Ever notice how the best companies are built on great teams? That's what drives me at KMP Consultants. We're all about putting people first to fuel sustainable growth and create workplaces where top talent thrives. 

My journey? It's been quite the ride! I've spent years in aerospace and defense, leading global teams with some pretty hefty budgets. I've had the chance to shake things up with innovative products and weather storms like economic downturns and natural disasters. Trust me, nothing teaches you about leadership quite like those experiences! 

But wait, there's more! I also helped kick off Excelation, where we're all about boosting company performance through smart benefits, savvy financial moves, and some cool automation tricks. Our goal? Save companies millions while making work better for everyone involved. 

Oh, and did I mention I lived in Asia for 16 years? Talk about an eye-opener! It really shaped my global perspective. When I'm not working, you might find me in the cockpit – I'm a commercial pilot and flight instructor. I also love participating in international missions, which keeps me on my toes and constantly learning. 

So that's me in a nutshell – always looking for new ways to lead, innovate, and make work life awesome for everyone involved. Let's connect and chat about how we can make great things happen!

Karen M. Pierce

Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut

Executive leader driving business value through product-focused technology strategy, advanced analytics, and digital experience platforms serving 2.5M+ healthcare members. Transformed traditional IT operations into an agile, customer-centric product delivery organization while building an enterprise AI practice from the ground up.

🎯 Product Strategy & Innovation Leadership:
• Defined comprehensive technology product strategy and innovation roadmap aligned with corporate growth objectives
• Built and operationalized enterprise AI practice including governance framework, strategic use case prioritization, and measurable ROI delivery
• Led product vision development for advanced analytics and AI solutions across customer experience, operations, and clinical outcomes
• Migrated legacy data warehouse to Google Cloud Platform, accelerating analytics and ML product capabilities.

⚡ Cross-Functional Product Team Leadership:
• Built and mentored high-performing teams spanning engineering, analytics, and business operations using product management principles
• Fostered culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning across 50+ team members
• Transformed IT organization into consultative product partner, rebuilding stakeholder relationships and developing long-term growth strategies
• Established governance frameworks improving delivery speed, transparency, and business alignment

📊 Product Operations & Customer Experience:
• Led agile development practices with strong backlog ownership and sprint discipline across multiple technology product lines
• Collaborated with operations, marketing, and customer success teams to deliver scalable, high-quality solutions
• Introduced secure API architecture while maintaining HITRUST certification and delivering continuous product innovation
• Achieved 99%+ platform availability and <4 hour MTTR through robust product operations and customer-centric design

Chief Information Officer ► Chief Information Security Officer ►Delivering Technology Solutions 

Led enterprise center of excellence for analytics, business intelligence, and data science with a product management approach. Established product strategy and governance frameworks for data-driven decision making across customer experience, underwriting, and operations.

• Spearheaded development of best-in-class analytics products through data warehousing, business intelligence, and expert consultation
• Architected data product strategy, governance, and visualization frameworks for enterprise-wide adoption
• Drove analytics product enablement for underwriting, sales, finance, and operations teams using customer-centric design principles
• Applied product thinking to improve organizational decision-making and operational efficiency through strategic analytics development

Assistant Vice President of Strategic Decision Support and Data Services ► Data-Driven Decisions

In January 2012, I was hand-picked by Sr. Management to establish the Informatics Department. I developed charter, budget and recruiting strategy for the new Informatics Department and presented it to Sr. Management and the Executive Committee of the Board. 

With a focus on driving performance, I facilitated the transfer of existing employees and recruitment of new employees for the department. This included the creation of associate development plans and goals.

Within this role, I managed new and existing Informatics projects aimed at driving ROI form strategic investments in the Enterprise Data Warehouse and select BI technologies.

With natural instincts for all things digital, I led SAS analytic initiative for the enterprise including project management and thought leadership. I also coordinated SAS platform administration, query/report writing in Enterprise Guide 5.1 as well as project management on large SAS analytic programs related to fraud detection and focused claim review.

As an engaging leader, I directed the enterprise-level initiative to review the Underwriting and Actuarial process with a focus on the development of a new U&A data mart that can be utilized to facilitate more granular underwriting analytic models and provide more insights into the data providing robust group segmentation, trend analysis, and predictive model capabilities.

I drove the enterprise use of more data visualization tools with a focus on self-service analytics, and educated management on statistical analysis and modeling, its use and application for current and future analysis within the enterprise.

Director of Informatics ► Digital Strategy and Transformation ● Analytics Leader

In this exciting role, I led Enterprise Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence project aimed at driving value by integrating and enhancing data, reporting, and analytics across all lines of business. The project was considered a key multi-year initiative for the company, and my work directly led to Product Development owning the delivery of the project. The project was completed in April of 2012 and was delivered on time and within budget based on the work plan as approved by Sr. Management.  

In an effort to develop strategic direction and internal strategy for corporate EDW initiative, I facilitated a two-day offsite planning session with C-Level executives and senior management. Together with the team (including selected vendor), we determined whether collaboration with another corporation was a viable option to build the EDW – produced final recommendations and presentation documents from the project for C-Level executives.

In addition to developing the vendor selection scorecard, I facilitated the scoring and selection of winning vendor, and collaborated with Internal Council and CEO to finalize master contract and statement of work with the selected vendor.

     • Developed, published and managed end-to-end RFP process.
     • Worked closely with C-Level executives to create internal cost estimates and presentation materials for the Board of Directors.
     • Acted as point of contact to manage the development of statement of work that crossed business 
      silos and required both business and technical understanding.
     • Helped facilitate discussions and analysis around return on investment with C-Level executives.
     • Facilitated vendor selection process. Led EDW strategy and pricing engagement with the selected vendor.
     • Led process of hardware and software acquisition, installation and testing before vendor’s arrival. (Technical Architect).

Manager of Planning & Product Development ► Project Management ● Business Intelligence Solution

My primary objective in this role was to develop and implement corporate-wide HIPAA security compliance program, working with all business department leads and legal department to implement corporate and department-level policies and procedures.

During this period, I leveraged my communication and coaching skills to create, publish and train all employees on corporate HIPPA security policies. I developed engaging presentations and face-to-face training for the entire organization.

Also, I collaborated with the IT department to implement technology solutions to enable the enforcement of corporate security policies.

• Developed and executed yearly audit process for HIPAA security policies and procedures. 
• Owned and developed a highly visible section of the yearly audit report for the Board of Directors Audit Committee.

Compliance Administrator ► Team Training ● IT Security Policies

JRL Solutions, Woolwich, NJ

I spearheaded the development of this Business Process & IT Consulting Firm, and maintained full responsibility for the development of business strategy for sustainable business growth.

In this role, I provided technology assessment and strategic IT consulting services to small businesses and municipalities. Serving as thought leader and tactical execution consultant on all aspects of strategy, platform selection, and configuration to meet business objectives, I facilitated group discussions with clients, utilizing outcomes-driven innovation to target strategic initiatives related to IT and communications including network and computer system upgrades, website solutions, and phone systems.

Developed and implemented enterprise network and computer system upgrades. Projects mainly focused on leveraging new innovative solutions to consolidate existing resources to reduce costs.

• Gathered requirements and developed RFPs for all equipment and implementation costs.
• Managed the implementation of networks, VoIP phone systems, servers and desktops.
• Provided support on various installations of servers, desktops and network appliances.

Managed IT and communications-related grant applications and facilitated work under awarded grants for municipalities.

• Led brainstorming sessions with clients to create aggressive, award-winning grant narratives on IT and communications-related projects.
• Submitted grant applications for IT and communications-related projects.
• Facilitated fulfillment of awarded grants including status reporting and grant amendments.

Founder/Owner ► Business Process & IT Consulting ● Start-up Innovator

Transforming Healthcare Through Product-Driven Technology Leadership

As Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer at Delta Dental, one of the nation's leading dental insurance providers, I drive product strategy and innovation through advanced analytics, AI, and digital experience platforms, serving over 2.5 million members. My focus extends beyond traditional IT operations to product-centric leadership that delivers measurable business outcomes and customer value.

💡PRODUCT-DRIVEN CIO APPROACH:
I've transformed our technology organization into a product-focused engine for business growth. This includes building our enterprise AI practice from the ground up with governance frameworks, strategic use case prioritization, and measurable ROI delivery. I've migrated our legacy data warehouse to Google Cloud Platform, which has accelerated our analytics and ML product capabilities while maintaining platform availability.

🎯 STRATEGIC PRODUCT ACHIEVEMENTS:
✅ Built an enterprise AI practice with a governance framework and strategic use case prioritization
✅ Established analytics center of excellence driving product innovation across underwriting, sales, and operations  
✅ Led cross-functional teams to deliver integrated data, reporting, and analytics solutions across all business lines
✅ Introduced secure API architecture while maintaining HITRUST certification and zero security incidents
✅ Transformed IT into a consultative product partner, rebuilding stakeholder relationships and developing long-term growth strategies

🔬 LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY:
I champion a contrarian approach to technology leadership: most digital transformation initiatives fail not because of technology, but because organizations optimize existing processes instead of creating new value. My product-centric methodology emphasizes customer experience, cross-functional collaboration, and outcome-focused innovation.

🤝 INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT:
Currently serving on the Executive Advisory Board at Fluent Dental, guiding product development and technology innovation for emerging dental technology platforms. Active thought leader in healthcare product strategy, AI governance, and digital transformation.

I'm passionate about driving human-centered solutions that extract value from technology to benefit our company, external partners, and most importantly, our customers. My focus remains on harnessing innovation through product leadership and strengthening strategic relationships to maintain Delta Dental's position as a leader in the industry.

Justin Lahullier

We need to stop calling it "resistance to change." When employees push back on new technology, they're not being difficult—they're providing critical feedback about implementation gaps.

I've led enough projects to know that when people resist a new system, it's usually because:

The new process is actually slower than the old one. The training was inadequate. The system doesn't account for edge cases that they deal with daily. No one asked for their input before the decision was made.

Here's the contrarian take: Employee "resistance" is often a sign that leadership hasn't done the work to understand the actual workflow. The people closest to the work usually know more about how to improve it than the people furthest from it.

At Delta Dental of NJ, we've started treating pushback as data, not obstruction. When someone says "this won't work," we ask "why?" and we listen. The result? Better implementations, faster adoption, and solutions that actually solve problems.

When was the last time employee pushback improved one of your projects?

#ChangeManagement #Leadership

Transformative CIO/CISO | Product Strategy & AI Innovation Leader | Driving Digital Experience & Advanced Analytics Solutions | Healthcare Technology Executive

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Every time someone marks an email "urgent," they're making a bet that their priorities are more important than yours. And most of the time, they're wrong.

I've been thinking a lot about how we manage attention in technology organizations. We've built systems that allow anyone, at any time, to interrupt anyone else. The result is a culture of constant disruption where deep work is nearly impossible.

Here's what I've learned: The most productive teams aren't the ones that respond to every request the fastest. They're the ones that have clear protocols for what actually constitutes an emergency and the discipline to ignore everything else.

At Delta Dental of NJ, I have implemented "focus blocks"—protected time where I know I won't be interrupted unless there's a genuine crisis. The result? Better work, fewer mistakes, and ironically, faster turnaround times on the things that actually matter.

Urgency is a currency. Spend it wisely.

How do you distinguish between urgent and important?

#Leadership #Productivity

Anthropic just dropped the price of Claude Opus 4.5 by 67%. Let that sink in. The most powerful reasoning model on the market is now accessible at a fraction of the cost.

This is a watershed moment for enterprise AI adoption. For years, the conversation around AI has been dominated by two concerns: capability and cost. Anthropic just solved the cost problem for one of the most capable models available.

Here's what this means for CIOs: The barrier to entry for sophisticated AI applications just collapsed. Projects that were economically unfeasible last week are now viable. The question is no longer "Can we afford to experiment with AI?" It's "Can we afford not to?"

At Delta Dental, we're already evaluating how this changes our roadmap. Use cases that were on hold due to cost constraints are back on the table. The economics of AI just fundamentally shifted. 💸

How will this price drop change your AI strategy?

#EnterpriseAI #CostOptimization

Most organizations are approaching AI backwards. They're asking, "What can AI do?" when they should be asking, "What problems are we trying to solve?"

I see this constantly. Companies invest in AI platforms, hire data scientists, and build models—without first identifying the specific business problems they're trying to address. The result? Impressive technology demos that never translate into business value.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: AI is a tool, not a strategy. The organizations that will succeed with AI are the ones that start with the problem, not the technology. They identify friction points in their operations, quantify the cost of those problems, and then—and only then—evaluate whether AI is the right solution.

At Delta Dental, we don't have an "AI strategy." We have a business strategy that includes AI where it makes sense. The difference matters.

What's a business problem you're solving with AI—not a technology you're deploying?

#AIStrategy #BusinessValue

The best career advice I never got: Your job is not to have all the answers. Your job is to ask better questions.

Early in my career, I thought being a good leader meant being the smartest person in the room. I'd prepare exhaustively for meetings, anticipate every objection, and have a response ready for every scenario. It was exhausting. And it was wrong.

Here's what I've learned: The best leaders aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who create the conditions for their teams to find the answers. They ask questions that reframe problems. They challenge assumptions. They create space for dissenting opinions.

I've stopped trying to be the expert on everything. Instead, I focus on hiring people who are smarter than me in their domains and then asking them questions that help them think more clearly about the problems we're trying to solve. The result? Better decisions, more engaged teams, and solutions I never would have thought of on my own.

What's the best career advice you've received?

Google just announced the general availability of Workspace Studio, heralding a “no-code era” for enterprise AI. The promise? Empowering anyone to build their own AI agents. The reality? A new, more dangerous form of shadow IT is emerging. 🔥

For years, we’ve battled shadow IT in the form of unsanctioned apps and spreadsheets. Now, we’re facing a future where any employee can build and deploy a powerful AI agent with access to sensitive company data. The potential for data leakage, compliance breaches, and algorithmic bias is staggering.

➡️ The answer isn’t to lock everything down. That’s a losing battle. Instead, we need to shift from being gatekeepers to providing guardrails. This means:
1. Establishing clear AI usage policies that define what’s acceptable and what’s not.
2. Creating a centralized registry for all AI agents, no matter how they’re built.
3. Providing sandboxed environments for experimentation and development.

The goal is to foster innovation while maintaining control. We need to empower our teams to explore the potential of AI while ensuring the organization's protection.

How are you balancing AI empowerment with enterprise governance?

#AI #Governance

Every technology decision ultimately comes down to three options: build it yourself, buy a commercial solution, or partner with a vendor. And most organizations get this decision wrong.

Here's the framework I use:

Build when the capability is a core differentiator, and you have the talent to maintain it long-term. Buy when the solution is commoditized and customization isn't critical—partner when you need specialized expertise but want to retain strategic control.

The mistake I see most often? Organizations that build when they should buy, usually because of overconfidence in their internal capabilities or underestimation of the total cost of ownership. Custom software is expensive—not just to build, but to maintain, update, and eventually replace.

The second mistake? Buying when they should partner. Not every vendor relationship needs to be transactional. Sometimes the right answer is a strategic partnership where both parties have skin in the game.

What's your framework for making build vs. buy decisions?

#TechnologyStrategy #CIO

The White House just announced the Genesis Mission—a $500 billion private sector commitment to build AI infrastructure in the U.S. This isn't just a press release; it's a fundamental shift in how we think about AI deployment at scale.

Here's what this means for enterprise technology leaders: The infrastructure is coming. The question isn't whether AI will transform your industry; it's whether you're building the organizational capacity to leverage it when it arrives.

At Delta Dental of NJ, we're not waiting. We're investing now in data quality, talent, and change management processes that will enable us to move quickly when these capabilities become available. The winners in the next decade won't be the organizations with the best AI models; they'll be the ones who can integrate AI into their operations faster and more effectively than their competitors.

The Genesis Mission is a signal. Are you ready to respond? 🔥

What's your organization doing to prepare for the wave of AI infrastructure?

#AI #DigitalTransformation

Your cybersecurity strategy is probably focused on the wrong threat. Most organizations spend millions on perimeter defense while ignoring the most significant vulnerability: their own employees' mental bandwidth.

Think about it. We've built increasingly complex security protocols—multi-factor authentication, password rotations, security training modules—and then we're surprised when people find workarounds. We've made security so burdensome that compliance has become the enemy of productivity.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Every security control you add is a tax on cognitive load. And when that load gets too high, people start taking shortcuts. They write passwords on sticky notes. They click "approve" on MFA prompts without checking. They ignore security warnings because they've learned that 99% of them are false positives.

The solution isn't more controls. It's more innovative controls. At Delta Dental of NJ, we're focused on security measures that reduce security friction. The goal is to make the secure path the easy path.

What's your approach to balancing security and usability?

#Cybersecurity #InfoSec

Digital transformation is a marathon, not a sprint. But in our relentless pursuit of the finish line, we often forget to celebrate the miles we’ve already run. This is a critical leadership failure. 🔥

Big, audacious goals are inspiring, but they can also be demoralizing when the finish line is years away. The daily grind of a multi-year transformation project can burn out even the most dedicated teams. The antidote? The consistent, public celebration of small wins.

➡️ I have learned learned that celebrating small victories is not a distraction; it’s a core part of the transformation engine. It builds momentum, reinforces the right behaviors, and reminds everyone that progress is being made, even when the final goal seems distant. It’s the difference between a team that’s running on fumes and one that’s energized for the long haul.

As leaders, we need to be the chief storytellers of our transformation journey, and that means highlighting every milestone, no matter how small. It’s the most powerful way to keep your team in the race.

What’s your strategy for maintaining momentum during long-term projects?

#Leadership #DigitalTransformation

Your flagship AI project is doomed. You just don’t know it yet. How can you tell? It’s not about the tech; it’s about the team. Here’s a simple how-to guide for spotting a failing AI project before it implodes. ➡️

1. The team is obsessed with the model, not the problem. If your data scientists are spending all their time talking about algorithms and not about the business problem they’re trying to solve, you’re in trouble. The model is a means to an end, not the end itself.

2. The project has no clear success metric. If you ask the project lead “what does success look like?” and they can’t give you a clear, measurable answer, it’s a sign that the project lacks a strategic purpose. “Creating a predictive model” is not a success metric. “Reducing customer churn by 5%” is.

3. The business users are not involved. If the first time your business users see the AI tool is during the final demo, it’s already too late. AI projects that are built in a vacuum, without constant feedback from the people who will actually use the tool, are destined to fail.

AI projects don’t fail because the technology isn’t powerful enough. They fail because of a lack of strategic alignment, clear metrics, and user-centric design. ✅

What are the other red flags you’ve seen in failing AI projects?

#AI #ProjectManagement

Great to see our leaders stepping up outside our walls!  Great job Ralph L. Peavy Jr.   MSCIA, CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CHFI, ITIL

Director of Cyber Security at Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut

Ralph L. Peavy Jr. MSCIA, CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CHFI, ITIL

View Ralph L. Peavy Jr.   MSCIA, CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CHFI, ITIL’s profile

It was an honor to represent the Sec-Gemini Breakout Group at the Google Cloud CISO Community 2025.

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Justin Lahullier

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The Battle

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