyond “alignment” toward operating technology as the business itself.

The conversation also explores Orbia’s pragmatic approach to AI, balancing productivity enablement, citizen development, and advanced use cases—along with the role of Global Capability Centers in building long-term innovation and talent strength. Andrea reflects on leading through uncertainty, the growing democratization of technology, and why resilience and adaptability are now defining leadership traits.

This episode offers a grounded perspective on modern technology leadership, where transformation is continuous, experimentation is essential, and success is measured not by tools adopted, but by outcomes delivered.

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What does it take for Managed Service Providers to stay relevant as enterprise growth slows and AI complexity accelerates?

In this episode of the Zinnov Podcast, Aly Shivji, Group Vice President – Global Partner Sales and Engineering (GSI | Advisory | MSP | Hyperscaler) at Cisco, joins Rajat Kohli, Partner at Zinnov, for a grounded conversation on how the MSP model has evolved over the past 12 to 18 months.

The discussion looks at how MSPs are moving beyond managed delivery into advisory, co-engineering, and ecosystem-led value creation. Aly shares why specialization, business consulting upfront, and long-term customer engagement are becoming critical, and how security, AI management, and tool rationalization are shaping MSP differentiation.

This episode is for technology leaders and partner ecosystem owners navigating increasing complexity across platforms, partners, and customers.

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Financial services has long been the benchmark for trust, scale, and regulation. But in an age where innovation moves faster than policy, the sector is rewriting its own rulebook. In this episode of Zinnov Podcast, John Kain, Head of Financial Services Market Development at Amazon Web Services, joins Rajat Kohli, Partner at Zinnov, to unpack how cloud, data, and AI are reshaping the foundations of modern finance.

From the democratization of innovation through the cloud to the rise of “buy now, pay later,” John reveals how the industry’s biggest disruptors are powered not just by technology, but by the courage to rethink legacy processes. He explores how generative AI is transforming compliance, risk, and customer experience, and why governance, trust, and explainability must evolve alongside innovation.

The conversation dives deep into what’s next: agentic systems that will redefine financial workflows, open ecosystems that demand new forms of partnership, and the strategic shifts enterprises must embrace to turn experimentation into enterprise-grade production.

For anyone navigating the intersection of finance, cloud, and AI, this episode offers a front-row view into how technology leaders are re-architecting the future of financial services, from capital expenditure to continuous innovation.

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Most organizations today are grappling with the same reality: the systems and structures that made them successful weren’t built for what’s coming next. Legacy systems, monoliths, distributed teams, and AI moving faster than anyone planned - all while leaders try to move forward without breaking what already works.

In this episode, Paiman Nodoushani, Chief Technology Officer, TRG Screen, joins Karthik Padmanabhan, Managing Partner, Zinnov for a grounded conversation on what real technology transformation looks like after multiple cycles of change. Paiman shares how companies modernize legacy systems, move to cloud-native architectures, and introduce AI in practical stages - while reshaping how teams work, prioritizing experimentation over early efficiency, and keeping the focus on what customers actually care about: simplicity. The conversation also touches upon leadership, culture, and why authenticity continues to matter, even as technology evolves faster than ever. Tune in now.

L’Oréal has spent more than a century defining beauty, and today, it continues that evolution through technology. In this episode, Susannah Greenberg, Chief Information Officer, Americas, L’Oréal, joins Pari Natarajan, CEO of Zinnov, to discuss how AI, data, and digital platforms are deepening L’Oréal’s connection with consumers and reshaping how beauty is experienced.

From precise diagnostics and predictive skincare to AI-enhanced devices and digital try-ons, she breaks down how technology is personalizing beauty at an entirely new level. But the story goes far beyond products. Susannah shares how tools like L’Oréal GPT are transforming the way teams work, reducing repetitive tasks, accelerating problem-solving, and creating space for real creativity. She talks about talent, culture, and the energy inside L’Oréal: a place where new ideas constantly emerge and where creativity and technology meet every day.

This episode offers a clear, thoughtful look at how a global brand integrates human insight with intelligent technology not to replace people, but to amplify what they do best. Tune in now.

Proof of concepts were once the hallmark of innovation. Today, they are the bottleneck. The most successful technology partnerships are moving beyond pilots and into production, building together, scaling together, and differentiating together. 

In this episode of the Zinnov podcast, Jason McIntyre, VP, Consulting & SI Program - Scale Ecosystem, Databricks, joins Rajat Kohli, Partner at Zinnov, for an unfiltered conversation on the future of ecosystems in the age of data and AI. 

From the evolution of system integrators into solution creators to why co-development will define the next decade of alliances, Jason shares what it takes to build partnerships that go beyond enablement and marketing. He explains how differentiation, industry depth, and partner mentality can turn collaboration into a true competitive edge. 

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How do you measure software productivity in an AI-first world, and are we focusing on the right metrics?

In this episode of the Zinnov Podcast – Business Resilience Series, Pari Natarajan, CEO of Zinnov, speaks with Dr. Ranjit Tinaikar, CEO and Board Member of Ness Digital Engineering, to examine why traditional approaches to measuring productivity fall short in today’s AI-led engineering landscape.

The discussion explores the shift from absolute to relative metrics, the structural and behavioral barriers to change, and how AI is enabling organizations to reduce risk and modernize at scale, particularly across mid-market and PE-backed firms.

Tune in now for a timely perspective on rethinking productivity, measurement, and value creation in the age of AI.

What does it take to turn a company into a leadership factory — and a country into a product powerhouse?

In this premiere episode of Legends & Legacies, Zinnov’s President Sidhant Rastogi sits down with Ajai Chowdhry, Padma Bhushan awardee and HCL co-founder, to decode the DNA of enduring value creation in people, technology, and nations. From pioneering India’s electronics revolution to driving its semiconductor vision, Ajai shares timeless insights on leadership, aspiration, and nation-building.

He unpacks HCL’s early strategy of hiring for hunger, not just skills, revealing how entrepreneurial culture and structured sales training created a generation of industry leaders. In a candid diagnosis of India’s services sector, Ajai calls out the urgent need for reinvention, with consultative sales, product-led growth, and IP creation at the core. “India responds best in crisis,” he notes, framing AI disruption not as a threat, but a turning point.

Ajai’s advice is clear: Build with intent, lead with confidence, and aim for technology sovereignty - from semiconductors to software. Whether you’re scaling a start-up or steering a legacy firm, this episode offers a front-row seat to India’s tech evolution - and a masterclass in what it takes to shape the future. Tune in Now.

What does it really take to own the room, especially when it wasn’t designed for you?

We’re back with Season 2 of Woman in the Mirror, a Zinnov podcast series hosted by Nitika Goel, CMO at Zinnov. And we’re opening with a powerhouse: Rama Bijapurkar.

Rama is one of India’s most respected thinkers on business strategy, market behavior, and leadership. Author. Board member. Educator. Trailblazer. For decades, she’s shaped how companies, governments, and society make decisions — and in this episode, she lets us into the inner world behind that public power.

In this much-awaited conversation, Rama shares what it means to chart your course through boardrooms, biases, and life’s unexpected turns — especially for women in leadership. She doesn’t believe in destination thinking. She believes in navigation — in responding to what the moment demands, in evolving through instinct and serendipity. Or as she calls it, being from the navigational school of life.

She speaks candidly about building personal support systems, choosing courage over comfort, and staying true to yourself when it would be easier to blend in. It’s sharp. It’s stirring. And it’s filled with the kind of truth that lingers long after the episode ends.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong in the room, at the table, or in the story, let this episode be your reminder:

Plug in. Reflect. And maybe, rewrite your own script.