Jess Mand

I am writing an article for TechEDGE with the working title, “Stop Calling IT a Cost Center: How Technology Leaders Are Rewriting the Investment Narrative.” As organizations enter budget-planning cycles, CIOs are under increasing pressure to do more than explain technology expenses or defend infrastructure costs. Technology leaders must show how investments in platforms, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, automation and modernization contribute directly to business performance. For this article, I am seeking insights from CIOs, CTOs, chief digital officers, chief information and digital officers, chief technology and operations officers, and other senior enterprise technology executives who are actively changing how IT investments are presented to CEOs, CFOs, boards and business-unit leaders. The article will examine how technology leaders are moving beyond traditional measures such as uptime, ticket volume, system availability and maintenance costs to connect technology investments with outcomes such as: Revenue growth and new business models Customer and employee experience Operational efficiency and scalability Business continuity and organizational resilience Risk reduction and cybersecurity preparedness Speed to market Data-driven decision-making Competitive differentiation Please include your name, title, organization, relevant experience and a brief explanation of the perspective you can contribute. Priority will be given to sources who can provide specific examples, measurable outcomes and practical guidance for technology leaders preparing for budget discussions. Selected sources may be invited to participate in a brief Zoom interview or provide written responses by email. Interview questions will be shared in advance. I look forward to hearing from you.

I am writing an article for ExecutiveEDGE with the working title, “The Meeting Isn’t the Problem: Redesigning Work Instead of Working Harder.” Many organizations respond to execution problems by adding meetings, introducing new productivity tools or asking employees to work faster. These interventions may improve parts of an existing process, but they often leave the underlying operating model unchanged. For this article, I am seeking insights from CEOs, COOs, chief transformation officers, chief strategy officers, chief operating and digital officers, chief people officers, and other senior executives who have redesigned how work moves through an organization. The article will explore how leaders can identify and remove structural friction, rather than simply optimizing inefficient processes. Areas of interest include: Reducing unnecessary handoffs and approval layers Clarifying decision rights and accountability Shortening the time between information, decision and action Eliminating work that no longer creates value Redesigning workflows around customer and business outcomes Reconsidering the role of meetings, reporting and status updates Breaking down functional silos Using technology and automation to support a better operating model Balancing speed with appropriate governance and oversight Measuring whether redesign efforts improve execution Please include your name, title, organization, relevant experience and a brief explanation of the perspective you can contribute. Priority will be given to sources who can provide firsthand examples, measurable outcomes and practical guidance for senior leaders. Selected sources may be invited to participate in a brief Zoom interview or provide written responses by email. Interview questions will be shared in advance. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you.