Rolando Ortiz

Day 25 of the CIO Series: Leading Under Pressure with Technology-Driven Resilience As a CIO, if pressure and complexity make you crumble, the role may not be for you. Navigating technology in a constantly evolving landscape isn’t for the faint-hearted—it’s for leaders who can tackle challenges, own their decisions, and learn from each misstep. In tech leadership, adaptability is key. Every challenge is an opportunity to recalibrate, whether optimizing ERP systems for operational excellence, deploying IoT for smarter logistics, or harnessing data analytics for predictive insights. But none of these transformations happen overnight. Success in IT requires relentless persistence and an unwavering focus on the long game. Just as water breaks down rock through consistency, effective CIOs drive transformation through sustained effort. No matter how advanced the tech, the power of persistence and resilience defines true progress. Never give up. Our tech infrastructure and teams depend on consistent, determined effort to stay agile, robust, and ahead of the curve.

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Change is an inevitable part of our business landscape, yet its success largely hinges on an often-overlooked factor: organizational culture. This deep-seated experience shapes how employees perceive, react to, and engage with change. A culture that prioritizes innovation, resilience, and continuous improvement is not just beneficial but essential for businesses that focus on staying ahead in the competitive landscape.   Cultivating such a culture is a deliberate process that starts with leadership. Leaders must embrace the change they wish to see, creating an environment where innovation is not just welcomed, but woven into the fabric of daily operations. This approach ensures that when change initiatives are introduced, they are not met with resistance but embraced as a natural progression of the company's evolution. Fostering a culture of innovation involves encouraging creativity, experimentation, and risk-taking while providing support structures that enable employees to explore new ideas and approaches in a safe space. Similarly, building resilience requires instilling a mindset that views setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, fostering adaptability and agility in the face of challenges. Communication is at the core of this cultural transformation. Transparent, frequent, and meaningful dialogue helps provide visibility, demystify change, aligning individual goals with organizational objectives. When employees understand the rationale behind changes and see their leaders as partners in the journey, their engagement and commitment improve. Creating a feedback-rich culture enhances this dynamic. Valuing and acting on employee input not only improves change initiatives but also empowers the workforce, fostering ownership and accountability. Ultimately, the merging of organizational culture and change adoption forges business resilience, enabling organizations to adapt and shape the future. #OrganizationalCulture #ChangeManagement #Innovation #Leadership #Resilience #ContinuousImprovement #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessTransformation #Adaptability #FeedbackCulture

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We often focus on developing ourselves as leaders so that we're positioned to bring our companies success and sustained growth. What may go overlooked, however, is the deep importance of developing the next wave of leaders who will bring industries to greater heights of innovation and have the insight and experience to be emotionally intelligent, thoughtful, proactive people. Establishing programs as well as offering mentorship with senior leaders can be a great way to begin planting the seeds for the future. #LeadershipDevelopment #TransformationalLeadership #Guidance #LeadershipGrowth

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🥊 Not a Tyson vs Paul Recap… 🚀 Breaking Down Silos: The CIO’s Ultimate Challenge For CIOs, breaking down silos is essential for driving innovation and aligning teams. This article from CIO.com offers some great strategies for fostering cross-functional collaboration, and it reminded me of a recent M&A integration project I worked on. I was part of the executive team that developed a first-of-its-kind shared operational model. My team and I were on the front lines, resolving issues and refining processes to ensure its success. This experience taught me that proactive communication, quick problem-solving, and a shared vision are key to bridging gaps and aligning everyone. Here’s what we achieved: • A 20% improvement in EBITDA through streamlined operations. • Strengthened collaboration across departments. • Aligned systems to deliver on the company’s strategic goals. If you had to pick one strategy to break down silos, what would it be? #CIO #Collaboration #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #Innovation #M&A

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I've always believed in the power of innovation to drive sustainability. And when it comes to marrying data with sustainability, we've discovered a perfect union that significantly helps reduce our carbon footprint.   In a recent article, Forbes outlines the main ways for a company to minimize its carbon emissions. For me, one is essential: data. At Royal Canin, we have made it a strategic priority!   Let me share three ways we're harnessing the power of data to alleviate our environmental impact in our daily operations:   🏭 Supply Chain Transparency: with the help of data, we can trace the footprint of our products. This transparency is key to understanding and minimizing our carbon emissions.   🧪 Formula Optimization: we're utilizing cutting-edge algorithms and data analytics to refine our pet food recipes. This process takes into account nutritional needs, ingredient availability, and environmental impact data. By using locally sourced, climate-smart ingredients, we're crafting carbon-optimized formulas without compromising on quality or nutritional value.   📊 Real-time Data: the power of real-time data reporting cannot be overstated. It helps ensure sustainability is ingrained in our organization and aligns our data with international carbon accounting standards. We are working hard to succeed in this area.   Data not only helps us tweak our strategies but also aids in forging meaningful partnerships. One such collaboration is with SWEEP, a startup that provides a carbon management platform. This invaluable tool allows us to measure, track, and report our carbon footprint across 58 markets, enabling us to reduce emissions on a global scale. Sweep is making carbon data accessible to everyone in our organization, offering a clear picture of our carbon footprint over the years, assisting in setting reduction targets, tracking actions, and forecasting our progress.   I am very excited about all the projects we still have to implement with data! A big thanks to Marion Sarteel, our Global Climate Lead, and Fabrice Mathieu, our Global Sustainability Director, whose unwavering dedication and tireless efforts are instrumental in bringing our sustainability vision to life every single day. There is a lot ongoing now but with our transformation program, we aim at embedding even further sustainability at the core of each of our business processes. In this context, data and new technologies are a great way to achieve our carbon neutrality targets.   #RoyalCanin #ProudlyRoyalCanin #Sustainability #CarbonFootprint #Data #DataAnalysis #PetFoodIndustry https://lnkd.in/eTSCYyzB

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📢 According to The National CIO Review®, CIOs are strategically reallocating 2025 IT budgets to align with emerging technologies and organizational priorities. Key investment areas include: ⦿ Artificial Intelligence (AI):  Leading the agenda, 22% of CIO's are increasing investments to drive automation and data-driven decision-making with AI. ⦿ Sustainability: Reflecting a commitment to environmental responsibility, nearly 20% of IT leaders are prioritizing sustainable investments such as energy-efficient data centers.   ⦿ Digital Transformation: 16% of CIOs continue to modernize business processes and systems to boost efficiency and enhance customer engagement.   ⦿ Cybersecurity: Given the increasing threat landscape, a significant portion of budgets is allocated to strengthening security measures to protect organizational assets and data. IT leaders are balancing innovation, resilience, and sustainability to fuel growth in the year ahead.  Where are your priorities shifting? 🚀 #2025 #ai #sustainability #data #digitaltransformation #ITbudget https://lnkd.in/gjx9XGQn

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#Generosity is a pillar of #TransformationalLeadership because it fosters a culture of trust, respect, and empowerment. When leaders demonstrate generosity, they show that they value their team members and are willing to invest in their growth and development. This creates a positive and supportive work environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered to contribute their best. #LeadershipStrategy

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Human relationships are the final determinant of whether your complex #DigitalTransformtaion will benefit your business or whether it will be a waste of time, money, and energy. #HumanCentric leadership creates a standard of humanity and care that is the basis for productivity and retention. Change is inevitable; don't let problems be. #TransformationalLeadership

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If you are stepping into a new role then moving fast is non-negotiable…expanding your network exponentially is an imperative…and most important is the need to fill gaps by finding your allies. Listen to naysayers and focus on early conversions. What are your insights from this article? How do you deal with career transitions? #leadership #transition #WomenInSTEM

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A partnership between #QuantumComputing and #DataScience could be how organizations begin to navigate massive amounts of data. This is an important structure to have in a business world built around data collection. Quantum computers can solve extremely complex problems. They outperform regular systems by providing more accurate and comprehensive data insights. They also provide a more secure data storage option. As businesses become more reliant on digital data points, we are likely to see quantum computing become a large part of the data science sector. #FutureOfDataScience

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TIL the term unbossing for better or worse, I think all the bosses I have worked with, good or bad, I have always learned from in some ways. This kinda feels like using AI as an excuse to remove costs and a very handed cultural revolution style of shifting cultures, which could lead to poor outcomes over time with tacit knowledge being lost Some pruning is always great but huge waves are just tsunamis no matter what marketing term is used https://lnkd.in/gDz63KAJ

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The human team is fundamental to Digital Transformation, we must work with them and, above all, on them. Thank you Enterprise Viewpoint for allowing me to share. #DigitalTransformation #HumanTeam #Leadership #beingCIO #CIOavisor #ITvision

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Celebrating the quiet achievers in your company 👏🏼 Who are the underappreciated employees that perform critical roles in your company? Those quiet achievers amongst us... They don’t seek attention, but they make significant impacts through their actions. Your most reserved team members are the ones with the greatest potential. They're gems waiting to be polished to brilliance... According to Eric Partaker's 'Quiet Power', understanding the dynamics of introverts and extroverts is crucial. Introverts recharge in solitude, while extroverts thrive socially. Understanding this is crucial—avoid making judgments! Here are the 8 exceptional abilities of quiet individuals: ➨ Deep Thinkers: Masters of innovative solutions. ➨ Focused Workers: Unmatched in diving deep into tasks. ➨ Calm: They bring peace during storms. ➨ Empathetic Leaders: Feel what others barely whisper. ➨ Effective Listeners: Hearing beyond words. ➨ Observant: Not a detail slips by. ➨ Prudent: Strategic decision-makers. ➨ Independent: Self-sufficient and robust. Support and empower the quiet talent within your team. A stronger, more inclusive team awaits... #TalentManagement #EmployeeEngagement #StrategicDecisions #HR #GlobalRecruitment

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As we enter this season of transformation, I’m reminded of the beauty in change and resilience. For those of us who have experienced layoffs, the journey can feel uncertain, but like the vibrant colors of autumn, there’s beauty in transitions and new beginnings. This season, may we find not only new opportunities but also the peace and serenity that come with embracing the path ahead. My hope is after this election cycle, we see a renewed uptick in the job market. Here’s to growth, renewal, and finding our footing as we move forward together. Wishing everyone resilience, strength, and success in finding roles that align with our passions and skills. #CareerJourney #FallReflections #NewBeginnings #JobSearch

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#GenAI is capturing the world’s attention in a way similar to the early days of the Internet. Our latest blog shares our transformation journey with GenAI and how Microsoft can help companies operationalize this technology to build trust and value.

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Forbes recently published an article on how AI and advanced analytics help inform strategic organizational decisions.   Across the industry, we’ve seen the implementation of these tools boost productivity and attract, retain, and empower the best tech talent in the world.   At P&G, we are committed to upskilling all employees to ensure they understand how to capitalize on the insights provided by these emerging technologies and encourage them to learn how to leverage these tools and apply them appropriately to their work. #digitaltransformation #PGInnovation

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It’s been a while (okay, years), but as we step into 2025, I couldn’t resist breaking my LinkedIn silence! Exciting things are happening at PepsiCo, and I’m thrilled to share some of the cutting-edge innovations I’ve been working on. My mission isn’t just about keeping up with buzzwords like Generative AI, machine learning, hyper-automation, and human-centric AI. It’s about bringing these technologies together to create a balanced, people-first digital ecosystem that’s as sustainable as it is innovative—perfectly aligned with our #Pep+ goals. The year ahead looks promising! From simplifying IT landscapes to driving responsible innovation, I’m looking forward to making tech work harder (and smarter) for our planet and our teams. Now that I’m back, let’s get the conversation rolling: What’s the tech trend you’re most excited about in 2025? Drop your thoughts below—I’d love to hear from you! Now, over to you: Which emerging tech trends are you most curious about for the year ahead? Let’s connect, exchange ideas, and shape the future together! #PepsiCo #DigitalTransformation #GenerativeAI #MachineLearning #HyperAutomation #Sustainability #PepPlus #Innovation #FutureOfWork #TechLeadership 

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The concept of “transformation” is rapidly changing. Today, company’s are placing significant emphasis on the transformative power of #AITransformation.

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Hello Friends and Leaders! 🌟 I’ve just wrapped up an insightful read on mastering CIO roles in today’s fast-paced digital world. 📚 The CIO Paradox by Martha Heller is a must-read for anyone looking to excel in IT leadership. Check out this summary for a quick dive into the book’s key takeaways! Book: The CIO Paradox Author: Martha Heller Summary The CIO Paradox by Martha Heller explores the evolving role of CIOs in the digital age. It delves into the challenges faced by CIOs, including managing IT transformation, building strong teams, and driving innovation. The book offers practical insights and strategies to balance the demands of IT management with the need for digital agility. Heller emphasizes the importance of adapting to change, enhancing stakeholder relationships, and leveraging technology to propel organizational success. Learnings 🚀 Adapt to Change: Embrace technological advancements and be agile in your strategies. 📊 Measure Performance: Use KPIs effectively to monitor and improve IT performance. 💬 Build Relationships: Foster strong connections with stakeholders to gain their support. 🔄 Manage Change: Implement change management strategies to handle IT transitions smoothly. 🔍 Future Trends: Stay informed about emerging IT trends and prepare for them. 🛡️ IT Security: Prioritize robust IT security measures to protect your organization. 🎯 Innovation: Encourage innovation to stay competitive and drive growth. Action points from learning 📝 Review KPIs: Regularly assess and update your KPIs to reflect current business goals. 🤝 Engage Stakeholders: Schedule regular meetings to align with stakeholders and address their concerns. 💡 Innovate Continuously: Foster a culture of innovation by encouraging new ideas and experimenting. 🔒 Enhance Security: Implement advanced security protocols and conduct regular security audits. 📈 Track Performance: Utilize performance dashboards to track IT progress and make data-driven decisions. 🌐 Stay Updated: Follow industry news and trends to stay ahead in the IT field. 🔄 Manage Transitions: Develop a structured approach to manage IT changes and minimize disruptions. #CIOParadox #ITLeadership #DigitalTransformation #TechManagement

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