Inspired Execution: How tech leaders are breaking barriers to deliver meaningful customer experiences

If you’re interested in learning how technology leaders rapidly adapt to today’s evolving business landscape, you won’t want to miss the final two episodes of the second season of the Inspired Execution podcast! 

Over the course of this season, DataStax Chairman and CEO Chet Kapoor spoke with leaders from global enterprises like PayPal, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs. Their conversations ranged from how each of them ended up in their current positions and the digital transformation initiatives their teams are focused on to who inspires them and the advice they’d give to their younger selves.

The tenth episode of the season drops. Chet talks with Jeetu Patel, Cisco’s SVP and GM of Security and Collaboration, about why simplicity and memorability are key when you’re building a multi-product platform, the importance of understanding the power of compounding value, and what the future of hybrid workplaces will look like. 

In case you missed the last few episodes, here’s a brief summary of each.

Keep Your Finger on the Pulse: Problem-Solving & Podcasting with Steve Mills, the Global CIO of iHeartMedia 

“It's critical, if you're going to be a successful CIO, that you really know how the business works. You really have to go around to the other side of the table and sit beside your business partners and look at their problems.” —Steve Mills

For as long as he can remember, Steve Mills has been interested in technology. Case in point: He built a tic-tac-toe computer for a science fair project in middle school. In this episode, Steve talks about the journey that brought him to iHeartMedia, how the CIO role isn’t necessarily a technical role, what Steve does to keep his proverbial toolset sharp, and the ingredients that make up great entertainment.

 

A Learning Experience without Limits: Wiley EVP & CTO Aref Matin on Transforming Education with AI & ML 

“I try to stay very engaged with my teams and colleagues, regardless of the topic. I kind of go back to my own experiences of the past. When I had managers that were engaged in my activities and showed a lot of interest, I really thrived.” —Aref Matin

Aref Matin hasn’t always worked in the education industry. But once he landed his first job in it, he was hooked—and he hasn’t looked back since. Tune in to find out how AI and machine learning are helping create learning paths personalized to each student, why Aref prefers flat organizations and no-door policies, the importance of making sure everyone sees and feels the impact they’re having on the business, and why it’s important to break organizational barriers to ensure people can collaborate openly across teams.

 

Opinions Are Inside, Facts Are Outside: Listening the Customer with Verizon’s SVP of Platforms & Infrastructure Greg Sly

“I think that was a learning point both times for me: trust that there's a plan here and be part of the plan. Just don't sit back and wait for somebody to tell you what to do, but continue on the journey that we were on and just be part of the solution.” —Greg Sly

When Greg Sly first joined Yahoo!, the company offered the world’s leading search engine. Then Google emerged and Yahoo! was forced to redefine what they were as a company, which took a toll on employee morale. In this episode, Greg talks about overcoming that adversity, the importance of trusting a plan, how Verizon is focused on delivering a network that’s reliable, dependable, and fast, why companies can’t keep talking to the same customers forever, and how he takes inspiration from anthills to build greener, carbon-friendly data centers that reduce operating costs by 75%.

 

Don’t miss the next episode of Inspired Execution

Tune in for the next episode of Inspired Execution to learn more about how some of today’s most impactful leaders inspire their teams to reach their full potential. To ensure that you don’t miss any episodes of Inspired Execution, join our mailing list and receive notifications when every new episode is released.