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Episode 852

Being A Business Leader First: Total Quality Logistics (TQL) CIO Ryan Kean on Talent, Process Automation, and Business Alignment as Keys to Fostering Growth

March 7, 2024
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About the Guest

Ryan Kean

Chief Information Officer of Total Quality Logistics (TQL)
Ryan Kean is the Chief Information Officer of Total Quality Logistics (TQL), the second-largest freight brokerage firm in North America with 2023 revenues of roughly $6.7 billion and has roughly doubled in size since the beginning of the pandemic. Ryan has been in his role for roughly two and a half years. I look forward to hearing how he stayed ahead of that growth from a people, process, and technology perspective. Ryan joined TQL after nearly 15 years at Kroger, ending his time there as the Vice President of Technical Strategy and Operations.

Episode Overview

852: Technology executives within an organization are no longer solely regarded as a support function having had their responsibilities grow into key business decision-makers with a seat at the table. According to Total Quality Logistics (TQL) CIO Ryan Kean, tech execs are “business leaders first and technology leaders second.” In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Ryan about the massive growth TQL has experienced over the past few years and the elements of his strategy that have helped facilitate that growth. Ryan discusses the broader modernization of the logistics industry, the focus he has placed on people and talent development, and the importance of having a sound data strategy. He also shares the work being done to improve the business user experience for the clients TQL serves, the company’s shift toward a product-oriented approach, and the interplay between automation and process innovation at the company. Ryan dives deeper into the Hackathons TQL hosts to bring about innovative ideas within the company, the advancements in AI that have come from those events, and the emphasis placed on celebrating the successes of talent within the company. Finally, Ryan looks ahead at the broader impacts of trends in emerging technologies and reflects on the keys to his career success.

 

“"We are business leaders first and technology leaders second. It's absolutely critical that we spend the time within our team to understand how do our business users use our technology? How do they function within their day?""

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This episode is sponsored by ASAPP

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