SESSION 2 BREAKOUTS - CIO Tomorrow 2025 | Wednesday, August 27

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

NAME

TITLE ,
COMPANY

BIO

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Srini Koushik

President AI, Technology & Sustainability,
Rackspace Technology

Srini Koushik is the President of AI, Technology, and Sustainability at Rackspace Technology and FAIR®, where he oversees technical and product strategy, thought leadership, and content marketing.

Srini is an innovative and dynamic executive with a proven track record of leading organizations to significant business results over the past two decades through digital technologies, design thinking, agile methodologies, lean processes, and unique data-driven insights.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Tricia Rigel

VP, CIO Global Functions,
Cargill

Tricia Rigel is a seasoned IT executive with over 20+ years of experience leading global digital technology transformations and infrastructure in large, complex organizations.

Currently, Tricia is the Vice-President and CIO of Corporate Functions at Cargill, the largest privately held company in the world. She is responsible for leading digital technology and data transformation initiatives across HR, Finance, Law, Global Sustainability, Corporate Communications, and Business Service Centers.

Trica was the Vice-President of Information Technology at Cardinal Health, a $205B global healthcare distribution company where she was responsible for completing a $500M SAP transformation modernizing the pharmaceutical business as well has having accountability of 150 applications that supported the pharmaceutical distribution landscape. She spent 18 years in various roles of increasing responsibility at Cardinal including an international assignment supporting operations in thirty countries.

Throughout her career, Tricia has successfully led cross-functional teams through complex change initiatives, navigating global landscapes and guiding organizations to harness technology as a competitive advantage.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Murali Sundararajan

Chief Information Officer,
Victoria's Secret & Co.

Murali Sundararajan is the Chief Information Officer for Victoria's Secret & Co., where he provides strategic vision and direction for all global technology efforts across stores, e-commerce, infrastructure, security and enterprise operations.

Murali has an established career in retail technology. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for digital, stores, web infrastructure and technology innovation for VS&Co. He played an integral role in developing the business’ e-commerce platform, mobile and store applications, as well as support for stores nationally and internationally.

Prior to this, Murali held various leadership positions at L Brands, where he was responsible for the development of e-commerce platforms, mobile and store applications for Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Bath & Body Works. He also spent 15 years at Lowe’s Inc. as the director of infrastructure and integration architecture. During his tenure at Lowe’s, the retailer grew from $10B in annual revenues to nearly $50B.

Murali has served on the Board of Victoria’s Secret India Private Limited, the company’s Bangalore home office location, since 2016 and is a Customer Advisory Board member for MadStreetDen, computer vision and artificial intelligence company.

He is patent holder for a method for handling a transaction with multiple devices (U.S. Pat. 9,537,939 B1) and earned his master's degree in computer science from Kennedy Western University. Murali earned his bachelor's degree in commerce from Madras University in Tamil Nadu, India.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Moderator

Ben Blanquera

VP Technology & Sustainability,
Rackspace Technology

Ben is VP of Technology and Sustainability with Rackspace Technology. He works with enterprises, architecting solutions to enable them to drive business outcomes through thriving in a AI and hybrid cloud world. Ben also leads sustainability efforts for Rackspace.

He is a 35-year veteran in multiple industries including health care, manufacturing, and technology consulting. Prior to Rackspace, Ben was with Covail, a leading-edge provider of AI/ML and cybersecurity services to Fortune 1000 clients. At Covail, Ben was VP of Delivery and transitioned to VP of Revenue and Client Success.

A recognized technology leader, Ben was named a Premier 100 leader by Computerworld. Outside of work, he loves to travel, ride his bike, and spend time with his wife and four daughters. He is an active organizer in the tech community and curates the Central Ohio CIO forum (150+ CIOs) and founded Techlife Columbus. Ben also serves on the Advisory Boards for South by Southwest and The Center for Software Innovation at The Ohio State University. Additionally, he is on the Editorial Board for CDO Magazine and a Executive In Residence for Franklin University.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Maneesha Bhalla

Vice President, Enterprise Data Analytics,
Designer Brands Inc.

Maneesha Bhalla is a visionary leader in data and analytics with over 22 years of experience transforming enterprises through data-driven strategies. As the Vice President of Enterprise Data Analytics at Designer Brands (DBI), she spearheads the company’s Data & AI strategy, leading high-performing teams in Data Engineering, Cloud Data Architecture, Artificial Intelligence, and Business Intelligence. Under her leadership, DBI is leveraging cutting-edge data solutions to drive business innovation, optimize decision-making, and enhance customer experiences.

Maneesha has an extensive track record of success in the retail sector, having worked with industry giants such as Target and Office Depot. She has built and scaled Analytics Centers of Excellence, empowering organizations with robust data ecosystems that foster agility, efficiency, and strategic growth. A strong advocate for data democratization, she believes in breaking down silos and ensuring that data is an accessible and powerful asset across all levels of an enterprise.

As Chair of the AI Council at DBI, Maneesha is at the forefront of AI adoption in retail, exploring how artificial intelligence is redefining customer engagement, supply chain optimization, and operational efficiencies. Her deep passion for AI extends beyond retail, as she envisions a future where AI profoundly enhances human decision-making, business innovation, and everyday life.

She is a firm believer that data is more than just numbers—it is a strategic asset that, when leveraged effectively, can shape the future of businesses and industries alike.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Bo Chilton

Chief Executive Officer,
IMPACT Community Action

Bo Chilton is the CEO of IMPACT Community Action, one of the leading human service agencies fighting poverty in Franklin County. With an annual budget of $30 million and a dedicated team of 110 employees, IMPACT serves over 40,000 individuals each year. As a frontline force in the war on poverty, IMPACT is committed to providing hope-inspiring help and real opportunities for self-sufficiency.

Guided by the principle, “To whom much is given, much is required,” Bo is deeply passionate about empowering people and strengthening communities. His leadership extends beyond IMPACT through his roles as Chair of the African American Leadership Academy Board of Directors, 2nd Vice-President of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, and board member of Homeport, the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, and ASPYR (formerly the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio).

Under Bo’s leadership, IMPACT received the 2021 Columbus Foundation Award, one of Central Ohio’s highest honors for nonprofits. His personal accolades include being named 2022 Large Non-Profit CEO of the Year by Columbus CEO magazine, as well as receiving the 2022 Community Shelter Board’s Nancy Jefferey Advocate Award, the 2021 Spirit of Homeport Award, the 2021 Central Ohio Social Justice Award, the 2020 Columbus Business First C-Suite Most Admired Executive Award, and the 2018 Springfield City Schools Alumni of Distinction Award.

A native of Springfield, Ohio, Bo earned a B.A. in English and a Master of Education in Secondary Teaching from Wright State University. He later obtained a second Master’s degree in Higher Education from The Ohio State University. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and The Merry Makers Club, Inc., where he serves as Vice-Chair of the Foundation.

Bo’s career spans a diverse range of leadership roles, including:

• Director of African American Male Initiatives at the Columbus Urban League
• Legislative Analyst for Columbus City Council
• Academic Counselor and Technology Coordinator at The Ohio State University
• Assistant Director of Career Services at Otterbein College
• Middle and high school teacher in Springfield City Schools
• Veteran of the United States Army Reserves

Above all, Bo takes pride in his role as a husband and father. He and his wife, Audrey Chilton, are the proud parents of Brandon and Sydney Chilton.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Florence Lathen

President & Managing Director,
Lathen HR Consulting, LLC

Florence Lathen has over 30 years of experience helping companies drive their organizational vision and positioning businesses for long-term success. She has an innate talent for establishing credibility, listening, and influencing decisions that deliver results. As a certified coach, she is regularly sought after by senior leaders for her advice and coaching on building high performing teams, leader development, and change management.

Florence finds leadership and professional coaching very gratifying. Her coaching approach is a facilitative partnership, fostering both optimization of leadership strengths as well as the development of Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) needed to fill behavioral gaps. She has extensive experience coaching in various industries and organizations, including Fortune 100 companies, the financial services industry, and non-profit businesses. Her coaching clientele include executives, senior leaders along with middle- managers, and professionals transitioning into new roles or new organizations.

She provides one-on-one coaching, development tools and resources to build and enhance professional competencies. She assists her clients in:

• Identifying professional goals and objectives.
• Understanding and optimizing your leadership style.
• Navigating the corporate culture.
• Building on leadership competencies and improve in areas of difficulty.
• Serving as a confidential partner, cheerleader, and supporter.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Connie Matthews Reynolds

Founder & CEO,
ReynCon, LLC

Connie Matthews Reynolds is the Founder and CEO of ReynCon, a cybersecurity training and consulting provider. She is a passionate cybersecurity and technology expert who has worked in the industry for over 25 years.

Under Connie’s leadership, ReynCon is dedicated to transforming businesses through comprehensive InfoSec/Cybersecurity training and development. Their programs drive positive change, empowering companies to upskill their teams and stay ahead in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Connie’s passion drove her to start her own company, ReynCon Educational Services & Training, which offers cybersecurity training to help educate companies and individuals seeking to build awareness of soft and technical cybersecurity training.

Connie’s contributions to the Ohio tech industry have not gone unnoticed. She was recently honored as one of the 11 recipients of Verizon’s inaugural Ohio Trailblazers Award, a testament to her innovative approach and leadership. Her excellence in cybersecurity has also earned her recognition as a finalist for the prestigious Cyber Security Woman of The World and Cyber Security Woman Volunteer awards.

Connie is on the Board of Directors for ISSA International, Past President of Central Ohio ISSA, and Previous Co-Chair of the Leadership Team of ISSA International. She also advises Cyera, Netskope, and Breach Siren as Strategic Advisors and Accelerating Angels.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Toshia Safford

President & CEO,
The Center for Healthy Families

Toshia Safford has led the strategic growth of the Center for Healthy Families since it was founded in 2007. The 16-employee agency, which includes the Black Girls’ and Young Women’s Collective, delivers services to support youth with education; giving birth to healthy babies; establishing healthy relationships; finding stable housing; and workforce readiness.

“I understand the struggles of young people in crisis—poverty, homelessness, abuse, feeling lost, being trafficked, facing scarcity of all kinds and struggling to stay in school—can weigh heavy. Each day, I urge my team to find joy to share with one another and to take time to reflect and even step away to recharge when it gets too hard,” she says.

Safford, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Capital University, serves on the boards of the United Way of Central Ohio and CAPA.

Advice on leadership: “Maintain [commitment] to the work that you are purposed to do, as well as maintain dignity and the necessary stamina, in order to ensure that those whom you are entrusted to serve are met with joy and dignity. Wholeheartedly understand the connection, and know that one begets the other.”

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Moderator

Ervan Rodgers II

Chief Information Officer

Ervan Rodgers is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Designer Brands. Rodgers is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in IT disciplines as well as supply chain, digital, cybersecurity, business process, program, and operations management.

Prior to joining the company in 2021, Rodgers was Chief Information Officer for the State of Ohio where he was responsible for managing a $2 billion budget across all agencies as well as the strategic direction and efficient use of information technology across state government. During this time, he also served a dual role as Assistant Director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

Rodgers’ background also includes a role as the Ohio Attorney General Office’s Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer and IT consulting for global Fortune 100 companies including Huntington National Bank, Accenture, and Hewlett-Packard, where he developed a successful track record of leading teams and leveraging technology to position for growth. This private sector work provided valuable hands-on experience that honed his expertise in digitizing core business processes, ebusiness, developing value-added solutions, change management, and mentoring management teams.

A passionate community advocate, he currently serves on the board of directors for National Church Residences, an organization dedicated to advancing better living for all senior citizens Also on the board of directors for The Center for Healthy Families, an organization focused on building bridges to brighter futures for young families. Rodgers earned a Bachelor of Arts in management and organizational development from Spring Arbor University in Michigan and a Master of Science in computer science from Muskingum University.

Rodgers has received numerous local and national awards, including recently receiving the Ohio Enterprise ORBIE for organizations with $1.6 billion to $5 billion annual revenue and Top Ten Retail CIO 2023.

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Sharon Dhall

Chief Information Officer,
Kroll

Sharon Dhall is Kroll’s Chief Information Officer, based in New York. Sharon has more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record of success in technology, operations, business and process transformation and finance leadership roles. Throughout her career, she has led many successful enterprise-wide initiatives, including transformation efforts, enterprise robotics programs and process re-engineering. In her role at the firm, she has global responsibility for shaping and supporting Kroll’s growth through the strategic use of technology, data and people resources to deliver an improved customer and employee experience.

Prior to being appointed Chief Information Officer, Sharon led Enterprise Technology for the Human Resources, Legal and Compliance functions as well as Enterprise Business Process Automation at TIAA. She was instrumental in the continued progress of the organization’s Robotics Center of Excellence and developed a community to share learnings across the enterprise. Sharon’s leadership made an enduring impact in the Women in IT initiative and the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the firm. She was the co-sponsor for Women in Technology along with Ally programs to help development, shape and retain technology talent. She also drove human resource transformation efforts globally, including a longterm initiative that transformed how TIAA delivered HR services.

Sharon joined TIAA in 2017 from JPMorgan Chase, where she was Technology CFO/COO for the corporate investment bank, responsible for $3.6 billion in annual technology spend and the delivery of a $200 million (mn) multi-year efficiency program. She also held technology and process leadership roles of increasing responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, including managing transformational initiatives across the banking technology portfolio, driving process re-engineering efforts in the wholesale business and being the auto and student lending CIO. She also spent more than 12 years with General Electric in the GE Capital and finance divisions in roles that ranged from project management to chief information officer, where she managed a $25 mn technology budget and more than 400 resources globally.

Sharon serves on the boards of the Emma Willard All Girls High School, Syracuse University’s iSchool and the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management, a non-profit open education organization. She has also authored a book on information technology in higher education.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Joe Emison

CTO,
Branch

Joe Emison is the co-founder and CTO of Branch Insurance, a B corporation and insurance carrier that makes it simple to bundle home and auto insurance. Previously, Joe founded BuildFax (acquired by Verisk), Spaceful (acquired by DMGT), and BluePrince (acquired by Harris Computer).

Joe is also the author of "Serverless as a Game Changer: How to Get the Most out of the Cloud". (https://tinyurl.com/emison-book)

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Brett Hudspeth

IT VP, Medicare & Medicaid Segment CIO,
Humana, Inc

Brett Hudspeth is an IT Vice President at Humana, where he is the Segment CIO for the Medicare and Medicaid business segments. In this capacity, Brett oversees the teams and technology that power Humana’s core businesses including actuarial, plan design & build, consumer payments and claims processing for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid along with orchestration of all supporting technology services for the Medicaid markets, CarePlus in south Florida and Humana’s Puerto Rico operations. Brett works closely with the segment business leaders to ensure that Humana’s technology is able to support key initiatives that provide better service to our members, enhance the relationship between Humana and our provider partners and grow our business overall.

Prior to his current role, Brett held a variety of roles within Humana’s technology team over the last ~14 years, most recently as the Segment CIO for Humana’s Clinical and Interoperability segments, where he oversaw the technology capabilities that enable Humana to deliver care management, utilization management and the exchange of medical records and other data between Humana and providers, members and other payers. Previous to this, Brett held key roles within the Digital technology team, the IT Mergers and Acquisitions team, and several roles across Clinical technology.

Brett came to Humana from Epic Systems, where he worked with a number of hospitals and health systems across the country to implement Epic’s award-winning electronic health record system. In this role, Brett focused primarily on interoperability and connections between systems within and external to the hospital. Prior to joining Epic, Brett spent the first 3+ years of his career as a software engineer with a rapidly growing technology startup, wearing several hats as the company grew from a dozen employees to well over a hundred and from incubation stage through angel investment.

Brett originally hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and currently lives with his wife and two children in Columbus, Ohio. He holds multiple degrees from Youngstown State University in Ohio and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. When not busy at work or chasing around little ones, he enjoys cycling, tennis, fiddling with technology and cheering on his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Panelist

Spencer Wood

TITLE ,
COMPANY

BIO

Website LinkedIn

1:15 - 2:00pm

Session Two Breakout
Moderator

Tonjia Coverdale, PhD

3x Tech CXO, Tech Speaker & Motivator

Tonjia Coverdale is a seasoned technology executive with 28 years of experience leading enterprise strategy, modernization, and innovation across financial services, higher education, government, and consulting. Her career spans the full technology lifecycle, from software engineering and enterprise architecture to data and AI, digital transformation, and executive leadership in both public and private sectors.

Most recently, Tonjia served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Operations & Technology at Associated Bank, where she led the development of a multi-year enterprise technology strategy, launched a Generative AI innovation lab, established a new enterprise architecture practice, and built the Strategy, Architecture, and Colleague Technology organization. She also drove strategic transformation initiatives across platforms, data, colleague experience, and innovation enablement.

Previously, she was Associate Vice President at Nationwide, where she led enterprise technology for the HR, Legal, and Finance functions. She oversaw a $40M technology portfolio delivering scalable platforms that supported Workday HCM, payroll, talent, learning, legal compliance, ethics, financial planning, forecasting, audit, treasury, and regulatory reporting. Her work enabled greater agility in finance, strengthened legal and enterprise governance, and transformed HR systems to elevate employee experience and operational effectiveness. She also established and led a new organization within the Enterprise Data Office to drive governance, quality, security, and data strategy.

Earlier in her career, Tonjia served as Cabinet-level CIO at Central State University, where she modernized institutional infrastructure and digital capabilities to support outcomes-based funding, and as President & CEO of the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network, where she transformed a federally funded broadband initiative into a revenue-generating enterprise. She began her career as a software engineer and systems architect, delivering enterprise solutions at IBM, HP, and Accenture. She also served as a professor of information systems at three universities, founding an undergraduate degree program in the field.

Tonjia holds a B.S., MBA, and Ph.D. in Information Systems and served on several education and innovation boards, including the Herzing University Board of Trustees and the Ohio Department of Education’s State Committee on Computer Science. Known for her strategic clarity, people-first mindset, and ability to lead through complexity, she brings a rare dual-path perspective that bridges hands-on technical depth with executive vision.

Session Two Breakouts

Session One
Breakouts

Session Two
Breakouts

Session Two Breakouts

1:15 - 2:00pm

CIO as the Transformation Leader

CIO as the Innovation Leader

CIO as the Risk Leader

Empower your business growth through strategic partnership

+ Conference Pre-Event

Don't miss IT Martini TODAY,
The CIO Tomorrow 2025 Pre-Party

August 26, 2025 | 5-8 pm | Ohio Brewing Company

Partnership creates Connection

Leaders who are
ahead of the Curve

Subscribe + stay informed about CIO Tomorrow

Session Two Breakouts

Session One Breakouts

Session Two Breakouts

Session Two Breakouts

1:15 - 2:00pm

CIO as the Transformation Leader

CIO as the Innovation Leader

CIO as the Risk Leader

Empower your business growth through strategic partnership

+ Conference Pre-Event

Don't miss IT Martini TODAY, The CIO Tomorrow 2025 Pre-Party

August 26, 2025 | 5-8 pm | Ohio Brewing Company

Partnership creates Connection

Leaders who are ahead of the Curve

Subscribe + stay informed about CIO Tomorrow

Session Two Breakout Panelist

NAME

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Srini Koushik

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Tricia Rigel

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Murali Sundararajan

Session Two Breakout Moderator

Ben Blanquera

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Maneesha Bhalla

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Bo Chilton

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Florence Lathen

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Connie Matthews Reynolds

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Toshia Safford

Session Two Breakout Moderator

Ervan Rodgers II

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Sharon Dhall

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Joe Emison

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Brett Hudspeth

Session Two Breakout Panelist

Spencer Wood

Session Two Breakout Moderator

Tonjia Coverdale, PhD

Session One
Breakouts

Session Two
Breakouts

Don't miss IT Martini TODAY,
The CIO Tomorrow 2025 Pre-Party

Leaders who are
ahead of the Curve

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Panelist

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