Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise , Patrick and Shelli welcome Jolie Fleming , Chief Product and Technology Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts , to discuss leading tech teams across a global, franchised hospitality ecosystem spanning 21 brands and nearly 7,000 hotels in 100+ countries. Jolie discusses her career journey, specifically what tools she brought and what challeng...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise , Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson are joined by Mike Maresca, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Ulta Beauty. Mike delves into his career journey, highlighting his progression from consulting to leading a major technological transformation at Ulta. He discusses the critical components of Project SOAR, a multi-year effort that al...

In this episode of Innovation and Digital Enterprise , Patrick and Shelli talk with Michael Ehlers, the new Chief Technology Officer at PlanSource. Mike outlines his leadership philosophy and career evolution, emphasizing that professional growth is rarely linear. He shares formative experiences at Hewitt and Xerox that taught him the importance of transparency during project setbacks, the value o...

In this special compilation episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise , Patrick Emmons highlights key insights on digital transformation from top tech leaders. Featuring perspectives from Andrei Girenkov, Christopher Paquette, Ann Yeung, Sandee Kastrul, Deepak Kaimal, Jeff Miller, Christina Garcia, Tanya Hannah, Dan Kirsche, Dom Scandinaro, Subramanian Kunchithapatham, and Gene Kim. The epi...

In this episode of Innovation and Digital Enterprise , Patrick and Shelli interview Adan Pope, Senior Vice President of Engineering, Applications, and AI at The Aspen Group. Adan shares insights from his career in engineering and technology leadership, from his roles in public safety, telecommunications, and healthcare. He also discusses his books, “Respect the Weeds” and “Intentional Tensions”, w...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson welcome Sean McCormack, Chief Innovation Officer at First Student. They discuss his career that spans military intelligence, startups, global enterprises, and now tech-focused leadership in student transportation. Sean shares his unexpected entry into technology through the development of early online langua...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise , Patrick and Shelli chat with Steve Gall, CTO of M1 Finance, a personal finance platform. Steve talks about his journey helping scale M1 from a few engineers to a platform managing over $10 billion in client assets. Steve shares insights about the ways that he and M1 have managed risk, navigated compliance in this highly regulated industry,...

In this episode, Patrick and Shelli chat with Bill Himmelstein, founder and CEO of the Tenant Advisory Group, a tenant-focused commercial real estate brokerage in Chicago. Bill shares his journey from the early influence of his real estate investor father, to his accidental but fortuitous entry into the world of commercial real estate, including his initial struggles and eventual success.  Em...

In this episode Patrick and Shelli welcome Michael Pozzi, a tech leader with an expansive career across engineering, computer science, and finance. Currently, Michael is Senior Vice President of Technology Infrastructure at Ryan Specialty. We discuss Michael's leadership style, a philosophy characterized by humility and a team-centric approach. He shares his experiences of leading through uncertai...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick and Shelli talk to Jeff Miller, Vice President of Engineering at LinenMaster. Jeff discusses his journey in the tech industry and his role at LinenMaster, a leading laundry management solutions provider. He delves into his previous roles at various prominent Chicago technology companies focusing on his work to modernize platforms an...

In this episode Patrick and Shelli talk with Firasat Hussain, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at SnapCare. Firasat shares his 25-year journey through various technology leadership roles at companies like Ticketmaster, Orbitz, and RR Donnelley, emphasizing the significance of thoughtful leadership and iterative innovation. He describes his transition to SnapCare, where he is leading the in...

In this compilation episode, we look back on wisdom from renowned tech executives about how to build and foster great teams. Featuring insights from Fred Lee, Dan Kirsche, Jorie Sax, Steve Caudill, Christina Garcia, and Dom Scandinaro, who share their perspectives on the importance of diverse and well-structured teams. Key topics include team composition, sharing knowledge, effective scaling, fost...

At the start of last year, we had a really inspiring conversation with Chris Brown and are excited to reshare it this year, in our “Best Of” series. Originally published 01/25/24. An exceptional company culture builds when steadfast employee commitment meets deep trust by customers. Chris Brown encountered this when he joined Relativity as Chief Product Officer in 2018. Chris joined the team in th...

In this episode, we look back on invaluable leadership insights shared by renowned executives across the technology industry. Featuring wisdom from Christine Sandman Stone, Arne Saupe, Jorie Sax, Thulasi Kethini, and Tony Newcome, the discussion delves into the distinct skill sets required for leadership, the importance of fostering a culture of innovation, and the critical need for supportive and...

Today, Patrick and Shelli are joined by Toner Babovac, the Technology Managing Director and Senior Location Executive at IBM. In our chat, Toner delves into his long career at IBM and how building trust has allowed him to drive innovation while coordinating a large team. He highlights the role of effective communication, in particular the importance of video calls and in-person meetings for foster...

In today’s episode Patrick and Shelli welcome Jay Topper, Chief Customer Officer at Fabric, to discuss his extensive career, leadership practices, and retail trends in 2025. In our wide-ranging discussion, Jay emphasizes the importance of curiosity, self-awareness, and a 'hero culture' within organizations to foster quick and effective change. As an advocate for rapid execution and overcoming comp...

In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Patrick Emmons and Shelli Nelson chat with Ben Rogers, the President of TydenBrooks, a global leader in the manufacture of tamper evident safety and security seals. Ben has had a notable career at Madison Industries, primarily focusing on growth and strategic acquisitions. Ben unpacks his roles, specifically discussing his customer focused...

In this episode of Innovation and Digital Enterprise, we sit down with Michael Lambert, Chief Innovation Officer at Wintrust Financial. Michael discusses his role in driving innovation and technological advancements within Wintrust, focusing on the significant growth and transformation he has witnessed during his tenure. We chat about strategies for leveraging data to make informed decisions, and...

In this episode of the Innovation and the Digital Enterprise, Shelli and Patrick chat about industry advancements and leadership with Deepak Kaimal, Chief Technology Officer at COMPLY. He was previously CTO at Exostar, and held that role when this episode was recorded. Exostar, founded in 2000 by industry leaders like Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin, provides secure collaboration and risk ma...

Today we talk with Jeff Miller, Chief Product Officer at Coates Group, about his extensive experience in retail and restaurant technology, emphasizing the role of digital transformation in enhancing customer and employee experiences across Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs). We explore the integration of digital and in-store experiences, the significance of mobile ordering and loyalty programs, alon...

On today’s show, we chat with Kal Walkden, the Vice President of Product Engineering at Double Good . Double Good’s virtual fundraising app connects teams with their supporters to help athletes, coaches, and students raise funds through popcorn sales. Focusing on seamless ease-of-use for both the fundraisers and their supporters, Double Good turns online snack sales into “uniforms, safety pads, cl...

“It’s marketing through people instead of at them,” says Emily Steele, CEO and Co-founder of Hummingbirds. In this episode of Innovation and the Digital Enterprise we talk with Emily about how Hummingbirds is leveraging hyperlocal content creators to drive brand awareness and sales. Emily shares her journey from running a local marketing agency to founding Hummingbirds, emphasizing the power of wo...

Wouldn’t it be great if your boss had a user guide for achieving success under their leadership? Ann Yeung’s team at GEICO , where she serves as the Vice President of Engineering, Head of Enterprise Engineering, received one. In her “user guide,” Ann shares her expectations, values, and tools for successful collaboration that go well beyond pet peeves to establish communicative, empowered teams.&n...

Does the “I don’t know how we’re gonna do this?” feeling ever fade? In large-scale transformation, Megan Williams, VP of Global Technology Strategy and Transformation at TransUnion , doesn’t think so. Leading global, multi-year transformation programs continues to prompt the major questions: What is our vision? What is the approach? With over 20 years of experience, the initial intimidation remain...

Out of approximately 5,000 lending institutions nationwide, Srikanth Geedipalli and the team at Experian have developed relationships with 3,000 of them, and the list continues to grow. As Senior Vice President of AI Product Management and Commercialization, Srikanth is spearheading the productization and democratization of data.  In this episode, Srikanth explains how he promotes innovation...