IT community members gathered virtually to recognize the 13th graduating class of the St. Louis TechLX on Tuesday.
The Technology Leadership Experience ("TechLX") is a leadership development program created by Ouellette & Associates Consulting, Inc. to help IT professionals grow into influential leaders.
Tuesday's 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 Mastercard, and Holly Etchison, General Principal at Edward Jones.
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.
After the CIO roundtable, TechLX organizers presented awards to recognize the exceptional achievements of cohort participants and mentors:
- The Leader Amongst Leaders Award was given to Stephanie Gowins of Panera Bread
- The Mentoring Excellence Award was given to Dana Lorberg of Mastercard (retired)
- The Marketing Excellence Award was given to Charles “Mitch” Fisher of Clayco
To conclude the ceremony, graduates were asked to share some main takeaways from their TechLX journey. Some of the most common highlights included working with mentors, learning to market one's accomplishments, and understanding the importance of making a "deposit" before requesting a "withdrawal."
The TechLX offers a structured, immersive experience that equips participants with the skills, knowledge, and professional network necessary to advance their careers and effectively lead IT teams or initiatives.
Though Cohort 13 has officially concluded, the graduates' leadership journey is only beginning.
