Tech Whisperers: Inside the Playbooks of the Best Digital Leaders

With AI turning the traditional leadership playbook on its head, many leaders are finding themselves stuck in cycles of pilots, experimentation, and uncertainty. Marianne Johnson, EVP & Chief Product Officer at Cox Automotive, is one of the select few who are already creating real business impact, rewriting the playbook and redefining what’s possible in the process. In this episode of Tech Whisperers, we’re shining a light on Marianne’s enterprise leadership story, which involves orchestrating one of the largest business transformations in the industry, grounded in the conviction that AI starts and ends with people.Marianne shares how Cox Automotive moved from “data first, AI enabled” to “AI first, data differentiated,” and the corporate jet conversation that helped launch its agentic AI strategy two years ago. Among other things, she also opens up about surviving an F5 tornado as a baby, the grandmother who taught her that “everything is figure-out-able,” and the young man in Kenya whose life she helped change.Connect with Marianne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannemcpeakjohnson/Cox Automotive: https://www.coxautoinc.com/Tune in for insights from Marianne’s enterprise leadership playbook, including:Why the leadership job is shifting from being the best explorer to being the cartographerHer philosophy of “start with crazy and work backwards”How Cox Automotive moved from “data first, AI enabled” to “AI first, data differentiated”Why every business needs a “control plane” for agentic AIHow she builds relationships “all the way down” an organizationWhy leadership is a team sportBalancing high standards with high careFeaturing submitted questions from:Barry McCarthy, President & CEO, DeluxeChris Dillon, VP, Infrastructure & Operations Platforms, Cox Automotive Inc.Elaine Baker, EVP, Global Operations & Financial Protection, Global Payments Inc.Shawna Easley, Senior Director, Product Management, Cox Automotive Inc.Mitch Gersten, CIO, Cox Automotive Inc.Keith Ferrazzi, NYT Best-Selling Author, Founder of Ferrazzi Greenlight

Mindy Simon’s path from a Nebraska farm to her current role as Chief Operating Officer of Aon, where she helms a 22,000-person global operation, is anything but conventional—and that's exactly what makes her story so compelling. Mindy’s a great example of how embracing your roots can empower your future, and in this episode, we are shining a light on why she is the kind of transformational leader everyone wants on their team. We’re unpacking Mindy’s transformational leadership playbook, which is built around a people-first mindset, a sharp focus on measurable outcomes, and a rare calmness under pressure. We’ll also explore how she has successfully led in finance, IT, and operations across multiple industries; how she ties technology to business growth; and what it takes to truly deliver value in a fast-moving, data-rich world. Check out Mindy’s Investor Day talk (Jump to 02:17:25 in the video) Tune in for valuable learnings from Mindy’s career, including:Early startup lessons and transformation at ConAgraTying IT investments to measurable business outcomesHow Aon is embedding AI across the client journeyHow and why Mindy applies a people-first mindset to leadingWhy disrupting yourself is better than being disruptedFeaturing submitted questions from:Steve Zerby, Award-Winning CIO, Advisor, Guest for Episode 17Annie Baymiller, CIO, Owens Corning, Guest for Episode 17Greg Case, Chief Executive Officer, AonAndi Karaboutis, 4x Board Director, 3x CIO, Guest for Episode 68

In this episode of Tech Whisperers, we are joined by two experts who are shaping the future of AI in the enterprise, Dr. Lisa Palmer, CEO of Dr. Lisa AI, and Ashwin Rangan, CEO at DoubleCheck Solutions. Lisa and Ash are sharing a wealth of practical, actionable insights to help us uncover why AI initiatives stall out at the “messy middle” and what leaders can do to reignite progress and start generating real business value. Not only have both Lisa and Ashwin walked in the shoes of a CIO, they are also the authors of new books that will help you lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction in the AI era. Lisa’s book, Show AI, Don’t Tell It: Build Buy‑In with Visual Storytelling, releases on September 30 and is available now for preorder on her website. Ashwin’s book, Governance in the Age of Gen AI: A Director's Handbook on Gen AI, is available now on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble.Tune in as we dig deep on AI at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership, featuring Lisa’s and Ash’s insights on:The “Speed with Rigor” PrincipleThe power of Right-to-Left thinkingThe key to sustaining momentum with AIThe long-term metrics that matterThe most important questions boards and CEOs should be asking about AI investments

Our CI4CI miniseries continues with guest Katrina Redmond, EVP and CIO of Eaton Corporation. As the world hits a historic inflection point in infrastructure — driven by AI, electrification, and massive investments in data centers and energy — Katrina is playing a pivotal role, helping lead one of the most mission-critical companies into the future.Join us as we explore how Katrina is spearheading Eaton’s digital strategy in this era of rapid innovation, leading with bold strategy, operational excellence, and a refreshingly human approach. Tune in for valuable nuggets from Katrina’s leadership playbook, including:An exploration of her expanded CIO role and Eaton’s evolving AI capabilitiesHow to get results in an age of uncertainty driven by AI advancementsHer “Embrace the Red” philosophy Her leadership team’s “Festivus” culture-building practice Her approach to servant leadership and building a culture of internal mobilityThe power of peer-to-peer leadership and community-buildingFeaturing submitted questions from:Karenann Terrell, 4x CIO, Eaton Board Director, Tech Whisperers Guest - Episode 48Ashish Gupta, CIO of NextEra EnergyCaroline Eberle, Gartner BD ExecutiveAmy Brady, Head of Technology, Operations & Services, KeyBank, Tech Whisperers Guest - Episode 66Mark Macioce, VP & CIO, Masco Corporation, Chair of NEOhioCIOAlison Magyari, VP, Global IT Business, Relationship Management, Eaton

The lightning-fast rise of AI has come with a cost: the need to overhaul America’s power grids, pipelines, and water systems to accommodate its explosive growth. As trillions of dollars pour into this complete overhaul, there are key leaders paving the way. In a special mini-series focusing on “Critical Infrastructure for Critical Infrastructure (CI4CI),” we’re shining the light on a few of the extraordinary tech leaders who are architecting, securing, and scaling the systems that power our nation and economy. Joining us to kick off the series is Afshean Talasaz, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology & Data Officer at Colonial Pipeline Company. Afshean is a visionary and humble leader who tackles the complex and challenging problems others avoid while letting the results speak for themselves. From his perspectives on AI and tech innovation to his insights on problem-solving, communication, and vision, you are guaranteed to walk away with lessons that will help you level up your own Tech Whisperer playbook.Join us as we unpack Afshean’s playbook to learn:The importance of a tight CEO-CIO relationshipHow Afshean developed his ability to anticipate upcoming trendsHow investing in the artistic side of his brain has influenced Afshean’s leadershipHow to manage the risk that comes with high-stakes, visionary decision-makingHow to ensure that every project returns a financial value to the businessWhy digitization is vital to long-term successImportant considerations before layering AI on top of current business processesFeaturing submitted questions from:Bo Rogers, VP for Process Excellence & Strategic Projects at Colonial PipelineDavid Benham, Co-Founder and Chief Product & Technology Officer at ROAM AIJohn Dickson, CISO, Colonial PipelineBuck Wheaton, Director of IT Commercial Product Lines, ONEOK

Bhaskar Ramachandran is the powerhouse CIO behind PPG’s digital transformation. A master at driving culture change, building strong IT teams, and rallying everyone around the organization’s vision, he has a long track record of delivering real business results across industries. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Bhaskar in person at PMI Digital’s studio in Pittsburgh for a deep-dive into the many facets of his leadership playbook.In this episode, Bhaskar talks with Dan about his career journey and approach to his day-to-day role at PPG. He also unpacks a few of his leadership superpowers, including his ability to stay open and connected with his team members as much as possible while still maintaining progress toward his leadership goals.Tune in for Bhaskar’s insights on:How the digital IT strategy is formed and executed in relation to the overall company visionHis approach to driving culture change and adoptionHow to balance making time for your team with staying productive and on schedulePersonal responsibility for one’s career journeyHow to build a people-driven culture where IT is the engine fueling innovation, growth, and customer valueFeaturing submitted questions from:Martha Heller, Founder of Heller Search & The Heller ReportKim Mackenroth, VP & CIO, L3Harris TechnologiesGary Cantrell, 2x CIO & Former BossKevin Peer, IT Leader & Former Direct ReportLaura Harshberger, Global IT Director, PPGChris Cassotis, CEO, Pittsburgh International Airport, Fellow Board Director, S&T BankChris Caruso, Former CIO, PPG, Carnegie Mellon University Lecturer & Advisor