The Next Big Question

This time on The Next Big Question, Ellen Nielsen, CDO of Chevron, joins the podcast to talk about how enterprises can approach artificial intelligence. She discusses the challenges and opportunities for AI at an enterprise level and how change management and culture play a significant role. Ellen also talks about how to pivot your adoption strategy with a volatile, rapidly changing technology like AI.

In this episode of The Next Big Question podcast, SVP, Chief Information Security Officer at UL Solutions Angela Williams details how the board can deepen their expertise of enterprise security and risk. She shares insight into the latest SEC regulations, how security leaders can better educate the board about potential risks, and the questions the board should be asking to strive for cyber resiliency.

In this episode of The Next Big Question podcast, Chief Data Officer Kevin Bates of Fannie Mae leads a conversation about how enterprises can gain value from a cloud-based data ecosystem. He discusses the importance of a strong data foundation and the “personas” that should inform the priorities for enterprise leaders. He also touches on generative AI and machine learning and how they can fit into this model.

In the first episode of our 2023 podcast series, Chief Information & Transformation Officer Bernard Mikael of EY talks about integrating technology across the enterprise. He shares lessons learned from his experience in digital transformation and organizational change and how to best position organizations for innovation.

This time on The Next Big Question podcast, CISO Deborah Wheeler of Delta Air Lines leads a conversation about cybersecurity and how private industry can engage with government entities in the security space. She discusses the current threat landscape, the need for public-private collaboration, and the risks if these public-private conversations don't take place. She also shares her route into cybersecurity leadership and how to recruit more talent into the field. 

This week, Executive Vice President and Chief Data Officer Moin Haque of Warner Music Group joins us on The Next Big Question podcast to talk about how organizations can be empowered through data. Moin shares why it's important to expand your storytelling abilities beyond reports and dashboards and how to strive to make data so ingrained in the culture that it's “in the water” at your organization. He also discusses how to set up the foundational part of your data literacy journey for success and how to  “liberate the data” from systems and silos.

This time on The Next Big Question, Executive Director and Digital CIO Eddy Wagoner of JLL joins the podcast to talk about how C-level leaders and organizations can address sustainability and other global concerns. Wagoner shares examples of ways to collaborate across the C-suite on global issues and discusses why focusing on sustainability is necessary to grow, attract talent and remain competitive. As Wagoner explains, businesses are constantly trying to become better and faster and improve how they operate – and it's no different when it comes to sustainability initiatives.

Janice Deskus, CHRO of Staples, joins the podcast to discuss leading and influencing the business from her role in the C-suite. Listen as she shares how HR leaders bring a different perspective than anyone else in the room and how to earn – and keep – a seat at the decision-making table. Janice explains why HR leaders are “full-fledged” business leaders in all respects and how the future of C-suite leadership involves staying holistically informed and not limiting yourself to your functional role.

This time on The Next Big Question, Chief Cybersecurity Officer Kurt John of Siemens USA joins the podcast to discuss how to manage the noise in your organization's crowded technology ecosystem. Kurt explains how digitalization, speed to market, and a plethora of products are contributing to that noise and how to manage risk in this environment. 

On this episode of The Next Big Question, CIO Piyush Chowhan of Lulu International joins the podcast to discuss turning his passion for customer experience into value for the enterprise. Piyush shares how to break down the silos between technology and digital business strategy and the challenges in optimizing processes and workforce skills to meet the organization's digital needs. 

In this episode, Vice President of Data Amit Sethi of Momentive talks about the interaction between data strategy and the technology tools that empower it. Sethi talks about the history of analytics-related tech and how it's changed from a limiting factor to an accelerant. He also discusses how to execute a data strategy in this rapidly changing environment.

IT Leader Ross Ballendine of Calfrac Well Services joins the podcast this time to discuss the future of IT and its relationship to the business. Ross shares his views on the value of technology in business enablement, the expectations of speed and agility post-Covid, and how to create close alignment with the business.

On the podcast this week, Global CIO of Petcare at Mars Miao Song joins us to discuss the evolution of the CIO role. She shares her definition of the role, her thoughts on the ideal state of the role for the business, and the three areas CIOs should focus on today. Listen to her thoughts on how CIOs can drive digital transformation and serve as chief innovation officer.

This week, CIO Guy Mason of Bourne Leisure joins the podcast to share what private equity can teach us about creating a path to technology value. With his private equity experience, Mason discusses his approach to evaluating technology in the M&A process and what other businesses can learn about removing complexity to increase the speed of change. Learn why Mason says “the agile will survive” on The Next Big Question.

In this episode, we ask CIO Rob Zelinka of Jack Henry & Associates why change management is so hard for large organizations. We discuss change fatigue, the unrelenting pace of change, and how we are all working in technology-driven and data-driven organizations today. Rob shares how communication and transparency can help business leaders crack the change management code.

It may seem obvious to place people at the center of your business strategy, but getting it right requires a long-term commitment and a sustaining culture. Anne Marie Richard and James Dudek of UC Berkeley embraced this commitment as they undertook a long term IT transformation. In this episode, Anne Marie and James share a case study in bringing together loosely organized teams, navigating a staff reduction and maintaining a persistent focus on the humanity of their workforce. 

This week on the podcast, Vice President and CISO Meredith Harper of Lilly joins us to discuss creating and supporting diverse and inclusive teams and how to move the needle on the diversity dialogue. Meredith discusses her approach to fostering an environment that embraces a full range of unique perspectives -- from race and gender to diversity of experiences, education and training -- and what it takes for leaders to commit to a diverse workforce. 

On this episode, Corporate VP and Global CISO Marc Varner of YUM! Brands joins the podcast to talk about how security can keep up with innovation in a company. Marc discusses how security leaders can embrace risk and help facilitate innovation. Learn why he says it's important to run to the enterprise security risks, instead of being defensive, on The Next Big Question.

This week, Kelly Ann Doherty of Mr. Cooper joins us on The Next Big Question to discuss cultural transformation. As Chief People & Communications Officer of the mortgage company, Kelly Ann shares her experience in transforming the name, company values, communications, and culture. She shares her insights on why patience is crucial and what results they have realized as a result of their transformation. 

This week on The Next Big Question, we are joined by Tom South, Executive Vice President, and Chief Information Officer at Northern Trust. Tom shares insights on how organizations can generate trust through vulnerability, authenticity, and expertise. We discuss the challenges in creating meaningful digital experiences and interactions that reflect those qualities and how a financial services organization like his can innovate by offering hybrid experiences that are both personal and digital.

This time on The Next Big Question, we talk to data and analytics leader Dan Wulin, the head of data science and machine learning at Wayfair. Dan shares insights on how to increase the data velocity in organizations from the readiness of your data to the structure of your teams. We discuss how data, skill sets, and organizational readiness can impact the ability to move quickly and successfully implement machine learning models.

This time on The Next Big Question, we explore the impact of the digital revolution on corporate culture and what that means for HR Leaders. Joining us is Rebecca Sinclair, Chief People and Communications Officer at American Tire Distributors. Rebecca reflects on what culture means in an organization, shares a roadmap for changing culture in conjunction with digital transformation, and offers insights on reskilling employees to drive business outcomes.

This time on The Next Big Question, we speak with Matt Griffiths, vice president of data-driven transformation at Stanley Black & Decker. Griffiths discusses asking the right questions to ensure an outcome-driven approach to data. He shares insights on the four stages of analytics at his organization and the change management aspects of creating this outcome-based approach. 

This conversation on the Next Big Question features Jacqueline Welch, chief human resources officer and chief diversity officer at Freddie Mac. Jacqueline discusses the overlapping pandemics of a global health crisis and racial injustice. She reflects on what this moment has taught her about resilience and how organizations can embrace agility.

The Next Big Question this week features a conversation about leadership during times of crisis with Chief People Services Officer Mindy Geisser of Savers. The discussion explores the importance of prioritization, essential skills for developing managers, and why agility is crucial to thriving during a crisis.  

How can organizations adopt a more robust risk management approach to cybersecurity? That's what we explore in this episode with Ben Sapiro, Global CISO for Great-West Life. Ben's made an entire career out of evaluating risk, and he shares a framework for applying risk management principles to cybersecurity. He discusses the need for clear risk thresholds, strategies for communicating with the business in risk terms, and breaking away from old CISO perspectives. 

This week, we take a deep dive with Stephen Lavin, CTO of Redbox, to discuss consumer behavior and how Redbox is adapting their strategy to maintain a strong customer base. Listen as Stephen talks about consumer engagement, adaptive learning, and innovation from the perspective of a CTO.

In this episode, Drew and Liz discuss the concept and practice of Servant Leadership with Mike Zachman, CSO of Zebra. Mike shares how he develops his people and constantly works to sharpen his own leadership abilities.