IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
Opkalla
About Opkalla:
Opkalla helps their clients navigate the confusion in the technology marketplace and choose the technology solutions that are right for their business. They work alongside IT teams to design, procure, implement and support the most complex IT solutions without an agenda or technology bias. Opkalla was founded around the belief that IT professionals deserve better, and is guided by their core values: trust, transparency and speed. For more information, visit https://opkalla.com/ or follow them on LinkedIn.
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Top 10 IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Jim Marascio + Salesforce CRM
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
12/13/22 • 44 min
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
In this episode of IT Matters, host Aaron Bock interviews Jim Marascio, Principal & Chief Executive Officer of Equals 11.
Conversation Highlights:
- How attending a coding camp in fourth grade led Jim to a career in IT (0:43)
- What the organizational structure of a company reveals about their IT department (05:31)
- Jim explains what Equals 11 is and how they help businesses with CRM (8:45)
- What CRM means to a company and how it will evolve in the marketplace (13:21)
- Why Jim chose to work with Salesforce and how the product works for businesses (16:01)Trends and predictions with Salesforce (23:50)
- Challenges that businesses face with implementing Salesforce and misusing the software (30:22)
- How Salesforce is leveraging AI (36:52)
- The #1 piece of advice Jim would give to millions of people, in his technology state of the union address (42:32)
Resources Mentioned:
- 24:07 – Salesforce Report
- Quality data proves critical to business performance – Experian Data Quality
About Jim Marascio:
Jim Marascio is the Principal and CEO at Equals 11, a certified Salesforce Consulting Partner. Prior to launching Equals 11, Jim served as the Chief Delivery Officer for Accelerance, a global software advisory and consulting firm, Chief Technology Officer at both DART Innovation, a retail technology company, and 11Giraffes, a globally deployed SaaS company in the digital signage space, and CIO at Portrait Innovations, a national retailer.
Jim’s career has been built around the software engineering space, particularly in SaaS platforms generating and processing large volumes of data, as well as systems integration, and global software outsourcing. He loves to build software products, and to help other companies to build and manage software engineering teams
In his free time, Jim loves to travel and explore. He spends a lot of time volunteering on advisory and charity boards. He is an avid sports fan, especially of college football and NHL hockey.
Building Collaboration Between IT and the Rest of the Business, with Kevin Hughes
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
04/20/23 • 40 min
In preparing our teams for the next step in digital transformation, how do we map the best path? Without understanding each person’s needs and challenges, we cannot use technology effectively to assist them and move our business forward. Throwing technology at problems without understanding team needs is a Recipe For Disaster. On the flip side of that, learning how to build an effective collaboration between your wider business and IT is the key to staying ahead in digital transformation.
In this conversation with Kevin Hughes, he shares about the “digital transformation” buzzword and strategies to get IT and your business working together more effectively. Kevin is an innovative and decisive Vice President of IT Operations at Sharonview Federal Credit Union with extensive progressive experience directing and supervising IT operations. In his role, he leads a high-performing team of driven IT professionals committed to giving internal and external customers an efficient, secure, and engaging digital experience.
Conversation Highlights:
[00:01] Intro and a bit about our guest, Kevin Hughes
[01:43] Kevin's career background and how he got to where he is today
[04:09] Lessons Kevin has learned working in different roles, including at Sharonview
[07:23] What makes a credit union unique from a technology perspective
[09:37] What inspired Kevin to transition into technology and leadership roles
[11:50] How to nudge people into their passion and stretch them outside the backroom roles
[17:51] Kevin's success stories interfacing technology with different departments
[20:52] What happens when the business and IT don’t work together effectively
[22:10] Shadow IT, what it is, and why it doesn’t work
[24:07] Using communication to simplify things between business and IT
[26:03] Digital transformation - not just a buzzword, what it means, and how to apply it
[29:16] Impactful digital transformations that Kevin has led recently
[33:25] Trends in IT you need to look out for in the credit unions and rural banks space
[36:55] Blockchain technology and how it’s expected to affect financial institutions
[38:54] Kevin's advice on how to integrate technology into your business
[39:51] How to reach out and connect with Kevin
[40:37] Ending the show
Notable Quotes
- People don't care about what you know until they know you care; it's caring about your people and making sure you're growing them as well. Kevin Hughes [09:57]
- If a business is not getting involvement from IT in getting the technology it needs, it’s going to find it on its own. Kevin Hughes [20:49]
- If you want to oversimplify things, enhance communication between business and IT. Kevin Hughes [24:09]
- Digital transformation is driving efficiency; it’s driving innovation to improve efficiency and make it sustainable using technology. Kevin Hughes [26:15]
- The only way you can drive efficiency is by understanding what the business is; you cannot improve what you don't know. Kevin Hughes [26:36]
- Unless you have conversations with people, unless you understand what their needs and challenges are, you cannot use technology to assist them. It will be a disaster to just throw technology at problems. Kevin Hughes [39:16]
Connect With Kevin Hughes
Sean Farrell + Financial Services Technology
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
04/06/22 • 38 min
In this episode, host Aaron Bock interviews Sean Farrell, CEO of financial services technology company QDS.
Conversation Highlights:
- The cause for QDS's technology evolution (5:24)
- Considering IT in the organization vs. as part of the solutions provided (8:46)
- Communicating effectively internally as a team set up across 12 states and growing (11:32)
- Cool ways people connected through technology during COVID (13:18)
- Where local community banks and credit unions are struggling with technology (16:28)
- Who is getting most involved in IT decisions from the financial services side, and where QDS is seeing the most objections (18:28)
- What differentiates the technologically advanced financial services organizations (20:39)
- The difference between ITMs and ATMs (23:25)
- Why managed services is one of the trends financial services organizations need to be paying attention to (24:19)
- And why Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain are other trends to keep up with (26:42)
- Predicting where QDS will be in 5 years, how that will be different than today, and what it means to have a shortening technology cycle (29:06)
- How prioritizing technology is even more important with COVID-induced supply chain issues (32:13)
- Sean's favorite technology that he uses day to day (33:15)
- Why making sure people understand "why" is Sean's overall best piece of advice related to technology (34:43)
Technologies Mentioned:
- Vidyard - video messaging to boost remote sales
- BombBomb - similar to Vidyard
- Bonusly - solution for internal company rewards programs
About QDS
Founded in 1983, QDS is proud to be a family-owned cash automation company that specializes in helping financial Institutions and retailers use the latest technology to automate cash handling. Their decades of experience and variety of products allow them to serve their customers by providing the best solutions to solve their specific needs. They are committed to helping their banking and credit union clients identify and deliver their Branch of the Future strategy. Their goal is to demonstrate how technology can impact their bottom line and deliver a better customer experience. QDS works with retail clients to create efficient cash handling processes and reduce the risk of theft with automation tools and technology.
Finding Value in Technology Advisors, with Becca Black
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
12/19/23 • 30 min
On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, Keith Hawkey and Becca Black discuss the nuances of Technology Advisory. Becca reflects on her journey into the IT world, the significance of authentic relationships, and the importance of effective communication. Tune in for a candid discussion on building connections and achieving success in the IT realm.
Conversation Highlights:
[00:35] Introducing our guest, Becca Black
[02:07] Becca's path to the tech world
[05:55] Transitioning to Opkalla
[08:54] Differences between Technology Advisors and Sales Reps
[12:27] A Day-in-the-Life of a TA
[14:08] Solving problems with our customers
[17:48] Building positive relationships
[21:50] Understanding buying timelines
[25:45] Implementation of solutions
[27:44] Becca's message to IT leaders
Notable Quotes:
"As technology advisors, we try to focus on seeing the world through the end users eyes and understanding the problem from their scope because we are not focused on a particular technology necessarily." Keith Hawkey [11:34]
"It's just incredible how an organization has a heartbeat in the way it operates." Becca Black [27:11]
Connect With Becca Black
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccaarobertson/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
Decoding the Differences Between IT and OT, with Jason Christopher
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
08/22/23 • 41 min
Operational technology cybersecurity is an emerging industry due to the life-threatening consequences of compromised systems. The biggest question operations managers need to ask themselves is: What does a bad day look like, and how can I detect it coming? On today's podcast, we highlight Dragos and cutting-edge solutions to mitigate the risk of operational technology compromise.
Conversation Highlights:
[01:15] Discussing ChatGPT article
[02:47] Introducing our guest, Jason Christopher
[03:47] Differences in IT and OT
[05:57] The largest OT breach to date
[09:19] How OT security systems have evolved over the last 10 years
[11:20] The catalyst for the adoption of another layer of OT security
[14:13] How would Dragos advise a new CEO concerned about OT security
[19:35] Which industry will be the next one to adopt this technology
[24:04] Where Dragos has thwarted attacks
[26:28] How cloud enters the OT conversation
[27:40] Consulting with Dragos
[30:22] Introducing IIOT
[31:52] IOT within the food industry
[33:33] Where the industry is going
[36:11] Government regulations in OT security
[38:02] Jason's message to the world
[39:01] Getting in touch with Dragos
[40:53] Closing thoughts
Notable Quotes:
"So prevention is ideal; detection is a must. I'd further qualify detection without response is probably of little value, right?" Jason Christopher [13:24]
"If it looks and feels like a maintenance event, when would you ever know it's a cyber event?" Jason Christopher [28:59]
Mentioned Links:
ChatGPT Article- https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-maker-openai-says-it-is-doubling-down-preventing-ai-going-rogue-2023-07-05/
Dragos- https://www.dragos.com/
DISC Registration- https://hub.dragos.com/disc-2023
Connect With Jason Christopher
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdchristopher/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
Challenges and Opportunities of the Logistics Industry, with Chintan Patel
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
04/18/24 • 40 min
In this episode, Keith is joined by Chintan Patel, Chief Information Officer at National DCP, a supply chain management company serving the franchisees of Dunkin'. Chintan delves into the hurdles and opportunities she encounters in the logistics industry, highlighting the role of technology in overcoming these obstacles.
Conversation Highlights:
[00:41] Introducing our guest, Chintan Patel
[02:16] High level challenges in the logistics industry
[04:02] Technologies making an impact
[07:35] Discussing remote labor opportunities
[13:20] Artificial Intelligence and Operations
[23:18] Lessons learned in digital transformation
[32:06] Understanding your target audience
[35:41] Chintan's message to IT leaders
Notable Quotes:
"At the end of the day, technology is a data journey from A to B, and how efficiently you get there." Chintan Patel [19:59]
"Don't forget to sell for yourself, you've got to be your own marketing champion." Chintan Patel [36:15]
Connect With Chintan Patel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chintan-patel-atlanta/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT. It is produced by Opkalla, a technology advisory firm that helps their clients navigate the confusion in the technology marketplace and choose the solution that is right for their business.
Practical AI Application, with Denver Hunter
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
10/30/23 • 36 min
Denver Hunter serves as the Director of Information Technology at PenServ Plan Services, a full-service, third-party administrator offering retirement plan recordkeeping and administration services. In addition to his role leading their IT team, he shares perspectives on technology trends, writing for the Forbes Technology Council. Today we discuss practical applications of AI to automate tasks for the technology leader and the possibilities for help desks. We also dive into why hyperconverged technology makes sense in a cloud-centric world.
Conversation Highlights:
[02:14] Introducing our guest, Denver Hunter
[04:45] AI and banking
[09:32] Safe AI usage
[12:04] Introducing Microsoft Copilot
[15:36] Leveraging AI features
[21:49] Hunter's Forbes article
[22:55] Wins with hyperconverged technology
[29:49] Measuring project ROI
[32:10] Hunter's message to the world
Notable Quotes:
"My mindset with AI is that this hype is gonna cool a little bit and there's still going to be some amazing things to come out of it." Denver Hunter [8:14]
"The grass is greener on the other side, but the water bill is higher." Denver Hunter [33:33]
Connect With Denver Hunter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-anderson-74894a5a/
Hunter's Small Town Blog: https://smalltownco.com/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
Adopting AI, ChatGPT, and Other New Technologies in Your Organization, with John Rouda
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
05/18/23 • 38 min
Join the conversation with John Rouda as he shares his thoughts on bringing AI and ChatGPT into the workplace and schools. We also cover the importance of learning the basics before using AI, how John approaches adopting other new technologies in his role managing an IT department, the impact of streaming services on content ownership and more.
John is VP of IT at INSP, LLC. He comes with over 20 years' experience in IT leadership and is an expert in software engineering, networking, and cyber security. He has honed his skills in all aspects of project life cycles, including agile methodologies. Aside from leadership positions at some of the most deemed IT companies, John has also served as an IT professor at York Technical College and an adjunct professor at Winthrop University. In his spare time, John hosts his own podcast - A Geek Leader.
Conversation Highlights:
[00:07] Intro
[02:41] A bit about our guest, John Rouda
[03:14] What it’s like adopting new technology in an old industry
[07:42] What computer science majors are learning today
[11:59] The importance of real-life experience in college education
[16:18] Current changes in the media industry
[21:08] The future of AI and how it will impact the media industry
[26:16] John’s experience with GPT and false narratives
[30:03] AI prompt engineering course on LinkedIn learning
[34:08] Blocking Twitter and putting a six month hold on it
[36:27] John’s message to the whole world
[37:56] Closing thoughts
Notable Quotes
- “Back when I was in college, we had to learn operating systems. You had to learn compilers. You picked a language or two that you studied courses on and that's what you went through. Now there are different areas that you can go to. There are a lot of different options within a Computer Science degree.” John Rouda [08:40]
- If I'm hiring someone out of college, I don't want to see that they just took classes. I want to see that they were involved and that they have a portfolio of some sort, or some kind of history of work, whether it's an internship, whether it's being able to do these projects.” John Rouda [12:28]
- “Five years ago, we were saying everyone is cutting the cord, but I actually think it's kind of coming back where people are starting to go back to the cable companies because there are too many streaming services.” Aaron Bock [19:22]
Connect With John Rouda
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrouda/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
Ron Horn + Higher Education Technology
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
06/07/22 • 37 min
In this episode, host Aaron Bock interviews Ron Horn, Former CIO of Guilford Technical Community College (now VP IT of YMCA of Greater Charlotte).
Conversation Highlights:
- How Ron became a technologist (3:22)
- Transitioning from the military to corporate and organizational IT (5:15)
- Ron's thoughts on communicating the business use case of IT within an organization (12:14)
- The importance of an IT annual report and socializing the accomplishments of an IT department (15:17)
- Ron shares how organizations are doing IT well through COVID and a changing economy (20:11)
- Ron's advice for how to stay agile in a rapidly changing IT landscape (23:42)
- IT trends and priorities in higher education to pay attention to (25:45)
- How to stand out in IT at a college or university (29:56)
- Navigating fully remote, hybrid, and in-person classroom instruction (31:55)
- The #1 piece of advice Ron would give to millions of people in a technology state of the union address (33:33)
About Ron Horn:
Ron is an Information Technology Executive with over 25 years of experience leading and transforming technology initiatives in healthcare, higher education, retail, manufacturing, and the federal government. He is focused on his craft, capabilities, and expertise in enterprise cybersecurity, process improvement, risk management, technology innovation, and leadership.
Ron has spent his entire 25-year career in Information Technology leading teams responsible for strategic planning, IT governance, service delivery, infrastructure operations enterprise cybersecurity, compliance, and regulatory reviews to clients. Ron leads with a specialized focus in current state and future state assessments enabling organizations to remain competitive in their industry, maintaining sustainable architecture, staff alignment, and training on process improvement.
Areas of Expertise:
- Operating as a Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Director of IT, for client organizations, overseeing the development and leadership of technology programs
- Managing cybersecurity assessments to identify and design strategic remediation plans for people, process, and technology risks
- Overseeing compliance for entities and business associates with protected information
- Leading teams in identifying and remediation controls to protect networks from intrusions and resulting breaches
- Reviewing controls to ensure data and processes are outsourced to service providers in a secure manner
- Over 25 years of experience in the technology community
Ron holds an MBA in Computer and Information Technology from Bellevue University (NE) and a Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer (CHCIO) as well as a certification in Blockchain Technology.
About the YMCA of Greater Charlotte:
The YMCA of Greater Charlotte brings people together – from all backgrounds and circumstances – to create connections that transform lives and community. For nearly 150 years, our Y has fostered meaningful and lasting personal and social change.
Establishing M&A Strategy, with Ryan Lee
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry
09/14/23 • 46 min
Today we are joined by Ryan Lee, who is the newly appointed Director of IT at Allegiance Group. He has an extensive background in M&A and is a wealth of knowledge for any IT leader challenged with integrating disperse technologies and IT teams. In this episode, we discuss strategies and tips to streamline this process and the power of the words “Yes ... but” as it relates to the relationship with business leaders.
Conversation Highlights:
[00:16] Introducing our guest, Ryan Lee
[02:00] Discussing learning platforms
[02:38] Favorite childhood video games
[07:22] Discussing Lee's funniest day in IT
[10:44] Lee's exposure to M&A
[19:27] Navigating difficult conversations
[23:26] Discussing the Language of Business
[24:24] Approaching a new team
[25:55] Impactful new technologies
[30:41] Adopting the "Yes ... and" mindset
[33:09] The cycle of cloud adoption
[38:44] Lee's message to the IT community
[44:03] How to connect with Lee
Notable Quotes:
"'Yes, but' makes a huge difference when you're trying to build relationships and when you're trying to have these discussions." Ryan Lee [17:24]
"Let's have a little bit of empathy for what it is that others are good at, and not expect them to know everything there is to know about IT." Ryan Lee [42:26]
Connect With Ryan Lee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lee-it-leader/
The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT.
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FAQ
How many episodes does IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry have?
IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry currently has 31 episodes available.
What topics does IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry cover?
The podcast is about Information Technology, Tech News, Podcasts and Technology.
What is the most popular episode on IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry?
The episode title 'Challenges and Opportunities of the Logistics Industry, with Chintan Patel' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry?
The average episode length on IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry is 40 minutes.
How often are episodes of IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry released?
Episodes of IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry are typically released every 19 days, 4 hours.
When was the first episode of IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry?
The first episode of IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry was released on Mar 31, 2022.
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