CIO Leadership Live

Edward Don & Co. CIO Tim Walter sat down with host Lucas Mearian at Foundry's CIO100 Symposium to talk about his company's efforts to harness AI for e-commerce, demand forecasting, and RFP automation. The company's goals are to improve customer experience, accelerate sales cycles, and optimize supply chains. From truck tracking to virtual kitchen design, the distributor blends emerging technology with human expertise to drive efficiency and grow nationwide operations.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwalter55/

And for more conversations with CIOs, check out CIO Leadership Live in Atlanta on March 5th at the Westin Buckhead Atlanta. This exclusive, in-person experience brings together CIOs and senior technology leaders for candid, peer-driven conversations on leadership, innovation, and what’s next. We’re also accepting nominations for the Next CIO Awards, recognizing emerging technology leaders who are shaping the future of IT. If that sounds like you — or someone on your team — now is the time to nominate. Learn more, register for Atlanta, and submit your Next CIO nomination at event.foundryco.com/cio-100-leadership-live-atlanta/.

At the CIO100 Symposium, Avnet CIO Max Chan talked with host Lucas Mearian about how AI underpins sales enablement, engineering design, inventory forecasting, and global supply chain orchestration at Avnet. He also discussed ROI through business outcomes, modernizing legacy systems with greenfield architectures, governance challenges, workforce upskilling, and partnerships that build resilience and customer value across industries worldwide.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljchan/

In this episode of CIO Leadership Live, All States Ag Parts (Parts ASAP) CIO John Fraser sits down with host Lucas Mearian at the CIO 100 event to talk about how his company unified technology after merging 23 businesses -- balancing culture, transparency, and best-in-breed platforms. Fraser details practical AI adoption—pricing, product data enhancement, and customer experience—while stressing experimentation without over-dependence.

https://johnbfraser.com/

At the CIO100 Symposium, Department of Transportation CIO Pavan Pidugu discusses modernizing the DOT through AI and digital transformation. From combating fraud to improving safety and efficiency, Pidugu details how data-driven innovation and cultural change have reshaped federal technology, earning the agency three consecutive CIO100 Awards for excellence in modernization.

Guest Pavan Pidugu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pidugupavan/

linkedin.comlinkedin.com

At the CIO 100 event, host Lucas Mearian sat down with Sastry Durvasula, Chief Operating, Information & Digital Officer at TIAA, to discuss how the company is using AI to enhance client services, power business growth, and transform operations. TIAA's AI initiatives include Research Buddy for asset management and empathy agents for personalized customer communications.

Sastry Durvasula:https://www.linkedin.com/in/durvasula/Lucas Mearian:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasmearian/