Soul of the CIO is a new studio-based podcast series spotlighting candid conversations with IT executives and technology influencers. With exclusive sponsorship from Nexthink, the series explores the personal journeys, professional philosophies, and strategic insights of today’s top IT leaders—offering valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and the future of tech.
Be sure to check out the in-person video versions over on YouTube!
Why Culture, Not Tech, Determines AI Success | Deepika Adusumilli, Fmr. Chief Data and AI Officer, BT
How do you turn AI from an experiment into a capability that transforms an entire organization?
In this episode of Soul of the CIO, we sit down with Deepika Adusumilli, former Chief Data Officer at BT, to explore what it really takes to implement AI at scale.
Drawing on her experience leading data and AI transformation at one of the UK's largest telecommunications companies, Deepika explains why successful AI adoption goes far beyond choosing the right technology. It requires trusted data, clear strategy, rapid experimentation, measurable outcomes, and above all, the right culture.
Subscribe for more conversations with the world's leading CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and technology executives on Soul of the CIO: https://www.youtube.com/@SouloftheCIO
Download your free copy of Gartner's DEX Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)
Book your ticket for Nexthink Experience 2026 (https://nexthink.com/experience) (October 5–7, JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando, Florida) today
14 Sept 2026
Why Putting AI on Every Desk Won’t Make Your Company More Productive
AI isn’t just another technology upgrade.
It’s a fundamental change in how organizations operate. In this episode of Soul of the CIO, we sit down with Dr. Mike Horton, Director of the Center for Applied AI Maturity at Northeastern University and former Chief AI Officer and Chief Data Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation, to explore why so many organizations are approaching AI the wrong way.
Mike argues that AI adoption isn’t about buying the latest tools and expecting productivity to follow. Successful transformation requires organizations to rethink their people, processes, infrastructure, and mission while building the trust employees need to actually embrace AI.
Drawing on decades of experience across government, technology, academia, and the military, Mike explains why organizations should focus on enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them, why AI pilots struggle to scale, and why leaders need to look beyond traditional ROI toward what he calls "return on mission."
We also discuss the realities of AI transformation inside the U.S. federal government, the dangers of technology hype, the importance of human-centric AI, and what previous technological revolutions can teach today’s leaders about navigating the AI era.
Subscribe for more conversations with the world's leading CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and technology executives on Soul of the CIO.\
https://www.youtube.com/@SouloftheCIO
Download your free copy of Gartner's DEX Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)
Book your ticket for Nexthink Experience 2026 (https://nexthink.com/experience) (October 5–7, JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando, Florida) today
13 Aug 2026
How Great CIOs Actually Make Decisions | Allen Hill, CIO
What separates great technology leaders from everyone else? According to Allen Hill, it starts with resisting the urge to solve problems before fully understanding them.
In this episode of Soul of the CIO, Allen Hill shares the remarkable journey that took him from a childhood of hardship to a distinguished career spanning the U.S. Air Force, Verizon, federal government leadership, and the private sector. Along the way, he reveals the leadership principles that shaped his success, how organizations can adopt AI responsibly, and why Digital Employee Experience is becoming essential for every modern enterprise.
Subscribe for more conversations with the world's leading CIOs, CTOs, CISOs, and technology executives on Soul of the CIO.\
https://www.youtube.com/@SouloftheCIO
Download your free copy of Gartner's DEX Magic Quadrant here (https://nexthink.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-dex)
Book your ticket for Nexthink Experience 2026 (https://nexthink.com/experience) (October 5–7, JW Marriott Grande Lakes Orlando, Florida) today
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