This episode features Sam Burns, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at IGM Financial. Sam shares how IGM is building a secure and scalable technology foundation that empowers advisors, clients, and employees across its wealth and asset management businesses. He discusses the evolution of his “earn the right” philosophy, the critical balance between stability and innovation, and how cloud transformation, data strategy, and AI are reshaping client experiences. Sam reflects on lessons learned from past transformations, from scaling SaaS to navigating FinTech disruption, and offers a forward look at how conversational agents and intelligent collaboration will define the next era of digital engagement. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes trust, resilience, and the power of people in driving meaningful, sustainable innovation.

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Guest Bio:

Sam Burns is the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for IGM Financial Inc. In this role, Sam is responsible for steering the enterprise technology strategy for IGM and its subsidiaries, IG Wealth Management and Mackenzie Investments. His areas of oversight include application technology, program delivery, artificial intelligence (AI), data, technology operations, security risk management, infrastructure, and enterprise architecture.

With over 27 years of experience in leading technology transformation in financial services, Sam has been a guiding force in the digital evolution across our wealth and asset management businesses since joining IGM in 2016.

Prior to joining IGM, Sam held the position of Partner and Managing Director at Accenture, where he led global programs focused on strategy and technology solutions. His previous experience also includes senior global leadership roles in technology services, fintech and banking industries.

Sam holds an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Brock University.

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Guest Quote

“We have to earn the right in our technology organization to talk about the great things that can move our business forward... Priority one is safe, secure, stable platforms.  If we don't have that, we get in front of our businesses. We impede them from being successful and us as a firm from being successful.

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Time stamps:

• *(00:00) Episode Start
• *(01:15) Top Priorities for CIOs for Scaling Technology
• *(06:33) Challenges and Best Practices in Financial Services
• *(09:41) Importance of Client Experience and Collaboration
• *(21:03) Pivotal Moments in Tech Leadership
• *(26:12) The Importance of Modernizing Legacy Systems
• *(32:34) How IGM is Embedding AI into Their Infrastructure
• *(36:23) Practical AI Use Cases in Enterprises
• *(40:01) Designing Flexible and Secure Networks   
• *(45:28) Future of Collaboration Platforms

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Links:

• Connect with Sam on LinkedIn
• Learn more about IGM Financial
• Connect with Sunny on LinkedIn
• Connect with Raj on LinkedIn
• Visit Tata Communications’ website
• Follow Tata Communications on LinkedIn

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This episode features Dave Temkin, Vice President of Platform Infrastructure and Critical Facilities at Walmart. Dave shares insights from his remarkable career journey from building the world’s largest content delivery network at Netflix to leading the technology infrastructure that powers Walmart’s global operations. He discusses the complexity of managing large-scale networks, the strategic adoption of AI and multi-cloud environments, and how technology innovation can drive both operational efficiency and improved customer experience. Throughout the conversation, Dave emphasizes the importance of resilient infrastructure and thoughtful technology leadership in enabling business transformation.

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Guest Bio:

Dave manages Walmart’s networks, data centers, and the foundational platforms for its private cloud infrastructure as vice president of Platform Infrastructure and Critical Facilities.

Previously, he was the SVP of Infrastructure and Cloud at Imperva, where he rebuilt an industry-leading cloud cybersecurity infrastructure that protects thousands of companies globally. Before that, he assembled and led the team that built the world's largest Content Delivery Network for Netflix, as well as its global studio technical infrastructure including systems and storage.

He is a Founder and Board Member of Community IX FL-IX, the largest member-run Internet Exchange Platform in the Eastern U.S., and the NY Network Operator's Group (NYNOG). He previously served on the boards of NANOG and Children of Bellevue.

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Guest Quote

“ When we think about the customer experience in many, many places, especially here in America, when there's something like a natural disaster, right? If there's a series of fires or hurricanes or tornadoes, one of the first places people turn to is Walmart. We need to make sure that our stores are available to serve the communities that they're in at all times. And so that whole network needs to be survivable, right? We need to be able to make sure that they've got connectivity at all times, and we've invested heavily in that as well.”

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Time stamps:

• *(00:00) Episode Start
• *(00:39) Dave's journey into technology
• *(03:55)  Technology's role in Walmart's operations
• *(06:14) Building Walmart's network infrastructure
• *(13:48) Using AI for network optimization
• *(17:53) Solving the complexity of a multi-cloud network
• *(20:17) Walmart’s approach to GenAI adoption
• *(23:10) Driving innovation at scale
• *(26:11) Advice for tech leaders
• *(34:04) Finding the right tech balance

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Links:

• Connect with Dave on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Walmart Global Tech
• Connect with Raj on LinkedIn
• Visit Tata Communications’ website
• Follow Tata Communications on LinkedIn

This episode features Ranjit Bawa, US Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Deloitte. Ranjit explores how Deloitte integrates strategy and advanced technology to address client challenges effectively. He explores the transformative impact of AI, the accelerating pace of technological innovation, and the pivotal role of connectivity in modern business. He offers valuable insights on managing technology investments while maintaining operational efficiency and provides guidance on leading through change to drive substantial digital transformation.

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Guest Bio

Ranjit is Deloitte’s US chief strategy and technology officer. He is responsible for corporate and technology strategy, innovation, and emerging growth businesses, as well as oversight of Deloitte ecosystems and alliances. Ranjit is an adviser to the CEO and serves on the Executive Leadership team. He sponsors several Deloitte CXO programs and actively serves a number of clients in the financial services and high-tech space. In his prior role, Ranjit led the Cloud business for Deloitte.

Ranjit’s perspective has been sharpened over the course of nearly two decades spent designing strategy and technology solutions for some of the world’s most technology-centered enterprises, including serving leading global financial institutions where technology is the foundation of the service delivery model.

Ranjit’s educational background—including degrees in electrical engineering and finance—gives him a well-rounded understanding of the interrelated dynamics of technology and economics. His early career in aircraft engineering operations steeped him in an environment where every decision has an impact on a complex, mission-critical system. Today, he applies that perspective to help organizations reimagine themselves at every step along their strategy and technology journey.

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Guest Quote

“There's no strategy today without technology. So us bringing those two together was an integral part of how we show up in front of our clients and how we think about our own strategy.”

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Time stamps

• *(00:00) Episode Start
• *(00:29) Ranjit's career journey
• *(02:02) Connectivity's role at Deloitte
• *(07:05) Current technology trends in the consulting industry
• *(11:19) Balancing client and internal business needs
• *(19:48) Deloitte's digital transformation journey
• *(24:57) Making smart investment decisions
• *(28:43) Data and infrastructure challenges in professional services
• *(33:50) Aligning IT infrastructure modernization with business strategy
• *(43:05) Advice for technology leaders

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Links

• Connect with Ranjit on LinkedIn
• Visit Deloitte’s website
• Connect with Raj on LinkedIn
• Connect with Ian on LinkedIn
• Visit Tata Communications’ website
• Follow Tata Communications on LinkedIn