Disruptive Innovators: Champions of Digital Business - CIO & IT Leader Interviews, Digital Transformation, Digital Innovation

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148

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Aug 2026

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Disruptive Innovators features conversations with CIOs and IT/Digital leaders from around the world - diving into their personal backstory/career, their current role, trends they've been seeing and their vision for the future. This podcast is made for people who recognize how quickly the digital business landscape is evolving - those who recognize that it takes a village of trusted advisors to navigate this ever-changing terrain – People who enjoy listening to high-level discussions surrounding what it means to be a leader, real-world examples of challenges faced, and industry-specific strategies leveraged to create exceptional business outcomes.

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August 23, 202641 min

Fighting AI-Driven Impersonation Scams in Recruiting with Gary Pikul of Boyden

Boyden has spent decades building trust as the world's oldest executive search firm. Gary Pikul , its CTO, joins David Wright to break down the AI threat now testing that trust. He unpacks AI-driven impersonation scams in recruiting and the career risks that shaped his path to the C-suite. From a bike-riding analogy to a career-defining early mistake, Gary makes the case for why judgment, not just technology, is what will separate the firms that survive this shift from the ones that don't. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Gary Pikul, CTO of Boyden, and his path from accounting into technology leadership. 02:24 Boyden's global reach and its focus on family-owned and mid-cap client organizations. 05:54 Gary's top career advice: take on the biggest problem in front of you, even without the answer. 10:40 David's honest take on the risk he almost didn't take. 19:13 Gary recalls an early career mistake that taught him to question his own certainty. 26:40 Boyden's AI strategy, tackling FOMO across offices while scaling internal tools. 30:00 AI-powered impersonation scams are eroding trust across the recruiting industry. 33:08 Why today's scam emails look polished, personalized and increasingly convincing. 36:15 The skill AI still can't replace — explained with a bike. 39:33 The advice Gary wishes someone gave him decades ago. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED Boyden website: https://www.boyden.com/ #DisruptiveInnovation #DisruptiveTech #DigitalBusiness

August 16, 202651 min

Solving the Problem Before the Product with Jessie Gungor of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

So many digital investments in healthcare fail to solve the problem they were meant to fix. J essie Gungo r , CNIO of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust , joins David Wright to explore why, and shares why he believes digital leadership belongs to every member of a care team, not just senior staff. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 02:31 The role of CNIO at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. 04:49 Identify the actual problem before reaching for a digital solution. 11:47 Jessie traces his path from frontline nursing to digital health leadership. 17:34 Why it's never too late to try something new in a career. 20:47 Recognizing and managing imposter syndrome. 34:52 Jessie outlines his vision for building a digitally literate workforce. 38:04 Why digital leadership isn't limited to senior staff. 50:11 Closing advice: take the opportunities in front of you. Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust website: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/ #DigitalHealth #NHS #NursingLeadership

August 2, 202641 min

Closing the AI Governance Gap and Building Upstream Care with Dr. Ami Bhatt of the American College of Cardiology

Healthcare AI often gets scrutinized at the front door. The real risks live downstream in workflows and handoffs no one is watching. Dr. Ami Bhatt , Chief Innovation Officer of the American College of Cardiology *, joins David Wright to unpack the governance gap in healthcare AI and where systems need to look. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 02:24 Ami names the governance gap in healthcare AI as the most urgent issue to address. 03:18 The American College of Cardiology represents 60,000 members across more than 2,500 health systems worldwide. 11:42 More patient data does not automatically improve care without infrastructure to interpret it safely. 13:23 Ami learns that management requires collaboration, not simply telling people how to do their jobs. 20:53 Reframing "barriers" as "dependencies" changes how technology adoption conversations unfold with health systems. 24:10 PRIME-Heart shifts cardiology's focus upstream, toward prevention rather than only treating advanced disease. 27:59 Predictive tools only help patients when timed to a moment where care can change outcomes. 32:03 Expanding clinical teams to include pharmacists and community health workers could close the caregiver gap. 38:10 Ami predicts population health will shift toward wearables and monitoring in the patients' homes. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED American College of Cardiology Website https://www.acc.org/ U.S. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/ PRIME-Heart Initiative https://www.acc.org/education-and-meetings/products-and-resources/features/prime-heart Dr. Ami Bhatt Website https://dramibhatt.com/ “A Guardian and a Thief” by Megha Majumdar https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guardian-Thief-sensational-author-Burning-ebook/dp/B0F6ZZ145N Eko Health https://www.ekohealth.com/ DispatchHealth https://www.dispatchhealth.com/ 23andMe https://www.23andme.com/ #DisruptiveInnovation #HealthcareAI #DigitalHealth *Since recording this interview, Dr Bhatt has become Chief Medical Officer of WHOOP

July 26, 202629 min

Why AI Can't Fix a Broken Culture with Sarina Swan of Vitalant and Chad Anderson of Mercedes-Benz USA

Recorded live at the CCW Las Vegas show floor, David Wright sits down with Sarina Swan , Sr. Director, Customer Contact Center of Vitalant , and Chad Anderson , Head of Customer Care and Roadside Operations of Mercedes-Benz USA , to unpack culture, AI adoption and customer experience. Sarina speaks to the upside once things are working, and Chad flags the prerequisite — you can't skip the culture/process work and expect AI to compensate. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 03:33 Sarina explains why customer experience is critical to donor retention at Vitalant, the second-largest US blood bank. 05:21 She argues CX leaders should look past the AI hype and refocus on the fundamentals of the customer journey. 07:02 The cultural and change-management work required before new technology can succeed. 09:03 Vitalant's five-year strategic plan uses technology to support, not replace, its people. 11:04 An anti-rotation calling service more than doubled Vitalant's connect rates, from about 12–16% to 22–26%. 14:00 Sarina’s advice to her younger self: be confident in your ability, and take more risks. 16:40 Chad describes leading cultural transformation and customer insights at Mercedes-Benz USA. 18:38 Organizations invest heavily in technology but too rarely invest in preparing their people. 21:04 AI will only amplify a broken culture, not fix it. 28:26 Chad’s closing advice: never forget your employees, because they drive every technology outcome. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED CCW Las Vegas 2026 https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/ Vitalant Website https://www.vitalant.org/ Mercedes-Benz USA Newsroom https://media.mbusa.com/ #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

July 19, 202635 min

Rethinking Customer Experience in Healthcare with Jason Frame of Southern Nevada Health District and Aaron Johnson of Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System

David Wright talks privacy, AI and customer experience with Jason Frame , Chief Information Officer of Southern Nevada Health District , and Aaron Johnson , Interim Chief Marketing Officer of Penn Medicine , University of Pennsylvania Health System , live from CCW Las Vegas. Jason and Aaron bring perspectives from healthcare IT and marketing leadership, showing how problem-solving culture and privacy-first thinking shape the customer journey from two very different vantage points. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 03:45 Southern Nevada Health District protects 2.3 million residents and 50 million annual visitors. 07:58 Privacy is the CX priority healthcare leaders cannot afford to ignore. 12:03 How Jason's team is piloting AI-powered call handling to catch calls the front desk cannot answer. 13:56 Jason's biggest regret is being too risk-averse early in his career instead of taking chances. 16:00 Early-career leaders should ask their boss directly what it takes to move up. 18:15 How Aaron leads demand generation and patient access as interim CMO at Penn Medicine. 20:15 A solution-first mindset is creeping into how organizations approach AI. 25:25 Penn Medicine is unifying its websites onto one cloud-based content platform system-wide. 30:14 Aaron compares marketing to demand, and access to supply, calling their connection intuitive. 33:03 An urge to leaders to tie cost-cutting wins to the revenue those solutions help protect. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED CCW Las Vegas 2026 https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/ Southern Nevada Health District website https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/ Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System Website https://www.pennmedicine.org/ #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

July 13, 202641 min

Upskilling, Contact Centers and AI's Role in CX with Antrea Dowd of HCA Healthcare, Shmuel Saklad of B&H Photo Video and Dale Sturgill of Memorial Hermann Health System

Antrea Dowd of HCA Healthcare , Shmuel Saklad of B&H Photo Video , and Dale Sturgill of Memorial Hermann Health System join David Wright live from CCW in Las Vegas to explore how AI is reshaping contact centers, workforce development and the patient experience. Antrea explains how HCA is bridging the healthcare workforce gap by upskilling employees and using AI to move patients through their journey more efficiently. Shmuel challenges CX leaders to pay attention to the managers now responsible for leading mixed human-and-AI workforces, and argues that translating metrics into business language is what separates practitioners from leaders. Dale reveals that the 55-and-older demographic has been the most enthusiastic adopter of new contact center technology at Memorial Hermann, upending common assumptions about digital resistance. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 03:36 Antrea Dowd's role at HCA sits at the crossroads of workforce development, operations and patient-centered care, turning students into employees and upskilling current staff to close healthcare workforce gaps. 08:10 In healthcare, resistance to AI is rooted in fear of replacement rather than a genuine capability gap — leaders who communicate AI as a collaborator, not a competitor, change the dynamic on the floor. 11:16 Automating student placement and rotation scheduling would free HCA teams to focus on the higher-value work of curriculum design and programme rollout. 14:46 Shmuel Saklad built a 12-year career at B&H Photo Video starting as a phone agent, working up through a contact center that serves corporations, governments and educational institutions at B2B scale. 19:28 The conversation about AI in contact centers focuses on agents — but the managers responsible for leading mixed human-and-AI workforces are adapting too, and that shift is not getting enough attention. 20:17 Translating contact center metrics into executive language — framing CSAT in terms of lost revenue rather than scores — is what allows CX practitioners to influence decisions in rooms that matter. 25:00 Designing AI solutions for diverse audiences requires intentional human-centred design: age, geography and culture all shape how customers want to communicate. 30:14 Dale Sturgill has spent 30 years in contact centers and is now leading Memorial Hermann Health System's strategic shift toward AI, digital innovation and improved patient and consumer experience. 33:00 The 55-and-older demographic has been the most engaged adopter of new contact center automation at Memorial Hermann, challenging assumptions about which customers resist self-service technology. 35:26 Memorial Hermann's new CIO is conducting a deep-dive review of technology across contact centers, hospitals and pharmacy to identify the highest-impact AI initiatives. 38:23 A naturally bilingual voice talent at Memorial Hermann is being augmented with AI to scale English and Spanish voice capabilities across the contact center. Thanks for listening to the "Disruptive Innovators" podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. RESOURCES MENTIONED CCW Las Vegas 2026 https://www.cxtoday.com/events/ccw-las-vegas/ HCA Healthcare Website https://www.hcahealthcare.com/ B&H Photo Video Website https://www.bhphotovideo.com/ Memorial Hermann Health System Website https://memorialhermann.org/ Purpose. Presence. People. - Antrea’s podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purpose-presence-people/id1864633571 ElevenLabs https://elevenlabs.io/ #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

June 28, 202647 min

Turning Rocks Into Gems: Building Global Data Operations with German Faraoni Heidenreich of Reckitt

German Faraoni Heidenreich , Global Director Data and Shared Services of Reckitt — the company behind Lysol, Mucinex and Finish — joins David Wright to explore what it really takes to transform data operations inside a global consumer goods company. German shares how he standardizes master data management across international markets, cutting the time it takes to commercialize a new product SKU from 200 days to 90, and why the most meaningful measure of progress in his shared services operation is no longer a turnaround SLA — it is speed to decision. The conversation covers the human side of enterprise data transformation and how communication gaps between technologists and business leaders derail initiatives before they start. German also reflects on what 23 years at Procter & Gamble, a move to London and a significant career reset taught him about adaptability as a winning discipline. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 02:05 Leaders should check whether their work and ambitions are actually aligned. 04:30 Technology is the enabler, not the end point — every digital initiative ultimately succeeds or fails on human behavior change, not on the tech itself. 07:00 German’s career path from electronics engineering in Argentina to P&G Latin America, a $50B acquisition-driven move to Mexico and then global innovation organization in Cincinnati, USA. 15:10 Adaptability is a muscle — deliberately surrounding yourself with people from unfamiliar cultures forces growth faster than staying in familiar environments. 18:30 Execution alone is not enough to move to the next level; relationship-building and sponsorship carry critical weight. 21:00 Seeking mentorship from people you don’t see eye to eye with, not just allies, gives a more comprehensive view of your own blind spots. 25:30 The hidden cost of low trust is wasted time and energy, not just failure rates. 28:30 Ethan Mollick’s Substack newsletter ‘One Useful Thing’ — on the fight for attention and the skill of refocusing. 33:00 The pilot market for the new shared services reduced SKU commercialization time from 200 days to 90 — not through new technology, but through process redesign first and automation second. 37:00 Two persistent blockers: communication and building connected data models. 41:00 The biggest future disruptors for consumer goods companies will not be direct competitors — they will be small, agile players leveraging tech and ecosystems to attack from unexpected angles. 42:30 Speed to decision is replacing turnaround SLAs as the KPI that matters in shared services. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. Resources Mentioned: One Useful Thing by Ethan Mollick — Substack newsletter: https://www.oneusefulthing.org The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey — https://speedoftrust.com/ #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

June 22, 202637 min

Why Saying Yes to Discomfort Is the Fastest Path to Innovation Leadership with Tracy Elmer of TrueCare

David Wright sits down with Tracy Elmer , Chief Innovation Officer of TrueCare . They discuss building a career on saying yes before feeling ready, leading innovation in community healthcare and using AI to restore human connection at the point of care. Key Takeaways 00:00 Introduction 03:04 Saying yes before feeling ready has driven every major career leap — discomfort is a growth signal, not a warning sign 06:07 A summer job in Army medical records at 16 set the foundation: service, curiosity and the belief that even short experience counts 09:10 Leading an Epic implementation mid-pandemic reinforced that excellence rather than perfection is the standard 14:37 Admitting what you don't know builds trust and creates the safety culture innovation requires 21:30 TrueCare's access mission extends to food, housing, transportation and a street medicine program for those with the most basic unmet needs 27:30 The workforce represents the community: taking care of the team is how TrueCare takes care of everyone else 29:45 Ambient AI is not about cutting documentation time — it restores eye contact and deepens patient trust 31:05 Agentic AI is being piloted in the contact centre to elevate staff, freeing people for complex work while AI handles the routine Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. Resources Mentioned TrueCare: https://www.truecare.org/ “The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama https://www.amazon.com/Light-We-Carry-Overcoming-Uncertain/dp/0593237463 “A Bit of Optimism Podcast” – Simon Sinek https://simonsinek.com/podcast/ #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

June 7, 202639 min

Augmenting Human Coaches With AI To Scale Leadership Development with Louise Doorn of CoachNova

This week, David Wright sits down with Louise Doorn , CEO and Founder of CoachNova , to discuss how AI is reshaping the executive coaching industry. Louise shares the vision behind CoachNova, a platform designed to augment human coaches with AI — capturing coaching signatures from session transcriptions, extending client relationships beyond scheduled hours and building a privacy-first infrastructure under the EU AI Act. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 02:30 Why Louise believes agentic AI and digital knowledge gardens are a game-changer for leaders who cannot scale themselves. 05:10 How inner development and stepping away from the day-to-day have driven Louise's biggest breakthroughs. 11:20 The moment a failed IPO led Louise to a year of exploration — and ultimately to entrepreneurship. 22:05 How CoachNova built its MVP within two months following an AI and coaching conference at Columbia. 23:06 How the platform uses prompt engineering and ICF and EMCC accreditation standards to generate session notes. 24:45 Why CoachNova built on EU infrastructure to comply with GDPR and the EU AI Act — and what that means for data security in coaching. 25:09 How pattern recognition across coaching sessions measures coach efficacy by client type for corporate sponsor programs. 27:30 How 80% of a coach's signature is captured from transcriptions — and what fills the remaining 20%. 31:15 Why static digital twins fall short and how CoachNova's dynamic model continues to develop alongside the coach and coachee. Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. Resources Mentioned: CoachNova: https://coachnova.ai Still Human: https://www.coachnova.ai/still-human #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech

May 10, 202658 min

Live From HIMSS 2026: The Future of Healthcare IT - Part 2

David Wright sits down with four healthcare technology leaders live from HIMSS 2026 in Las Vegas for a series of short, direct conversations capturing the real state of digital health transformation. Tom Boyle (Head of Telecoms at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ), Tonya Reeder (CIO, Walter Reed National Military Mediacl Centre ), Trip Humphrey (Director of Data Science and AI, Carilion Clinic ), and Dr. Kaitlan Baston (Founder and CEO, Vinyl Health ) each bring a distinct vantage point on AI adoption, governance, equity, and patient empowerment in a sector moving faster than its own roadmaps. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 02:30 UK patients accept longer waits , but only if health systems proactively keep them informed along the way. 04:00 Start AI with admin and radiology triage — win trust first, then pursue bigger clinical transformation. 06:00 The NHS and US health systems face more digital parallels than differences — same conversations, different funding models. 18:00 AI bias is a data gap problem, for example, underrepresented populations were simply absent from early military health records. 18:30 Buying a $25M AI tool means nothing if you're only using $1M worth of its functionality. 30:00 Building AI models from scratch is a research undertaking. Most health systems should focus on implementation science instead. 34:00 Health system leaders learn about new AI capabilities hours before their stakeholders ask about them — roadmaps are nearly impossible. 38:30 The right response to breakneck AI change is empathy, not telling people to just deal with being scared. 49:30 Care coordination is duplicated everywhere, but patients and families are rarely the ones driving it. Vinyl fixes that. 52:30 Federal momentum — CMS Tech Ecosystem, data blocking rules, TEFCA — is directly aligned with patient-held records. The timing is right. Resources Mentioned: Tom Boyle https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomboylenhs/ Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust https://www.linkedin.com/company/sheffield-teaching-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/ Tonya Reeder https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyareeder/ Walter Reed National Military Mediacl Centre https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrnmmcdha/ Trip Humphrey https://www.linkedin.com/in/triphumphrey/ Carilion Clinic | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/carilion-clinic/ Carilion Clinic | Website https://www.carilionclinic.org/ Dr. Kaitlan Baston https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlan-baston/ Vinyl Health | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/vinyl-health-ai/ Vinyl Health | Website https://www.vinylhealth.com/ HIMSS 2026 https://www.himss.org/news-center/himss26-shaping-the-future-of-healthcare-with-expert-insights-exceptional-impact/ University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust https://www.uhnm.nhs.uk CMS Interoperability and Patient Access Rule https://www.cms.gov/interoperability Tefca (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) https://www.healthit.gov/topic/interoperability/policy/trusted-exchange-framework-and-common-agreement-tefca Thanks for listening to the “Disruptive Innovators” podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and never miss another insightful conversation. And be sure to leave a review to help get the word out about the Champions of Digital Business. #DisruptiveInnovation #Innovation #DisruptiveTech