1036: What does it mean to manage a digital workforce?

In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Summit where three top executives explore how AI is reshaping work, both automating tasks, and changing the nature of management itself.

Peter High speaks with:

• Jennifer Charters, Chief Information Officer at Lincoln Financial
• Prasanna Gopalakrishnan, Chief Product & AI Officer at ADP
• Daniel Marcu, Global Head of AI Engineering at Goldman Sachs

Together, they discuss:

• Why AI agents require new thinking about team structure and oversight
• How CIOs and CHROs must partner to build enterprise AI fluency
• The risks of shadow AI and the need for secure platforms
• How habit loops and performance incentives impact AI adoption
• What it takes to balance innovation speed with organizational readiness

Our broadcast today features a panel from our most recent Metis Strategy Summit on the topic of Delivering the Product Operating Model (and Mindset) at Scale.

In this panel episode, we explore the limits and lessons of scaling the product operating model. Sal Companieh (Cushman & Wakefield), Jim Fowler (Nationwide), and Diane Schwarz (Smurfit WestRock) reflect on where product thinking thrives and where it breaks down.

Here are 5 takeaways from their candid discussion:

• Why “readiness” must come before model
• The risks of forcing product teams into fragmented structures
• When to co-create with business leaders—and when to slow down
• How agile funding models can clash with CapEx culture
• What to do when the organization “doesn’t want the service”

What if the most defensible companies of the AI era aren’t the ones building the infrastructure—but the ones using it to rethink workflows?

In this Technoventure episode, Peter High speaks with Jaime Montgomery, Founder and Managing Partner of March Capital, about why the firm is investing heavily in the AI application layer—not chips, not clouds, but the companies delivering real task-based outcomes.

Key topics explored:

• Why workflow-based moats beat data moats in the new venture cycle

• How application-layer companies are scaling faster with leaner GTM

• The ripple effects of AI CapEx on the U.S. economy and tax base

• March Capital’s bets on open-source LLMs and scientific discovery

• Why Montgomery believes AI “bailed out” the U.S. and VC industry alike

What’s stopping AI from scaling across the enterprise? For Madhu Ramamurthy, CIO of Zurich North America, it’s not the technology. It’s the culture.

In this episode, Madhu shares how he’s navigating the paradox of AI: a tool with unprecedented potential, surrounded by institutional resistance, unclear regulations, and cultural misalignment. He outlines Zurich’s approach to responsible AI deployment, organizational change, and ethical tech use.

Key highlights include:

• How “organizational antibodies” can kill innovation before it scales
• The case for explainability and governance in AI development
• Why domain expertise is more valuable than tech fluency
• Building AI-native teams outside of legacy systems
• Madhu’s warning on digital flattery and sycophantic AI

What does it really take to scale AI across a global enterprise?

In this episode, Jaime Montemayor, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at General Mills, shares the AI playbook behind the company’s digital transformation from foundational investments in cloud and data governance to business-led innovation across supply chain, e-commerce, and marketing.

With 96% of General Mills’ supply chain data now clean and governed, Jaime’s team is shifting from predictive analytics to agentic architectures that enable scalable, AI-powered automation.

Key insights include:

• Why cloud migration came before ERP modernization
• How trust and business integration drive AI adoption
• Building a connected data foundation to serve every segment
• Agentic AI use cases in supply chain and marketing
• Org design strategies to “lift and shift” innovation at scale

What does it take to transform IT from a bottleneck into a business accelerator?

In this episode, Waco Bankston, Chief Information Officer at NiSource, shares how he’s repositioning the IT organization to support growth, enable speed, and shift decades of technical and cultural inertia. Leading a 6.5-year enterprise transformation effort, Waco discusses the discipline required to modernize legacy systems while instilling a new execution culture.

Key insights from the episode include:

• Building a modern tech foundation to support future acquisitions

• Restructuring outsourced/insourced IT mix through platform consolidation

• Shaping team behavior through leadership-by-experience

• Establishing unified governance across AI, cybersecurity, and innovation

• Leading with operational safety and customer-back design

What does it take to reimagine a 10,000-employee enterprise for a digital-first future?

In this episode, Unum CTO Gautam Roy breaks down how he transformed the company’s operating model, culture, and technology foundation by reshaping experiences from the customer backward.

Gautam shares how Unum evolved from applications to journeys to value streams; how AI, data, and automation have become levers for acceleration; and how innovation culture and continuous learning drive enterprise adaptability.

Highlights:

• Unum’s shift to digital-first architecture and “moments that matter”
• How AI, data, and automation remove friction across operations
• Building predictive, proactive technology employee experience
• Creating safe spaces and recognition models for innovation
• Developing a future-focused, cross-functional learning culture

What if your company’s greatest advantage isn’t the product—but the purpose behind it?

Mike Hayes, Managing Director at Insight Partners and former COO of VMware, believes mission clarity is more than culture—it’s a strategic asset. Drawing on 20 years as a Navy SEAL and senior tech executive, Mike shares why knowing “who you want to be” is a superpower for founders and boards.

In this episode, Mike and Peter High discuss:

• How purpose-led companies outperform in high-growth markets
• Mike’s “Three Circles” framework for aligning talent to mission
• What Insight Partners looks for in founder-VC alignment
• How to say no (with clarity) when everything seems urgent
• Why values-based leadership scales in unpredictable markets