Subject: Sastry Durvasula’s blueprint for engineering what’s next

How to leverage "the historian’s advantage”

On a recent episode of the Tech Whisperers podcast, TIAA’s Sastry Durvasula unpacked his journey from engineer to Fortune 100 COO and the leadership playbook that has formed the foundation of his success. In a moment when AI disruption is overwhelming many organizations, he offers a clear roadmap for remaining focused, deliberate, and deeply human.


One of Sastry’s operational principles is what he calls the historian’s advantage: the ability to learn and recognize patterns from the past and connect them to possibilities for the future. In this article for my CIO Whisperers column, Sastry shares his framework for anticipating what’s next and leading transformation at scale in the era of AI. Read on for his advice on how to prepare your organization to shape the future, not simply survive today’s disruption.

Coming Up Wed., Jan. 14


My next Whisperers Wednesday guest is Keith Ferrazzi, influential thought leader, founder of Ferrazzi Greenlight, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of such game-changing books as “Never Eat Alone,” “Leading Without Authority,” and the new "Never Lead Alone.”


Drawing on his research and experiences working with Fortune 500 companies over the past twenty years, Keith is now leading the way in the critical area of human-AI collaboration. Tune in on Jan. 14 as Keith shares his insights, practical strategies, and tools for architecting the future and leading in today’s dynamic and interconnected business environment.