Info-Tech LIVE 2025 Day 2 Highlights: Bold Strategies for AI, IT Leadership, and Digital Disruption
Info-Tech LIVE 2025 highlighted bold strategies for IT leadership, emphasizing proactive roles and innovative frameworks. Keynotes featured insights on effective management and the importance of ambitious projects in a hyper-digital landscape. Experts stressed collaboration, risk management, and the transformative power of AI as the conference progresses into its final day.
The second day of Info-Tech LIVE 2025 kicked off with a bang, as IT leaders mingled at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, soaking up insights on AI strategies and impactful leadership. The conference is packed with transformative ideas that aim to help organizations navigate the rapid changes hitting the tech landscape. Keynotes yesterday dissected how leadership can separate the innovative from the ordinary, focusing on traits that drive IT success in today’s marketplace.
Geoff Nielson started the day addressing a common struggle: IT teams stuck in “firefighting mode.” He insists that to evolve, IT departments must shift from being perceived solely as operational support to becoming strategic change drivers. This requires a fundamental leadership overhaul rather than merely adding tools. Nielson introduced Info-Tech’s new IT Playbooks, five essential guides aimed at fostering collaboration and accountability among CIOs and their teams. These tools are intended to empower leaders so they can move from reactive to proactive initiatives, emphasizing that transformation must be a collective effort.
Later, John Rossman took the stage, urging leaders to be bolder in today’s hyper-digital era. Incremental changes won’t cut it anymore; he advocates for ambitious “big bets” that seize transformative opportunities. Rossman encourages companies to rethink their approach, utilizing a strategy he calls “Build Backward,” which involves defining outcomes first before developing plans. He suggests active skepticism and constant testing of assumptions to keep innovative projects on track, encouraging leaders to be rigorous in their evaluations and resource allocations.
Rob Meikle drew upon Info-Tech’s trend analysis to provide a retrospective on past predictions while offering a glimpse into future tech trends. Meikle framed the analysis as a compass, guiding IT leaders through hype and helping them focus on sustainable value creation. He highlighted the importance of not just following trends but pursuing effective, well-researched opportunities. As for emerging trends to watch, topics like multi-agent orchestration and AI-driven cyber defense promise broad applicability as we move forward.
Zack Kass, a globally recognized AI advisor, took the stage with stirring insights on AI costs plateauing and its implications. He argues that we’re in the early stages of what he calls a “Cambrian economic explosion.” Leaders must learn to embrace AI, and he emphasized the shift towards a natural-language operating system. Kass points out significant risks to watch out for, such as complacency and the rise of bad actors. Still, he believes AI can drastically enhance human capabilities and enrich lives—if leaders adapt proactively.
Lastly, in an engaging interview, Steve Reese, CIO of the Phoenix Suns, opened up about his unconventional leadership style termed “addictive leadership.” He posed a straightforward question to the audience: “Are you a leader you’d follow?” Reese spoke on the importance of intrinsic motivation and aligning work with personal drivers, making a case for tailored leadership that recognizes individual strengths.
As the conference wraps up, Day 3 promises a focus on cultivating new tech talent and delving into advanced realms like AI and quantum computing. Notables like Felix Schmidt and Jeremy Roberts are set to cap off the event. For anyone seeking insights into this rapidly evolving IT landscape, this conference has certainly delivered.
Info-Tech LIVE 2025, on its second day, underscored the urgent need for bold leadership and strategic foresight in navigating the complexities of modern IT. Key speakers emphasized the importance of collaborative transformation and proactive risk assessment, while new tools and frameworks like the IT Playbooks aim to empower CIOs. As the conference rounds out, the anticipation for insights on emerging technologies and leadership strategies is palpable, setting the stage for continuous evolution in the tech realm.
Original Source: www.prnewswire.com
