From solutions architecture to security, Gabe Gumbs brings wide and deep technical experience to his position as Chief Innovation Officer at Spirion. Today, he is leading the Spirion product team through strategic product development to create technologies that push data security forward in an increasingly complex digital world. Prior to his new position at Spirion, Gabe held a range of positions in security technology, including VP of Product Management at Spirion. Other prior positions include VP of Product Strategy at STEALTHbits Technologies, and Director of Research and Products at WhiteHat Security. Gabe also served on the Board of Advisors at eGRC.com.Show Notes:[01:16] Gabe shares his career journey and how he got into IT. His interest in technology actually began in high school.  [02:39] He started his IT career as a junior network admin.  About ten years ago he switched from the practitioner side to the solution provider side.  So now he builds security technologies and that is the core of what he focused on.[04:25] Chief Innovation Officer means that he sits at the head of their project strategy.  He ensures they are bringing the market the right technologies to solve their customers problems.  [05:52] They spend a lot of time understanding and examining the customer’s problem well before jumping to the solution. [06:46] He spends a lot of time digging into the problems themselves with the customer. [07:11] For the most part, your average customer understands that they are not so unique that their problems would stand out from others. [07:55] When organizations are taking very differentiated approaches to solving their own problems where they might run into unique challenges of their own.  [09:24] Privacy operations is going to become a very necessary function inside of any organization with any sizable amount of data.  [11:25] It is especially difficult when the internal business doesn't understand where all the data exists in multiple clouds. [12:57] You can have security without privacy.  On the security side you are dealing with risks that arise from unauthorized access to data.  On the privacy side you are dealing risks that arise from authorized access data. [13:37] The expectation of privacy is a bit overstated in the corporate world.  [14:38] Where is all your data and what type of data is it?[15:50] If that is data that you’re required to share with a third party, that is going to require different security and privacy controls.  [16:14] We have to link the business use of the data to the security and privacy controls.  [16:35] Align business use of the data with the data type. [17:01] Did I genuinely understand that problem and am I approaching it the right way? [17:56] The non malicious threats continue to surprise them in different ways. Underestimating human ingenuity will always get us in trouble.  [19:03] It helps to visualize the problem.   [19:51] Gabe shares his best worst boss story. [20:47] It is important to understand how the business operates and then understanding how you are going to secure the business. [22:26] Gabe’s advice is to slow down. Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. [23:46] Spend more time in the problem space even in your personal life.  When we are under pressure we tend to want to run towards solving it, but being uncomfortable for just a little bit longer so you can understand that problem is really where we need to be. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInGabe on LinkedInGabe on TwitterSpirionPrivacy Please Podcast

State of the CIO

Episode 45 - Privacy and Security Controls with Gabe Gumbs

Sri Koneru is the Global Technology leader with Worldwide Operations experience in Fortune 100 companies His industry and functional expertise includes retail, energy, and utilities, manufacturing, and technology. He is a motivated and customer-centric senior technology leader and business strategist with a track record of transforming organizations to deliver sustainable results and propel digital innovation. I champion cutting-edge technologies that increase customer engagement, grow the business, expand operational capabilities, improve efficiency and reduce costs.Show Notes:[01:08] Sri shares his career journey. He got an engineering degree and he knew he wanted to learn as much as he could. [02:20] It is all about people and relationships.  Work gets down through relationships.  [03:18] He was good in math and logic growing up so naturally, he leaned towards technology so that really paved his path into technology.  [04:13] Technology is a part of every business model.  You have to have some technical knowledge. [05:10] You can never go wrong looking at how you can transform your customer experiences.  [05:51] At the end of the day, the customer is king. [06:13] The other thing you can never go wrong with in your transformation efforts is employee experience. Enhancing the employee experience and helps them provide a better customer experience.  [07:45] Understanding what are customer friction points and pain points are and doing that in the context of customer journey mapping. [08:35] You have to do step zero before you get to step four.  Sometimes in the digital transformation world, we try to go to step four first. [10:06] When you are talking about customer journey mapping sometimes you have to unlearn what you have learned over the last 20 years and outsiders can enable you to do that.  [11:34] As an IT leader you want to know the details of the business process and business capabilities.  IT leaders have to be business leaders first.  [12:41] Sri shares about Winnebago Industries and who they are. They are known for continuous innovation, quality, and service. [14:32] The pandemic has taught us to get more in touch with our soul and our purpose.  We are all recognizing as humans that there is a lot more to do than work.  [17:29] Sri shares his advice for himself at the beginning of his career.  Never lose the curiosity to learn.  Have the curiosity to learn about the business you are in.  Curiosity should not have an expiration date.  [19:00] Have the passion, have the curiosity, but also know that you don’t have to put a timeline to that progression. [20:18] Sri shares his best worst boss story. [21:07]  The best bosses give your honest, timely, and open feedback, but they also have your back.   [22:29] Having a support system was crucial to him during his worst boss story. [24:12] It is not competition anymore, it is cooperation.  We can provide more value and faster value if we can create those partnerships across ecosystems.  Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInSri on LinkedInMinnesota Technology Association

Episode 44 - Technology Transformations with Sri Koneru

Brian Watson is Principal at CIO Clarity Advisors. He previously served as VP of Enterprise Innovation at Traction Technology Partners, where he and his colleagues help companies source and vet the emerging technology companies that drive innovation and create competitive advantage. Brian is the author of Confessions of a Successful CIO: How the Best CIOs Tackle Their Toughest Business Challenges (Wiley, March 2014), which was a top-rated title on Amazon and has appeared on numerous “must-read” lists for current and aspiring IT leaders. He also served as Editor in Chief of CIO Insight. Brian has spoken and moderated CIO panels and fireside chats at IT leadership events across the U.S. Brian holds degrees from Bucknell University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He lives in Fairfield County, Conn, with his wife and two sons. Show Notes:[01:09] Brian shares his career journey. He is always looking for ways to help CIO’s tell their story or help CIO’s.  [04:01] Brian and Dan wrote their book Confessions of a Successful CIO to share stories about CIO’s that have saved their companies in depth. [06:18] If you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail. [07:13] 2021 is going to be very similar to 2020.  There is a big emphasis on speed. [08:11] We have seen what teams can do when they’re focused and that is going to continue to be a game-changer. [08:18] Extenuating digital investments, e-commerce, and the power of the ecosystem are really important. [09:48] Harnessing your ecosystem for new ideas, better ways to integrate technology, and maximize what you have in your environment already paid off really well for a lot of CIO’s last year and is a big focus of their time this year.    [12:22] The wins are more spread out and not as easy to benchmark.  We don’t know the final outcomes on a lot of the things that have happened.   [13:29] Talent is a perennial challenge for any organization.  Work from home allowed many companies to seek out talent beyond their geography.  [15:54] You want to make this the best employment situation for the people you have right now.   Many companies are asking what they can keep doing in this remote world to keep rallying and motivating their people outside of financial bonuses.  [17:16] One of the other concerns is the workplace itself. What is it going to be and how many people are going to be there?[19:06] Another concern is innovation.  [21:05] Brian’s best advice outside of IT is to set goals that are measurable and tangible.  If you are going to work in an IT organization have a really clear idea of what you want to accomplish.  [21:46] You want to be as focused and goal-driven as possible. Learn as much as you can about the organization and the pathways through it.  Understand your business.  You’re there to enable the company so you have to know what it does.  [22:11] Go through as many professional development exercises as you can. Try to learn as much as you can.  There is nothing better than a mentor.  [24:01] There are so many folks that have been in the technology field for a long time and just want to give back.  There are a ton of people out there that can be learned from and are happy to do it.  [25:32] Brian shares his best worst boss story.[26:20]  It is very important to think about how you are communicating about people and towards people.  [27:43] Brian shares about the nonprofit called ReferVets that he, his buddy, and a team of volunteers are launching soon. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInBrian on LinkedInReferVets

Episode 43 - Harnessing Your Ecosystem with Brian Watson

Nathan was crucial in implementing cutting edge data infrastructure technologies such as DataRobot, Alteryx, and Snowflake. While at Symphony, Nathan was named a “Data Science Superhero” by DataRobot. Several years ago, Nathan was invited to lead the Healthcare User Group at Alteryx, a role he still holds today and is Core Certified in Alteryx Designer. He is also an AHIMA Certified Health Data Analyst and a HIMSS Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems. Nathan shares so much of his knowledge about data analytics.  He shares tools his company has found most useful.  He always shares great starting points to start using data successfully in your organization.  Show Notes:[01:06] Nathan shares how he got into IT and specifically healthcare IT. He has worked in the IT space for almost 21 years from an analytics background.[02:37] He was a programmer for seven years and then he moved into data.[04:19] He loved technology from the beginning, but he loved building it. He likes that you can rapidly build on the data side. [06:52] Since he was more technical and less business savvy he knew he learned more about business and accounting.[08:02] Don’t just look at the data set and think about solving this problem in front of you.  Think of it from the business impact it can have.  You are solving more than a data problem.  You are solving a business problem.  [10:01] In 2020, no one can say they don’t have a computer job. [10:42] You have to constantly think about what you are doing with the data and what you know that can help solve problems. [12:01] They researched many tools, and they settled on Ultra Excel. Nathan shares other tools they have found to be a great fit for their organization. [13:12] You have to fit the tool and what it does well with the end-user and always keep the end-user in mind. [15:13] We are going to see people start standing up APIs. [16:53] They set up a lot of their data infrastructure in the cloud and they still have firewalls and security in place. It allows you to move data much quicker.[18:01] They provide internal training for the more difficult problems they encounter.  Vendors usually provide baseline training and support. Many vendors also have great online communities that can be a great resource to answer questions.[19:52] KDNuggets is a great resource for analytics. [21:57] Noone will see what you are doing unless you talk about it.  It is a balancing act to be humble and also talk about what you are doing well. [22:41] A public speaking class in college is money.  You will need to have the strength and courage to talk in large groups. [23:30] Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and talk about what you’ve done. It may come with criticism.  [23:53] Learn to say no. Be judicious in the projects you choose.  Think about what things are going to matter to the business and focus on those.  Cut out the things that won’t really have an impact. [24:27]  You always have to be learning something new. [26:01] Nathan shares his best worst boss story. [27:53] Sometimes people are not talented at all but have a great attitude and they can be trained, taught, and elevated.  We can’t teach attitude. [29:52] Most of the problems that people are having is just not understanding the time nature of data.  [30:21] On more advanced teams they look at the culture of the team. [31:49] Every company has one metric that matters most. If your company doesn’t know that, then that is the place to start. [33:02] There are opportunities all over the place to find savings.  Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInNathan on LinkedInNathan on YouTubeLean Analytics

Episode 42 - Data Analytics with Nathan Taylor

Dr. Cole has worked with a variety of clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, to top international banks to the CIA. He has been the featured speaker at many security events and also has been interviewed by several chief media outlets such as CNN, CBS News, FOX News, and 60 Minutes.  We talk about what is working and what isn’t when it comes to IT and agriculture, focusing most of our conversation on artificial intelligence.Eric shares so much of his knowledge about business intelligence and cybersecurity.   He shares the biggest security risks for companies and ways to maintain top security with your workforce working from home.  He also shares practical steps any organization can take to be more proactive with their cybersecurity. Show Notes:[01:18] Eric shares how he got into IT and cybersecurity. He majored in computer science and decided to study cybersecurity. [03:13] He left the CIA because he was an entrepreneur at heart and he started his own company.  He helps companies be on the defense of cybersecurity.  [03:58] Now he runs his own business, Secure Anchor. They help companies build out an effective roadmap that actually protects and secures their critical assets. [05:06] The biggest risk that any company has no matter their size is they don’t think they are a target. It is important to let data drive decisions. Many companies don’t think that cybersecurity is their responsibility. [06:01] If you haven’t detected an attack in the last two years, it is because you haven’t looked in the right spots.  It is not because it is not happening.  The indicator of good security means your detecting breaches. [06:56] If you want to have the best cybersecurity make sure you have a network visibility map, no all of your assets visible from the internet, patch them, and make sure they don’t contain any critical data on them. [08:27] The two most dangerous applications on planet earth are email clients and web browsers. [09:01] Have a Windows computer as your primary work computer. Then have a non-Windows based computer that you use for surfing the web and checking email. He does all of his web surfing and email on his iPhone.  [10:01] Passwords are not a great idea. We need to start moving everything to the Cloud with an authentication layer. [11:11] Any solution that is designed has to be location agnostic.  [13:32] You have two choices.  The first one is to wait for the breach that will happen or really start getting aggressive protecting the endpoint with authentication. [14:36] A penetration (pen) test is sometimes called ethical hacking.  You are trying to break into an organization from an attacker’s standpoint. The problem with a pen test is that it is not comprehensive. [17:32] Eric is not a fan of pen testing but he is a fan of doing threat mapping or a full-blown security assessment. [19:49] From an attacker standpoint the biggest change they have seen is that it is all monetary driven. [21:07] Eric believes that in 12-15 years we will have an international cybercrime unit for all governments.  [23:01] His concern is that for the last 5 years every memory chip or CPU has come embedded with malware that hasn’t been activated yet.  [25:08] The idea of zero trusts is we don’t trust any computer.  Every system is isolated, independent, and has its own controls.[26:49]  Eric shares his advice for beginners in the IT and cybersecurity fields. Start a regiment of reading a book a week for an hour a night. [28:10] Bet and believe in yourself and start your own consulting company.  Do it for a year or two and then reevaluate. [29:13] Eric shares his best worst boss story. [30:34] Sometimes you have to be willing to take calculated risks.   [32:10] He also shares a crazy story of him being a boss. [33:18] Cybersecurity is a real threat and one of the biggest to your organization. Have an assessment and make sure you understand what is happening in your organization. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInSecure AnchorEric on TwitterEric on YouTubeEric on FacebookEric on InstagramSecure Anchor on LinkedIn

Episode 41 - Proactive and Reactive Cybersecurity with Dr. Eric Cole

Dan Willey is the CIO of Wilbur-Ellis. Doug Farrington is the Digital Officer for BASF, North America. Ernie Chappell is the founder and president of EFC Systems. We talk about what is working and what isn’t when it comes to IT and agriculture.  We focus most of our conversation on artificial intelligence. Show Notes:[01:26] Dan shares how he got into IT and agriculture. He grew up in a rural area so agriculture was very appealing to him. He loves the connectivity with those that help us eat.[02:39] Doug shares how he got into agriculture and IT. His interest in IT started when his dad brought a computer home. He grew up farming so agriculture seemed like a good fit.[04:45] Ernie shares how he got started in IT and agriculture.  This space is perfect for him because in his teenage years he loved visiting his relative’s farm. So it is the perfect intersection for his love of agriculture, finance, and technology.[07:48] There are still a lot of opportunities where we are at.  There are opportunities to become more efficient, business operations improvement, and top-line growth.[07:19] With digital agronomy we have a lot of room to grow in farming.[09:25] When AI gets to the point where the decisions made by AI are as good or better than what a human can make that’s when we will see the adoption. Right now we are creating information and insights, but the farmer and agronomist are still making the decision.[10:18] The agriculture industry is a bit of a laggard compared to health care, financial systems, and banking when it comes to embracing technology.  It is a bit tough for agriculture because every piece of land is different. The variety that we are dealing with crops and geography are uncontrollable variables and it may be a tough area.[11:34] Technology has brought a lot of benefits in the last three and five years and that pace seems to be accelerating.[13:15] One of the advantages that agriculture has is that we have a backlog of information and we haven’t started floating those ideas out to get traction.[15:07] The farmers are asking for help simplifying their lives and business.[15:43] All growers see that there is value in digital.  Most growers don’t see how to get the value out of the tool or data.[17:35] Robotics is the future, especially with labor shortages.[18:04] The business of farming and growing food for the world isn’t really an isolated activity.  The retailers and service providers meeting that grower where they are at is important.[21:18] Margin follows value. Are you solving the problems that need to be solved?[22:23] We are held accountable to solve problems that make a difference for the farmer.  It is urgent that we bring an advancement of technology to bear for feeding the world, helping the environment, and profitability for the farm.[22:53] You have to be driving for change and embracing it.[23:51] It is important to set aside time for innovation.[27:14]  Innovation today is about building a start-up model where you try things, learn quickly, and then pivot.[28:03] You can’t innovate in a vacuum.  You have to innovate with your customers.[29:34] We need to be building things that are easy to use. We need increased simplicity to get adoption.[32:14] If you look at the palette of options and applications that are out there from an agriculture perspective,  there are over 100 applications and counting that are out there to help the grower or retailer.[32:38] There are plenty of opportunities to become more efficient to replace your outdated processes and solutions.[34:09] If you can drive out costs from efficiency gains then you can invest more in top-line growth.[35:52] It is not only what you can build, but can you articulate the value to the organization.[37:40] Spend time with your growers so you can really learn the business from the ground up.[38:07] Know your customer and business especially with data. Your ability to interpret data depends on your knowing the space.[39:04] There are no failures and failure isn’t fatal.  It is just a journey until you get it right. The number one thing that you need is grit and persistence to keep trying and failing.Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInDan on LinkedInDoug on LinkedInErnie on LinkedIn

Episode 40 - Agriculture & Artificial Intelligence: Panel Discussion From AgGateway 2020 Annual Conference

Mo formerly held leadership positions including Executive Director at EY, and Partner at IBM, Capco, and Accenture. He is a senior executive with 25+ years of management consulting experience and has successfully managed IT projects in Financial Services, Electronics & High Tech., Energy & Natural Resources, Chemicals, Lodging, Media & Entertainment, Pharmaceuticals, and Professional Services. Mo has published many Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse articles in several industry journals including DM Review, B-EYE Network, and BI Review. He is an effective communicator across all levels of an organization — adept at building delivery organizations and mobilizing and managing multicultural, international teams. He has extensive experience delivering information management, data warehouse, and business intelligence solutions. Mo leads the Data Engineering practice at EKI which brings AI-driven data solutions to help clients identify, build, and commercialize the value of data for competitive and strategic advantage. Mo shares so much of his knowledge about business intelligence and data warehousing.   He shares the importance of data and how business intelligence can be game-changing for an organization.  He also talks about where to start and how to start to have a bigger impact on a faster timeline. Show Notes:[00:26] Mohit is the Managing Principal and Head of Data Engineering at EKI-Digital.[01:11] Data has been part of his history for a long time dating back to his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland.  He has always been on the consulting side and been able to work with some of the largest companies in the world.[02:41] Data is still not being used as effectively as it could be.[04:15] Most organizations face challenges in sourcing the data. 80% of their time and effort is spent just on that.  There are many technologies that can reduce that time to 10% or 20%.[04:49] Insufficient time is spent on understanding the consumption aspect.[07:19] Heavy manufacturing,  nickel and copper manufacturing, gold mining banking, and financial services continue to have major challenges.[08:18] Intelligence can really be a game-changer for organizations.[09:01] In most cases there is a common theme.  It starts with understanding the consumption aspects of the data.[11:12] It is important the data is able to be consumed.[13:17] There is a lack of understanding of the underlying statistical nature of the data itself, the use of the correct visualization to analyze that information, and more importantly to identify exceptions in the data such that it leads to action. Is the data actually going to lead to action?[15:13] There is a huge opportunity that is being overlooked across all industries.[17:01] Small nimble teams can move faster, so having the right individuals skilled with the right tools can make a huge difference in a shorter period of time. Starting small, thinking big, and scaling fast is a tried and true approach for managing these types of projects.[18:42] Have the end in mind at the beginning of the project.[19:58] He would have picked an industry that specialized in the areas he is passionate about.[20:57] He enjoys working in banking and capital markets and he finds the pace of change fascinating.[21:38] Mo shares his best worst boss story that was a life-changing experience for him.[23:09] He learned the importance of looking three steps ahead as a leader.[24:47] There are two key stakeholders in any organization, the CFO and CIO. There is a balance to that.Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInEKI-DigitalMohit on LinkedIn

Episode 39 - Business Intelligence Can Be a Game Changer with Mohit Sahgal

Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission-driven, high growth, technology-focused companies.  Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Prior to Torch. AI, Brian launched or acquired several companies all focused on technology-enabled services and data connectivity. His companies serve nearly 1,300 clients and have been recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.Brian shares so much of his knowledge about artificial intelligence.   He shares the problems companies are facing that inhibit the use of AI.  He also shares practical steps for getting started with AI in your company.  Show Notes:[00:27] Brian is the CEO of Torch.AI.[01:38] He left his company at the time and started his own company.  Within 3 years, he was so successful he had the opportunity to buy his last employee.[02:14] Brian shares his journey and how his position evolved over time. [04:39] He needs to be doing something, solving a problem, or using his brain creatively.  [07:01] Brian has been featured in Forbes Magazine for concepts around data encapsulation using blockchain technologies.  [07:34] As a business they specialize in high-risk environments dealing with sensitive data on a large scale.   [08:46] He shares about the impact of his Iron Man racing on his life personally and professionally. [11:41] The job of a CIO has changed.  Now the CIO is a business-critical role and they have a tough challenge the way work is changing.   [13:14] The point of AI is to provide more flexibility and improve the cost-effectiveness of some time of technology application. AI should be flexible and adaptable to a specific environment. [14:08] Right now there is not a lot of successful application of AI because the IT side has so many problems dealing with enterprise information.  [15:17] The purpose of AI is to create an automated rule to improve an outcome and make use of data on a scale that a human being just can’t do. Unless we solve all these other huge issues, it is not possible to do that at scale. [17:51] The remote working phenomenon gives the CIO a massive opportunity to go back and look at the fundamental underpinnings of the organization. [18:09] Companies should be paying attention to the framework that underpins all the information in the enterprise. [19:21] Many companies are focusing on the application layer that makes use of the data, but if they can’t get the data into their fancy analytic application there isn’t a point. [21:21] Right now if we develop an AI model and we want to deploy it we have to wrap it in code and we end up having a stand-alone application. When that changes across the landscape, you will see an easier adoption. [22:22] The CIO that does the best job will get the rest of the C-suite just as passionate about dealing with the challenges with messy data as they are the pretty pictures.  [24:46] Agriculture is ahead of manufacturing in AI. Agriculture has a set of standardized data that is friendly with advanced technology. [26:43] Brian shares his advice for his younger self including trying to be self-aware. [27:11] Be honest with yourself and others about what you are good at and not good at. Understand where you get your energy, how you make decisions, and what other personality types you need around you.[28:36] At the end of the day, if you’re a good person, you mean well, and try to treat others well you will make a good decision.  You make the best decision you can based on the information you have.[29:24]  His last piece of advice is to enjoy the journey. [30:42] Brian shares his best worst boss story.  [31:06] Lighten up a little.  He shares about a fun work culture that he enjoyed being a part of. [32:26] The CIO has a very challenging set of circumstances ahead.  The most successful seek to understand the foundational components first and the fancy applications second. They are happier in their job, inspire those around them, and are the best at their job. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInBrian on LinkedIn

Episode 38 - Implementing Artificial Intelligence with Brian Weaver

Dave Burrill is a senior executive (President, COO, CIO), entrepreneur, author, speaker, board director, and advisor. He’s been part of three successful tech companies taking each from co-founding or early stage to exit (1 IPO, 2 acquisitions) that have earned national recognition for innovation and growth. Dave is a trusted C-Suite advisor and peer with the expertise to cross disciplines from finance, operations, and IT to sales and marketing. He has over 30 years of technology project management experience leading successful teams for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50.Dave shares so many great insights for avoiding IT failures.  He shares his experiences with IT failures including common problems like communication and processes and how proper questioning can eliminate these problems.  We also talk about the importance of using checklists to drive successful IT projects.  Show Notes:[00:30] Dave is the Managing Director at IT's about What.[02:48] He learned a lot from his vast past experiences.  [05:13] Over the last few years Dave has been working with early-stage venture private equity funds.[06:16] IT departments have a bad habit of being blind to the initial parameters.  [08:20] Half of all software professionals’ time is spent remediating something that wasn’t done right the first time.  [10:38] Three out of four project failures are attributed to one reason alone and the reason is that what the business is trying to do is never fully communicated to the IT department. The IT department doesn’t get a full grasp of what is needed.  [13:27] Make sure that what the vendor is building is exactly what you want them to build.  You need to document the workflow and what is being done.  [15:47] The vendor needs to ask direct questions and the business needs to tell the tech company everything they know.  [17:42] Human beings are largely controlled by an unconscious autopilot that we don’t even know we have so we have a separate operating system that is competing for control all the time.    [20:23] As we get better at doing something we build up these systems in our mind.  We can transfer the stuff from doing it manually to automatically.  [21:21] When stuff carries over the conscious to the unconscious it allows us to act instinctively. [22:02] The more expertise that you acquire, the less able you are to articulate that which you know or how you know it.[24:19] The business often forgets they know things so they forget to share them with the vendor or IT department.  [26:48] Audit standards mandate when you are doing an audit that you construct a checklist.  [28:09] Dave shares about a high-tech project that was successful and met every objective using checklists.  [29:37] Really bright people acknowledge physical constraints and human limitations and they figure out a way around them.   [32:49] Dave shares previous IT failures so that we can learn from them. [33:57] The problem is that we often lose sight of how and why something was originally developed.  [35:54] We love the next big shiny object. [38:46] If you ever forget that this is all about people, your life with not be worth living. [39:26] Understanding the human need in IT is your principle focus.   [41:25] When you start believing that you know everything there is to know, you close the door on the possibilities of all the things you might learn.  [41:41] You need to lead with questioning and draw the information out.[43:03]  It is about moving a ball from point A to point B as fast and efficiently as you can to hopefully generate some profits.   [44:13] Your reporting strategy is your management communication strategy. [45:19] Then you refine what you have done before. You look at your metrics and make adjustments.  [47:53] A checklist gives a layer of consistency and trust. [49:35] Dave shares his best worst boss story.  [52:47] Continuous learning and continuous improvement are crucial to the success of the organization. [54:11] Never forget that human beings are complex.  The hero of the morning can be the thief of the afternoon.  [54:41] Just because you don’t agree with someone on one thing doesn’t mean they can’t be right on something else. [55:14] You can contact Dave (949)235-6283 or dave@itsaboutwhat.com.[56:11] It is important to document lessons learned. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInDave on LinkedInIT’s About What WebsiteThinking Fast and Slow BookThe Checklist Manifesto Book

Episode 37 - Avoiding IT Failures with Dave Burrill

Brian is a computer scientist and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Gillware, a company he started eighteen years ago.  During those 18 years, he has been helping businesses get out of IT disasters especially data loss situations.  Brian has been working with his brother Wes for the last twelve years.  Brian currently runs Gillware doing the most traditional data disasters.  Wes is the vice president of product at their sister company Tetra Defense. Tetra Defense focuses on cyber specific disaster and disaster prevention.   Brian and Wes share current trends, misconceptions, and attacks they are seeing in our current times.  They also share beginning steps to take if your company is attacked.  We wrap up by discussing the importance of a disaster recovery plan.  They share what you really need in your disaster recovery plan and how often it should be reevaluated.  Show Notes:[00:59] Brian is a computer scientist and entrepreneur.  [02:16] Wes is the vice president of product at Tetra Defense.  [02:53] With 25-30 million Americans working from home the field of opportunity for the bad guys has widened big time.  IT people and IT budgets are stressed.  [03:39] They are seeing an initial wave of attacks that are coming into home networks.  [04:28] It is important that you don’t have any extreme vulnerabilities in your framework. [05:52] When it comes to balance, take a look at what your systems are and what you’re using.  There are a lot of great tools out there that can do vulnerability scanning.  They will tell you if you have any glaring holes and you need to take those extremely seriously.  [07:21] Wes highly suggests that companies buy a YubiKey for all their employees working from home.  They are a great balance of security and convenience. [08:55] Bad Actors are continuing to get more sophisticated and more aggressive with their ransom demands.  [09:41] The amount of money being demanded continues to multiply.  [11:19] Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a new initiative from the Department of Defense requiring all the suppliers and their supply chain to obtain a cybersecurity certification.  There are five levels.[11:26] The first level is basic cyber hygiene and includes seventeen best practices that you have to follow. [13:43] The DOD is blazing the trail with this very large scale certification requirement. [15:38] It is not often one criminal syndicate at work.  Many times specialists work together. [17:48] Often times companies are trying to protect themselves against risks that don’t exist and they are missing the ones that do. [19:09] The biggest mistake if you have the security people on staff and they think they know everything.  They can be very dangerous. [20:02] Those people that don’t know how to check their ego at the door, they are a dream come true for the bad guys.  [20:42] If you are under attack, you have to assume that whatever you have in there is going to be compromised if it hasn’t already then immediately isolate any nonimpacted back-ups you have.  Those back-ups are probably your fastest and least expensive way to recover.  [21:09] Next change your Azure AD passwords. If you don’t have advanced endpoint protection software you must put it into place. [22:01] Contact your insurance company and banks and let them know what has happened.  [23:54] Don’t hide an incident if it happens, communicate about it. [26:08] The first few pages of your disaster recovery plan need to be rock solid and reviewed every 3 months.  [27:56] Be more confident even as a beginner and it is ok to ask stupid questions.  [28:39] Make a challenge of something.  Ask questions and have conversations with the leaders of the company because often they are valuable.  [29:33] Don’t try to create too much yourself, others have solved the problems extremely well and you can just integrate them.   [31:29] Brian shares his best worst boss story. [33:42] However paranoid you are, get more paranoid.  [34:08] Boards and CEOs all need to budget more money for defense across the board.  There is probably not a single company in America that is properly capitalized to prevent threats.  The threat is exponentially bigger than it was five years ago and your budget is like 2% bigger. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInGillware: Data Recovery ServicesTetra DefenseBrian on LinkedInWes on LinkedInYubiKey

Episode 36 - Top-Notch Cybersecurity In Uncertain Times with Brian and Wes Gill

Kim Weins is the Vice President of Cloud Strategy at Flexera, where she helps build awareness of its award-winning cloud management solution. She has held executive marketing positions at a variety of enterprise software startups as well as public software companies. Most recently, as Senior Vice President of Marketing at OpenLogic, she helped evangelize and drive demand for open source and cloud technologies at large enterprises worldwide. She has also consulted as interim CMO at a variety of high-growth startups. Kim received a B.S. in engineering from Duke University.Kim discusses the Flexera 2020 State of the Cloud Report. Kim also shares strategies that companies can use to manage multi-clouds and find and remove cloud waste.Show Notes:[01:01] Kim shares how she got into the enterprise software industry. She is now working closely with CIOs.[01:32] 2012 was the first year the State of the Cloud report came out.[04:05] Private cloud means to have most of the characteristics of the public cloud in a private data center.[06:34] Private cloud was very popular 7 or years ago, really declined, but is now getting new life again.[07:06] Today on average companies use 2.2 public clouds. They usually have a primary with 70-80% of their workloads and a secondary with 10 or 20%. As companies get more mature in their cloud use they are more likely to add on that third cloud.[07:56] On the private cloud side there is also an average of 2.2 private clouds.[09:10] Some clouds don’t require you to use containers.[11:06] The most common multi-cloud architecture is data integration. Many companies are doing some data integration between clouds.[11:31] One-third of the companies were doing a more sophisticated architecture including work-load mobility between clouds, failover between clouds, or individual applications going between public and private clouds.[13:19] 59% of the companies they asked expect their cloud use to be higher due to COVID-19 than what they had planned.[13:58] In some industries, their usage of cloud is falling off because they are getting so hammered.[14:48] For companies that were on a path to migrate to the cloud, the pandemic has made them accelerate their plans.[17:04] Budgets for people migrating to the cloud are growing quickly.[19:15] Saving money and optimizing existing cloud usage and costs is the number one initiative in the cloud.  Followed closely by migrating more workloads to the cloud.[19:52] Moving to containers can be a cost-saving mechanism because it allows for more efficient use of infrastructure.[21:11] If you overprovision in the cloud you will pay more money.  You have to right-size as you move.[21:48] Finding and removing storage that was being used and is no longer being used can be a quick win.[22:33] People are starting to use more of the discounting mechanisms from the cloud providers.[23:45] Buying for your peak to get a bigger discount is the wrong thing to do in cloud management.[25:24] You need to think carefully about your commitments. It is important to optimize first and then make your commitment at the right level based on optimized usage and future plans.[27:25] Kim’s advice to herself at the beginning of her career would be serendipity is your friend. If you find something you are interested in, work hard, do a good job, and go above and beyond opportunities will arise.[28:51] Kim shares her best worst boss story.[30:31] Make sure to go check out the State of the Cloud report on the Flexera website.Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInFlexera 2020 State of the Cloud ReportFlexeraKim on LinkedIn

Episode 35 - Cloud Management with Kim Weins

Sammy Basu is the founder of Careful Security.  He helps businesses reduce their CyberSecurity risks without impacting user experience. He uses his experience of working at Fortune 100 companies for the last 20 years to make sure security is seamless. CyberSecurity can be successful only when people adopt and accept it as part of normal business operations.Sammy shares so much great information and I know you are going to get a great value out of this episode. Sammy shares six key steps that companies should take right now to protect their business.  He also shares many practical and basic steps you can take right now to protect your personal and professional workspaces.  Show Notes:[00:52] Sammy shares how he got into cybersecurity. He started in the early 2000s as a network administrator. [02:21] People attack things that are more widely used.[03:34] With security we have to identify the nature of the business.  Security is built on the culture of the company.  [06:09] A security professional has to be a creative person. Security is where art and science converge.  There is no particular approach that works for every company. [07:12] You have to segment your personal from your professional.  [08:48] Hackers want to do a quick job, so remove the low hanging fruit.  Do the simple things to be secure. [11:02] Sammy encourages the CIOs to extend their help desk support. [11:57] The first step is to secure the human link. [13:51] Security has to be every employee's responsibility.  [14:37] The second step is to secure your passwords.  Adopt a password manager and multi-factor identification. [17:10] Sammy is strongly against having your web browser remember your passwords. [19:26] Security is an exercise in risk management.  Put in controls according to your assets.  [22:24] Not securing legacy pieces of software with the same level of security can be an easy back door. [23:53] Scan your assets continuously for potential vulnerabilities and have a process in place for triaging what the scanner finds. [24:25] Security is built out of three parts.  It is people, processes, and technology. The first step is to understand the business.  [26:06] Companies are not proactively investing in security because they think it is an additional cost.  [27:15] There are no shortcuts.  You have to do the hard work and don’t burn bridges.  Be nice to people.  [28:36] A key trend Sammy is seeing is cybersecurity becoming part of every area of our lives.  Watch the news to be aware of the type of attacks that are happening.[30:13] Sammy shares his best worst boss story.[30:52] Have a boss that looks out for your interests and has the best for you in mind.[32:12] Dan shares one of his best worst boss stories. [34:41] It is important to get away from your regular environment. It will reduce your stress in half and get fresh ideas in your head.  Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInCareful SecuritySammy on LinkedInHave I Been Pwned?

Episode 34 - 6 Key Security Steps Companies Should Take Right Now with Sammy Basu

Scott Howitt has over 30 years of experience in aligning information technology (IT) with business strategies and initiatives. He is experienced and successful in both Fortune 100 and internet start-up environments.Scott shares so much great information about cybersecurity and technology.  We talk about ways to be more informed about cybersecurity threats and where to start with protecting your businesses.  Scott shares about the importance of cybersecurity with many people still working from home because of COVID-19.   Show Notes:[01:07] Sometimes cybersecurity is for protecting against annoying threats and sometimes it is for protecting against catastrophic threats.  [01:21] Scott shares how he got into the IT world.  He started in physics and moved into the IT world.  [03:42] Often we don’t realize the importance of security until we have our first security incident.  [05:12] Security needs to be baked into good engineering because that way it is not something you are thinking about as you are developing and modifying it later on.  [06:13] First, it is important to know your business.  [07:57] As you’re looking at security within your organization, your job is to help keep revenue flowing and make sure they can meet their business objectives as much as it is protecting the data. [08:28] If the cash isn’t flowing, we all suffer.   [10:02] Be informed about what is going on in your industry right now, but also be knowledgeable across different industries.  What they are experiencing now may affect your company down the road.   [11:10] With COVID-19 many 3 year plans were turned into 3-week plans.  [13:49] Scott is seeing increased productivity with his team working from home.  They are actually working on finding ways to help their employees disconnect more.  [15:02] Conversation with peers is always needed.  Many teams are having Zoom lunches and Happy Hour to facilitate these conversations.  [17:54] Now when people come into the workplace and are handed technology the technology is not as good as they have at home. Employees are going to find what technology works best for them.  [18:47] People are going to want to use the technology that is most convenient. [19:21] The cloud is where all security is moving to and we need to incorporate it.  [21:15] Universities can’t teach you current technology and keep up so go take a Renaissance education.  [21:46] If you want to be seen as a contributor to the game, you have to be able to talk technology but you also have to be able to understand the business.   [22:01] If you don’t understand the business you can’t be a good CSO because how do you know you are protecting the right thing.  [23:14] Scott shares his best worst boss story.[25:36] Scott reads 50-100 books a year. You always have to be educating yourself. [25:59] As Americans, we need to learn to get a heck of a lot scrappier than we are today. We need to be vivacious learners and not rest on our past accomplishments.  Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInScott on LinkedInScott on TwitterAI Super Powers Book

Episode 33 - The Importance of Cybersecurity to Protect Our Technology with Scott Howitt

Today we have Patrick McClory joining us. Patrick is the founder and CEO of IntrospectData. He brings a great deal of experience and expertise across multiple industries. He has focused a lot on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Patrick has been writing code, managing DevOps, and designing scalable application infrastructures for over ten years. Before founding IntrospectData, he served as a Sr. Consultant for Amazon Web Services, a Platform Engineer with DataPipe, CTO of DualSpark, and more. Patrick shares so much great information about data, AI, ML, and technology in general.  We talk about remote working, tools for better efficiency, and ethics in AI and ML.   We specifically talk about the misconceptions and steps for getting started using AI. He has so many great insights. Show Notes:[01:06] Patrick started his experience in software engineering and as cloud became a thing he found his home there.[02:33] He found the software world was fascinating to him. He thought he was going to be a doctor when he went to college and he ended up with a degree in psychology.[04:19] He is always interested in the cutting edge, but also looking to find how to apply that cool new idea into real-world value.[06:25] CIOs often become so engrossed in internal operations that they fail to see the opportunities to manage cost and drive forward.[07:54] We get so focused on cost control and providing services that we forget that we are trying to run a business.[09:59] You have to be hands-on with your customers either internally or externally to understand how to make good decisions.[12:24] Shadow IT is a leading indicator of what your users want.[14:44] The problem with working remotely isn’t technical, it is about getting people comfortable working in a collaborative environment from home.[15:39] You have to make it that when people make a mistake it is not the end of the world. You can do this socially or technically.[17:07] Patrick’s company uses Google apps connected with Zoom and Slack. It is important to have a tool that does immediate communications.[19:04] People still want to feel that connection.  They want to feel like they are part of the mission of the organization.[21:57] They are really chipping away at the amount of time and confidence that a company has to make decisions faster than anyone else.[23:51] There is not a whole lot of positive useful AI. There is fear around what AI could be doing and what it looks like.[25:44] Regulation is usually five years behind innovation.[26:33] Financial services have been leading the forecasting and predictive analytics space for years.[28:32] Many industries don’t have the budget or bench to speculate about different technologies.[29:50] Often organizations can’t get out of their own way.[31:15] From a science and engineering perspective we can do lots of cool things, but from a marketing perspective we are not ready for something that is bigger.[33:12] Until it is easy to understand people are still going to be wary of AI even if it does produce great results.[36:29] Patrick’s advice is to continue to exercise being curious in work and life in general.[38:10] Think outside of your space and take that first step.[39:11] Patrick shares his best worst boss story.[42:12] Organizations looking at AI at a technical level need to be focused on getting their house in order.  Getting your data ready for AI and ML is step one.Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInPatrick on LinkedInPatrick on TwitterIntrospectDataSlackZoom

Episode 32 - Data, AI, and ML with Patrick McClory

Tom’s trusted reputation as a leader in the industry has been achieved through a naturally influential and charismatic style coupled with the dedication to delivering a promised vision through the implementation of a robust business strategy. Identifying a strong need for digital transformation in the AEC industry, Tom joined Keross in 2020 to combine his talents and deep industry knowledge with Keross’ advanced digital capability. He is passionate about advocating for firms to gather and leverage their data effectively to derive such value as to provide a clear competitive advantage.We had a great conversation. Tom shares so much great information about consolidating data so that companies can act on the data and achieve their intended outcome. He also shares some key things leaders should be doing to implement a curiosity centered environment driven by data. Show Notes:[00:26] Tom Hasker is the CEO of Keross. He has over 24 years of management and development experience in multiple industries.[01:04] Tom shares why he chose the construction industry. [03:17] He has been with Keross for 4 months and is new to the technology industry. [04:05] Service-based industries tend to be slow on the technology curve. [04:35] The starting point is to look at the workflows that exist in your service offerings. Any serviced based outcome is delivered through some form of workflow. [04:54] The process of documenting these workflows helps you understand the elements of those workflows that can be delivered or enhanced through technology. [05:27] If you capture the organization’s delivery methodology and then you combine that with access to historic and real-time information now they can be brought together and the value you can drive is very exciting. [08:21] Organizations need to consolidate their data into a single system that allows them to act upon the data. [10:45] The next challenge is how we orchestrate the data that exists across this value chain. [12:06] In most buildings or infrastructure projects you can fall into the trap of also breaking the life cycle of that project into two granular pieces. [14:24] The philosophy behind orchestration is the automation of data-driven processes from end to end. It includes preparing data, making decisions based on that data, and then taking actions based on those decisions. [16:02] We are not able to get the most out of systems when they operate independently. [17:45] Technology is able to improve collaboration by providing a collaboration space where data can be collaborated on.[20:34] Start by standing back and looking at the process and consolidating all the information. Then look at the KPI’s the business is using and try to consider how that process can be automated. [20:47] More businesses should be working on real-time data. [21:37] Once you start this process you will look at things through a different lens and begin to notice opportunities for automation and orchestration all over the place. [23:41] Tom is watching how the big contractors and the big engineering firms are trying to come together and develop a new way of working. [25:26] The industry can really benefit from transparency and sharing of data and information. [26:42] Industries like construction and agriculture could learn from other manufacturing industries including the automotive industries. [28:52] Industry bodies have a big role in bringing the industries together and helping them to evolve and innovate in what they do. [30:08] Specializing too soon in one’s career can blinker one’s view of what is really important in an industry. [32:50] For me at the end of the day, it is about leaving no value on the table. Everybody is extracting all of the value that can be extracted out of the process and outcome.[33:18] If you are going into the technology space, it is critical that you understand the operations of the business. [33:58] Diverse perspectives are incredibly important across industries. [34:15] Take a business-first approach and understand the business process and intended outcome before you rush to understand the technical solution.[34:56] It is very important to create curiosity in your organization around how things can be improved and how things can be done better. Then you are going to create an environment of continual improvement. [36:09] Tom shares his best worst boss story. Links and Resources:State of the CIO Podcast WebsiteState of the CIO Podcast on Apple PodcastsDan on LinkedInTom on LinkedIn

Episode 31 - Negotiating and Orchestrating Data with Tom Hasker

State of the CIO features senior IT professionals from leading organizations across America. Talking points on the show include the role of the CIO in business transformation, innovative AI implementation, and consumer engagement as a path to growth. Tune in every week to hear insights from the leading lights of enterprise Information Technology.

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