21 Sept 2026
CIO Podcast - Episode 122: C-Suite Executive Roles with Saad Chaudhry
For the 122nd episode of the CIO podcast hosted by Healthcare IT Today, we are joined by Saad Chaudhry, CEO at Evergreen Healthcare Partners (https://evergreen.partners/), and former CIO, to talk about the roles of C-suite executives! We kick this episode off by discussing what went into Chaudhry’s decision to move from being an IT leader at a provider organization to now being the CEO at Evergreen. Next, we debate why we think more CIOs don’t become CEOs. Then, Chaudhry shares how what keeps him up at night has changed as he transitioned from a CDIO of a large health system to a CEO of a commercial business.
We then use this transition to our advantage. CIOs often say they’re the business leaders who happen to lead tech. Since Chaudhry has gone from the outside perspective to being the subject of that belief, we dig into whether or not he still believes that to be true. Next, we talk about what Chaudhry was hesitant to say when he was a CIO that he’s willing to share more openly now.
Then, we take a look at the recent Epic UGM to get Chaudhry’s and Evergreen’s reactions. We also discuss the challenges CIOs face and how they should be managing them. Next, we dig into where Chaudhry thinks CIOs should be investing in managed services and when it makes sense to keep things in-house. Lastly, we wrap this episode up with Chaudhry giving his advice to CIOs today.
Here’s a look at the questions and topics (inspired by the suggestions of Sarah Hatchett, CIO at Cleveland Clinic, and Shakeeb Akhter, CDO at Memorial Sloan Kettering) we discuss in this episode:
What went into your decision to move from being an IT leader at a provider organization to now being CEO at Evergreen?
Why do more CIOs not become CEOs?
How has what keeps you up at night changed as you transition from a CDIO of a large health system to a CEO of a commercial business?
CIOs often say they’re business leaders who happen to lead tech. Now that you’re actually running a business, do you still believe that?
What’s something you were maybe hesitant to say when you were CIO that you’re willing to share more openly now?
What’s your and Evergreen’s reaction coming out of the recent Epic UGM? What are the challenges CIOs face, and how should they be managing them?
Where do you think CIOs should be investing in managed services, and when does it make sense to keep things in-house?
What advice would you give to a CIO today?
Now, without further ado, we’re excited to share with you the next episode of the CIO Podcast by Healthcare IT Today.
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