Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
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Twice-weekly conversations with top executives and thought leaders at the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Each episode of Technovation explores the technology trends that are transforming business, and the leaders driving digital change inside their organizations. Produced by Metis Strategy and hosted by firm President Peter High, Technovation is the premier podcast for IT and technology professionals with the largest collection of interviews with elite CIOs, CTOs, and CDOs.
834 Episodes
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1019: What does it take to build a high-performing IT organization from scratch while navigating a carve-out, preparing for IPO, and pivoting into acquisition?
In this episode of Technovation, Kirk Ball, Chief Information Officer at Worldpay, shares his 15-month journey leading digital transformation, tech modernization, and cultural reinvention at a global payments company doing business in 135+ countries.
Ball reflects on the leadership decisions, cloud strategies, and AI integration efforts that helped stand up a scalable, resilient tech function, even as plans shifted from IPO to M&A.
4: Former Cisco CEO John Chambers returns to discuss why AI is scaling faster than any tech wave before it, including the internet. Now the CEO of JC2 Ventures, Chambers shares lessons from advising 24 AI-native startups and offers a strategic lens on how leaders, companies, and countries can win or be left behind.
1018: How is Experian transforming from a data company into a technology-first innovator?
In this episode, Kathleen Peters, Chief Innovation Officer at Experian, joins Peter High to reveal how her team is scaling Generative AI, agentic AI, and behavioral analytics to fight fraud, streamline decisioning, and make advanced modeling accessible to everyone.
Kathleen shares how Experian’s global Innovation Labs evolved from blue-sky R&D to delivering real-world impact, from the Experian Assistant, a natural-language AI that can build models in minutes, to cutting-edge behavioral analytics that distinguish humans, bots, and AI agents in real time.
1017: As Senior Vice President for Enterprise Business & Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer at Lockheed Martin, Maria Demaree is leading one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies through a sweeping digital and cultural transformation.
In this episode of Technovation with Peter High, Maria shares how Lockheed Martin’s 1LMX program is uniting more than 122,000 employees worldwide under a mission-driven approach to digital enablement, process modernization, and cultural cohesion. She explains how her dual background in business leadership and IT shapes her strategy, the power of connecting global factories through data, and the role of AI and quantum computing in accelerating delivery for national security customers.
1016: The AI workforce won’t replace humans—but it will reshape how work gets done. On this episode of Technovation with Peter High, Salesforce EVP & CDO Joe Inzerillo joins to explore the rise of agentic AI and how it’s transforming work, from org structure to customer engagement. Joe draws on lessons from Disney, SiriusXM, and now Salesforce to unpack the “Customer Zero” model, how digital labor changes work design, and why empathy is the superpower for AI leadership.
1015: "No one cares about AI if the Wi-Fi doesn't work." As CIO of the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Kelly Fletcher leads a global team delivering secure, resilient, and modern technology across 190 countries.
In this episode of Technovation with Peter High, Dr. Kelly Fletcher, Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Department of State, shares how she leads technology strategy for 100,000 users across 190 countries. Kelly discusses her dual mandate of operational excellence and cybersecurity, including the department’s rapid response to the 2023 Microsoft hack. She also explains how AI is reducing “toil” for diplomats, the rollout of StateChat and DocuChat, and the transformative potential of low-earth orbit satellite communications for global connectivity. With past leadership roles at the Department of Defense and the Navy, Kelly reflects on cultural differences across agencies, her philosophy on experimentation, and the future of cloud and cross-government collaboration.
3: Marina Levinson shares her journey from CIO to venture investor to startup advisor, revealing the skills, relationships, and mindset shifts needed to thrive across roles, how her experience as a tech buyer sharpened her investment approach, how she built bridges between enterprise executives and startups, and highlights such as how CIOs can play a bigger role in innovation ecosystems, why BGV invests in vertical AI rather than infrastructure, lessons from AiDASH, COVU, and Interactly.ai, what makes a solution “must-have” vs. “nice-to-have”, and advice for executives pursuing public or private board roles.
1014: “The speed is so incredible. I can't tell if I'm getting older and I'm slower, or if just the speed of this technology is so exponentially faster.” As CIO of Analog Devices, Nancy Avila leads digital transformation for a $9.5B semiconductor company at the forefront of AI innovation.
In this episode of Technovation with Peter High, Nancy Avila, Chief Information Officer of Analog Devices, shares how she returned from retirement to lead IT, data, and AI strategy at a company powering intelligent edge technologies. Nancy outlines her three-pillar strategy of operational excellence, process optimization, and innovation highlighting the company’s shift toward enterprise-wide adoption of agentic AI. She details how AI agents are boosting engineering productivity, improving anomaly detection in manufacturing, and transforming internal knowledge access. Nancy also discusses her approach to transparent decision-making in AI and cloud spend, how CIOs can shape business strategy in technical organizations, and her experience serving on public boards.
1013: Wyndham’s Scott Strickland on AI, loyalty, and how digital innovation is reshaping hospitality.
In this episode of Technovation, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Chief Commercial Officer and longtime CIO Scott Strickland joins Peter High to share how Wyndham is redefining hospitality with digital innovation, from its owner-first philosophy and the new Wyndham Gateway loyalty initiative to the creation of a guest engagement platform that powers mobile check-in, digital tipping, and personalized upsells; Strickland also discusses Wyndham’s $350M technology modernization journey, how it prepared the company for AI adoption, the role of data and personalization in shaping future guest experiences, the impact of user-generated content and micro-influencers, and practical leadership lessons for CIOs aiming to expand into broader commercial roles, proving that in hospitality, where there’s a Wyndham, there’s a way.
1012: Sokwoo Rhee, EVP of Innovation at LG Electronics and Head of LG NOVA, reveals how LG is rethinking corporate innovation through ecosystem-led venture building. In this episode we explore LG NOVA’s venture into healthcare, energy optimization, and AI innovation, including Primefocus Health and PADO, plus how public-private partnerships (like with West Virginia) power new business creation. Learn why LG is focused on vertical AI use cases, how they identify 5-10 year opportunities, and what it takes to build cross-sector teams for impact.
1011: Build with AI. Lead with people.
In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Jennifer Charters, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Lincoln Financial. Jennifer shares how she’s shaping the future of IT and innovation at the $18.5B insurer by investing in AI while doubling down on what makes transformation succeed: people.
She discusses Lincoln’s evolving enterprise AI strategy, why a model-agnostic approach matters, and how her team is redesigning workflows and talent models in parallel. From regulatory complexity to the rise of AI agents, Jennifer emphasizes the need to prepare rather than predict the future, and to keep human connection at the center of it.
Key topics include:
A 401(k)-style framework for IT budgeting and innovation
How Lincoln’s model-agnostic AI architecture supports agility
AI use cases in development, cybersecurity, and customer experience
Partnering with HR to future-proof skills and change readiness
2: What if every human had an army of agents working for them?
Aaref Hilaly, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures and veteran investor in AI-native startups, joins Peter High to discuss the transformative potential of agentic AI, the mindset he looks for in founders, and how legal, healthcare, and education sectors are poised for disruption.
Key highlights from the conversation:
How AI is reshaping venture investment strategy
The role of agents in redefining work and productivity
Why legal and healthcare are prime for automation
Lessons from Hilaly’s time as a founder
Emerging trends like vibe coding and invisible apps
1010: Simplify to accelerate.
In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Richard Jardim, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). Richard shares how his team is modernizing one of North America's leading banks by focusing on technology simplification, speed, and agility in service of building a relationship-oriented bank for a modern world.
He details CIBC’s transformation journey, from migrating core platforms to the cloud and leveraging proprietary online banking infrastructure, to developing digital talent, integrating AI, and preparing for quantum computing. Richard also reflects on the importance of curiosity, communication, and adaptive leadership in today’s fast-moving tech environment.
Key topics include:
How CIBC simplifies its 1,200+ app footprint to increase agility
The bank’s strategy for scaling internal IP and AI skills
Bridging business and technology through vertical CIO alignment
Quantum computing as both risk and opportunity in financial services
1008: Ukraine's Digital Revolution: From Warzone to Innovation Hub
In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on Innovation, Digitalization, and Global Partnerships. Previously Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Valeriya played a pivotal role in launching Ukraine’s groundbreaking Diia ecosystem and driving the nation's goal of becoming the world’s most convenient digital state.
She shares how digital public services, AI-driven education, and defense-tech innovation are reshaping Ukraine’s future, even in the face of war. With partnerships spanning global governments and tech giants, Valeriya offers a masterclass in crisis-driven transformation, digital infrastructure, and building agile government at scale.
Key insights include:
The evolution of Diia: from IDPs to e-marriage to war bonds
Scaling drone production from 7 to 500+ in three years
Ukraine’s “Win-Win” Innovation Strategy and defense tech surge
The rise of the CDTO and building a digital-first public sector
1008: Resilience is earned, not given. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Rusty Patel, Chief Information Officer at Baxter, about leading IT through one of the most consequential 13-month periods in the company’s history. Rusty reflects on Baxter’s mission to save and sustain lives, the resilience required to restore operations after natural disasters, and the CIO's role in both enabling innovation and enforcing enterprise discipline. He shares insights into simplifying a complex IT ecosystem, building financial acumen across the org, and advancing connected care and AI across Baxter’s portfolio of 1.5 million devices and 350 million patients served annually.
Key topics include:
How Baxter IT responded to floods and cyber incidents without a playbook
Rationalizing thousands of systems to reduce IT cost-to-serve
Creating segment-aligned tech leadership and shared services
Applying AI to connected care and enterprise transformation
1007: Can AI transform a 200-year-old commercial real estate company?
In this episode, Peter High speaks with Yao Morin, Chief Technology Officer of JLL, a $24B global commercial real estate leader. Yao shares how she is leading JLL’s AI and data transformation which is reshaping how buildings are operated, how software is developed, and how employees work.
Yao details how JLL is building customer-facing AI products like the JLL Property Assistant, driving cultural change through AI literacy programs, and launching internal tools like JLL GPT that already see 17,000 daily users. She also explains why she believes Scrum teams will shrink, engineers will code less, and AI adoption will soon be table stakes across industries.
Key topics include:
AI strategy across internal and external JLL platforms
The APEX program for AI-driven software engineering
Metrics for measuring AI impact beyond efficiency gains
Ethical AI design, data privacy, and client trust
1: Where is software value heading in the age of AI?
In the premiere episode of Technoventure, host Peter High speaks with Asheem Chandna, General Partner at Greylock Partners, one of Silicon Valley’s most storied venture firms. Asheem has led early investments in industry-defining companies such as Palo Alto Networks, AppDynamics, Rubrik, and Abnormal Security.
With over 20 years at Greylock and a background in product management and cybersecurity, Asheem offers a masterclass on how he assesses founders, identifies breakout potential, and mitigates risk—often before a single line of code is written. He also explores the evolving dynamics of enterprise software, the impact of agentic AI, and how cybersecurity must adapt to combat both bad and good AI.
Key themes include:
Assessing founders in a world of younger AI entrepreneurs
The changing nature of enterprise software and data platforms
The immigrant’s mindset and risk tolerance in venture
The venture capitalist’s evolving toolkit in the AI era
1006: Apple’s success in China is more complicated—and consequential—than most realize.
In this episode, Peter High speaks with Financial Times journalist and author Patrick McGee, who covered Apple for years and recently published Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company. Patrick’s reporting reveals how Apple became deeply intertwined with China’s manufacturing and political landscape, why the company’s investment strategy mirrors the scale of the Marshall Plan, and what it means for America’s technological and geopolitical future.
Patrick explains how Apple trained tens of millions of Chinese workers, enabled critical industrial know-how, and inadvertently supported the rise of China’s tech and military capabilities. He also discusses the internal tensions between product design and supply chain mastery, Tim Cook’s evolution as a CEO, and the risks of Apple’s continued dependence on a single nation for its most critical operations.
Key insights include:
The little-known “Gang of Eight” and Apple’s in-China-for-China strategy
Why Apple’s $275B China deal dwarfs U.S. tech investments like the CHIPS Act
How Apple’s success helped catalyze Huawei’s resurgence and HarmonyOS
The supply chain realities that make shifting manufacturing nearly impossible
1005: "Great innovations are painkillers, not vitamins."
In this episode, Peter High speaks with Shez Partovi, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer and Chief Business Leader of Enterprise Informatics at Royal Philips, a €18B global health technology leader. Shez shares how Philips is building people- and patient-centric innovation by partnering with healthcare providers, co-creating solutions, and scaling software and AI-driven insights to meet the growing demands of modern care delivery.
A former AWS health exec and practicing neuroradiologist, Shez offers a unique lens on the convergence of tech and clinical practice. He outlines how Philips’ software-first strategy is accelerating productivity, reducing clinician burnout, and expanding access to care while also navigating AI trust gaps and reshaping internal engineering practices.
Key themes include:
The strategy behind Philips’ health tech transformation
AI’s role in automation, augmentation, and agility in care delivery
Co-creation with health systems to drive scalable impact
Philips’ dual-speed innovation model (80% business-led, 20% moonshots)
1004: How can AI, digitization, and data create smarter, healthier, and more sustainable buildings?
In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Vijay Sankaran, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Johnson Controls, a global leader in smart building technologies. Vijay shares how he’s leading enterprise-wide digital transformation across a $23B company while scaling platforms like OpenBlue to optimize energy, equipment, and workplace performance.
He unpacks how traditional machine learning, generative AI, and agentic workflows are converging to deliver predictive insights, autonomous actions, and tailored digital experiences. Vijay also reflects on trends in hybrid work, his journey to board membership at Veralto, and why quantum computing is on his innovation radar.
Key topics include:
AI-driven optimization of HVAC, energy use, and building health
OpenBlue’s role in unifying smart building systems
Applying generative and agentic AI to customer and employee experiences
Trends in workplace utilization and digital transformation at scale
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