S7E53 - A Conversation with Thomas Sweet

In this episode, host Greg Schaffer interviews Thomas Sweet, an award-winning CIO/CTO and 2023 Tech Titan Emerging CTO, who shares his unconventional journey from civil engineering to enterprise IT and cybersecurity leadership. Tom reflects on his early days at NEC, Microsoft, GM Financial, and more, offering key lessons learned while leading global teams and driving digital transformation.

The conversation covers:
🔹 How Tom transitioned from civil engineering into IT
🔹 The problem-solving mindset engineering instilled in him
🔹 His approach to building strong, low-attrition teams through genuine leadership
🔹 Why AI is already reshaping IT—and why resisting it may hinder career growth
🔹 How he uses AI to accelerate secure coding, automation, and testing
🔹 The emerging landscape of AI-specific attacks
🔹 The importance of decompression and how Tom balances life outside technology

A thoughtful, engaging look at technology leadership, organizational culture, and the rapidly changing role of AI in the enterprise.