ServiceNow Series E177: Stuart Birnie, Director - Operational Excellence Lead at Pulsar

Today's guest is K. Scott Engstrom, Executive Director at CAI. Founded in 1981, CAI is a global services firm with over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for their clients, colleagues and communities. As a privately held company, CAI have the freedom and focus to do what’s right - whatever it takes. The company's tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and they are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise. K. Scott is a customer-driven, results-oriented leader with expertise in guiding teams to deliver useful and secure solutions for internal and external customers. He consistently provides clear communication for and between employees and customers that enable both groups to achieve their goals. K. Scott champions new strategic thinking by bringing a relatively unique set of technical, management and financial skills and experiences to bear. In the episode, K. Scott discusses: His career journey from automation to ServiceNow consulting, CAI as an elite ServiceNow partner & award-winning workplace, Maintaining long-term client relationships and growing their public sector focus, Their focus on ServiceNow consulting, active listening, AI & top training, How CAI explores AI, customer service growth and balances culture, Valuing work-life balance, diversity and global upskilling, Their aim to double revenue and their ServiceNow team

Today's guest is Tony Clarke, SVP of IT Digital Operations at ICON. Founded in 1990, ICON's mission has been to help their clients to accelerate the development of drugs and devices that save lives and improve quality of life. They are a global provider of consulting, and outsourced development and commercialization services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and government and public health organizations.  ICON has been recognized as one of the world’s leading Contract Research Organizations through various high-profile industry awards. Tony is a senior information security leader with broad range of experience in cybersecurity and information security who has experience across a number of industries including banking/finance, insurance, utilities, telecommunications, government, semi-state bodies, EU and United Nations agencies. He is a keen contributor to the cybersecurity community who has spoken at several cybersecurity conferences and is a regular contributor to OWASP, ISACA and academic events. In this episode, Tony talks about: His diverse background in electronics, IT and cybersecurity, His role managing IT operations, support and enhancements, Focus on impactful technology while managing compliance in trials, Developing language models to simplify information navigation and access, Striving for efficiency by simplifying processes and reducing hurdles, Focus on iterative development and proof of concept for initiatives, Diversity in teams to enhance creativity and problem-solving, Excitement for AI agents enhancing efficiencies and automating outcomes

Today's guest is Stuart Birnie, Director - Operational Excellence Lead at Pulsar. Founded in 2024, Pulsar are a people first ServiceNow Consultancy with a single mission: to create amazing experiences for their clients through the ServiceNow platform enhanced with the latest AI technology, allowing for effective transformation and benefits realization. Pulsar was founded to provide meticulously tailored offerings to deliver enterprise value at pace, creating happy customers and employees for all our engagements. Stuart has led and delivered technology projects and worked in risk and resilience for nearly 25 years. He has proven experience delivering large and complex transformations at companies such as EY, Whyaye and PwC. He also has extensive experience in system selection, project assurance, risk management and operational resilience. Stuart has built an excellent reputation for his risk and resilience expertise both in the market and with ServiceNow. In the episode, Stuart discusses: His career journey into the world of ServiceNow, Making the decision to form Pulsar, Pulsar as a ServiceNow consultancy focused on excellence and integration, Focusing on DORA compliance and AI initiatives, Key advice on compliance, stakeholder engagement and customer outcomes, Why proper planning is essential, even with time pressures, Advice to consider your ServiceNow roadmap for incremental value delivery

Today's guest is Daniel Saks, CEO and Co-Founder at Landbase. Founded in 2023, Landbase combines leading Agentic AI with human expertise to intelligently automate your Go-to-market, powered by GTM-1 Omni. With decades of experience in sales, product and Machine Learning, their team is uniquely equipped to leverage the latest in AI advancements and provide innovative solutions that help intelligently automate go-to-market workflows and grow your business. Prior to Landbase, Daniel was the co-founder and co-CEO of unicorn company AppDirect, the leading subscription commerce platform for selling technology services. Daniel was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list, has been recognized by Goldman Sachs as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs and is a frequent speaker at prominent industry conferences including Web Summit, CogX, CeBIT and MWC. He also advises Fortune 500 executives on software distribution and cloud strategies. In this episode, Daniel talks about: How his family business roots inspired SaaS and AI ventures, Applying Agentic AI to automate lead generation & optimize business outcomes, Recently securing funding and launching predictive marketing models, How Machine learning enhances sales efficiency and revenue growth, Building a strong and diverse AI team, How LandBase aims to empower people by reclaiming their time

Today's guest is Shubham Shrivastava, Head of Machine Learning at Kodiak. Founded in 2018, Kodiak is the trusted world leader in autonomous ground transportation committed to a safer and more efficient future for all. Through the endless demands of a world in constant motion, Kodiak helps you get the job done. With purpose-built solutions to power autonomous movement in any environment, Kodiak make sure their partners save time, run clean and keep safe. Shubham is a passionate and innovative leader in the field of machine learning and computer vision, with a focus on 3D perception and autonomous vehicles. As the Head of ML at Kodiak, he is building the world's safest driver, using his extensive experience and skills in developing and deploying vision-centric 3D perception solutions. Previously, Shubham has led a team of talented researchers at Ford Autonomy, where he created an end-to-end 3D Perception stack for Ford L2+ vehicles, and a scalable cloud-based ML framework for all ML tasks within Ford. In this episode, Shubham talks about: His journey to date in leading autonomous trucking advancements, How Kodiak pioneers autonomous trucking and driverless vehicle operations, Developing resilient, modular AI for autonomous systems, Scaling autonomous fleets with sparse and rapid mapping, Kodiak’s aim to scale a 24/7 driverless fleet, Seeking motivated talent to advance AI and transform the industry, Why Kodiak is a great place to work

Today's guest is Michael O’Neil, Founder and CEO at Get Well. At age 28, Michael underwent surgery and chemotherapy to treat his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. While his clinical treatment was excellent, he often felt that his care was being done to him rather than with him. During treatment, Michael spent a lot of time waiting and wondering, a state that fueled his desire to change the status quo so that others would not have to go through a similar experience. After his recovery, Michael made it his mission to help people feel more connected to their care. Michael founded Get Well in 2000 and today, his mission lives on. Annually, Get Well serve more than 10 million patients at over 1,000 hospitals and clinical partner sites, using longitudinal data analytics to better serve patients and clinicians. Now part of SAIGroup, Get Well is redefining digital patient-centered engagement by putting patients in control of their healthcare, inside as well as outside the hospital. Get Well combines advanced AI navigation with high-touch care experiences to improve patient activation, loyalty, outcomes and reduce the cost of care. In this episode, Michael talks about: His journey from cancer diagnosis to improving healthcare experiences, Get Well’s mission to empower patients towards better healthcare outcomes, How personalized patient care software enhances hospital and outpatient experiences, Partnering with AI experts SAIGroup to enhance personalized health navigation, Enhancing healthcare solutions with AI for personalized patient support, How core values, diversity and empowerment drive organizational success, Hiring for 30+ positions to drive upcoming innovations

Today's guest is Slesha Fadte, Software Development Manager - Information Security at Amazon. At Amazon, Slesha's team's devotion to crafting secure software solutions is grounded in agility and precision. Leading the third-party security and compliance teams, Slesha and the team have constructed a robust framework adept at tackling the complex challenges of information security. The strategies developed resonate with their broad user base, signifying their commitment to excellence. Building on her tenure as a Senior Solution Architect, Slesha has honed a proficiency in creating resilient architectures, safeguarding client interests with tailored solutions. This expertise is a testament to continuous growth in the ever-evolving tech security landscape, demonstrating a steadfast dedication to enhancing their service offerings and customer trust. In the episode, Slesha talks about: Her journey to Software manager at Amazon, specializing in secure solutions, Her ServiceNow journey since 2014, working across multiple modules, Leading Third-Party Security Engineering, managing dev and data engineers, The team culture promotes friendliness, innovation and collaboration, Working on innovative projects and skill-building opportunities

Today's guest is Mireille Estephan, CTO and Trevor Moore, Director of Technology at Ardent. Founded in 2006, Ardent has served their country by delivering award-winning security and defense technology solutions. Their clients'​ missions range from medical evacuation in overseas theaters to border protection to port security. Specialized in large-scale situational awareness, geographic visualization, cloud and information sharing technologies, clients trust Ardent to guarantee quality, reliability and responsiveness. Mireille leads the company’s technology strategy, innovation and determines technological advancements. She has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry specializing in software solutions, cloud architecture, data platforms, machine learning and AI. Trevor brings his expertise as a technical leader with hands-on and management experience in hardware, software and data science. Together with their team, Ardent are on a mission to deliver top-notch solutions to their customers’ most difficult problems. In this episode, Mireille and Trevor talk about: Their journey to leading technology innovation at Ardent, An overview of Ardent’s specialization in defense services, Focus on innovative technology research and government contracts, Collaborating with NIST on trustworthy AI development, Solving challenges to enhance trusted AI for public safety, How Ardent prioritizes team growth and transparent AI solutions, Valuing team contributions and responsible AI development, What makes Ardent a great place to work

Today's guest is Arun Sondhi, Global Head of ServiceNow Business at Globant. Founded in 2003, Globant are a digitally native company that are passionate about the way tech can change industries, experiences and lives. That’s why, for the last 20+ years, Globant have been dedicated to creating digital products that consumers love. The company's platforms enhance digital transformation, from using tech to make organizations and their cultures more human, to applying AI to reinvent how software is coded and tested. Globant help clients leverage the full potential of the ServiceNow platform, helping them drive the efficiency, agility and innovation that will unlock new levels of growth and performance. They work with clients to fully utilize ServiceNow’s robust out-of-the-box capabilities, as well as extend its functionality through customization and configuration, to meet specific business needs and goals across IT, HR, customer experience, creative and beyond. In the episode, Arun talks about: His 20+ year journey as an IT expert, specializing in ServiceNow, How AI and automation drives efficiency, error reduction and transformation, AI enhancing efficiency for ServiceNow citizen developers, Globant’s focus on tailoring ServiceNow solutions to customer-specific needs, Supporting customer-focused growth and broad learning at Globant, Advice to stay curious, embrace learning and build strong relationships

Today's guest is Darren Spurgeon, Chief Technology Officer at Torchlight AI. In a turbulent world, Torchlight leads the charge in harnessing technology to identify risk, prevent conflict and foster stability. Their mission is to promote global stability and protect global commerce by predicting risk activities. A fusion of human experience and advanced technology empowers them to offer the most precise intelligence. Torchlight's solutions extend far beyond data analysis; they offer foresight to shape the future. Darren is a decisive and collaborative leader with an extensive record of delivering measurable value to companies of any size across a multitude of industries. He is a trusted advisor to multiple CXOs with an executive presence, helping to drive both business and IT strategy, overcome obstacles, and move the organization forward. Darren is also experienced in building high-performing teams, taking a hands-on approach to growing talent by developing quality core values and leading by example. In this episode, Darren discusses His journey from Geological engineer to CTO at Torchlight AI, How Torchlight converts telemetry data into actionable security insights, Enhancing situational awareness through data-driven insights, Leveraging data science and AI to improve threat detection and enhance user experience, An insight into the teams focus on data and software engineering, Rebuilding their platform to scale to advance AI and data science, What makes Torchlight AI a great place to work