CEO Tech Live

Hosted by Hexaware and Ben Fanning

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Aug 2026

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CEO TECH LIVE is where the greatest minds in business and tech share their hard-earned lessons, insights, and stories. These are the change champions of industry. You'll discover the keys to success for leading innovation, growth, and stability within your organization. The podcast is powered by Hexaware--the world's most loved digital transformation partner, who seeks to create smiles through great people and technology. https://hexaware.com/

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27 recent

August 5, 202633 min

Why Great Leaders Choose Empathy Before Technology | Raj Chandrasekhar, Consilio

Raj Chandrasekhar has spent his career leading technology at the highest levels. As Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Consilio, he helps oversee AI and technology supporting more than 30,000 legal matters and 2 billion documents every year, where mistakes can carry enormous legal and financial consequences. But the leadership lesson that shaped him most had nothing to do with technology. It began with a phone call from an employee at the airport, a decision to put family ahead of work, and a moment that forever changed how Raj thinks about leadership. That one difficult leadership moment forced Raj to rethink how he leads, and he still carries that lesson with him today. In this episode of CEO Tech Live , Raj shares: Why empathy is one of the most underrated competitive advantages in leadership The leadership mistake he still regrets—and how he repaired the trust afterward Why knowledge without humility fails, and humility without knowledge isn't enough Why AI is advancing faster than governance can keep up How leaders should think about protecting sensitive data in the AI era Why partnerships consistently outperform vendor relationships How Raj is building his own private AI "Jarvis" at home to stay ahead of emerging technology As AI transforms every industry, Raj believes the leaders who win won't simply adopt the newest technology. They'll be the ones who combine innovation with empathy, humility, trust, and sound judgment. Follow Raj Chandrasekhar on LinkedIn Learn more about Consilio The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

July 17, 202624 min

The Leadership Secret Behind 1.1 Million Volunteers | Rajneesh Gupta, AlixPartners

How do you inspire more than 1.1 million people to come together—not because they're paid to, but because they believe in a shared purpose? Rajneesh Gupta, Global Head of Products & Partnerships / Partner and Managing Director at AlixPartners, experienced exactly that while helping organize the World Culture Festival in Washington, D.C., where volunteers from around the world united to create one of the largest cultural gatherings ever held. The experience fundamentally changed how he thinks about leadership, motivation, and building teams capable of accomplishing what seems impossible. In this episode of CEO Tech Live , Rajneesh shares: The leadership lesson behind organizing an event attended by 1.1 million people Why inspiration consistently outperforms authority and management How one painful leadership challenge taught him that how you lead matters just as much as what you accomplish Why meditation has become his most valuable professional development tool How authenticity creates trust—and trust creates high-performing teams The framework he uses to build successful partnerships across global organizations Why great leaders help people see they're "building a cathedral," not just "breaking stones" As organizations race to adopt AI and navigate constant change, Rajneesh believes the leaders who create the biggest impact won't simply manage people. They'll inspire them with a purpose bigger than themselves. Follow Rajneesh Gupta on LinkedIn Learn more about AlixPartners The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

July 9, 202630 min

How Amjad Masad Pivoted Replit to a $9B Valuation (and 250x Revenue Growth)

Amjad Masad faced one of the hardest decisions of his career. Replit had grown too fast, AI adoption hadn't arrived as quickly as expected, and the company was running out of runway. After painful layoffs and a dramatic restructuring, many would have played it safe. Instead, Amjad doubled down. He and the team locked themselves in a "war room", bet the company on AI agents, and launched what became one of the first software creation agents on the market. The result? Replit's revenue exploded, the company scaled from roughly a $1 billion valuation to $9 billion, and millions of people gained a new way to build software. In this episode of CEO Tech Live, Amjad shares: • Why great startups often begin with a "delusion" • The painful leadership decisions that saved Replit • Why every job is becoming more entrepreneurial • How AI is moving from prompting to autonomous execution • Why distribution, audience, and trust may matter more than coding skills • The leadership principle Replit calls "Seek Pain" • What the future of software development looks like when anyone can build If execution is no longer the bottleneck, what becomes the competitive advantage? According to Amjad, it's ideas, leadership, and the ability to get those ideas into the hands of people. --- Follow Amjad on LinkedIn Learn more about Replit --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

June 8, 202623 min

The Healthcare Breakthrough We Already Have (But Can't Access) | CIO Darren Coleman, Envision Pharma Group

What if the next major breakthrough in healthcare isn't a new drug, a new technology, or even AI? What if it's the data we already have? Darren Coleman, CIO of Envision Pharma Group , shares how healthcare's biggest challenge isn't a technology problem—it's a data problem. Healthcare generates more data than any industry on earth, yet only a fraction of it is being used to improve patient outcomes, accelerate research, and unlock the promise of personalized medicine. In this episode of CEO Tech Live, Darren shares: • Why healthcare may be sitting on its greatest breakthrough already • What Operation Warp Speed revealed about the future of medicine • How better access to data could accelerate treatments and clinical discoveries • Why AI is creating new opportunities rather than simply replacing jobs • The leadership lesson that transformed him from a struggling first-time manager into a successful executive • How to lead change by "breadcrumbing" ideas instead of forcing them on people • Why the best technology leaders understand both business and technology Darren's journey is an unconventional one. He started in sales and marketing, was unexpectedly pulled into technology nearly 30 years ago, and discovered that the most effective leaders aren't the smartest people in the room—they're the people who help others become the best version of themselves. If the future of healthcare depends on connecting data, technology, and people, this conversation offers a compelling look at what comes next. ---- Follow Darren on LinkedIn Learn more about Envision Pharma Group ---- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

May 14, 202625 min

Why AI Fails Without Better Data | T. Rowe Price Chief Data Officer, Kevin Bates

AI isn’t magic. Kevin Bates, Chief Data Officer at T. Rowe Price, made the clearest case I’ve heard for why so many companies are stuck with AI. Everyone wants the AI breakthrough. But Kevin says the real blocker is often much less exciting: fragmented data legacy systems unclear ownership poor data quality decades of complexity When ChatGPT first exploded, a lot of leaders thought AI might magically work around messy data. Kevin says the opposite happened. AI made data quality more important, not less. Because if your data is broken, fragmented, or trapped in brittle legacy systems, AI won’t transform the business. It will expose the weakness. And Kevin’s warning is important to consider: If your data keeps you from adopting the next generation of tools, you’re not going to compete. Your AI strategy is only as strong as your data, and Kevin gives us a powerful playbook for where to start! Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bates-69b3002?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

May 1, 202623 min

Inside Microsoft’s AI Leadership Playbook | COO of Microsoft Americas, Tracy Galloway

Tracy Galloway, Corporate Vice President and COO of Microsoft Americas, shares a powerful framework that every leader needs right now... ...how too keep your leadership impactful while technology moves faster than ever. This isn't AI hype. It's a real conversation about: • nonstop learning • proving AI ROI • tackling burnout • staying present with teams while everything changes Too many leaders keep layering on: • AI initiatives • meetings • reporting • workflows without taking anything off people’s plates. And eventually leaders wake up wondering why their teams are overwhelmed, disconnected, and losing momentum. The leaders who win in the AI era won’t just adopt new technology… they’ll learn how to lead differently. Follow Tracy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trgalloway/ --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

November 3, 202517 min

AI Amplified Expertise: What Every CIO Needs to Know - Kelly M Fisher

In the middle of massive transformation, one question keeps surfacing in every boardroom: Are we behind on AI? Kelly Fisher, Chief Practice Partner at Wipfli, hears it from leaders every day. Her answer reframes the conversation: “AI isn’t replacing your expertise — it’s amplifying it.” She calls it " Amplified Expertise" — the idea that AI, when used intentionally, helps leaders and their teams make smarter decisions, deliver deeper insights, and free up time for what truly matters. For CIOs and technology leaders, that means: -Modeling adoption instead of delegating it. -Building readiness — data, infrastructure, and culture — so your teams can move from experimentation to enterprise-level execution. -Guiding with empathy as people adapt to new tools and new expectations. Kelly also reminded us that innovation starts with people, not platforms “Bring the joy back to the work that got you in the game in the first place.” A simple but powerful call to every leader navigating AI and digital transformation today. Follow Kelly on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-m-fisher-jd-cpa-mst-9258b23/ --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

September 25, 202513 min

Why CIOs Can’t Rely on Data Alone (Richard Brown, LV= Business Transformation Director)

We live in a world overflowing with dashboards, KPIs, and reports. But here’s the hard truth: the numbers don’t always tell you the full story. Rich Brown, Business Transformation Director at LV=, shared a lesson every leader needs to hear: 👉 Early in his career, all the stats said a project was on track. 👉 But his gut told him something wasn’t right. 👉 He ignored it — and later wished he had. That moment changed his leadership forever. Now, he always digs deeper when that nagging doubt shows up. Because while data is essential, instinct is the missing signal . As leaders, especially CIOs, the pressure to be “data-driven” is immense. But true transformation comes when you: -Trust your gut AND the spreadsheets -Ask the uncomfortable questions -Lean into intuition as a strategic asset Your people, your culture, and your instincts will often surface the truth before the metrics do. Because at the end of the day — it’s not just about technology or process. It’s about people. 💡 How often do you trust your gut as a leader, even when the numbers say otherwise? Follow Rich on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ribrown/ --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

September 11, 202516 min

From Help Desk to CIO (The Leader Who Made it Possible) - Wintrust Financial Corporation, Mike Ryan

From help desk to CIO. That’s the remarkable journey of Mike Ryan, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Wintrust Financial Corporation. In this episode, Mike reveals how he transformed his career from marketing to IT leadership, ultimately rising to the C-suite after nearly three decades at Wintrust. Along the way, he embraced risks, learned through failure, and carried forward the leadership wisdom and advice of a true mentorswho believed in him. You’ll discover: -The pivotal moment that launched Mike’s mission to lead from the top. -How a single career mistake reshaped his leadership approach. -Why creating a culture that supports failure leads to stronger teams. -What it really takes to move from the ground floor to the executive level. If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible when you bet on yourself — and your people — this conversation will inspire you to see your own path from where you are now to where you want to be. Follow Mike on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-ryan-6bb3262/ --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/

August 7, 202536 min

Lead the AI Wave—or Get Left Behind (Johnson Controls’ Chief Digital & Information Officer, Vijay Sankaran)

"With AI, you’re either shaping the future—or getting shaped by it." That’s the mindset driving Vijay Sankaran , Chief Digital & Information Officer at Johnson Controls, where he leads 2,500+ technologists building the smartest buildings on Earth . In this episode of CEO Tech Live , powered by Hexaware, Vijay shares how he’s: ⚡ Turning ERP nightmares into agile, value-driven transformation ⚡ Using AI, data, and software to cut building emissions by 10–15% per sit ⚡ Leading an AI revolution that’s making buildings think for themselves—before you even walk in the door You’ll also hear his leadership playbook for: -Breaking down silos across IT, HR, Finance, and Operations -Moving from multi-year tech rollouts to micro-increments -Preparing your team to thrive in an AI-driven future If you’re a CIO, CDO, or digital transformation leader , this conversation is your blueprint for harnessing AI to drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability. 🎙 CEO Tech Live — where business and tech leaders share battle-tested strategies for thriving in disruption. --- Follow Vijay on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijay-sankaran-762a9/ --- The episode is powered by Hexaware: The IT services company creating smiles through great people and technology. Go here to learn more: https://hexaware.com/