In this episode of the CAIO Connect Podcast hosted by Sanjay Puri, we sit down with Vishal Gupta, Lexmark’s Global CTO, CIO, and SVP of Connected Technology — to discuss how he’s scaling AI-led transformation at a global level.
In this episode:
- Why the “push” AI model is over — and the board is now driving the pull
- How Lexmark is embedding AI into key products and business functions
- The 4 big changes AI brings compared to past tech cycles
- Building AI strategies that create tangible enterprise value
- Vishal’s philosophy on talent development and “AI as a superpower”
💡 A must-watch for any technology or business leader thinking long-term about AI.
📺 Watch now and subscribe for more insights from top CAIOs and CIOs.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-gupta-046149/
⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 Podcast Highlights & Introduction
3:19 Vishal’s journey from engineering to C-suite and the importance of solving the right problems
5:58 The CIO/CTO role: a shift from a push to a pull model for AI
8:10 The democratization of AI and the unprecedented interest in the technology
9:48 The hype cycle: AI as both an opportunity and a distraction
11:31 The critical role of change management and prioritizing use cases
14:23 How to prioritize use cases with a steering team
18:16 An overview of Lexmark's business and its technology roots
19:10 Real-world AI use cases at Lexmark (extending product life, automated proposals, customer support)
24:12 ROI of AI and building trust with business leaders
25:04 The secret sauce: developing talent internally to get buy-in and drive results
31:15 The war for AI talent and the importance of enabling existing employees 34:31 The Technology Rotation Program (TRP) for college hires
37:22 The changing role of the CIO and the inevitability of change
39:07 Driving productivity gains across the enterprise
41:35 Defining and implementing agentic AI
45:59 The security of AI: trust but verify
55:33 The importance of an AI ethics board and responsible AI development
58:48 Lightning Round of questions
59:53 Final thoughts and farewell
