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2025 Annual Conference: Technology

Track Speakers


Mark BensonThe Future is Connected: Insights on Smart Products from the Front Lines of Innovation

Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings, Samsung

Connected products are reshaping the way consumers live and how companies deliver value. In this session, Mark Benson, Head of SmartThings at Samsung, will explore the rapid evolution of connected devices from two key perspectives: the industry-wide shift toward smart ecosystems and the experience of companies that design and build these products. Drawing on Samsung’s leadership in the connected home and IoT space, Mark will share lessons learned from developing SmartThings, including the challenges of interoperability, the role of data in creating seamless experiences, and the future of consumer expectations. Whether you are building smart products or adapting your business to work within a connected world, this session offers a front-row view into what is next.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ecosystems Over Devices: Understand how the shift from individual products to connected ecosystems is changing business models and customer engagement.
  • Producer Perspective: Gain insights into the design, development, and delivery of smart products from one of the world’s leading technology companies.
  • Looking Ahead: Learn what trends are shaping the next wave of connected innovation and what your organization can do today to stay ahead.


Denise TillesThe Future-Stack Revolution: Product Management Reimagined for the AI Age

Denise Tilles, Chief Product Officer and Founder of Grocket, Co-Author of Product Operations: How Successful Companies Build Better Products at Scale

The traditional product management role is evolving rapidly as AI tools reshape how we build products and deliver value. Denise Tilles, Founder and Chief Product Officer of Grocket and co-author of Product Operations: How Successful Companies Build Better Products at Scale, presents a new framework for “Future-Stack Product Management” — where product managers take end-to-end ownership of processes and problems, balanced across strategic, operational, and tactical capabilities. In this session, Denise reveals how successful PMs are leveraging AI to automate lower-value tasks while focusing on higher-impact strategic work, and how organizations can develop these future-ready capabilities to accelerate time to value while maintaining commercial focus and competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rebalancing the PM Role: Discover how to shift from the typical 65% tactical focus to a balanced 33-33-33 distribution across tactical, operational, and strategic work, using AI to handle routine tasks while elevating strategic impact.
  • AI-Enhanced Skill Development: Learn specific AI tools and techniques for developing capabilities across all three stacks — from using GenAI for user research synthesis and roadmap generation to leveraging AI for competitive analysis and market research.
  • Commercial Value Creation: Understand how Future-Stack PMs create measurable business impact through resourceful prioritization, commercial mindset development, and clear AI-human role delineation that drives faster problem-solving and better customer solutions.


Logan McLeodRacing Ahead with Data & AI: Leading Tech Innovation from Pit Road to the Boardroom

Logan McLeod, Senior Executive Advisor – Data & AI, McLeod Enterprises, LLC.

Logan McLeod draws on a distinguished career spanning leadership roles at General Motors, Dell, and TForce to deliver this session for us. Most notably, as CIO for GM Motorsports, he pioneered the industry-first SaaS platform that integrated native AI across major racing series including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, WEC, and Formula One optimizing workflows and team performance. In this session, Logan will share his playbook for accelerating digital transformation through data and AI. You’ll gain insights into scaling enterprise-grade solutions in high-velocityenvironments, managing organizational complexity, technology risk, and turning high-stakes innovation into real business outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

  • Driving Strategic AI Adoption: Learn the art of delivering high-impact AI solutions under pressure, whether on the racetrack or in the boardroom.
  • Building Scalable Tech Platforms: Discover crucial lessons from launching a motorsports SaaS platform across global racing series and how they translate to mainstream enterprise environments.
  • Leading Organizational Change: Gain key strategies for guiding cross-functional teams through digital transformation and aligning stakeholders around a unified technology vision.



Sandra and MarkAI at Promega: Empowering Innovation and Wellness through Emerging Technologies

Sandra Gardner, Chief Information Officer, and Mark Sehmer, Manager of Emerging Technologies, Promega

At Promega, the journey into AI is not just about advancing technology—it’s about supporting people. Join Sandra Gardner, Chief Information Officer, as she shares how Promega is taking a thoughtful, human-first approach to exploring AI. Through their adoption, Promega has moved quickly to identify areas where AI can add business value while staying grounded in its culture of employee well-being. From initial steps in building a dedicated emerging technologies function to embedding emotional and social wellness into future plans, this session offers a candid look at how Promega is balancing innovation with empathy. Sandra will also introduce Promega’s newly formed Emerging Technologies team, led by Mark Sehmer, Manager of Emerging Technologies, who will highlight some of the impactful early-stage projects underway across the enterprise.

Key Takeaways:

  • AI as a Business and Human Enabler: Explore how Promega is beginning to tie AI opportunities to both business performance and organizational well-being.
  • Laying the Groundwork: Hear how Promega is approaching AI exploration with intentionality, including the formation of a team focused on emerging technologies.
  • Leading with Care Through Change: Learn how Promega is cultivating technology literacy and preparing to support emotional readiness as AI adoption grows.

 


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Steering Committee

Alberto Ruocco

Alberto Ruocco

Position title: SVP & CIO
Alliant Energy

Michael Waisbrot

Michael Waisbrot

Position title: CTO
UW Health

Technology Track Sponsor

The Technology track is proudly sponsored by YASH Technologies.

yash logo

YASH Technologies is a digital transformation specialist & systems integrator trusted by 100+ Fortune 500 companies. YASH merges top-tier advisory and consulting capabilities with in-depth technology expertise to architect end-to-end, impactful, and value-centric transformation for enterprises across diverse industries.

Connect with YASH: yash.com | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest

Practice Director

Heidi Rozmiarek

Position title: Technology Practice Director

Email: heidi.rozmiarek@uwebc.wisc.edu

As the Technology Practice Director, Heidi Rozmiarek leads the technology practice of the UWEBC. She works with member companies to ensure education, research, and advisory service offerings are aligned with the needs of the membership. Heidi brings over 20 years of experience helping companies achieve operational success by leveraging technology and data through her work in consulting and senior leadership positions in software development, data management, and enterprise applications. Heidi’s diverse background includes extensive experience in the healthcare industry, where she spent over a decade leading technology and analytics initiatives for healthcare providers, insurers, and life sciences companies.

Heidi holds an MBA from the University of South Dakota, a BS in Computer Science, Marketing, and Finance from Morningside University, and a Master’s Certificate in Accounting from Edgewood College.

Highlights from last year's Technology Track

 

Here are a few highlights from last year’s Technology track: