The Corporate Director Podcast

Episode: Bringing a Technologist Mindset into the Boardroom
Date: February 11, 2026
Host: Dottie Schindlinger (Diligent Institute)
Co-host: Megan Day (Diligent)
Guest: Earl Newsom (CIO, Cummins Inc.; Board member, First Independence Bank)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the critical role of technologist perspectives in modern boardrooms, particularly as AI and digital disruption accelerate. Dottie Schindlinger and Megan Day talk with Earl Newsom, a seasoned CIO and board member, about bridging technology expertise with governance practice, the integration of technology at the strategic level, and how boards can future-proof themselves in this fast-moving landscape. The discussion also covers board culture, director onboarding, and the evolving definition of boardroom literacy in an AI-driven world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI and Global Boardroom Challenges

Davos and AI as a Boardroom Topic

• The hosts discuss recent conversations from Davos, noting AI’s impact extends beyond technology into social and economic stability.
• Jamie Dimon's warning highlighted: “AI isn't just about technology, it's about social stability... it is still pretty wild to hear that from a major US CEO... mass automation, especially quickly, without a human plan, is really a reputational regulatory, I mean, potentially national security risk.” (Megan Day, 01:38)
• Boards and executives must consider not just efficiency but the societal consequences of swift AI-driven changes.

Historical Parallels

• Dottie references labor unrest in the steel industry as a lesson for managing disruption: “It'd be great if we got this right one time, rather than just going... have a major destabilizing force that upends the economy and causes us decades worth of grief.” (Dottie Schindlinger, 02:49)
• Concern about the leadership pipeline: automation risks eliminating foundational roles critical for future leaders (04:00).

Shifting Mindset from Job Reduction to Capability Expansion

• Brad Smith (Microsoft) cited at Davos: "If humans stay static, machines win. But if AI is used to upgrade human capability, the machines can't catch up..." (Megan Day paraphrasing, 04:23)

2. Transitioning Technologist Talent onto Boards

Earl’s Career Journey and Board Experience

• Military, consulting, corporate CIO, then board director — spanning multiple sectors (06:36).
• Exposure to both sides of the boardroom table shapes his understanding of what boards get wrong about technology.

What Boards Misunderstand About Technology Roles

• Boards often operate at an information disadvantage compared to management; technologist directors can bridge this but must learn to communicate effectively for this audience:
  “I've become a better executive, right, by board membership. On the other side, I think about what companies need to be thinking about to not only survive, but thrive.... It is often said now, and I love this saying, he who wins AI in their industry wins their industry.” (Earl Newsom, 08:37)
• The technologist mindset is vital for fulfilling board members’ duty of care and loyalty.

The Silo Problem: The “Tech Person” vs. Full Integration

• Too often, boards pigeonhole technologist directors as the "tech person" rather than as full strategic partners:
  “Every head whips around to look at that person, waiting patiently for them to have the magic answer…” (Dottie Schindlinger, 11:03)

Earl’s Recipe for Success

• Technologist directors’ responsibilities:
  • Educate themselves: understand finance, join non-technical committees
  • Prove value in areas beyond technology
  • “We as technologists, we ought to earn the right not to be the technology person, but be the technology also person.” (Earl Newsom, 13:10)
• Board/Chair responsibilities:
  • Committee chairs should foster inclusive culture, ensuring technologist directors have broad opportunities to contribute (14:11)

3. Technologist Mindset Applied to Governance Issues

How Does It Influence Strategy, Capital Allocation, Risk?

• On capital allocation: Technologists can bring different perspectives but need foundational business acumen.
• Disruption readiness:
  "What happens to our industry when software eats it? ... That's what the technologists will bring—a mindset about what happens when software eats your industry." (Earl Newsom, 14:42)
• Risk awareness:
  • First-hand knowledge of tech risk is invaluable:
    “I could try to describe to you that the stove is hot, but if you've never touched a hot stove, you don't really know ... we're the ones who can see the hot stove in the room when it comes to technology.” (Earl Newsom, 16:54)

4. Effective Board-CIO Engagement

How Should Boards Partner with the CIO/CTO?

• Boards should push management to identify and capitalize on digital/AI advantages.
• Boards should help technologists convey the urgency and opportunity of disruption, not reduce them to IT support:
  “How do we unlock really the true advantage of technology... help unlock it in our enterprises.” (Earl Newsom, 19:18)

5. Building Boardroom Tech Literacy

Literacy vs. Expertise

• Most directors won't become technology experts, but must aim for literacy.
• Tech evolution demands ever-faster decision cycles:
  • Mainframe era: 20-year decisions
  • Client-server: 10 years
  • Cloud: 3–5 years
  • AI era: 90-day decision cycles
    “In the AI era, it's 90 day decisions. In the world of 90 day decisions, where things are changing so rapidly, we've got to rethink how we maintain freshness and currency in the technology space.” (Earl Newsom, 21:01)
• Methods to sustain literacy:
  • Reverse mentoring
  • Attendance at conferences/innovation shows
  • Continuous board education
  • Reading both industry summaries and mainline news (23:00–24:18)

6. Converging Business and Technology Strategy

The Blurring Line

• Technology and business strategy are no longer separate:
  “When software eats the world, your business strategy becomes your technology strategy, right? And vice versa.” (Earl Newsom, 24:52)
• Recommends considering a “President of Technology” overseeing all tech functions as companies become software-driven (27:07).
• Boards need to reflect this convergence in committee structures and strategic planning, rather than relegating tech matters to the audit committee (28:12).

7. Looking Forward—The Future Boardroom

Digital Directors and AI in the Boardroom

• Provocative prediction:
  “What about a digital director? So you'll have AI be participating in the boardroom, right, as an AI director. A digital director. Right. That's a pure digital being... participating as a board member.” (Earl Newsom, 28:37)

Staying Current and Governing in an AI World

• Earl is taking an AI course to stay current; highlights the challenge of governing organizations where AI is pervasive, often invisible in daily operations (29:37).

Passion Project

• Earl describes his community-building work with the Blakely Golf Association and building an app to translate its culture of connection and unity:
  "We have a toast... the best ships are friendships that may they always be. ... My passion project is to take that magic ... and make it available to everyone." (Earl Newsom, 31:16)

Notable Quotes

• Earl Newsom:

  • “He who wins AI in their industry wins their industry.” (08:37)
  • “[Technologists] ought to earn the right not to be the technology person, but be the technology also person.” (13:10)
  • “We're the ones who can see the hot stove in the room when it comes to technology.” (16:54)
  • “In the AI era, it's 90 day decisions. ... we've got to rethink how we maintain freshness and currency in the technology space.” (21:01)
  • “When software eats the world, your business strategy becomes your technology strategy…” (24:52)
  • “What about a digital director? ... an AI director. A digital director. Right. That's a pure digital being... as a board member.” (28:37)

• Dottie Schindlinger:

  • “It'd be great if we got this right one time, rather than just going... have a major destabilizing force that upends the economy and causes us decades worth of grief.” (02:49)
  • “Technology and business aren’t two things. They’re one thing.” (paraphrased summary, 36:39)

• Megan Day:

  • “That AI leadership is now just talent leadership, and that is one in the same.” (37:48)

Key Timestamps

• AI at Davos / Jamie Dimon warning – 01:38
• Leadership pipeline & automation risk – 03:58
• Brad Smith’s “race” quote – 04:23
• Earl’s three-part career background – 06:36
• The tech director onboarding dilemma & best practices – 11:45
• The technologist mindset in strategy/risk – 14:32
• Advice for board-CIO relationships – 17:33
• Boards keeping tech-literate in a fast-changing world – 20:39
• Blurring business + technology strategy – 24:52
• Future boardroom: the digital (AI) director – 28:37
• Passion project: BGA and building a unity-focused app – 31:11

Conclusion & Reflections

The episode offers an in-depth look at the growing necessity for directors to deeply engage with technology—not merely as a risk or compliance concern, but as the driving force behind strategy, leadership, and organizational survival. Earl emphasizes self-education, board culture, and the need for directors to evolve from “tech specialists” to “tech-empowered” board thinkers, while also forecasting a provocative world with digital directors.

For board members:

• Don’t silo the technologist—integrate, educate, and challenge them and yourselves.
• Future-readiness means agility, continuous learning, and collaboration across business and technology boundaries.
• Start thinking now about governance frameworks where AI itself might be at the table.