Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?
As chief information officer at RXO, I oversee the technology enablement for the organization. My role is to set the strategy and direct the many information technology initiatives, as well as the computer systems required to support our different lines of business. We focus on transportation solutions, and we have built a proprietary technology platform to help connect shippers and carriers and move freight more efficiently.
My daily focus is building products that enable business growth through innovation, along with running, maintaining, and protecting the systems for the organization that ensure every employee can do their job with proper and functioning technology. This includes product capabilities, servers, software, infrastructure, information security, enterprise applications, engineering, data science, and more. In other words, if it runs on electricity, there is a good chance it is part of my responsibility.
What’s the most compelling tech project you’ve worked on, and why?
The most compelling project I have been part of is building our proprietary transportation platform, RXO Connect. The transportation industry is still very inefficient and fragmented, and RXO Connect optimizes the interactions for both shippers and carriers. From a technology perspective, it includes many innovative components and “fun” key ingredients, including building scalable systems from the ground up, developing proprietary machine learning and AI engines that leverage huge data sets, and driving adoption via closed feedback loops. It is exciting to be in a position of delivering capacities that have direct and immediate impact on user adoption, productivity, and business results.
What technologies are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?
I am extremely optimistic about AI and machine learning. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives—from the way we work and learn to the way we interact with the world around us.
AI can help us solve complex problems, automate tasks to free up our time, personalize experiences, and allow us to explore the world and learn new things. AI and machine learning leverage data to drive continuous improvement through recommendation engines, pattern recognition, and more, which help us drive progress in our organization and the world. Recent generative AI capabilities introduced new opportunities, including conversational interactions, content summarization, and new content creation.
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I’ve been involved in projects leveraging these technologies for close to 30 years, and I have seen the way such capabilities can change the way an organization operates from the ground up.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing and has the potential to bring many positive benefits to society; however, there are also a number of potential risks associated with it, which it is important to be aware of and address. Some of these risks include bias and discrimination, privacy violations, and safety and security. It is important to have a balanced and informed discussion about the risks of AI and to take steps to mitigate them.
What’s the best tech-related media you read/watch/listen to?
I enjoy listening to podcasts and TED talks (like “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek), especially when I am on the road. I stay up-to-date on tech news with TechCrunch, The Verge, and The Next Web.
I also found that one of the best ways to stay in touch with technology trends is to help and mentor entrepreneurs. It is a dynamic, invaluable way to share information, bring experience and advice while learning about innovative ideas that can become the next big thing.
What’s something about you we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?
I’m ambidextrous! I also enjoy playing competitive sports (soccer, basketball, and recently pickleball) and being involved in extreme activities like parachuting.
What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?
I spend time thinking about how I can help others and invest in education for the next generation. Education is the gateway to innovation and technology, and I enjoy spending time mentoring students of all backgrounds and empowering them to believe in themselves and apply continuous improvement through optimization of everyday tasks.