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

Where is software value heading in the age of AI? In the premiere episode of Technoventure, host Peter High speaks with Asheem Chandna, General Partner at Greylock Partners, one of Silicon Valley’s most storied venture firms. Asheem has led early investments in industry-defining companies such as Palo Alto Networks, AppDynamics, Rubrik, and Abnormal Security. With over 20 years at Greylock and a background in product management and cybersecurity, Asheem offers a masterclass on how he assesses founders, identifies breakout potential, and mitigates risk—often before a single line of code is written. He also explores the evolving dynamics of enterprise software, the impact of agentic AI, and how cybersecurity must adapt to combat both bad and good AI. Key themes include: Assessing founders in a world of younger AI entrepreneurs The changing nature of enterprise software and data platforms The immigrant’s mindset and risk tolerance in venture The venture capitalist’s evolving toolkit in the AI era Learn more about Greylock’s AI-native security investments, including Abnormal Security, a leader in protecting enterprises from modern email and collaboration attacks.

Apple’s success in China is more complicated—and consequential—than most realize. In this episode, Peter High speaks with Financial Times journalist and author Patrick McGee, who covered Apple for years and recently published Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company. Patrick’s reporting reveals how Apple became deeply intertwined with China’s manufacturing and political landscape, why the company’s investment strategy mirrors the scale of the Marshall Plan, and what it means for America’s technological and geopolitical future. Patrick explains how Apple trained tens of millions of Chinese workers, enabled critical industrial know-how, and inadvertently supported the rise of China’s tech and military capabilities. He also discusses the internal tensions between product design and supply chain mastery, Tim Cook’s evolution as a CEO, and the risks of Apple’s continued dependence on a single nation for its most critical operations. Key insights include: The little-known “Gang of Eight” and Apple’s in-China-for-China strategy Why Apple’s $275B China deal dwarfs U.S. tech investments like the CHIPS Act How Apple’s success helped catalyze Huawei’s resurgence and HarmonyOS The supply chain realities that make shifting manufacturing nearly impossible

“Great innovations are painkillers, not vitamins.” In this episode, Peter High speaks with Shez Partovi, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer and Chief Business Leader of Enterprise Informatics at Royal Philips, a €18B global health technology leader. Shez shares how Philips is building people- and patient-centric innovation by partnering with healthcare providers, co-creating solutions, and scaling software and AI-driven insights to meet the growing demands of modern care delivery. A former AWS health exec and practicing neuroradiologist, Shez offers a unique lens on the convergence of tech and clinical practice. He outlines how Philips’ software-first strategy is accelerating productivity, reducing clinician burnout, and expanding access to care while also navigating AI trust gaps and reshaping internal engineering practices. Key themes include: The strategy behind Philips’ health tech transformation AI’s role in automation, augmentation, and agility in care delivery Co-creation with health systems to drive scalable impact Philips’ dual-speed innovation model (80% business-led, 20% moonshots)

How can AI, digitization, and data create smarter, healthier, and more sustainable buildings? In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Vijay Sankaran, Chief Digital and Information Officer of Johnson Controls, a global leader in smart building technologies. Vijay shares how he’s leading enterprise-wide digital transformation across a $23B company while scaling platforms like OpenBlue to optimize energy, equipment, and workplace performance. He unpacks how traditional machine learning, generative AI, and agentic workflows are converging to deliver predictive insights, autonomous actions, and tailored digital experiences. Vijay also reflects on trends in hybrid work, his journey to board membership at Veralto, and why quantum computing is on his innovation radar. Key topics include: AI-driven optimization of HVAC, energy use, and building health OpenBlue’s role in unifying smart building systems Applying generative and agentic AI to customer and employee experiences Trends in workplace utilization and digital transformation at scale

“Resilience is a mindset.” Chris Isaacson, Chief Operating Officer of Cboe Global Markets, joins Technovation host Peter High to discuss how the global exchange operator delivers trusted, 24/7 markets through technology, operational excellence, and a deeply integrated data strategy. A founding employee of BATS Global Markets and former CIO of both BATS and Cboe, Chris reflects on his two-decade journey scaling from startup to enterprise. He shares insights on building fault-tolerant platforms, organizing global teams for growth, and navigating crises like the flash crash and COVID with calm, systems-level thinking. Chris also explores the future of exchange operations, from AI-powered security and timestamping services to data commercialization and agentic software development. Key themes include: Building hyper-resilient, globally consistent trading infrastructure Lessons in leadership from startup growth to post-acquisition scale Cboe’s unified data platform and timestamping innovations The future of exchange technology with GenAI and software agents Cybersecurity as the #1 enterprise risk, and how to lead accordingly

Tony Leng, Managing Partner at H.I. Executive Consulting, discusses how the role of technology leaders is evolving in today’s business landscape. He highlights three emerging archetypes for tech executives, focusing on the importance of self-awareness and adaptation. The conversation dives into the increasing presence of tech-savvy leaders in corporate boardrooms and the impact of AI on C-suite roles. Additionally, the shift from operational excellence to innovation-driven strategies is emphasized, showcasing the need for tech leaders to think like business strategists.

How do you digitally transform a leading beverage distributor across 16 markets? In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Glenn Remoreras, Chief Information Officer of Breakthru Beverage Group, a family-owned company with $8.6B in annual revenue and operations across the US and Canada. Glenn shares how he is driving innovation, scaling AI adoption, and modernizing the company’s sales and operational processes. From expanding a $500M+ B2B e-commerce platform to building data architecture that fuels AI innovation, Glenn outlines his strategy for becoming the distributor of choice in a competitive industry. He also reflects on lessons from global leadership roles and offers insights into fostering AI literacy across an organization’s executive ranks. Key topics include: Breakthru’s digital marketplace and AI-powered sales enablement Cloud transformation and enterprise data strategy Building a culture of AI literacy and scalable use cases Innovation operating models and business-led technology partnerships Leadership lessons from working in Asia, Europe, and North America

From Hollywood mogul to venture capital visionary, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s story is one of bold bets, iconic storytelling, and relentless reinvention. In this milestone 1000th episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Katzenberg to reflect on a remarkable career spanning five decades across film, animation, and now AI-driven venture investing. As the founding partner of WndrCo, Katzenberg backs transformative companies like Netomi (conversational AI), Writer (enterprise GenAI), Alembic (causal AI), and Aura (consumer digital safety). But long before that, he shaped global pop culture as President of Paramount Pictures, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, and Co-Founder of DreamWorks SKG and DreamWorks Animation. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, Katzenberg shares: Why the best ideas are risky and why failure is essential to success How DreamWorks was launched just 8 days after being fired from Disney Leadership lessons from icons like Barry Diller and David Geffen The real story behind building Hollywood’s most beloved franchises Why AI is both “prose” and “poetry” and what that means for creativity How WndrCo is scaling category-defining businesses across tech This episode explores 50 years of transformation, from The Lion King to Shrek, from studio boardrooms to Silicon Valley pitch rooms. A must-listen for anyone interested in creativity, leadership, and what it takes to build at scale.

From Tesla to Tekion: How Jay Vijayan Is Transforming the Automotive Experience In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Jay Vijayan, Founder & CEO of Tekion and former CIO of Tesla, about revolutionizing the dealer-to-consumer automotive experience through a cloud-first, AI-powered SaaS platform. Jay shares how his time at Oracle, VMware, and Tesla inspired the vision for Tekion, now valued at over $4 billion and serving major OEMs and dealer groups across the U.S. Jay explains Tekion’s three-cloud architecture—Retail Cloud, Enterprise Cloud, and Partner Cloud—and how it’s streamlining operations, enabling e-commerce, and connecting a vast automotive ecosystem. He also unpacks Tekion’s innovative use of AI agents to enhance after-sales service, deliver transparency, and empower both dealers and consumers. Key topics include: How Tekion modernizes the fragmented automotive retail experience The impact of AI co-pilots on vehicle service and customer trust Lessons from Tesla and Elon Musk that shape Tekion’s product philosophy Jay’s advice for CIOs aspiring to become CEOs

Join Hasmukh Ranjan, CIO of AMD, as he unveils a four-stage AI adoption model focusing on data-driven strategies. Chris Davis moderates a lively discussion on how to extract value from AI investments. Dham Pathervellai, CTO of Ingram Micro, shares insights on transforming partner integrations with GenAI. The conversation also touches on rethinking productivity, leveraging lean teams, and enhancing operational efficiency to stay competitive in the evolving tech landscape. Get ready for a playbook on turning AI potential into real-world impact!