Shamim Mohammad on CarMax’s Digital-First Journey and the Future of Agentic AI
968: From used-car retailer to tech-powered industry leader—CarMax is redefining automotive retail. In this episode, Peter High speaks with Shamim Mohammad, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer at CarMax, about the company’s bold transformation into a digital-first business.
Shamim shares lessons from his 12+ years with the company, including nearly a decade as CIO and over six years as CTO. He discusses CarMax’s transition to a product operating model, its pioneering use of generative AI tools like Skye and Rhodes, and how data governance, platform agility, and agentic AI are powering customer and associate experiences.
He also reflects on the company’s culture of innovation, his board service at UNFI, and the leadership values that have fueled CarMax’s continued growth.
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Generac CIO Talal Butt on Powering a Smart Ecosystem Through Platform Strategy and GenAI
Generac Power Systems is no longer just a generator company — it’s becoming a full-stack energy technology platform. In this episode of Technovation, CIO Talal Butt offers a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s reshaping the $4.3B manufacturer’s technology landscape to support that evolution.
Speaking directly to senior IT and digital leaders, Talal shares how he’s building a modern digital ecosystem from scratch — one that’s powered by real-time data, platform thinking, and AI-driven decisioning. From architecting Generac’s first scalable data governance program to operationalizing GenAI use cases and redefining the partner experience, this episode is a playbook for CIOs navigating transformation in legacy industries.
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AI, Clean Data, and New Flavors: McCormick’s Digital Playbook with CIDO Guy Peri
From predicting the next flavor trend to revolutionizing procurement with AI, Guy Peri is leading a bold digital transformation at McCormick & Company. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Guy about how he’s bringing AI and data strategy to life at a 135-year-old flavor giant. Drawing from nearly three decades at Procter & Gamble, Guy shares how McCormick is building a modern digital backbone, using AI to forecast demand and ingredient pricing, and upskilling employees into citizen data scientists.
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Regina Salazar on Building Novelis’ AI-Powered, Sustainable Smart Factories
What does it take to digitally transform a global manufacturing giant? In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High speaks with Regina Salazar, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Novelis, about how the world’s largest aluminum recycler is scaling enterprise-wide innovation through technology.
Regina shares how she unified IT and digital into a single operating model, launched a global business relationship framework, and enhanced Novelis’ data architecture to support AI at scale. She also discusses the company's ambitious smart factory in Alabama, how digital twins are reshaping operations, and Novelis’ roadmap to becoming a tech-enabled, sustainable enterprise.
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Caterpillar CIO Jamie Engstrom on AI, Data Strategy, and the Future of Smart Manufacturing
964: Caterpillar is celebrating 100 years of innovation—and it’s just getting started. In this episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Jamie Engstrom, CIO and SVP of IT at Caterpillar, to discuss how the industrial giant is evolving through data strategy, digital transformation, and customer-centric innovation.
Jamie shares her insights on leading a global IT organization of 2,200 professionals, the company’s customer-back mindset, and how Caterpillar leverages AI, telematics, and real-time analytics to support over 4 million assets across the globe. From smart manufacturing to supply chain modernization and condition monitoring systems, Jamie explores how Caterpillar is shaping the next century of industrial excellence.
About Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
Twice-weekly conversations with top executives and thought leaders at the intersection of business, technology, and innovation. Each episode of Technovation explores the technology trends that are transforming business, and the leaders driving digital change inside their organizations. Produced by Metis Strategy and hosted by firm President Peter High, Technovation is the premier podcast for IT and technology professionals with the largest collection of interviews with elite CIOs, CTOs, and CDOs.
Listen to Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews), Dwarkesh Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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