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

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


Talent Strategies for an AI Future: CIO Insights from TD SYNNEX, Zurich, and Western Digital

July 03, 2025

In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from the Metis Strategy Summit moderated by Ozlem Ulusoy, exploring how senior technology executives are preparing their talent for an AI-driven future.

Joining the conversation are Kristie Grinnell, CIO of TD SYNNEX; Madhu Ramamurthy, CIO of Zurich North America; and Sesh Tirumala, CIO of Western Digital. Together, they share how they create safe spaces for experimentation, assess and reskill their workforce, and strike the balance between innovation and governance.

The panelists discuss approaches to building transparent and explainable AI models, retaining subject matter expertise, and aligning people, process, and technology to unlock business value while managing risk.

Topics include:

  • Creating “playgrounds” for safe AI experimentation

  • Building transparent, incremental AI in regulated industries

  • Assessing and reskilling talent across IT architecture, data, and operations

  • Balancing insourcing, outsourcing, and SME development

  • Fostering a mindset of curiosity, business literacy, and innovation