E535 Darren Spurgeon, Chief Technology Officer at Torchlight AI

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

Today's guest is Patrick Wilson, Director of Software Engineering at ServiceNow. Inside and outside their organizations, ServiceNow's customers trust a single, AI enabled-platform to free people to do their best work. This AI platform offers apps that can predict issues, automate processes and create time for innovation. 85% of the Fortune 500® have modernized their technology with the ServiceNow platform. In the episode, Patrick talks about: His career journey to leading ServiceNow's dev team, How Developer Enablement modernizes ServiceNow's scripting and development tools, ServiceNow’s SDK to enable local, code-based app development, ServiceNow IDE’s cloud-based, integrated and accessible development environment, ServiceNow's AI code assist tool boosts development efficiency, How ServiceNow integrates pro code with no-code tools effectively, Making ServiceNow accessible for JavaScript developers, Possibilities of integrating generative AI into ServiceNow products, How to reach out to the ServiceNow community for support

Today's guest is Patrick Elder, Director of Data and AI, Centre of Excellence at ECS. Founded in 1993, ECS is a leading provider of solutions in science, engineering and advanced technologies, including cloud, cybersecurity, AI, data and enterprise transformation solutions. The company takes pride in serving the military, federal civilian and commercial clients with a collaborative, customer-first approach to solving critical and complex challenges. At ECS, they invest in the people, processes and technologies to help their customers achieve data readiness. The ECS Data and AI Center of Excellence is their hub for thought leadership, training, and innovation. The CoE ensures the responsible research, development and application of artificial intelligence towards public safety, security and prosperity. Whatever your mission, ECS has the data, AI and ML experts to help achieve your organization’s goals. In this episode, Patrick discusses: His journey from programming basics to leading data strategy at ECS, ECS Federal’s focus in data, AI, cybersecurity and modernization, The CoE’s offerings in strategic vision, support and innovation, How ECS's AI factory drives secure, innovative model development, Emphasizing innovation, customer experience and responsible AI, How AI will drive federal proposals, emphasizing pre-trained models and efficiency, The importance of growth, mentorship and an inclusive, connected culture

Today's guest is Aly Skidmore, ServiceNow Platform Owner at abrdn. Founded in 1825, abrdn is a global investment company that helps clients and customers plan, save and invest for the future. They are structured around three businesses - Investments, Adviser and Interactive Investor - each focused on the changing needs of their clients.  The company's focus on four key strategic priorities - Asia, Sustainability, Alternatives, UK savings and wealth - enables them to meet the needs of clients across a range of markets. Aly is an energetic and creative ITIL 4 certified managing practitioner with extensive and varied experience in the implementation, running and ongoing transformation of IT services, enterprise service management toolsets and platforms. As a Platform owner and product lead, she is responsible for all aspects of the platform lifecycle for ITSM, SPM, SAM, ITOM and Event Management.She is currently leading the delivery of a two year strategic roadmap of platform growth and maturity across ITOM, AIOps, Service Management modernization and more. In the episode, Aly discusses: Her 20+ year journey in IT, service management and ServiceNow, An overview of abrdn’s ServiceNow platform from major growth and upgrades, How Platform Owners adapt ServiceNow to diverse, evolving needs, Why networking with platform owners provides crucial support and empathy, Important to prioritize people, support your team and foster growth, The need to focus on outcomes, build trust and respect stakeholders, Why ServiceNow's capabilities require bridging gaps with stakeholders' perceptions, How ServiceNow user groups offer supportive, vibrant networking opportunities, The diverse and supportive ServiceNow ecosystem with strong inclusivity, How the industry has made progress, but the fight for full equality continues

Today's guest is Yaniv Shimoni, Co-Founder at Take2 AI. Founded in 2021, Take2 AI is an AI-Powered job simulation platform for sales recruiting and training. Take2 AI helps companies generate tailor-made simulations of real-world sales scenarios that vet job applicants for skills, behavioral attributes and culture fit. By leveraging generative AI, they recreate company and role specific sales scenarios that not only provide high-signal performance data to employers, but also immerse job applicants in the role, leading to fewer miss-hires and reduced short-term attrition. In this episode, Yaniv discusses: His journey to co-founding Take2 AI, Providing AI-powered job simulations for sales recruiting success, Automating sales hiring using LLMs to reduce churn, How Take2 reduces attrition and improves sales hiring, An insight into the team and working culture at Take2, Shifting to a scalable, self-managed product with customizable simulations, Opportunities to join a top team with cutting-edge AI and impact To find out more about all the great work happening at Take2 AI, check out the website www.take2.ai or contact Yaniv/one of his co-founders at [email protected].

Today's guest is Dallas Blattner, Senior Director, ServiceNow Practice at CRI Advantage. Founded in 1988, CRI Advantage is an industry-leading IT services provider with over three decades of experience serving federal, state and local government agencies and commercial clients. They help customers achieve business-driven digital transformation through their featured product suite., assisting you in eliminating tedious IT processes and maximizing the full potential of your technology. Dallas is a highly innovative Senior ServiceNow Delivery Director with over ten years of professional experience. He is a Subject Matter Expert regarding ServiceNow Product Suites, Applications and Modules, government, SLED and commercial subcontracts, especially within Information Technology and Service activities and the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Dallas is policy-driven and team-spirited with a talent for problem solving and strategic thinking. In the episode, Dallas discusses: His unconventional IT journey leading to a passion for ServiceNow, An overview of CRI as a specialized IT firm excelling in niche markets, Bridging sales and delivery to showcase ServiceNow's potential, His career growth through immersion, continuous learning and strong foundations, Excitement for AI advancements and growth in ServiceNow’s capabilities, Emphasis on cultural fit, people and customer service

Today's guest is Eddie Kirkland, Principal Data Scientist at ICF. Founded in 1969, ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider that combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change and shape the future. Through deep domain expertise and cutting-edge digital services, the team at ICF are helping clients contribute to a healthier planet, create more resilient and equitable communities, and support and grow economic development. Eddie is currently a Principal Data Scientist with ICF, serving the Centers for Disease Control in the metro Atlanta area. A data science team leader with proven generative AI, machine learning and software development skills, he pairs data science and engineering ability with solution design and communication acumen gained in 20 years of organizational leadership. Eddie is recognized as a strategic leader and contributor on data science teams with a dynamic ability to translate complex concepts into relatable and actionable information. In this episode, Eddie talks about: His career journey from music to a passion for data science Combining subject matter and technological expertise for global betterment, Applying AI expertise ethically across diverse client projects, How Generative AI unlocks text data's potential, requiring ethical use, Piloting generative AI to transform data processing tasks, Creating safe spaces for AI experimentation and small models, How ICF provides a supportive culture and meaningful, impactful work