Subject: AI leadership insights from CIOs-turned-board-members

Navigating change, risk, and the “messy middle”

“Too many organizations are stuck in the messy middle. Let’s help them get unstuck.”


That challenge, from my good friend Martha Heller of The Heller Report, inspired the latest episode of the podcast, featuring Dr. Lisa Palmer and Ash Rangan, two former CIOs who’ve written must-read new books on leading in the AI era.


It also sparked a two-part series of articles for The Heller Report. For part one, I spoke with three CIOs-turned-board-members (and previous podcast guests), Julie Cullivan, Diana McKenzie, and Wayne Shurts. They shared their experiences helping companies navigate complex AI conversations and strategy decisions and also discussed some of the key areas of focus for today’s boards.


Read part one now, and stay tuned for part two, with more insights from Dr. Lisa and Ash!

Coming Up Wed., Sept. 24: Diane Schwarz


My guest next Whisperers Wednesday is Diane Schwarz, Group CIO of Smurfit Westrock. Over the past 20-plus years, Diane has built a career across some of the world’s most complex industries, leading top-tier IT organizations with responsibilities for digital transformations, cybersecurity, data analytics, infrastructure and cloud operations, and more.


Those who know Diane best say she is redefining what it means to be a CIO, with a resilience, agility, confidence, calm, and class that sets her apart as one of the best in the business. Tune in next week as we pull back the curtain on her leadership superpowers and the impact she’s made on the profession.