Issue 1: Lessons From IT Leaders, Maximizing Data Insights, & Celebrating Major Milestones

Issue 1: Lessons From IT Leaders, Maximizing Data Insights, & Celebrating Major Milestones

Lessons From IT Leaders: Celebrating the Graduates of TechLX Cohort 13

IT community members gathered virtually to recognize the 13th graduating class of the St. Louis TechLX.

The ceremony began with a CIO roundtable featuring powerhouse IT leaders such as Mike Kraus , Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis , Dr. Kimberly Martin , Executive Vice President of Business Operations & Automation at 萬事達卡 , and Holly Etchison , General Principal at Edward Jones .

Mike Kraus (left), Dr. Kimberly Martin (center), and Holly Etchison (right).

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the changing nature of the IT industry and the evolving requirements of a successful IT leader.

“Once upon a time, CIOs and technology leaders were the most capable technologists in the organization," Kraus said. "And though IT leaders still need to be technically competent now, they also have to be business savvy.”

Kraus said IT leaders must understand how technology fits into the larger company ecosystem and practice empathy in understanding customer needs.

"It's about more than just getting projects delivered."

Etchison highlighted the importance of practicing courage and collaboration.

"The up-and-coming leaders are the ones who are reaching out, collaborating, and pulling people into discussions," Etchison said. "Leaders don’t have to be the smartest people in the room, but they know who should be in the room. It’s about making connections, collaborating, and leading with courage.”

Martin emphasized the importance of finding truth-tellers: managers or colleagues who give honest feedback, even if it's hard to hear. She also reflected on the importance of "scaling" one's leadership, moving from being an individual contributor to leading a team to leading several teams, and so on.

"There is only so much time in a day, and you have to find a way to scale your influence," Martin said.

Read more about Cohort 13's graduation

Maximizing Data Insights: Implementing Agile for Successful Analytics Projects

Stephen Deken leads a group exercise at an October Agile workshop at Washington University in St. Louis.

Many companies adopt the Agile methodology to improve the efficiency of their software development process. Notably, some businesses are also beginning to use Agile on other technology projects, including those focused on data analytics. It requires an effort that relies on collaboration and teamwork, ensuring all project stakeholders contribute to its ultimate success.

Understanding the structure of the sprint provides a useful overview of the Agile approach. Here is an overview of its components:

  • Planning and Retrospective: This initial part of each sprint serves to plan the upcoming sprint as well as provide a retrospective of the previous one’s results. For an analytics project, providing insights on the quality of the delivered data analysis and subsequent reporting definitely helps.
  • Daily Scrum: A daily meeting known as a scrum serves as a conduit for reporting progress on the sprint. The scrum master (an Agile project manager) leads the meeting with attendees including the technical team and available business stakeholders.
  • Review: This meeting is held after the end of the sprint. It typically includes a demo of the latest version of the project’s ultimate deliverable. For an analytics project, this might include new reports or data from a new algorithm. Feedback from this step informs the planning and retrospective for the next sprint.

Read more tips for maximizing data insights with Agile

A Legacy of Excellence: Technology Partners Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Technology Partners employees gather for a lavish celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

Technology Partners recently marked a milestone—30 years of innovation, collaboration, and growth. Founded in 1994 by Greg and Lisa Nichols, the company has evolved from a small IT consulting firm into a nationally respected technology solutions provider.

Reflecting on the journey, President Greg Nichols, shared, “When we started, the goal was simple: to improve the way IT staffing was done. We believed there was a better way to serve both our clients and consultants, and that philosophy has stayed with us through every decision we’ve made over the past 30 years. Together, we’ve built something that stands the test of time.”

Technology Partners has grown into a trusted company that provides IT staffing, custom software development, AI solutions, and leadership development across multiple industries.

Over the years, the company has partnered with organizations of all sizes—from startups to Fortune 500 companies—delivering cutting-edge technology that helps businesses thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Read more about Technology Partners' 30th Anniversary





Landon Burke

Communications Manager at Technology Partners

4 个月

Some wonderful wisdom from Mike Kraus, Kimberly Martin and Holly Etchison. Thank you all for sharing!

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