In this episode, Keith and special guest Jesse are joined by Anthony Kent, VP of Information Technology at Four County EMC, an electric membership cooperative in North Carolina. Anthony shares insights into the technological advancements and challenges faced by electric cooperatives, particularly focusing on the integration of new technologies and AI into their operations. Conversation Highlights: [00:17] Introducing our guests, Anthony Kent and Jesse Erickson [01:17] How Jesse and Anthony met [02:46] Anthony's career journey and background [06:32] Explaining what an electric co-op is [09:18 ..read more

William MacMillan serves as the Chief Product Officer at Red Cell Partners, an incubation firm building rapidly-scalable technology-led companies. After nearly two decades of military service, he transitioned into the role of Chief Information Security Officer at the CIA, safeguarding our nation against cyber threats. In this episode, we discuss the process of implementing Zero Trust Architecture in your organization and its importance. Conversation Highlights: [00:23] Introducing our guest, William MacMillan [01:26] MacMillan's experience in the service [04:02] Transitioning to the CIA [06:1 ..read more

Todd Capriotti serves as the Chief Information Officer of Wahiawa General Hospital, a community-owned, non-profit hospital serving Central Oahu and Oahu's North Shore. Hand-picked as the first-ever CIO for Wahiawa, Todd pioneered a comprehensive transformation strategy, reversing a 5+ year negative trend of delivery outages and service interruptions. In this episode, we discuss the unique challenges of revamping IT infrastructure and cybersecurity protocols in the healthcare industry. Conversation Highlights: [01:02] Introducing our guest, Todd Capriotti [06:08] Solution providers in Hawaii [0 ..read more

Kristopher Moniz serves as the National Data & Analytics Lead for Centric Consulting, an international management consulting firm with unmatched expertise in business transformation, AI strategy, cyber risk management, technology implementation and adoption. Kristopher's focus is helping his clients tackle their Data & Analytics challenges, specifically in the insurance industry, where he has concentrated the last fifteen years of his career. Today we discuss the importance of a data strategy in your organization and the steps to building one. Conversation Highlights: [00:40] Microsoft ..read more

Matt Huffman serves as the Information Technology Manager for Reinders, Inc, one of the Midwest’s largest full-service distributors of products to the commercial green industry. Matt has both administrated cybersecurity audits during his tenure at Wipfli and navigated them on the customer side. Through the years of seeing both ends, he developed a simple methodology to successfully save time and pass audits when they come around. Today we discuss those tips and tricks to help the IT leader manage what is traditionally a painful process. Conversation Highlights: [01:47] Introducing our guest, M ..read more

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] So ..read more

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 gu ..read more

James Anderson is a Senior News Editor for digital news outlet Channel Futures, which hosts the largest IT Partner Event in North America, Channel Partners. In this episode we dive into the beginnings of the Technology Services Distributer (TSD) Industry and how discontent resellers and customers paved the way for the modern Technology Advisor role. Conversation Highlights: [01:11] Introducing our guest, James Anderson [04:52] The history of TSDs [08:49] Leveraging onboarding tools [09:48] Biggest players in the TSD world [12:35] The role of the Technology Advisor [15:26] Discussing data aggr ..read more

Matthew Martin is a seasoned cybersecurity leader with over a decade of experience in the financial services industry. Matthew is currently focused on advising and consulting as a Fractional CISO. Most recently, he was Deputy CISO at LPL Financial. He holds advisory positions on boards of Ironscales, Trustwise, Stealth and Surge Ventures. Today we discuss AI hallucinations and the practical steps any organization could take before going down the path of AI adoption. Conversation Highlights: [01:04] Discussing AI article [03:28] Introducing our guest, Matthew Martin [03:58] Martin's introductio ..read more

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 d ..read more