The Innovation Engine Podcast

We’ve seen rapid digital transformation over just a few short years, from digital being an afterthought to becoming the primary way customers engage with brands. With the shift to digital comes the opportunity to craft better storytelling and customer experiences. So what do we do to win customers in a digital age? Howard Tiersky provides perspectives on the digital media landscape and the critical role that unique content plays in driving audience engagement today. He’s started internet, intranet, and other digital media pages for his previous companies, including Ernst & Young and Capgemini. He’s also the author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance. We’re going to discuss the benefits of democratized storytelling, how to speak to your customers and make them fall in love with your brand, and what’s holding you back from changing at the rate of your customer.   Resources: from.digital/howard-tiersky Read: Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiersky   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

COVID-19 has caused disruption like we’ve rarely seen. Media companies have had to adapt fast in our changing environment. Edwin Wong provides a unique perspective on the media landscape. He’s led research and data-driven B2B strategies for various companies over the past 20 years, working with the likes of Pinterest, Yahoo!, Buzzfeed, Nielsen, and now Vox Media as their Senior Vice President of Insights & Innovation. He helps their advertising partners understand the value proposition of Vox Media, what’s happening in society, and why consumers behave in the way that they do. We explore the ways in which media companies have remained relevant over the past year, and how brands are leveraging those communication channels to reach their customers in new and innovative ways.   Resources: linkedin.com/in/edwinhwong   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

Insurance is one of those things that customers don’t really like to think about buying. They know they need it, but they don’t really want to pay for it and that leads to a fractured experience. How can digital transformation be used to create stronger customer relationships and engagement? Monica Caldas has spent much of her career creating digital solutions and influencing innovation at one of the world’s largest companies, GE. In her role as global CIO for GE Transportation, she’s helped drive how the transportation industry uses data and digital services to grow revenue. Now, she’s helping shape the future of insurance as EVP and Chief Information Officer, Global Retail Markets at Liberty Mutual.   She talks about what digital transformation means to her, how Liberty Mutual is trying to change customers’ relationships with insurance, and the role of AI in digital transformation.   Resources: linkedin.com/in/monicacaldas Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

If there’s one positive thing to come out of this pandemic, it’s that technological advancements that were expected to take years to adopt happened in a matter of months. Is that trend going to continue? Will that be the expectation, or will innovation slow back down? Eileen Mahoney has been leading digital innovation in the retail industry for decades. She’s the Chief Information Officer at PVH, the parent company of household brand names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, IZOD, Geoffrey Beene, and more. Eileen shares her perspective on the many shifts in retail technology, not just in the last year, but over the span of her career.   Resources: linkedin.com/in/eileen-mahoney-b02b86   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

Technology can solve nearly every business problem; we just need to know how to use it. It’s up to leaders to keep up with that technology and take advantage of what’s available — to see around corners to how they can apply the latest innovations to their business. Joining us is Sheila Jordan, Chief Digital Technology Officer at Honeywell. She is an IT executive who excels at solving complex business problems. She understands how technology can add value to a business, and how it can define the IT vision and strategy that leads teams to a successful execution. With this approach, she considers herself to be an agent of change.  Sheila explores Honeywell’s goal of creating future shapers in its industry, the necessity of trusting your team to innovate, and the importance of data in digital transformation.   Resources: linkedin.com/in/jordansheila   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

Our guest today is Riddhi Gupta. She is an agile transformation leader focused on people, products, and organizations, and she’s held senior roles at Wells Fargo, AIG, and Bank of America. She's also done a lot for the community as a founding board member of Agile Week Charlotte and a leader in Women in Agile, Charlotte Metro. Hear Riddhi talk about the importance of the human factor in successful transformation, and why grounding those humans in purpose and alignment is the first stage to the most successful transformations. If you're looking for a new set of tools to add to your digital transformation toolbox, you're about to get them.   Resources: linkedin.com/in/riddhigupta   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

What role does security play in the growth of a business? Sam Curry is a podcaster, the Chief Security Officer of Cybereason, and a visiting fellow at the National Security Institute. Sam has been through a lot of growth in his career, working for two startups in the 90’s, one of which sold to security giant McAfee. Hear Sam talk about the importance of breaking out of your box and becoming a lifelong learner to make an impact at the leadership level, and how investing in security is not about making a return on your investment but making a sound investment in what you’ve already built.   Resources: cybereason.com linkedin.com/in/currysam   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

Productivity is one of the keys to growth, but it can be hard to remain productive when processes are rapidly evolving and changing. Joining us is Andy Glover, the Director of Productivity Engineering at Netflix. Hear what it means to operate in an organization undergoing constant change and get the inside scoop on whether the Netflix culture deck is real. We discuss the importance of productivity in innovation, the pains that come when a business grows rapidly, and having empathy for the end user of your product. Resources: linkedin.com/in/ajglover   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

You’re about to hear about the challenge of getting calorie counts into digital menus, and what it’s like to live between a fast-moving non-digital business and a digital transformation challenge. Joining us is Rob Tedesco, a digital strategist who spearheaded the digital transformation of Subway, the world’s largest restaurant chain. We discuss how a franchise business went on to prioritize its digital transformation, getting leadership buy-in, and all the unforeseen challenges that are involved with taking an existing franchise and adapting it to a digital platform.   Resources: Learn more: www.equilibriaservices.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robertcharlestedesco   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com

We discuss customer development in existing markets versus new markets, how those journeys are different, the potential dangers of data in consumer insight, and some fun stories from Silicon Valley along the way. Joining us is the Father of Modern Entrepreneurship, Steve Blank, who is credited with launching the Lean Startup movement. Most of you listening are probably already familiar with Steve’s work, and as you might expect, he has some fantastic insights to share.   Resources: Twitter: @sgblank LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steveblank Why Companies and Government Do “Innovation Theater” Instead of Actual Innovation Ardent War Story 4: You Know You’re Getting Close to Your Customers When They Offer You a Job Removing the Roadblocks to Government/Corporate Innovation – When Theory Meets Practice How To Keep Your Company Alive – Observe, Orient, Decide and Act Steve Blank Customer Discovery In the Time Of the Covid-19 Virus Steve Blank Building Great Founding Teams   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com