The Future Focused CXOs Podcast | Episode 11 |Walt Carter, Chief Digital Officer for Homestar Financial Corporation.

The Future Focused CXOs Podcast

In this episode, of Future Focus CXOs, we're thrilled to introduce our distinguished guest, Walt Carter, a technology leader with over 30 years of experience in aligning technology choices to business strategy and driving results-focused innovation. Walt is currently serving as the Chief Digital Officer and CIO of Homestar Financial Corporation, one of the nation's fastest-growing mortgage lenders.

Highlights:

1. Introduction and Journey: Walt Carter introduces himself, sharing his diverse background in physics, computer programming and experiences in academia and the US Air Force. He highlights his role as a leader in digital transformation.

2. Challenges of Digital Transformation: Walt discusses the challenges faced by Chief Information Officers (CIOs) when considering digital transformation, emphasizing the need to address technology debt and foundational issues within organizations.

3. AI in the Financial Industry: The potential of AI and machine learning in the mortgage sector is explored, including the use of AI tools like Salesforce's Einstein and IBM's Watson for underwriting processes. Walt acknowledges resistance to AI integration.

4. AI's Impact on Jobs and Human Interaction: Walt shares his perspective on AI's role in enhancing customer interactions and streamlining processes in an omnichannel world. He acknowledges current limitations and the evolving nature of AI.

5. Synopsis of "We Can't Stay Here: Becoming A Great Change Captain": Walt presents the concept of constant change using the analogy of flowing water. He introduces the Cynefin framework and the importance of sensemaking in organizational transformations.

6. AI's Evolution and Emerging Job Roles: The interview explores the evolving landscape of AI, discussing its potential impact on various industries and job roles. The emergence of new roles like prompt engineers is highlighted.

7. Gamifying the Mortgage Industry: Walt discusses his innovative idea of gamifying the mortgage industry to simplify document collection and processing, transforming the mortgage application and approval process.

8. Startup Advisor Insights: Walt shares his approach to evaluating startups, focusing on problem-solving capabilities, execution, customer acquisition, and relationship maintenance. The significance of self-awareness for startup leaders is emphasized.

9. Advice for Rising CXOs: Walt offers advice to rising Chief Experience Officers (CXOs), stressing the importance of self-awareness, adaptability, and leading by example. The impact of a leader's behavior on the organization is highlighted.

10. Embracing Change and Creating Value: In closing, Walt emphasizes the inevitability of change and the need to create value for others. He encourages finding joy in the process of adapting and evolving.

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