Shoukat Ali Bhamani is the Chief Information & Digital Officer (CIO & CDO) for the Schaeffler Group Americas, a global automotive, industrial & aerospace manufacturer with $3.2B revenue and 13,000 employees in Americas.  Over the past 20 years, Shoukat has led several operational and strategic business functions to support a double digit growth in the manufacturing environment. This includes Strategic Planning, General Management, R&D, Program Management, Quality Systems, Continuous Improvement, Process Management and IT. His effective transformation leadership has successfully integrated the IT and business priorities via program management, roadmaps, goals, KPIs and strategic initiatives, across multiple platforms & business units, nationally & internationally.  Resulting in a uniform SAP landscape region wide, measurable business improvements, increased sales opportunities, optimized business processes & supply chain, efficient technology & infrastructure, IT cost transparency, and a high performance IT team to support business growth & strategy. He has now taken over the responsibility of digital transformation and is in the process of prioritizing business needs, establishing talents and executing digital solutions. 

His business experience includes 10+ years of successful customer relationships to manage key programs & business development to support a significant increase in market share and bottom line.  His R&D contribution includes several new product development initiatives to meet the market challenges of new innovation and technology.  His international experience includes major programs across multiple platforms & business units, including product development, manufacturing, investment, cost reduction & IT projects in US, Canada, Mexico, Japan & Germany. Shoukat received his Bachelor\’s (NED) and Master\’s (McGill) degrees in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.  He lives in Fort Mill, SC with his wife and two children.

Angelic Gibson has spent over 20 years in Information Technology, in a number of leadership positions. She joined AvidXchange in 2018, and today serves as the company’s Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining AvidXchange, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Information Technology at Technekes. Over the course of two decades, Angelic gained deep experience in enterprise technology systems, as well as management practices supporting databases, networks, telecommunications, and infrastructure. She has built and supported business intelligence platforms, has extensive cloud computing strategic insight, and a solid track record of success in balancing operational efficiencies with business development and growth. In addition to overseeing Technology Delivery & Operations at AvidXchange, Angelic is passionate about, and actively involved in, building a talent pipeline for the next generation of technology talent, both inside and outside the business.

 

Subra works for Hanes Brands Inc. as Chief Information Officer. He is based in Winston Salem, North Carolina USA. Over 25+ years of Industry experience in managing People, Processes and Technology functions across several domains.

Managed large and complex business transformation programs valued over 100 Million Dollars, matrix organization involving team of 250+ spread over various geographic locations. Prior engagements includes Philips, HP Enterprise/DXC, and VF Corporation.

Subra holds a Masters in Business Administration from University of Pune, India

Sheila Jordan was formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Symantec. Sheila was responsible for driving Symantec’s information technology strategy and operations ensuring that the company had the right talent, stayed ahead of technology trends and maximized the value of technology investments. Her goal was to drive increased productivity, better efficiency and strategic business partnerships through simple and intuitive experiences for Symantec’s global workforce. Prior to joining Symantec in February 2014, Sheila served as Senior Vice President of Communication and Collaboration IT at Cisco Systems. Here she was responsible for delivering and integrating key IT services that touched Cisco’s global workforce. She drove productivity and a superior, holistic end-user experience for all employees through an integrated architectural approach. Within her purview at Cisco were collaboration platforms, user experience and support, and communications, collaboration and mobility services. During her nine-year tenure at Cisco, Sheila’s IT organization was recognized by the industry with awards presented by CITE, InformationWeek and CIO Magazine. She also received the 2010 Cisco Executive Sponsor Catalyst award for her leadership in developing successful relationships with customers, including several Fortune 100 companies. Active in social media, this year Sheila was recognized by ZDNet as one of the Top 100 CIOs on Twitter. In 2011, Sheila was named by CIO Magazine as “One to Watch.” She is a frequent speaker and spokesperson on the topics of collaboration, the consumerization of IT, IT as a service organization, and women’s leadership. Her views are included in the new book, “The Mobile Mind Shift” by author and Forrester analyst Ted Schadler. Earlier in her career Sheila worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where she was Senior Vice President of Destination Disney. A key architect of the strategic planning process, she was responsible for delivering profitable growth. She was instrumental in integrating marketing, sales, and services across the organization as Disney transformed its business from a product-centric to a guest-centric organization. Sheila serves on the Board of Directors for NextSpace, a Santa Cruz, CA-based firm that provides innovative physical and virtual infrastructure for entrepreneurs, freelancers and creative professionals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology.

Rama joined Corning in 2001. Since joining Corning Rama has been instrumental in leading global initiatives, establishing worldwide processes, successfully executing large-scale, multi-location programs, and leveraging talent in emerging regions to meet Corning strategic objectives. As a  key member of Corning M&A team got several successful M&A’s under his belt from due-diligence to integration. He managed several important roles for Corning IT -PMO, Enterprise Architecture, ERP etc.. He is playing leadership role in Digital Transformation, and implementing technologies to improve customer experience. He is part of  leadership team for business and IT. 

Rama earned Master in engineering from IIT Bombay. He is Board of Advisor for NCTECH. He resides in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and two children.

As Director Of Software Development for Centene Corporation (Fortune #24) based in Charlotte NC, Chris leads a global organization of software development teams in the innovation and delivery of Centene\’s world-class systems, servicing the needs of 25 million members.

Prior to joining Centene, Chris was Director of IT (CIO) for Metrolina Greenhouses and AFL Network Services, where he led Digital Transformation and Cloud Migration initiatives in addition to establishing in-house software innovation as a core competency.

Thanks to her gift for teamwork and creativity, Melissa Sawyer has never met a problem she can’t solve. Intuitive, ambitious, and driven by a helping mindset, Melissa is on a mission to consistently exceed her client’s expectations.

Melissa is motivated by a genuine desire to build long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. An experienced professional whose career has taken her all over the country, she is now eager to focus her attention on serving the thriving business community in her beloved home of Charlotte. As a former Executive Director for the Inspire CIO Leadership Network, Melissa is a trusted resource and has a track record of successful collaboration and business growth. Now, she is thrilled to be bringing her expertise to her position with Hylaine where she is determined to help Charlotte’s business community prosper.

Earning her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Professional Sales from Ferris State University in Michigan, Melissa began her career in Chicago with AT&T where she sold phone systems and fax machines, which were transformational technology at that time! Her next stop was Cable & Wireless Communications where she led a team of her peers in enterprise software sales until she got married and headed back to Michigan to start a family. Grateful for the opportunity, Melissa was a stay at home Mom, Room Mom and Girl Scout leader for all 3 of her daughters and she enjoyed every minute of it! In 2008 the family relocated to Charlotte and since then Melissa has launched and built several C-suite focused organizations. It was her collaboration with C-suite executives that inspired Melissa to take on her role with Hylaine where she can help develop innovative solutions to business challenges resulting in a thriving community in which to live and work.

In her downtime, Melissa enjoys cooking, traveling, exploring Charlotte’s food and brewery scenes, and spending time with her family and friends in the great outdoors. She is an avid hiker, she loves the lake and the beach alike, and most of all she loves spending time with her three amazing daughters.

 

Patrick Thompson is a global Enterprise Digital Transformation Leader with a strong combination of C-Suite leadership, business acumen and proven digital experience. He brings expertise in enterprise business digitization, turnarounds and integration management, operational improvement and global business services automation. Most recently, at Albemarle Corporation, a global specialty chemicals manufacturing company, Patrick held concurrent leadership positions – Senior Vice President, Chief Information & Digital Transformation Officer and Global Business Services Leader. He oversaw 500 people globally who processed $10 billion of business annually, and was responsible for leading IT, business and digital transformation to enable multibillion-dollar growth. Patrick led the company’s digital transformation initiative, resulting in IT reaching Hackett IT Master Class benchmark and Protiviti Top 1% Cybersecurity Manufacturing benchmark. He led global enterprise digital transformation of operational and back-office enterprise business systems to improve customer experience, supply chain excellence, manufacturing excellence, employee experience and back-office experience. During his tenure, the company grew from $2 billion to $10 billion in six years, with 46 locations around the world, including in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Australia, and the stock price tripled. This followed his time at DEPCOM Power, which provides energy solutions for the utility solar and energy industries, where Patrick was Fractional Chief Information & Digital Transformation Officer. During the company’s start-up period, he provided business advisory services and talent acquisition assistance to the CEO. Prior to this, Patrick was Chief Information Officer & Enterprise Transformation Chief Administrative Officer at Amedisys, the largest home-health providers and second-largest hospice care provider in the U.S., when he was responsible for all administrative functions, including IT, HR, Sourcing, Talent Acquisition, Facilities and Aviation. He was promoted to Executive Vice President of Operations, when he led the Fortune 1000 company with full P&L responsibilities and drove EPS from $.04 to $1.08 and reached the Fortune 1000. At Shaw Group, an Engineering, Procurement, & Construction firm specializing in building power, refining, nuclear and energy plants, Patrick was Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer & Enterprise Transformation Chief Administrative Officer before being promoted to Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, a $4 billion global business unit. He was responsible for all operations, business development and project support functions, including Engineering, Consulting and Administrative Support to multibillion-dollar federal and Industrial Manufacturing Industry clients, and helped drive the enterprise to a Fortune 500 company from $700 million to $7 billion before it was sold for over $3 billion. Earlier in his career, Patrick was Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer at Turner Industries and a Managing Director at Andersen Business Consulting (now Accenture). Patrick’s extensive Board experience includes serving as a Member of the SAP Chemical Executive Advisory Board, the Salesforce Manufacturing Advisory Board, the Workboard Advisory Board, the Aryaka Advisory Board, the Moveworks Advisory Board, the HMG CIO Advisory Board, the Gartner Evanta CIO Advisory Board and the Inspire Charlotte CIO Advisory Board. He is Past-President of the LSU IT Advisory Board. He volunteers as a Board Member of Apparo, which delivers IT assessments, plans and solutions to nonprofits. He is Founder and a former Board member of the Oracle JD Edwards Advisory Board. Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (with a Computer Science Minor) at Louisiana State University. He has been named Hall of Fame CIO by CIO IDG, Top 100 CIO by IDG, Top 100 Computerworld, Carolina ORBIE Global CIO of the Year and Louisiana CIO of the Year. Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife, Peggy, and daughters Peyton and Madison, and traveling the world.

Angela Yochem is formerly EVP & Chief Digital Officer for Novant Health, a super-regional healthcare system with one of the largest medical groups in the US. She and her teams delivered world-class consumer capabilities, differentiating technologies, and advanced clinical solutions that allowed the high-growth system to provide remarkable patient care.

Angela has served as EVP/CIO at Rent-A-Center, Global CIO at BDP International, Global CTO at AstraZeneca, and divisional CIO at Dell. She’s held tech exec roles at Bank of America and SunTrust, and held senior technology roles at UPS and IBM. In these roles, she built B2B digital product lines, grew digital retail channels (B2C), created technical services lines of business, and transformed global technology capabilities.

Angela has been a Director for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, BDP Transport, BDP Global Services Asia and Europe, and Rocana, with experience on Audit, Enterprise Risk, Operational Risk, and Governance/Policy committees. She remains an EIR for Vonzos Partners, a Mentor for SKTA Innopartners, and an Advisor for Dioko Ventures. Angela serves on the board of Freedom School Partners, a non-profit committed to promoting literacy in the Charlotte area, and on the executive team of the Go Red for Women organization, part of the American Heart Association. She is a Trustee of the Charlotte Regional Business Initiative, and is an advisory board member for the American Hospital Association Innovation Council and the University of Tennessee Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.

Angela has a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee, holds three US Patents and is an author with Addison-Wesley and Prentice-Hall.

Scott Anderson is the Vice President of Global Cloud Advisory and Digital Transformation at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. In this role, Scott works to develop solutions for HPE customers that enable digital transformation in a Hybrid Cloud environment.  

Scott brings a long career of experience to this role that provides our customers with the benefit of direct knowledge and a background in IT Transformation.  In his most recent position as Vice President of Hybrid IT Transformation Solutions, Scott and his team developed solutions combining hardware, software and services from HPE as well as our partners to provide complete transformation options for HPE customers.  Prior to that, Scott was Vice President in the Global IT Infrastructure and Operations (ITIO) organization at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, supporting both Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. Scott’s organization was responsible for HPE’s own transformation journey from traditional IT to our current, multi-cloud, highly automated hybrid application platform.  

Scott was also responsible for building and operating Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s compute facilities around the world including Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s large enterprise data centers in the US.  This role included the HPE Data Center consolidation program associated with the transformation work.  This consolidation effort successfully delivered on the promise of closing hundreds of data centers globally and reducing overall IT spend dramatically. 

Scott joined HP in 1985, working in IT and Manufacturing for the Optoelectronics Division, part of the Components Group. Since that time he has held numerous roles around the company in data center services, telecommunications, software development, and business infrastructure management. 

Most recently, Scott and his team played a key role in the separation of Hewlett Packard into Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.  Hosting Services delivered the infrastructure in support of the separation on time and with budget supporting the overall success of the Hewlett Packard separation effort.  

Scott is based in Palo Alto.

Jassi Arora co-leads Duke Energy’s Customer Connect program as vice president of customer connect delivery. He is responsible for consolidating and modernizing the company’s legacy billing systems into one customer service platform to deliver the universal experience customers expect. Customer Connect will simplify experiences for Duke Energy customers and employees; strengthen the company through modernized technology and increased efficiencies; and advance opportunities through speed to market, new products and services and enabling a modern, skilled workforce. In addition to Customer Connect, Jassi is also accountable for IT department supporting digital customer experience, all legacy Customer Systems, Renewables applications and Call Center technologies.

Jassi is a seasoned business and IT executive with more than 25 years of experience in the customer service and transmission and distribution areas of the utility industry. He joined  Duke Energy in October 2017 from Arizona Public Service (APS), where he led the successful implementation of large-scale customer information and grid modernization projects. 

Prior to leading the programs at APS, Jassi worked for large consulting organizations, partnering with several utilities to implement programs such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Distribution Management System (DMS), Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Smart Grid Solutions. 

Jassi holds several degrees including a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Computer Application and a Master of Science in statistics.

Jassi and his wife, Ruchi, have two sons.

Chief Architect in Financial Services with extensive experience in building and leading teams. Primary areas of expertise : Strategic Planning, Ideation, Design, Large Scope Service Delivery for complex business & IT processes – Online-Mobile-Branch banking, Master Data Management, Global Financial Crimes, Data Science Analytics.

Track record of enabling systems integration for 5 M&As. Multiple recognitions from CEO and CIO for successful realization of high volume, high performance technology solutions that are strategic, architecturally sound, operationally sustainable and fiscally prudent.

Partner with Business Executives to plan and execute Enterprise Level Business strategies, New Product/Service launch, Rescue bottlenecked programs, Culture change. Granted 2 technology patents and 5 filed for.

Passionate Technology Educator routinely invited to Leadership, Women in Technology and other diversity forums to ‘Break the Myth’ on Advanced technologies.

Andy leads the Information Technology support operations and infrastructure strategy across Monarch’s footprint. As Chief Technology Officer, he is responsible for ensuring that the necessary infrastructure and processes are in place for effective and efficient IT development and implementation.

Andy joined Monarch in 2012, bringing extensive experience leading mission-critical IT and security objectives. He has worked in information technology and security for 35 years and has specialized skills in enterprise-wide information security design, network and systems infrastructure oversight. Andy also has the responsibility as the HIPAA Security Officer for Monarch and is CRISC certified.  Prior to his appointment at Monarch, Basinger held the role of Senior Manager of Security Engineering at New Breed Logistics in High Point. He spent 25 years at Food Lion’s corporate headquarters in Salisbury, where he served in various technology positions, including Information Security Operations Director. 

A native of Rowan County, Basinger and his family reside in China Grove.

Greg Berkin joined Caladrius in January 2015. Since that time, Greg has been responsible for transforming external IT support into an internal team working as a highly-efficient operating unit across Caladrius. He also manages all groups within IT: Networking, PC, Cybersecurity, Applications, Business Solutions, and Telecom. 

Before joining Caladrius, Greg held director and management roles in IT at other biotech companies including Regado Biosciences, Aeterna Zentaris, and Chugai Pharma USA.

Greg has 25 years in the technical profession with 20 years of unparalleled managerial experience, specializing in network engineering, facility operations, project management, hybrid cloud-computing, cybersecurity, and M&A activities.

Ben de Bont joined ServiceNow in July 2019 and currently serves as CISO.  Mr. de Bont previously served as CISO for IBM Cloud, CSO for HP Cloud, CISO for Myspace, and led Microsoft’s online incident response team.  

Ben co-leads the Technology & Innovation Council for Business Executives for National Security (BENS), and as of 2017 has been a board and founding member of the Cybercrime Support Network (CSN). 

In 2018, Ben was selected to participate in the Presidential Leadership Scholar Program, a joint initiative of the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, merging leaders from across non-profit, military, public, and private sector fields to facilitate solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues.

Ben holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, his thesis in cryptography and encryption. Ben was named 2018 Queensland University of Technology Alumnus of the Year for Science and Engineering. 

From 1997-2000 Ben served in the Australian Army.  

Matthew Clark servers as Leader, Information Security for Pentair, where he currently directs cybersecurity, governance, risk management, and compliance efforts.  He has over 20 years of experience in information security and information technology in the manufacturing industry. Matthew is a proven leader with expertise in building effective information security programs and leading global transformation projects.  He has a passion for enabling business success through the secure use of technology, process improvement, and innovation.  Matthew has an MBA from Averett University and holds multiple security certifications.

Beatriz is a recognized thought leader in technology, with over 19 years of successful roles in the CPG industry. Over the course of her career with BAT, she has held extremely diverse leadership roles in Mexico,?Latin America, Canada, Africa and the UK. Beatriz’s journey with the company started in 2001 as an IT Trainee and then business partner and SAP Project IT Lead roles. This was followed by regional roles for the Americas, supporting Operations and Marketing. In 2016, she moved to Montreal to take on the CIO role for Canada & Mexico. Now, she is responsible for over 50 markets as BAT’s Regional CIO for Americas & Sub-Saharan Africa. Beatriz has spearheaded the company’s Digital Transformation Program and has played a lead role in BAT’s highly acclaimed Diversity & Inclusion programme, for the past 6 years.

Daidre Fanis joined M&S Consulting in June 2017 as Executive Director and Practice Leader.  She has over 20+ years of IT leadership with both public and private companies of varying sizes and industries, and consulting.

Daidre began her career with Kraft General Foodservice where she advanced to several key positions focused on defining and implementing IT strategies, both internally and for clients.  She then transitioned into telecommunications at a Charlotte-based start-up called US LEC which was later acquired by PAETEC Communications, and then ultimately Windstream.  Throughout her tenure in telecommunications, Daidre led senior leadership positions with oversight of all IT enterprise business services, strategy and solutions delivery, including IT operational excellence, M&A due diligence and integrations, CRM & ERP transformations, robotics process automation solutions, and PMO.  Daidre was also Sr. Director of IT at AvidXchange where she led strategies to implement & enable scalability and growth for the hyper-growth company by way of technology and IT service delivery optimization.

Throughout her career, she has been both a recipient and a leadership mentor in Mentee-Mentor programs helping to define and develop other IT professionals, and has held a seat on UNCC’s Women in Computing panel for mentoring women students within the program.  She has also led employee culture, community foundation and wellness committees at each of her companies.  Daidre was a winner of the Charlotte Business Journal 2016 Women in Business Achievement Award.  She is passionate about supporting outreach and foundations such as STEAM, Women in Technology, Alzheimer’s Association and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Daidre holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Information Technology from the State University of New York, and a Master degree from Lynn University.  She is also a graduate of the elite Society  for Information Management (SIM) for senior IT professionals, and is current Vice President (and incoming President as of June 2019) of the Charlotte SIM Chapter.

Daidre and her family reside in the Lake Wylie area of Charlotte, NC.

Becky Fox, MSN, RN-BC is the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer for Atrium Health, helping to set the strategy and vision of how Atrium leverages technology to improve the work lives of clinicians, while improving the lives of patients, consumers and communities.  Becky has been in healthcare for more than 25 years, having worked clinically in acute, ambulatory and ED settings.  She also spent more than 13 years consulting with health systems around the world on their health informatics journey. 

Sean brings over 20 years of experience supporting and managing complex IT landscapes and global teams across diverse industries, cultures, and technology landscapes.

 In his current role, Sean leads the Global IT Security function for Sealed Air.  He joined Sealed Air in 2015 and previously led the IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance teams through a period of significant organizational change and transformation.  Prior to joining Sealed Air, Sean served in various IT and IT Security leadership roles at Carlisle Companies, Ernst & Young, and UnitedHealth Group focused on improving IT operations, security, compliance, and leading global implementations across a broad range of Fortune 1000 organizations.

 Sean earned his BS in Industrial Engineering from Penn State, MBA from the University of South Carolina, and currently holds the CISSP, CISM, CRISC, and CIPP certifications. 

Angelic Gibson has spent over 20 years in Information Technology, in a number of leadership positions. She joined AvidXchange in 2018, and today serves as the company’s Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining AvidXchange, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Information Technology at Technekes. Over the course of two decades, Angelic gained deep experience in enterprise technology systems, as well as management practices supporting databases, networks, telecommunications, and infrastructure. She has built and supported business intelligence platforms, has extensive cloud computing strategic insight, and a solid track record of success in balancing operational efficiencies with business development and growth. In addition to overseeing Technology Delivery & Operations at AvidXchange, Angelic is passionate about, and actively involved in, building a talent pipeline for the next generation of technology talent, both inside and outside the business.

 

Karl Hightower is Senior Vice President of Enterprise Information Management and Chief Data Officer for Novant Health, where he and his teams oversee the advancing of the use of information assets for the company. His teams deliver products and services ranging from advanced analytics and real-time messaging to delivering Cognitive Computing and AI solutions throughout the enterprise. He and his teams focus on simplifying how information is consumed within the decision making processes through innovative and collaborative means. Karl has held executive roles in large retail and energy trading companies, and has held pivotal roles in telecommunications, manufacturing, supply chain, insurance, government, banking and finance, and food and beverage. In these roles, Karl set strategic direction and created alignment to direct structures during the pivot years of these industries, devised and led game-changing initiatives, increased revenue by millions – and in one case billions – of dollars, became an early champion and expert in cloud adoption, personalization through social media data, real-time pricing structures, and extreme automation through machine learning and AI-based algorithms. Karl has an undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in PoliticalScience, and was in the first class to go through Carnegie Mellon’s prestigious ISRI Enterprise Architecture and Strategy program. Karl is the son of two college professors, and is from a long line of educators. This upbringing instilled a continuous thirst for learning and creating opportunities for others to learn. While in Dallas, Karl helped to found and build the STEAM education program for the district. The program included one entirely Spanish immersive middle school as well as associate degree paths in the high schools. Karl was heavily involved in the Texas Amateur Golf Association as well as the Dallas LPGA events. In Charlotte, Karl has joined the District Advisory Board for Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School district.

Curtis Hughes is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Midrex Technologies, where he is responsible for defining and executing the company’s global technology strategy, providing collaborative, innovative and transformational solutions for Midrex\’s customers, partners, and employees across more than 20 countries worldwide. He is a member of the Midrex Executive Leadership Team and one of two Executive Advisors to its Innovation Council, which focuses on fostering intrapreneurship, innovation and idea-generation among Midrex employees.

Prior to joining Midrex, Curtis spent nearly two decades as a trusted business leader and technology strategist for corporations and government agencies across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. During this time, he founded or co-founded three companies, the most recent being C5 Insight, a management consulting firm named twice to the INC 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies, where he served as Managing Partner.

In 2012, Curtis was named as one of Charlotte\’s \”40 Under 40\” in recognition of his business accomplishments and commitment to the community. He frequently shares his experience by writing on leadership and technology trends, and speaking at business and technology conferences around the world.

Curtis holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (UNCC). He previously served in a leadership role for the Information Technology Advisory Council (ITAC) for the American Red Cross, and currently sits on the Board of Advisors for the UNCC College of Computing and Informatics (CCI). 

Twitter: @CurtisCHughes

LinkedIn: /in/curtishughes

Todd brings years of security leadership and innovation experience managing cyber risk and delivering business results. He’s been a CISO, lead cybersecurity assessments globally and delivered in multiple industries, including high tech, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and financial services.

Rama joined Corning in 2001. Since joining Corning Rama has been instrumental in leading global initiatives, establishing worldwide processes, successfully executing large-scale, multi-location programs, and leveraging talent in emerging regions to meet Corning strategic objectives. As a  key member of Corning M&A team got several successful M&A’s under his belt from due-diligence to integration. He managed several important roles for Corning IT -PMO, Enterprise Architecture, ERP etc.. He is playing leadership role in Digital Transformation, and implementing technologies to improve customer experience. He is part of  leadership team for business and IT. 

Rama earned Master in engineering from IIT Bombay. He is Board of Advisor for NCTECH. He resides in Charlotte, NC, with his wife and two children.

Douglas Krieger is the Director of the Indirect Center of Excellence at Herbalife Nutrition.  In this role, Doug leads a team of sourcing professionals focused global technology solutions across 96 countries. 

Doug is a licensed attorney who has assisted multiple organizations in developing and executing cost reduction strategies. Doug has a relentless focus on building businesses, establishing priorities, and achieving actual implementation of his ideas, vision, and strategies. He is able to translate technology ideas and concepts into business vernacular and business requirements into functional technology strategy, which helps him break down barriers in complex negotiations.  He has significant functional experience in corporate and business unit strategy, process design, change management, as well as leadership and technology transformation.

Doug has produced significant cost reduction in the organizations he has supported through a combination of innovative strategies, negotiation, and outside-the-box thinking. He has successfully led ROI development to bring bleeding-edge technology, driving sales and increasing the top line. Doug is a frequent speaker at various industry seminars and is well regarded for his ability to deliver relevant ideas and value. Doug is a graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia and received his Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. 

Doug is based in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Shauna Latshaw is the Chief Information Officer for Compass Group North America based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Compass Group North America is a leading food and support services company with over 280,000 associates and $20.1 billion in revenues in 2019. With over 600,000 associates globally, its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC had revenues of $32.2 billion in 2019.

Shauna leads enterprise information technology across end-user services, cloud services, application development, architecture, data engineering, security, vendor and portfolio management. Her team supports key lines of business including healthcare, food and support services procurement, unattended retail, sports and entertainment, finance, accounting, and labor management. She has over 25 years of technology leadership experience from organizations including Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, and Cardinal Health.

Shauna earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications, and a Master of Science degree in Information and Communication Sciences from Ball State University.

Shauna is a fan of The Ohio State University Buckeyes and has a son studying Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati. She resides in Fort Mill, South Carolina, with her husband, Jon.

 Michael LaVallee is a Managing Partner at Jobplex, Inc., a DHR International Company. Jobplex leads the recruiting industry in offering diversified search services for the emerging, next-generation executive, thereby complementing DHR International’s senior-level executive search practice. He brings over 35 years of retained executive search experience to his role with Jobplex.  Prior to joining Jobplex, Michael led searches for his own boutique search firm, LaVallee & Associates, which he founded in 1986 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Michael has also spent time recruiting for other search firms, including Heidrick & Struggles and Coleman Lew & Associates. Michael was recruited to Heidrick & Struggles to help launch their Leaders Onlineprogram, focused on extending exceptional recruitment service to line-of-business executives seeking to build out strong, diverse teams. When it comes to searches, Michael brings a hands-on approach to his clients, ensuring the highest level of service, earning their respect as a trusted advisor and good business partner. His clients appreciate his responsiveness and high-touch communication throughout the process

Michael strives to find promotable candidates with high potential, that are a seamless fit for the culture of the company and the best possible choice for the role. To help clients make these decisions with confidence, he dives deep into research of the candidate pool, assesses behavioral patterns, and conducts in-depth 360-degree interviews with the management, colleagues, and direct reports of the candidate.

At LaVallee & Associates, Michael completed over 275 searches, servicing mid-cap, private equity, ESOP, hi-tech and Fortune 500 public companies. Michael is a generalist and has completed searches within many industries and roles, but his specialty has been finding Information Technology leaders, across all areas of the enterprise and IT functions. He has received industry recognition for his work in the Technology area and has been an invited speaker and panelist at Technology industry conferences and forums.

Michael was recruited to Jobplex to help grow the business, with focus on Advanced Technology, Industrial, Financial, and Marketing leaders. The Jobplex brand is excited to have Michael join the team.

Michael is a member of the Board of Advisors for the North Carolina Technology Association. Outside of work, Michael has been an active member of the Reynolda Rotary Club and Youth Soccer Coach.

He holds a BS in Business from Wake Forest University, where he was a two-year starter on the Football Team. Michael resides in Winston-Salem, NC with his wife, and has four grown children.

David Lindsey is Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He has overall executive leadership and management responsibilities for EPRI’s global Information Technology platforms, Cyber Security, and digital transformation initiatives.

Mr. Lindsey joined EPRI in 2016 as Director, Enterprise Infrastructure and in this role, had management responsibilities for EPRI’s data centers, service desk, collaboration platforms and enterprise-wide networks.  Mr. Lindsey has been instrumental in streamlining and restructuring EPRI’s digital transformation strategy and providing resiliency for the underlying systems and applications.

Prior to joining EPRI, Mr. Lindsey held the position of CIO for one of the nation’s largest independent healthcare organizations and was in that role for 3 years. Prior to this role, he was Director, Information Technology for Cogentrix Energy, a leading independent power producer owned by Goldman Sachs. Mr. Lindsey worked 13 years for Cogentrix and during his tenure was involved in multiple merger and acquisition initiatives from due diligence to integration.

Mr. Lindsey earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Information Systems from Queens University of Charlotte where he graduated magna cum laude.

As Director Of Software Development for Centene Corporation (Fortune #24) based in Charlotte NC, Chris leads a global organization of software development teams in the innovation and delivery of Centene\’s world-class systems, servicing the needs of 25 million members.

Prior to joining Centene, Chris was Director of IT (CIO) for Metrolina Greenhouses and AFL Network Services, where he led Digital Transformation and Cloud Migration initiatives in addition to establishing in-house software innovation as a core competency.

Before joining Insight Solutions, Mr. Maritato was responsible for leading the Business Technology organization that enabled the business to deliver a predictable, repeatable and sustainable best in class experience to customers at Sonic Automotive, one of the largest industry-leading automotive retailers in the United States that operates over 100 dealerships and with over 25 different automobile brands.   Coupled with his management and leadership experience, he held senior level positions responsible for the technology, provided steering and strategy for multiple fortune 500 organizations, as well as led the technology operations in many world markets that included the Americas, the European Community and Asia / Pacific regions.  His role in each organization was to recreate, rebuild, and expand IT competencies through both internal development and external business acquisition initiatives.  Chris was one of 25 to receive the CIO Ones to Watch Award by CIO Magazine.

Steven Michaels is currently serving as the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Broomfield, Colorado based SCL Health. SCL Health is a faith-based, nonprofit healthcare organization dedicated to improving the health of the people and communities they serve, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. Steven is responsible for advancing technology strategies for SCL Health, including growing and optimizing the ministry through the use of digital and technological resources. Steven has 25 years of senior-level experience in global IT leadership, organizational transformation, and strategic planning. He served Fortune 500 and non-profit organizations spanning from healthcare to supply chain, telecommunications and government. Steven earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix, an Executive Leadership Certification with the University of Notre Dame and a Master Certificate in Six Sigma Black Belt with Villanova University He received his BBA in CIS from Campbell University

Born and raised in Columbus Ohio, and alum of Miami University of Ohio (1999), Ted began his career with Westin Hotels and Resorts on Hilton Head Island, specializing in Finance.  Over the next few years Ted transitioned into IT and helped open The Westin Savannah Harbor Resort.  The next opportunity brought him to Charlotte, NC, where he led IT operations for the Westin Charlotte opening team, and remained on as Director of IT until 2006.  During this time Ted completed the Wake Forest MBA program and (more importantly) met his wife, Julie.  Ted then accepted an Area Director of IT role with Starwood – supporting all Starwood brands in South Florida and the Caribbean.  In 2008, Ted joined Starwood’s New Builds and Transitions team and assisted in opening over 50 owned and managed hotels in the US, Caribbean and Canada.  Most recently, Ted was a Portfolio Lead with Accenture supporting data management operations for a major financial client in Charlotte – leading a team of over 150 resources around the globe. 

Currently Ted is the CIO and VP of IT for Bissell Companies and is responsible for IT and Operations strategy and execution for all Bissell entities.

Ted resides in South Charlotte with his wife Julie and his sons Henry (6yrs) and William “Bo” (4 yrs). 

John W Murdock is Partner with Executive Search Partners, a nationwide search firm since 2002, specializing in senior Information Technology appointments. Murdock, like all ESP partners, distinctively draws on his thirty years of experience as a former IT executive and leader. Having successfully acquired, built, and delivered business enabling solutions and services to large multinational Insurance and Banking companies. Such as, CIO VP and Board member at GMAC Insurance; VP IT for First Union (Wells Fargo); VP IT for Huntington Bank; and President for Systems Task Group, Intl (Majesco).
 
Since Murdock \”grew up\” in IT, and then effectively transitioned to executive search, he understands what it takes at all levels with providing the best senior IT professionals to hiring executives.
Murdock is an active member of SIM Charlotte, providing leadership to the board, as Sponsorship chair, and as an advisor to SIM’s Members in Transition group. Recently he gathered commitments from thirty sponsors to contribute $80,000+ for Charlotte region STEM initiatives. Additionally, he serves as an Account Manager in the SE for SIM’s Regional Leadership Forum, widely known as SIM RLF. 
John holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Michigan State University, attended various Business, IT and Executive Management programs throughout his career. … Yet his tenure as leader and manager of people processes and technology have provided his greatest lessons and accomplishments.

As VP & CIO for AAA Carolinas, Raja provides thought leadership for enterprise technology and innovation, defining and driving technology strategies, and data driven insights to deliver a seamless member experience. Prior to joining AAA Carolinas, Raja led IT Strategy and Roadmap Development, Post-Merger Integration and Organizational Change Management for AAA Club Alliance.

Raja came to AAA from The Steritech Group, where he led the technology transformation leveraging the latest in cloud, mobile and analytics to conceive and develop market leading software solutions providing actionable insights for their B2B clients.

Recognized in May 2013 as a rising vanguard in the industry on CIO Magazine\’s prestigious \”Ones to Watch\” list, Raja has utilized his expertise in technology strategy, organizational design, business process optimization, continuous improvement, and analytics-driven innovation and extended product/service differentiation in the market, increased business agility and grew revenues for organizations across a diverse set of industries.

Lety is a native Texan, computer science graduate and early entrepreneur. She sold her Austin-based technology company and joined large corporations to help transform their technology estates. She specializes in business pattern recognition and technology implementation – excelling at organizing complex business structures and quickly transforming operations to increase business value. Prior to Novant Health, Lety held executive technology positions with Wal-Mart, GE Baker Hughes and Dell Technologies.

Lety received her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and is obtaining her graduate degree in business administration and finance at University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Active in her community, Lety is a CIO Host for Apparo, a nonprofit that helps other non-profits leverage technology.

She also promotes the local advancement of technology by co-chairing Inspire CIO Leadership Network and serving on the advisory board for Charlotte HMG Strategy.

Lety has been recognized across her executive peers in the technology industry. During her first year in Charlotte, she was awarded top 5 finalist for Charlotte CIO of the Year. While working for Fortune 1 Walmart, she was added to the Women to Watch list and was featured in a national publication, “Leading Women”, published by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. In 2009, Lety co-authored “Business Architecture in Practice” with Corporate Executive Board.

Nicholas Nwasike has a career in technology that spans over 17 years in areas from IT Support, Development to IT Security.  He is currently a VP in Wells Fargo’s contact center technology division overseeing IVR and Voice Biometric technologies.  Within the company, he has managed several technology teams, enterprise integration and security efforts, and mentored and contributed on several technology initiatives. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Nick worked for other companies including Nationwide Insurance and British Telecom, where he started his IT career.

In the community, Nick has been a member of the technology Association of Iowa (TAI) where he served on the Business Climate Committee, and a member of the Society for Information Management (SIM), Charlotte Chapter. 

Nick holds a graduate degree in computing from Northumbria University Newcastle, UK. He also has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from A.B.U.  Zaria, Nigeria.  His working career in both fields spans across the four continents of Africa, Europe, South and North America.

Amish Patel is the Chief Technology Officer at Elevance, Inc., a Fortune 25 company with over $138 billion in revenue. He is responsible for advancing Elevance’s cloud journey, technology platforms, and exponential engineering to create the next generation of innovative digital capabilities. Leveraging AI, machine learning, and complex data analytics, Patel’s team is building the solutions to evolve Elevance into a digital-first platform for health.

Throughout his career, Patel has proven to be a visionary leader whose strategic integration of technology into all areas of the business has transformed how companies operate and deliver value to customers.

Before joining Elevance, Patel served as the CIO of Aflac subsidiary Empowered, where he led the development of an industry-leading benefit enrollment platform. Prior to that, he spent 16 years at BB&T, where he was appointed the CIO of Core Banking and led modernization initiatives around a suite of banking applications that accounted for roughly 60% of the bank’s yearly revenue.

Patel holds an MBA in Strategy and Finance from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flager Business School and a BS in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He currently serves on the advisory boards of Society for Information Management, HMG Strategy, and North Carolina Technology Association.

Eric Pearson is the Chief Information Officer of the Global Mortgage Insurance segment at Arch Capital Group. Previously at Arch he held the role of Chief Information Officer for the International Mortgage, Alternative Markets and Worldwide Reinsurance Groups. He oversees the Mortgage Group’s information technology strategy and is responsible for the delivery of digital solutions and support around the world. He joined Arch in 2014, having previously held architecture and engineering leadership positions at PMI Mortgage Insurance Co., Safeway Inc., Sybase, Inc. and several technology companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. He earned a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Bridgewater State University and currently lives in North Carolina.

Sushma is currently the Vice President at MetLife, a Fortune 50 global insurer, where she is driving the transformation of a $2.2B Disability Business. Since joining MetLife in 2003, Sushma held numerous technology leadership positions across several high-visibility organizations. Prior to joining MetLife, she was a management consultant in financial services at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She has more than 20 years of experience across the Financial Services industry as well as in consulting. A technologist, known for being a change catalyst with a growth mindset, Sushma had the opportunity to successfully drive large scale transformations and turn arounds throughout her career journey. Sushma has a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India. She is an advocate of Neuro Diversity and is passionate about advancing women in tech and girls in STEM.

Christina joined AvidXchange in 2018 and is responsible for the company’s Cyber Security Program, where she leads efforts to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data and personally identifiable information. Christina brings with her considerable industry experience and skills that include organizing and overseeing internal audits, developing incident response plans, establishing comprehensive compliance programs, and creating privacy strategies. Before joining AvidXchange, Christina served as Chief Privacy Officer and Senior Director of Compliance – Third Party Risk Management, PCI, Information Technology for Ally Bank, where she was responsible for Ally’s Consumer Data Protection Program, including Incident Management and Breach Notification, as well as Data Loss Prevention. She has previously held positions at both General Motors and Daimler Chrysler – as IT Audit Director and Project Manager, respectively – and is a member of several professional organizations, including the ISACA, IAPP, and the PMP. When she’s not watching over AvidXchange’s sensitive data, Christina can be found spending time with her daughters Lauren and Brooke, golfing with her husband, Emmett, or doing volunteer work with Paraguide and Project2Heal.

Responsibilities: Scott Richardson is CIO of Enterprise Data & Analytics, reporting to the Ally Chief Technology, Data, and Digital Officer.

Joining Ally in November 2018, Richardson serves as the company’s senior leader for data, analytics, and AI, with responsibility for data & analytics strategy, data & analytics technology and engineering, customer & prospect information and interactions, data governance, data stewardship, data lifecycle management, business intelligence, advanced analytics, and enterprise AI transformation.

Experience: Previously, Richardson served as Senior Vice President & Chief Data Officer at Fannie Mae, where he led a large organization focused on data strategy, data governance, data management, data engineering, data & analytic platforms, and technology and business operations for all things data. Richardson was also an executive champion for the firm’s innovation and Lean-Agile capabilities.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2014, Richardson was Vice President of Retail and Direct Technology at Capital One, where he led technology for retail consumer and small business banking with end-to-end responsibility for new deposit product development, lending infrastructure, and merchant technology. Prior to joining Capital One, Richardson founded and led two technology consulting firms specializing in financial systems software and data development. Before that, he was a consultant and manager with Price Waterhouse, performing and leading financial management system implementations in the United States and more than 20 countries abroad.

Education: Richardson has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Bucknell University, a Master of Science in engineering management (systems engineering) from The George Washington University, an Executive Master’s Certificate in banking from Louisiana State University, and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard and MIT.

In June 2019, Brian became the VP/CIO for the Customer & Commercial Enablement (C&CE) team, part of Honeywell’s Enterprise IT organization.  In this role, he owns strategy, deployment and support of all customer-facing digital solutions across the Honeywell portfolio of businesses.  Key areas of responsibility include: Digital Marketing, Customer Experience/Support, Salesforce Automation, Pricing and Commerce platforms. 

Prior to that, Brian was the Customer Experience Excellence (CX) Digital Leader, part of the C&CE organization.  He served as the IT advocate for the global CX function, delivering digital transformation solutions focused on improving the customer experience across all businesses, including:  Cloud Contact Center, CRM Service, Customer-facing Portals, digital process automation bots, and Field Service Management.

Over his 22 years with the company, Brian has held a variety of leadership roles within the IT organization, including Application Development & Support and Infrastructure Program Management & Operations. Brian joined Honeywell in 1997 as part of the IT Procurement organization. He is Green Belt and Design for Six Sigma certified.

A native of Richmond, Virginia, Brian received a B.S. degree in Business from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and an M.S. degree in Telecommunications Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.

Brian has been married for 26 years; he and his wife Lara moved to Charlotte in March 2019.  In his spare time, Brian enjoys jogging, playing golf and spending time with his family (3 kids – aged 24, 22, 20).

Jikin Shah was a Senior Vice President at SunTrust bank in Atlanta, GA. As a Consumer Technology Executive, he was accountable for enabling Retail Bank and Global Contact Centers with innovative technology solutions – 15,000 teammates organization. He has successful track record leading business and IT transformation by establishing alignment across strategy, people, process and technology. He is leading key OMNI initiatives to allow clients seamlessly bank with SunTrust across various channels.

Prior to his current role, he established Enterprise Shared Service capabilities (reusable business components similar to LEGOs) and operationalize global IT team for BPM (Business Process Management, SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and Salesforce.com at SunTrust.

Prior to SunTrust, he worked at MetLife for eight years and managed eBusiness portals and led Small Market enrollment transformation initiative.

He has MBA in Finance from Rutgers University, MS Computer Science from Marist College and BE in Instrumentation Control from LDCE, India.

Swamy Sriperumbudur is a seasoned management consultant with more than 25yrs of experience in multiple verticals including Healthcare, Financial, Utility, and Technology industries and had different management roles with Fortune100 companies – Verizon, Reserve Bank of India, Frontier communications, IQVIA, RTI to name a few. Mr.Swamy is an entrepreneur in disruptive technologies with deep heart in changing lives for good. He is a founder and CEO of PCG GLOBAL – a purpose driven organization. Swamy has extensive experience in global, dynamic, and changing markets and industries, having served in multiple leadership roles since 1997. Working within both start-up and turn-around businesses, he has transformed strategies and processes, consistently leading to tangible and stable improvement of revenue. His expertise in a variety of digital and integrative areas, coupled with his thought leader mindset, makes him a catalyst for growth and expansion. Swamy received numerous awards including Top100 CIO award, Top200 CIO from IDG and the Emerging Leader Award and holds a patent for an innovative tool he developed to streamline Verizon processes. He has served on the Board of Director for multiple organizations and continues to influence growing minds as both a Keynote and Motivational speaker. His ability to both connect with people and streamline technical processes has led him to lead global teams with year-over-year revenue gains. AREAS OF EXPERTISE Operations Management Organic Business Growth Strategic Planning Staff Development[1]Promotion Performance & Quality Standards Customer Satisfaction & Allegiance Leadership Development P&L Management & Budget Planning Digital Transformation IT System Integration IT Application Development Managed Services Product Development SaaS – Cloud Services Application Support Strategic Partnerships SWAMY SRIPERUMBUDUR SWAMY@PCGGLOBAL.US | (919)-920-4553 Mr.Swamy is a motivational speaker, philanthropist, and a business strategist. For more than 2 decades, more than 100s of people enjoyed the warmth, humor and transformational power of his business and personal development events. Mr.Swamy has presented multiple key note events at various universities and inspired thousands of students. Mr.Swamy received B.Tech in Printing Technology from JNTU Hyderabad, INDIA in 1993 and MBA from University of Phoenix, USA in 2010. He is a founding board member of JNTUH Alumni Association USA, and President of JET USA – NC chapter – a nonprofit organization to support free education to underprivileged kids & visually challenged kids.

Nelson Still has over 30 years of experience in information technology strategy and leadership. He is experienced in numerous technical areas and has a broad range of experience in different industries: software, consulting, market research, legal and staffing. Nelson has held CIO roles in the past, across different verticals, with varying challenges.

Nelson has a history of successfully implementing complex and high profile initiatives, building teams, consensus and customer-centric behavior, establishing strong relationships between IT and the business. He has led digital transformations and been involved in industry think tanks to improve customer experience while creating competitive advantage and improved margins.
 
Nelson is a leader who empowers and challenges people to use technology to drive business strategy. As Chief Information Officer at Market Probe he created an industry-leading, highly integrated system that completely automated the process from (bank) teller interaction, to statistical sampling, to survey data-collection, to real-time reporting, behavior-driving dashboards and management follow-up. This provided a competitive advantage that saw Market Probe land numerous Fortune 100 clients.
 
He is passionate about learning, teaching, innovation and collaboration. He has taught in the MBA program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and was an active member of SIM (Society of Information Management) in Wisconsin where he served as president before moving to NC. In 2013, he was named SIM Wisconsin IT Executive of the Year (Corporate Category). An early participant in the legal industry think tank, CLOC, where a select few law firm CIO’s worked with Legal Operations executives at large corporate companies that consumed their services, to find ways to improve efficiency and margins.

Mr. Still is VP of IT at Form Technologies, a global manufacturing company with 30 plants around the world. Prior to that, he was an executive at Manpower, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek (now Husch Blackwell), Market Probe and Synovate. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at UNISA (University of South Africa) and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.  Born in Scotland, raised in South Africa and now living in Charlotte, NC.

Chris Terhune is the Senior Vice President for Business Operations in the Infrastructure & Operations technology team at LPL Financial. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2013, he held technology positions, mostly in application development, at Dell, Frito-Lay and Mobil Oil. 

His education includes a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer information systems from Stephen F. Austin state university in Nacogdoches, Texas and a Master of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University. 

 

Joe Topinka is a recognized game-changing career CIO, author, and executive coach. His ground-breaking book, IT Business Partnerships: A Field Guide, helps individuals and companies bridge the chasm between business stakeholders and IT Organizations to achieve exponential results. In 2013 Joe was voted CIO of the year by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Joe is the founder and chief coach of CIO Mentor, a consultancy where he is known for his pragmatic approach and delivering measurable results. He is Vice Chair of the BRM Institute’s Executive Council and CIO of SnapAV in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Introduction

Sandeep Uthra has more than two decades experience developing and executing information technology (IT) strategies, including executive roles in the financial services space.

A native of New Delhi, India, Uthra has served in global IT leadership roles in banking manufacturing and consulting corporations in United States, Asia and Africa. He is a former Senior Vice President, Business Solution Technology Executive at Bank of America.

Uthra joined Truliant in 2016 as Chief Information Officer and is responsible for developing strategic direction for Truliant’s overall technology landscape and solutions. He leads Truliant’s Enterprise Service Delivery, Enterprise Architecture, Application Development, Systems Operations, Infrastructure Services, Technology Support Services, Information Security, and Telecommunications teams.

Focus Areas

Uthra has distinguished himself as a forward-thinking, transformational, strategic leader who is committed to using his technical and professional expertise to improve the lives of Truliant member-owners.

Key focus areas include member and business-centric technology strategies and implementation, strategic architecture, application managed services, business intelligence and analytics, change management, business process re-engineering and automation, risk management, merger and acquisition, outsourcing and vendor management, among others.

Education and Expertise

Uthra holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from Queens University, McColl School of Business and is a graduate of Amravati University, with a Bachelor of Computer Engineering degree. Uthra is also a certified Six Sigma Green Belt professional. In 2019, he was named winner of a prestigious Orbie Award recognition by the Charlotte CIO Leadership Association – in 2020, he joined the organization’s Board of Directors.

About Truliant Federal Credit Union
Truliant Federal Credit Union is a mission-driven, not-for-profit financial institution that promises to always have its member-owners’ best interest at heart by improving their lives with financial guidance and affordable financial services. Chartered in 1952, Truliant serves more than 250,000 member-owners and operates 30+ Member Financial Centers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. For more information about Truliant Federal Credit Union, visit www.truliant.org.

Marykay Wells is a visionary, goal-oriented CIO with proven success during the strategy and execution of large, global technology transformations. Marykay possesses a unique blend of digital, risk management and process transformation leadership gained from evaluating emerging technology and cost structures while delivering highly scalable digital products and services. An inspirational leader with success of building and leading global teams of 2000+ professionals and revenues from $1- 15B. She has a proven track record of building high performing teams by establishing customer first values. Marykay champions the adoption of future-state technologies and evangelizes diversity into the culture of the organization.