Next In Line

 In this episode of Next in Line , Karina Jimenez sits down with Sean Maraj, Chief Marketing Officer and technology-driven business leader, for a conversation on the changing world of marketing, AI, leadership, and career growth. Sean shares how his nontraditional path took him from engineering and IT into sales, marketing, executive leadership, and AI strategy. He breaks down why modern marketing...

In Episode 73 of Next In Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Darryl Maraj, Chief Strategy Officer at Workato, for a powerful conversation about technology leadership, business strategy, AI adoption and the importance of bringing people along through transformation. Darryl shares his journey from studying marketing and finance to building a career in technology, leading global technology initiatives...

In this episode of Next In Line , Cesar Jimenez sits down with Robyn Doughtie , an award-winning CIO and technology leader responsible for supporting a complex government organization serving nearly one million residents. Robyn shares her journey from growing up in a small Oklahoma town and discovering an early interest in computers to beginning her career as a junior programmer and eventually bec...

Episode 71 of Next In Line features Suman Nallapati , Chief Artificial Intelligence and Information Officer for the City and County of Denver. Sumana shares her journey from nuclear physics and ERP programming to becoming one of the leading voices in public sector technology and AI. She and Cesar dive into what responsible AI adoption really looks like, why data and governance matter, how Denver i...

In this episode of Next In Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Roderick Harris, a Senior Director with more than 20 years of experience leading IT transformation and helping complex healthcare organizations move from strategy to execution. Roderick shares his journey from hands-on technology work to project management, governance, change leadership, and enterprise transformation. The conversation e...

In Episode 69 of Next in Line, Cesar sits down with Gary Flowers for a powerful conversation around leadership, workforce development, AI transformation, mentorship, and what it truly means to pay it forward. Gary shares his journey from management consulting and multiple CIO roles to becoming the CIO of Transformation and Technology Services at Year Up United, where he now helps create career opp...

In Episode 68 of Next in Line, Karina Jimenez sits down with Alison Richmond, Chief Marketing Officer at Medix, for a powerful conversation around AI, modern marketing leadership, organizational design, team culture, and the future of work. With over 24 years of experience across PR, product marketing, growth strategy, staffing, and digital transformation, Alison shares her perspective on what org...

In Episode 67 of Next in Line, Cesar sits down with Max Just for a powerful conversation about global leadership, AI transformation, career reinvention, resilience, and adapting through constant change. Originally from Argentina, Max shares his journey from mechanical engineering at Ford Motor Company to working across Malaysia, China, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. He has built a glob...

In Episode 66 of Next in Line, Karina sits down with Alexandra Ungureanu for a thoughtful conversation around leadership, intentional career growth, workplace culture, communication, and navigating modern careers in tech. Alex shares her journey from digital advertising and agency work into leadership and strategy roles, breaking down how curiosity, asking better questions, and embracing uncertain...

In Episode 65 of Next in Line, Cesar sits down with Sapana Patel, CIO of Spirit Airlines, for a deep conversation on leadership, resilience, AI adoption, innovation, and what it really takes to lead technology teams inside one of the world’s fastest moving industries. Sapana shares her journey from studying aeronautical engineering at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University to becoming a CIO, along w...

In Episode 64 of Next in Line, Karina sits down with Jim Real, former VP of Global Creative at Disney Yellow Shoes, for an incredible conversation around storytelling, leadership, mentorship, creativity, and the human emotions that connect people across cultures. Jim shares his journey from growing up in San Diego surrounded by creativity and production, to working at major advertising agencies, e...

In Episode 63 of Next in Line, Cesar sits down with Kelvin Llaverias, CIO at Tabacalera USA, for a deep conversation on leadership, intentional career growth, ERP modernization, AI readiness, and what it truly takes to earn a seat at the executive table. Kelvin shares his 30 year journey through IT, starting with data entry and software development in the Dominican Republic before moving back to t...

Julia Rosen, SVP of IT at the Medical Group Management Association, shares her journey from Epic Systems to leading large-scale healthcare transformation. In this episode, Julia breaks down what it really takes to step into executive leadership, from overcoming imposter syndrome to building high-performing teams and making tough decisions that shape organizations. She dives deep into workforce tra...

In Episode 61 of Next In Line, we sit down with Ernesto Boada, Chief Information Officer at CPI Card Group, whose journey into leadership is anything but traditional. From growing up in Colombia to moving to the U.S. with just two suitcases, Ernesto shares how persistence, curiosity, and a no fear mindset helped him break into tech and build a career that led to the C-suite. We talk through his ea...

In Episode 60 of Next in Line, Karina sits down with Andrea Palten, a seasoned marketer with 25+ years of experience spanning startups, enterprise, and solopreneurship. From working her way up to CMO to now running her own consulting business, Andrea shares what she’s learned about building sustainable marketing systems in a rapidly evolving, AI-driven world. They dive into how marketing is shifti...

Corey Krueger joins Cesar Jimenez to share his journey from early career roles in marketing and customer service to becoming Vice President at WCL Group. He reflects on joining the family business, navigating the pressure that comes with earning your place, and helping grow the company through one of the most uncertain periods in recent memory. Corey shares how a business development plan he built...

In Episode 58 of Next In Line, Karina shares key takeaways from her conversation with global CTO Kevin Norris. From why leaders don’t need to know everything, to focusing on problems before technology, to mastering communication over technical skills—this episode highlights the mindset shifts that define great leadership in IT and beyond.

In Episode 57 of Next in Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Matt Mehlbrech, CIO and leader within the Inspire community, to unpack his journey from starting as an intern at Eaton to becoming a multi-time CIO leading major organizational turnarounds. Matt’s career is a masterclass in growth through discomfort, raising your hand for hard opportunities, and building real business acumen—not just tech...

In Episode 56 of Next in Line, Karina Jimenez sits down with Amy Ingram, Co-Founder of Query, an AI data analytics platform built to make data accessible for everyone. Amy’s journey is anything but traditional. From growing up in a nonprofit-focused family and building communities to becoming a co-founder in the AI space, she shares how curiosity, resilience, and authenticity helped her break into...

In Episode 55 of Next in Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Mark Moch, Chief Information Officer at American Oncology Network, to unpack one of the most powerful journeys we’ve had on the show. From arriving in the U.S. without speaking English to working maintenance jobs, Mark shares how he climbed from the service desk to CIO—now helping lead a $3B healthcare organization across 100+ locations....

In Episode 54 of Next in Line, Karina Jimenez sits down with Carrie McDowell, a contingent workforce leader at Lyft, to break down what it really takes to build and run successful workforce programs in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. Carrie shares her unconventional journey from retail and recruiting into leading workforce strategy, and dives into the disconnect between staffing partners, MSPs...

In Episode 54 of Next in Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Andrew Abrams, Vice President and Executive Producer of Entertainment and Production for the Vegas Golden Knights, to talk about career growth, networking, and what it really takes to break into professional sports. Andrew shares his journey from growing up in Western New York experimenting with a VHS camera to leading the full in arena e...

In this episode of Next In Line , Cesar sits down with Robert Sullivan, CIO and CISO at Agero and the 2025 National CISO of the Year recipient from the Orbie Awards. Robert shares his unconventional path into technology leadership, starting in banking and operations before transitioning into telecom, software, and ultimately executive cybersecurity leadership. His journey highlights how many techn...

In this episode of the Next In Line Podcast, Karina sits down with Lars Silberbauer , global marketing leader, former CMO at HMD, and current advisor at Goldman Sachs. Lars shares lessons from a career that has taken him across the world working with iconic brands like LEGO, MTV, and the Olympic Committee, while also building companies of his own. Lars dives into how marketing leaders must adapt t...

In this episode of Next In Line , Cesar sits down with Maria O’Neill , a longtime technology executive and 20-year CIO, to talk about the mindset, resilience, and leadership principles that shaped her journey from computer programmer to global technology leader. Maria shares how growing up as the youngest of seven in a Mexican immigrant family helped fuel her drive, why she has always been drawn t...