Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

AI transformation should start with business value, not technology.

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Derrick Pledger, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Maximus, about how he is reimagining work for an AI-driven enterprise. Derrick explains why Maximus defines ROI before launching AI pilots, how the company evaluates whether legacy processes can survive in an agentic world, and why every employee receives AI training.

He also discusses building a failure-friendly innovation culture, bringing Silicon Valley capabilities into government environments, and using technology to improve citizen and mission outcomes.

For CIOs navigating pressure to turn AI investment into measurable results, Derrick offers a clear mandate: start with the value you intend to create.

This episode is presented by ElevenLabs — Bringing technology to life. Learn more at elevenlabs.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com

Healthcare doesn’t lack data. The challenge is connecting it.

In this episode of Technovation, Mouli Venkatesan, EVP and Chief Information & Technology Officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, joins Peter High to discuss how interoperability, AI, and shared technology foundations can help create a more connected healthcare system.

Mouli explores how the Blue system balances national scale with local delivery, why longitudinal data matters to value-based care, and how BCBSA approaches AI through mindset, “heart set,” tool set, and skill set. He also explains why responsible AI begins with strong data governance and human involvement in clinical decisions.

The conversation also covers AI workforce development, build-buy-partner decisions, process improvement, and leadership through influence across independent organizations.

This episode is presented by ElevenLabs — Bringing technology to life. Learn more at elevenlabs.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com

AI may be transformational, but that does not mean every great company needs to be an AI company.

In this episode of Technoventure, Peter High speaks with Matt Witheiler, Head of Late-Stage Growth at Wellington Management, about how one of the world’s largest asset managers evaluates companies approaching the public markets. Matt explains why valuation risk becomes critical at the late stage, what separates durable businesses from short-term trades, and how Wellington thinks about AI across technology, healthcare, fintech, and consumer markets.

He also shares why today’s AI cycle feels different from the dot-com era, how companies can prepare for the rhythms of the public market, and why the growth of late-stage private investing has created a dramatically larger opportunity set.

Listen for a long-term investor’s perspective on AI, growth, and building enduring public companies.

Enterprise AI is moving beyond experimentation toward a harder question: where does it actually create measurable business value?

In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Nikhil Narvekar, CIO and SVP of Global Business Services at Graphic Packaging Holding Company, about building an AI strategy around tangible outcomes. Narvekar explains how Graphic Packaging is applying AI to supply chain and logistics, reconsidering the need for a single ERP after 23 acquisitions and counting, and democratizing AI through fusion teams and employee training.

Why Graphic Packaging took a cautious approach to enterprise AI

How AI is helping optimize supply chain and logistics decisions

Why a common data layer could change the ERP consolidation equation

How fusion teams bring business and IT together around AI outcomes

Why human domain knowledge remains essential as AI matures

This episode is presented by ElevenLabs — Bringing technology to life. Learn more at elevenlabs.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com

Better AI starts with better data, and for Vulcan Materials CIO Krzysztof Soltan that means simplifying first.

In this episode of Technovation, Krzysztof Soltan joins Peter High to discuss how Vulcan Materials is modernizing its technology foundation across more than 400 aggregate operations. He explains why reducing system complexity, strengthening master data governance, and investing in talent are foundational to the company’s AI ambitions. The conversation also explores Vulcan’s multi-year digital transformation, its approach to buying versus building AI capabilities, and its focus on a small number of high-value AI opportunities. Looking ahead, Soltan shares his perspective on agentic AI, human-agent collaboration, autonomous mobility, and AI at the edge.

Listen to learn how a data-first foundation can position an enterprise to scale AI with greater focus and business value.

This episode is presented by ElevenLabs — Bringing technology to life. Learn more at elevenlabs.io

This episode is also presented by Retool — Build internal software better, with AI. Learn more at retool.com