Inspired Execution

Chet Kapoor sits down with Jerzy Biernacki (Chief AI Officer at Miquido) to explore the fears and hesitations companies face regarding AI adoption, including concerns about job displacement and ethical implications. They discuss the crucial need for transparency and security in AI implementation, offering actionable insights for overcoming these challenges.

In this episode, Stephen DeAngelis delves into how AI's role as a net job creator can revitalize the middle class. He also explores how systems of intelligence, which optimize business processes, will drive new job opportunities and economic growth. Discover insights on AI’s impact on employment and the future of work.

Deploying AI models without proper governance can expose organizations to significant business risks, from financial losses to reputational damage. ModelOp CTO Jim Olsen introduces the concept of "minimum viable governance" and shares two concrete steps for enterprises to get started on their AI governance journey. From creating an AI inventory to establishing monitoring baselines, learn how to lay the foundation for responsible and effective AI deployment within your organization.

As AI continues to evolve, standalone models may give way to integrated data products with built-in AI capabilities. Yuri Gubin, CIO at DataArt, shares his predictions for the future of AI and how it will become increasingly intertwined with data platforms. Learn about the role of open-source implementations and the emerging expectations for mature data products in the AI-driven future.

In this episode, CTO Allan Leinwand of Webflow explores how GenAI is transforming code writing, accelerating innovation, and powering new products. He envisions a shift away from the current "Franken-platform" approach, where developers piece together various APIs, towards cohesive platforms that solve solutions holistically. Tune in to discover his insights on the future of web development.

Alex Mashrabov shares how his parents inspired his journey as an entrepreneur and how the challenges he faced while working at Snap led him to start his current company, Higgsfield AI. Tune in to learn how Higgsfield is democratizing social media content creation using generative AI, two ways to address ethical concerns around video AI, and the potential impact of AI on humanity's future.

Armon Dadgar "I love regulation. I think it's great. And people are like, what? Why would you say that? And the reason why I say that is because I think it puts a floor underneath all of us of what do we think good looks like?" "That focus on value, I feel like is going to be a really productive force that brings that together. And since ultimately that value has to take a lot of different shapes, be they proprietary, open source, I think that's going to be a big benefit for the open source movement as well." Chet Kapoor "I think part of this misconception showed up in the survey that you guys recently did. And you wrote this article in TDWI expanding on that survey. It was for 300 enterprise board members across four countries. So very representative and asking them how they feel." "I think we need to, as a community, focus on meeting them where they are if we really want the democratization that is promised. Yeah, I don't know any other way to do it."

In this thought-provoking episode, Akkio Founder Jon Reilly shares his bold prediction for the future of work, stating that generative AI could lead to a 2x efficiency gain across nearly every job and industry within the next three years. Learn how AI-powered tools will help surface critical information and assist in decision-making, ultimately transforming the way we work.

Join us in this insightful episode as Prasad from Freshworks shares strategies for navigating GenAI implementation with a focus on customer outcomes. From decoding the nuances of reskilling vs. retooling to unraveling the complexities of AI governance, we explore the roadmap to AI adoption. You'll get actionable insights on future trends, developer productivity enhancements, and more.

Dmitry Shapiro, CEO of MindStudio, shares his story from being born in Russia and coming to the U.S. at nine years old to finding passion in coding and eventually leading teams at Myspace and Google. Dmitry and Chet discuss how generative AI is radically transforming software development and enabling users to be their own app developers, plus the biggest challenge we'll face as an AI-powered society.

Join us in this episode as we delve into the dynamic world of customer service automation with Raghu Ravinutala, co-founder of Yellow.ai. From developing chips for Nokia to co-founding a company aimed at transforming how customers interact with brands, Raghu shares insights from years of experience in tech. Discover how Yellow.ai navigates the complexities of bringing AI-powered customer support solutions to production, uncovering the magic moments and challenges along the way. Raghu also offers compelling predictions for the future of AI, shedding light on what lies ahead for this transformative technology.

In this episode, Mel Torrie, founder of Autonomous Solutions Inc., discusses his journey from a fascination with robotics to pioneering solutions for industries like farming, construction, and mining. Mel highlights the urgent need for autonomous solutions driven by labor shortages and shares insights into the challenges of deploying AI in safety-critical applications. He also reflects on the qualities of effective leadership, specifically humility and collaboration. Tune in to learn about the future of autonomy and industry optimization.

On today’s episode, serial entrepreneur Diego Oppenheimer shares his unique perspective on AI through the lens of his diverse career experiences. Starting as a mechanical engineer, Diego describes the pivotal moment he decided to shift his focus to data and analytics. After 5+ years shipping multi-billion dollar products at Microsoft, he went on to found and lead MLOps company Algorithmia through its eventual acquisition by DataRobot. Diego’s current company, Guardrails AI, is focused on safely aligning ML models with business goals. He is also a Partner at Factory, a venture fund specializing in AI investments. Chet and Diego explore the evolving landscape of AI, the importance of experimentation and guardrails, and how foundational models are revolutionizing human-computer interactions. They also touch on how investors are thinking about AI and the one thing Diego is most looking forward to in the next year.Connect with Diego: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doppenheimer/ https://twitter.com/doppenhe https://github.com/doppenhe Guardrails AI: https://www.guardrailsai.com/ Factory VC:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/factoryhq/

Inspired Execution host Chet Kapoor recaps Season 5 with six key takeaways for listeners

Cindy Stoddard is the SVP and CIO at Adobe. She has held leadership positions at companies like Safeway and NetApp. With decades of technical expertise, business savvy, and an inclusive people-centric approach, Cindy is a triple threat in the industry. We discuss the importance of empowering people, how to use AI as a co-pilot at work, and what it means to operate like a cloud company.

Jeroen Tas paved the way in internet banking at Citi, co-founded a leading IT company, and spent more than a decade at Philips driving impact in healthcare. These days, in addition to being a board member and advisor to multiple companies, Jeroen is an avid surfer. He joins the podcast for a fun discussion about innovating with purpose, how AI will impact healthcare, and so much more.

Jennifer Smith is CEO and co-founder of Scribe. As a consultant early in her career, Jennifer saw tons of organizations struggle to unlock knowledge across teams. So she started Scribe, a productivity tool that helps turn any process into a step-by-step guide. Today we discuss her path from consulting to leadership and the simple question she waited too long to ask herself, how context plays an important role in knowledge sharing, and her top tips for managing the most precious resource: time.

Dr. Shauna Shapiro is a psychologist, author, and a professor at Santa Clara University who specializes in mindfulness and self-compassion. When she was studying in Thailand and Nepal, she adopted the mantra, "What you practice grows stronger." You are going to love hearing Shauna's incredible journey and insights on being mindful with technology, the difference between compassion and empathy, and how science has proven the importance of having fun at work.

Shankar Arumugavelu is the Global Chief Digital and Information Officer at Verizon. He has spent almost three decades at Verizon, helping transform the business by harnessing the power of data and driving the adoption of new technologies. In this episode, Shankar shares his perspective on how to make data an enterprise asset, transitioning from artisanal analytics to industrial AI, and the journey to becoming a leader.

Jyoti Bansal is not your average Silicon Valley visionary. He's a founder, entrepreneur, and investor, who sold his first company to Cisco for $3.7 billion. Today he runs 3 companies at the same time, including Harness, which is valued at $3.7 billion (there's that number again)! Today, Jyoti shares his journey to building multiple unicorns, tips for staying energized while balancing many roles, and the importance of being mission-driven versus money-driven.

M. R. Rangaswami started one of the first angel investments firms when he bought the sandhill.com domain for $20 in 1997. In addition to being a founding father of Silicon Valley, M. R. is a passionate philanthropist. His nonprofit brings together Indian leaders to drive positive social change. On this episode, we talk about the benefits of acting small while growing big, how communities can be a powerful force of change, and his recent meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Marco Argenti is the CIO at Goldman Sachs. After spending 6 years as a VP at Amazon, Marco joined Goldman to lead the team through a massive digital transformation. His unique approach to driving change includes building with purpose, working backwards from the customer, and driving business outcomes. We talk about all of this, as well as the importance of redefining success throughout every stage of your career and how the age of AI is really the age of knowledge redefined.

Today we are joined by a tech industry OG, Mark Nelson. Mark started programming computers at seven years old, and his first job was writing software for 911. He turned his childhood hobby into an incredible career, working AT&T, SAP, Oracle, and most recently Tableau. Mark shares his best tips for building a data-driven culture, using data to tell stories, and the power of combining data with human instincts.

Jeetu Patel is the EVP and GM of Security and Collaboration at Cisco. On today's episode, he shares actionable tips for asynchronous collaboration (hint: video communication is key!), how AI is changing the way we work, and so much more.

Inspired Execution host Chet Kapoor kicks off Season 5 of the podcast with a quick refresh on topics discussed, upcoming guests, and exciting new segments!

Host Chet Kapoor shares his favorite moments and learnings from Season 4 of Inspired Execution. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we are joined by Hussein Mehanna, Head of AI and ML at Cruise. He’s helping build the future of transportation with the world’s first self-driving car. Today we discuss his most impactful experiences, his unpopular opinions about AI, and what the future of autonomous vehicles looks like.

Today, we hear from the Co-Founder and CEO of the World Justice Project. Bill dominated in his field as a lead lawyer for Microsoft for almost 25 years before serving as Managing Partner for the San Francisco Giants. Now, he runs his own company with the mission to promote the rule of law throughout the world. Tune in to hear Bill’s nuggets of wisdom and lessons in fair play from business to baseball.

Today, we are joined by Sagnik Nandy, CTO and President of Technology at Okta, the world’s #1 identity platform. After spending fifteen years at Google, Sagnik transitioned to Okta and turned his focus to identity management and keeping us all safe in the digital world.  He joins the show to talk about what it takes to build scalable products, how to stay grounded in high-stress situations, and much more!

In this episode, we are joined by one of the brightest minds in marketing, Raja Rajamannar. He is the CMO & CCO of Mastercard, as well as President of their Healthcare Business. For more than 30 years, Raja has influenced large enterprises across the globe with brands like Unilever, Citi, and now Mastercard. You can read all about his fresh perspective on the future of marketing in his WSJ bestseller, Quantum Marketing. In today’s episode, we talk about how Raja went from a degree in chemical engineering to being named one of the world’s most influential CMOs, how it takes a team of Leonardo da Vincis to build a marketing machine, and so much more.

Jennifer Edwards is a founder, author, and professional coach whose recently published book, Bridge the Gap, is named by Forbes as a must-read business book in 2022. She shares tips for overcoming Zoom fatigue and forming connections in our digital world, how to communicate in times of high stakes, and so much more.

Today, we are joined by Kelly Battles, a seasoned CFO and board member for many enterprises at the forefront of innovation. From an education at Princeton and Harvard to changing the world one board seat at a time, Kelly knows what it takes to lead teams and scale businesses. Tune in to hear her practical and tactical advice for finding work-life balance, knowing when to take risks vs. opt out, and much more.

Today we hear from Elizabeth Hunter, Former SVP of Technology at T-Mobile and advocate for diversity and inclusion. A Vogue hopeful turned telecom expert, Elizabeth shares how success doesn’t always come from climbing only one ladder, tips for creating a culture of belonging, and how to tap into your resilience through periods of change.

Today, we hear from Anna Claiborne and Dave Ward of PacketFabric. Anna co-founded the company in 2015 and currently serves as CTO and CPO. Dave joined PacketFabric as CEO in 2020. Listen as they discuss why a business is only as strong as its network, how to trust yourself through your journey, and lots more!

Today, we hear from HackerOne CEO Marten Mickos, who is on a mission to create a safer internet. From his humble beginnings in Finland to his meteoric rise in the U.S., Marten offers advice for aspiring leaders and how to embrace pain and suffering in order to grow. We also learn about technical physics and the importance of security and privacy in the new digital civilization.

Today, we hear from Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva and a venture capitalist whose investments are known for turning everything into gold. He is also a New York Times bestselling author and the host of his own podcast, Remarkable People. Guy explains the importance of learning how to handle rejection, the difference between sales and evangelism, and why you should never ask others to do something you wouldn't do.

Inspired Execution host Chet Kapoor recaps Season 3, focusing on themes and key takeaways from each episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alana Mayo is the President of Orion Pictures, a division of MGM that's dedicated to underrepresented voices and authentic storytelling in film. For as long as she can remember, Alana has always loved engaging with narrative storytelling. Even as a child, she came up with plays based on the American Girl dolls for her friends to perform. Now, Alana has overseen award-winning films like The Big Short, Selma, and many others. In this episode, she discusses the importance of active listening and vulnerability, how taking a break helped her find clarity on her career journey, advice for recognizing our unconscious biases, and how the film industry is evolving. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dilip Venkatachari, CIO at U.S. Bank, is a technology executive, entrepreneur, and board member. He has a diverse set of experiences, from starting two companies of his own to leading at large enterprises like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. In this episode, Dilip shares how focusing on people and purpose has helped him navigate many different roles, how the meaning of customer-centricity evolves as a company scales, how simplification helps with execution, and the power of persuasion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jim Baum is a technology executive with over thirty years of experience. From starting his first business called Mr. Tree to “growing up” at Parametric Technology to taking Netezza through IPO, Jim is a master at executing thoughtfully with speed. Today he shares the steps to building a successful team, the biggest mistake companies make with regards to execution, why the best leaders are "uncoachable," and how he turned his weakness into a superpower. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aashima Gupta is the Director of Healthcare Solutions at Google Cloud. She started out as a programmer in the finance industry and later found her calling in healthcare at Kaiser Permanente. Today, Aashima shares how Google Cloud is helping providers meet their patients with the right information at the right time, the importance of taking an outside-in approach when you're building products, how to focus on impact versus activities, and the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining the podcast today is Abhay Parasnis, CTO and CPO at Adobe. The common thread throughout his impressive career is a deep passion for technology, products, and building new things. Abhay shares why career journeys are not a straight line, how Adobe is helping enable self-expression for all, three lessons learned from becoming a cloud company, and the exciting future of AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time ever on IEP, we are featuring two guests in one episode! Anand Deshpande is the Founder, Chairman, & Managing Director of Persistent Systems, a 30+ year organization focused on ​digital engineering and enterprise modernization. He also runs a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs find success. Sandeep Kalra is Persistent’s CEO & Executive Director and has grown the company impressively through the pandemic. Tune in to learn about the three things entrepreneurs need to succeed, how to leverage your data for decision-making, and what it takes to build a culture of transformation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Hood, CPO of Asana, has been intrigued by consumer behavior since starting his career in the stock market. He shares how this interest led him to adopt human-centered design as a product-building methodology and how he leans on it at Asana for scale. Alex also discusses why disruption is freeing, how he stays productive, the key ingredients needed to change user behavior, how clarity drives innovation, and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chet Kapoor kicks off the newest season of Inspired Execution with an introduction to his Inspired Leadership Principles, which will help guide the conversations with our awesome guests. Follow along with Season 3 and use the insights from each episode to build your own playbook for success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another season of Inspired Execution is in the books! After 11 phenomenal conversations, DataStax Chairman and CEO Chet Kapoor wraps up season two with the top takeaways and lessons learned. This episode highlights the greatest moments from: Cisco, Wells Fargo, DBS Group, PayPal, Macquarie Group, Goldman Sachs, iHeartMedia, Wiley, Verizon, and Microsoft. Stay tuned for season three! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlotte Yarkoni, COO of Cloud and AI at Microsoft, started her career as an engineer and grew to a variety of leadership roles at companies like AT&T, VMware and EMC. Today, she shares how she's facilitating the customer journey across multiple products at Microsoft, the role diversity and inclusion play in creating thriving communities, and what horseback riding has taught her about leadership. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeetu Patel, SVP and General Manager of Cisco's Security and Collaboration Division, walks us through building and delivering a multi-product platform. He also discusses how to stay energized throughout the week, his vision for the future of work, and the power of compounding value. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Sly, SVP of Platforms and Infrastructure at Verizon, has nearly three decades of experience driving innovation and operational efficiencies for organizations. In this episode, he talks about maintaining employee morale during times of change, delivering an experience the customer wants and learning how to listen to others. Greg also shares what he's currently reading and which three people he'd invite to a dinner party. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aref Matin, EVP and CTO at Wiley, explains how the company is leveraging AI and ML to transform the education experience for students and teachers. He also talks about patience, failure, and the Winston Churchill quotes that inspire him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Mills, Global CIO at iHeartMedia, discusses the importance of cross-collaboration, how software helps broaden employees’ bandwidth for creativity, and why you should build a strong network early in your career. He also reveals the key element that all the best podcasts have in common. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hari Moorthy, Global Head of Transaction Banking at Goldman Sachs, explains how he’s utilizing data and technology to reimagine a traditional industry. Leading with vision and conviction, he built a 350-person team in just 18 months. Hari also shares excerpts from a letter he wrote to his younger self.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luis Uguina, Chief Digital Officer of Macquarie, shares how his passion for digital technology and delivering the customer experience have shaped his 25-year-long journey in banking. He talks us through his approach to digital transformation and explains why “data is the new plutonium.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sri Shivananda, EVP and CTO of PayPal, discusses how having a shared purpose leads to aligned execution across teams. He talks about the three things that help bridge the skills gap, and urges us to always seek new knowledge. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS Group, shares how he has led DBS to be named one of the top 10 global companies leading strategic transformations in the last decade. He gives advice on how to create a culture of change and underlines the importance of managing what you measure. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ravi Radhakrishnan, CIO of Commercial Banking and Corporate & Investment Banking at Wells Fargo, takes us on his journey to holding leadership positions at two of the largest banks in the world. He shares his top tips for balancing scale and speed, and discusses how AI is addressing some of the biggest financial challenges of the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacqueline Guichelaar, Group CIO at Cisco, shares her inspiring story—from being born in Uruguay to living all over the world. She teaches us how to cultivate diverse teams, put customer experience at the forefront of product strategy, and – most notably – to be courageous leaders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaders from global enterprises join DataStax Chairman & CEO Chet Kapoor to discuss how they inspire teams and scale massive businesses. Conversation themes surrounding customers, culture, speed, and education bring fresh perspectives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That's a wrap! After 12 phenomenal conversations, DataStax Chairman and CEO Chet Kapoor wraps up season one with the top takeaways and lessons learned. The season finale includes the greatest moments from: NetApp, Burberry, Barclays, Pearson, Udacity, AT&T Business, Nordstrom, Jackson Financial, T-Mobile, Banco Santander, Home Depot, and FedEx. We're just getting started... So stay tuned for season two in 2021! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NetApp SVP and General Manager Kim Stevenson shares her career journey through major tech shifts and the birth of new industry sectors. She gives us her best career advice, tips on how to be a change-agent, and underscores the importance of Diversity & Inclusion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Burberry Global CIO Mark McClennon shares his passion for getting a versatile perspective on consumers, the importance of using data to drive insights, and - most importantly - in our fast-paced world, to always be sure to stop and smell the roses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashok Vaswani shares his global experience working at the largest financial institutions, including Barclays and Citigroup. Tune-in to hear about his global journey and advice on the importance of the customer journey and how to be a successful banker in the digital age. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Albert Hitchcock, Pearson CTO and COO, shares how COVID has not impacted Pearson strategy, but has accelerated higher expectations from the digital consumer. He shares his journey and advocates that we should be bold, question everything, and be forward in all that we do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn why Udacity (Founder & Executive Chairman) and Kitty Hawk (CEO) Sebastian Thrun believes job skill training and education needs to be a basic human right in every country, and how AI will help us get there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Be a lifelong learner and always believe in yourself, be self-aware, and work hard, says Sorabh Saxena, EVP of Global Operations & Services of AT&T. Listen in to learn why he says adversity and pressure can be great motivators. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edmond Mesrobian, CTO of Nordstrom, tells us the majority of computer science has been solved, the problem has just been regurgitated and reformulated. Learn about the challenges of being a change agent, and how to get embedded in the culture before embarking on the change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jackson CIO Dev Ganguly teaches us how the power of connection, the 10,000-hour rule, and the pace of change encourage us to have an outside-in perspective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

T-Mobile EVP and CIO Cody Sanford makes it clear that customers and employees on the front lines should always be at the center. You’ll hear Cody say it’s not about the technology, but rather about the teams that come together to leverage it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear from Banco Santander’s Chief Platform Officer Aiaz Kazi on moving from traditional on-premise to a cloud-native, mobile-first, and AI-enabled platform in today's modern world.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Home Depot SVP of Information Technology, Fahim Siddiqui tells us how to work in an agile manner while leading with fundamental grounding in terms of people, process, and technologies. Fahim shares the importance of velocity in decision making, at a time when Home Depot is seeing 'Black Friday' volumes every day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rob Carter shares his experience as CIO of the world’s leading logistics provider, FedEx, and explains why he believes technology is the 'digital nervous system' of a company. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.