Subject: Growth and resiliency: Diane Schwarz redefines the CIO role

On building the mindsets and muscles to thrive

On a recent episode of the podcast, we pulled back the curtain on Diane Schwarz’s leadership superpowers and the impact she’s made on the profession. Those who know her best say she is redefining what it means to be a CIO, and her career proves that growth comes not from comfort but from being willing to step into roles even before you feel completely prepared for them. 


In a Q&A afterwards for my CIO Whisperers column, Diane and I spent some more time exploring the mindsets and muscles future-ready leaders need to thrive, from leaning into uncertainty as a catalyst for growth to building authentic personal brands. Read on for more wisdom from Diane, including her career advice for emerging leaders and powerful lessons from her stories of personal and professional resilience.

Coming Up Wed., Oct. 8: Mindy Simon


My guest next Whisperers Wednesday is Mindy Simon, Chief Operating Officer of Aon, where she leads global operations, IT, data-driven capabilities, and service delivery to enable Aon’s 60,000 colleagues to serve clients across 120 countries around the world.


With a career spanning finance, global business services, and technology, Mindy has become known for her ability to bridge the worlds of business and technology and to design organizations that not only launch but can sustain transformation. Tune in next Wednesday as we unpack how she combines a people-first mindset with a business-focused approach to transformation to deliver measurable outcomes, both for Aon and its clients.