Erika Johnson had a background in business, marketing, and sales before beginning her IT career eight years ago. She is now IT Director, Supply Chain, at Land O’Lakes and a graduate of York Solutions’ Link to Leadership Program. Link to Leadership is designed to help IT professionals develop their leadership and soft skills. The program…
A significant generational shift is underway in the workplace. The oldest baby boomers began turning 65 in 2011, and 10,000 more people will reach retirement age every day until 2030. Millennials now make up the largest group in the U.S. labor force, at 35% or 56 million. As long-time IT employees continue to retire and…
We spoke with Sumal Paravath, Enterprise Innovation & Digital Architect at Land O’ Lakes about challenges that IT leaders face and tips that he can share with the future generation. Sumal is an active member of the Think IT Association, a peer professional development network of more than 3,500 members founded by York Solutions. Think IT…
Matt Herrmann, IT Director at Medtronic, was one of the first participants in York Solutions’ Link to Leadership Program. He is a big believer in the value of leadership development and mentorship initiatives, and he and his colleagues have experienced lasting positive outcomes after participating in the program. Link to Leadership is designed for IT…
Sayeed Reza, VP, Software Engineering at Optum believes that a good understanding of the business and its customers are the first key steps towards becoming a successful IT leader. In his career, he has worked on building search engine platforms, forming product delivery and cloud services organization, and is passionate about managing and delivering technology…
Companies are making a conscious effort to improve the diversity of their teams. A more diverse and inclusive workplace not only offers interpersonal benefits, it also contributes to an organization’s overall financial performance and growth. Within IT, business leaders are especially motivated to build stronger and less homogenous teams. A new survey commissioned by York…
A new survey commissioned by the workforce experts at York Solutions finds that 87 percent of IT leaders believe improving diversity within information technology (IT) departments is important, and 65 percent say it is very or extremely important. The survey asked senior IT executives about their teams, their priorities, and the value they bring to…
Dan Gowens, Sr. Director at Prime Therapeutics, believes that IT leaders and business leaders have complementary goals and should form partnerships to achieve them together. He has worked in the IT industry since the 1980s, and he has built his career on building cooperative teams, solving problems, and aligning tech solutions with business aims. Dan…
Professionals often hear this advice early in their career: Find a mentor, and learn everything you can from that person. But it’s not as simple as walking up to a person you admire and saying, “Won’t you be my mentor?” Like all relationships, mentorships shouldn’t be forced. They’re best when they develop naturally over time,…
For Paul Haisman, CIO at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), business and technology are two sides of the same coin. Business leaders and IT leaders may approach challenges from different angles, but all have a shared goal: making decisions that propel organizations toward successful change and growth. Paul is an active member of…