Ep. 41- IT Leadership in a Fast‑Changing World, with Derek Jones

This episode of the IT Matters Podcast features a conversation between host Aaron Bock and guest Derek Jones, a longtime technology executive with experience leading IT teams for organizations of more than 350 people. Derek shares lessons from his career, shaped by his “offensive lineman mindset,” a philosophy rooted in team-first leadership. The discussion explores how IT leaders can stay relevant amid rapid technology change, especially the accelerating pressure around AI adoption.

Conversation Highlights:

0:00 Introducing Derek Jones

[3:10] From Operations to IT Leadership

[11:03] Leading Enterprise Transformations

[18:46] Developing Service-Oriented IT Teams

[40:57] Decisions IT Leaders May Regret

Notable Quotes:

"Especially in this remote world now, where we've got technology leaders everywhere, it's really hard. There's still a value of a handshake, there's still a value of walking that mile in another person's shoes." - Derek Jones [16:26]

"Invest in yourself, invest in your team, and be a team player, and you're gonna win half the battle there." - Derek Jones [45:38]

Connect with Derek Jones on LinkedIn.

Read the transcript: Episode 41

The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT. It is produced by Opkalla, a technology advisory firm that helps their clients navigate the confusion in the technology marketplace and choose the solution that is right for their business.