VINCENT PERROTTA
Chief Information Officer at ProTrans International
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
What path have you taken to your current position?
I started in a leadership rotational program right out of college. It allowed me to work in three different year-long leadership rotations in Technology.
I then learned that I loved the process of software development so I ended up becoming a development manager and leading a small team of developers.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
Yes, I always wanted to be an IT leader and an IT executive. My current role as CIO was definitely a milestone I was looking to achieve.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey? (If you feel comfortable, please share their name and how they helped you)
My mentor/role model was Mario Harik who is currently the CEO at XPO Logistics. He gave me open feedback on what I was doing well or needed to improve on and allowed me to join meetings to get experience and watch how he handled situations very early on in my career.
This was instrumental to me learning what it was going to take to become a CIO.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
Change is accelerating fast. It's going to be key to not only be a good leader but to stay up on the new technology trends such as AI and be able to show organizations how you can save them time and money by leveraging the new tech that's coming out so fast.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Collaboration. Kids are getting more and more technical at young ages. It's going to be important to be a leader, but also to listen and learn from even the most junior employees. And you want to create a culture where everyone feels that their ideas can be heard.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
What advice would you give to aspiring technology leaders who are just starting their careers?
Leave the ego at the door. Be a good listener as well as a good leader. Also, wherever you work, go out of your way to learn the business inside and out.
This will accelerate the types of technology solutions you will implement which will accelerate your career growth.
"Leave the ego at the door."
What role do you see emerging technologies (e.g., AI, machine learning, blockchain) playing in your industry, and how are you preparing for them?
The role of emerging technologies is going to be huge. It's going to be really important to get on the train now or you will be very far behind. AI for example will be all over the place (it already is).
You should immerse yourself in what AI has to offer.
How do you measure and communicate the value and impact of technology initiatives to other business leaders and stakeholders?
It's important to determine KPIs before you start any new tech project. We try to get an understanding of the business value of projects and then set measurable KPIs so we can communicate the impact of what was delivered.
How do you ensure that you and your team stay updated with the latest technology trends and industry best practices?
I have always had the concept of an IT R&D team or Innovation team where it was a group of technologists chosen to carve out time to talk about innovative ideas that we can try out and talk about emerging tech that we can leverage.
A big thank you to Vincent Perrotta from ProTrans International for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
