Spotlight on Christopher Pesola

Chris is the CIO for Roush, a company with a relentless spirit of possibilities and an unmatched suite of capabilities based right here in Michigan. He is a diverse and seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience across almost all verticals. Chris excels at change management, technology modernization, and enhancing operational efficiencies through carefully selected and managed solutions.

Fun fact: Chris was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and then went to CMU to become a high school math and computer science teacher.

Learn more about the Detroit CISO Community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

My path to my current role as CIO at Roush started with a shift from high school teacher to technology consultant. Those early consulting years taught me all about project planning, managing change, and balancing workloads. As my career progressed, I found myself always being attracted to companies that were undergoing tremendous transformation and technology enablement. 
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

One of my guiding leadership principles is keeping the focus on the problem we are trying to solve. Many technical resources are quick to react and love to solve problems which can often lead to missing the mark on understanding the actual goal. By encouraging my team to ask a lot more questions we can gain clarity and get a better end result.
 

What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?

The greatest challenge my role as CIO is facing today is balancing productivity with cybersecurity. Especially with the rise of AI, obtaining and maintaining a strong security posture is a daily task that can quickly have a negative impact on productivity. As users get more comfortable with these technologies, IT is always assumed to be ahead of them in terms of knowledge and understanding. This becomes an additional drain on productivity and we have to work very hard to balance the reactive nature of our roles with the proactive requirement to stay knowledgeable on current technologies and trends.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

The key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO is to understand and partner with the business. The CIO role is often still looked upon as just the person running IT. So when starting out, establish connections with your peer leaders in the business. Make sure to listen with the intent to understand and don't be quick to offer technical solutions. Just be a good partner with the business first, then once you understand their mode of operation, start offering assistance.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

I measure success as a leader by watching the success of the leaders I interact with. Their success is my success. Whether direct reports or leaders on other teams, seeing them grow and become better leaders is all I need.
 

What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?

The value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities is really in the comradery and shared pain (and hopefully solutions). Having dedicated time and access to this wonderful community of leaders that are having the exact same challenges helps to keep focus on the solution and helps eliminate feeling overwhelmed or feeling like everyone else has it all figured out. Because we don't, and it's good to talk to each other about ways to get there.
 

Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.