IT Matters | Tech Solutions and Strategies for Every Industry

Storytelling and Technology Leadership, with Troy Penny

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our host is joined by Troy Penny, Global Vice President of Information Technology at Harsco Rail. As a children’s book author, Troy has learned a lot about the power of storytelling in technology. Together, him and our host discuss the influence of leadership and culture in IT, aligning business with technology, and the importance of stories in a quickly-changing technology landscape.  Conversation Highlights: 0:00 Introducing Troy Penny, Global VP of IT at Harsco Rail [12:08] Learning Leadership in IT [17:15] Growing from IT Challenges and Failures [22:01] Connecting Strategy, People, and Technology  [29:42] Finding Your North Star Notable quotes: “Great technology leaders don't just think in system frameworks, they think in stories.” - Keith Hawkey [01:13] “You have to look at IT through the eyes of the business.” - Troy Penny [16:34] Connect with Troy Penny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyspenny/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyspenny/] Read Troy’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Troy-Sheridan-Penny/author/B0F7LSBM8Y/allbooks?ccs_id=b434535d-3802-4e17-8639-015db6324679 [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Troy-Sheridan-Penny/author/B0F7LSBM8Y/allbooks?ccs_id=b434535d-3802-4e17-8639-015db6324679] Read the transcript: Episode 38 [https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65fda2f9fddf07cb8e178480/69c5b355406388cc971ce2e7_Troy%20Penny%20IT%20Matters_otter_ai.pdf] 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.

Cloud, AI, and Regulations in Healthcare IT, with Shane Creech

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our hosts are joined by Shane Creech, Vice President of IT at Ob Hospital Group. Together, they unpack what it means to lead IT when the stakes are high, and the lights absolutely must stay on. Listen to hear Shane share -     * How his path from aspiring medical lab technician to healthcare IT executive shaped the way he thinks about systems, people, and risk  * What separates IT leaders who survive risk from those who don’t  * Advice for anyone in IT feeling pressure to handle regulations, system downtime, the growing role of cloud and AI, and more    Conversation Highlights:  0:00 Introducing Shane Creech, VP of IT at Ob Hospital Group  [5:55] Shane’s Journey in IT  [10:39] Navigating the Challenges of IT in Healthcare  [15:25] The Growth of Cloud Tech in IT  [25:32] The Future of AI    Notable quotes:  “It’s more than a bad day today. It’s a bad day for the next five years.” - Shane Creech [14:47]  “It comes down to the metrics that matter.” - Shane Creech [27:00]    Connect with Shane Creech:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-creech/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-creech/]    Read the transcript: Episode 37 [https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65fda2f9fddf07cb8e178480/69af84ddbd3e4704791958fb_IT%20Matters%20Episode%2037_otter_ai.pdf]    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.

Managing IT for Growing Restaurant Chain Jim N' Nick's Barbecue, with Stephen Self

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our hosts are joined by Stephen Self, Director of IT Infrastructure and Security at Jim n’ Nick’s Community Barbecue. Together, they discuss the IT challenges restaurant chains face, the growing role of AI in IT, lessons he’s learned in his IT career, and more. Conversation Highlights: 0:00 Introducing Stephen Self, Director of IT Infrastructure and Security at Jim n’ Nick’s [6:00] Stephen’s Journey in IT [11:40] Managing IT in a Growing Restaurant Chain [17:29] Lessons from IT Failures and Successes [21:43] Role of AI in IT [29:44] Future of IT Teams and AI Integration Notable quotes: “Chance favors the prepared.” - Stephen Self [17:29] “If you’re in business, tech is a part of your business.” - Stephen Self [32:30] Connect with Stephen Self:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/wstephenself/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wstephenself/] Read the transcript: IT Matters Episode 36 [https://cdn.prod.website-https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/65fda2f9fddf07cb8e178480/6994c54d096b4f0cb8396d93_stephen%20self%20video_otter_ai.pdf] 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.

What 2026 Holds for IT Leaders, with Jeff Garrett

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our host is joined by Jeff Garrett, VP of Solutions Architecture at Opkalla. Together, they discuss 2025’s biggest technology trends, the evolving role of IT in business strategy, and predictions for the technology landscape in 2026. Conversation Highlights: 00:00 Introducing Jeff Garrett, VP of Solutions Architecture at Opkalla [03:19] Key trends in IT for 2025  [07:09] AI implementation and its challenges  [16:37] Cybersecurity trends and MDR  [22:53] The evolving role of IT in business  [40:48] Predictions for 2026  Notable Quotes: “It feels a little bit like the Wild Wild West, you can't turn around without hearing AI-enabled or AI-driven something nowadays.” -Jeff Garrett [08:11] “Data has never been further stretched out from the center of our organization than it is now." -Jeff Garrett  [21:50] Connect with Jeff Garrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-garrett-1357b36/ 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.

IT Leadership Lessons From Clean Energy, with Dana Staples

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our host is joined by Dana Staples, Vice President of Information Technology at ReVision Energy. Together, they discuss balancing IT initiatives and vendor relationships, the impact of AI on IT problem-solving, and engaging the new generation of IT. Thank you to Cato Networks, this episode's sponsor. With Cato, organizations securely and optimally connect any user to any application anywhere on the globe. Its cloud-native architecture enables Cato to rapidly deploy new capabilities and maintain optimal security posture, without any effort from the IT teams. With Cato, your IT organization and your business are ready for whatever comes next. Conversation Highlights: 00:00 A message from our sponsor at Cato Networks [01:37] Introducing Dana Staples, VP of IT at ReVision Energy [06:54] Navigating leadership challenges in IT [12:17] Balancing in-house IT and vendor relationships [20:24] Empowering teams for innovation [28:36] Leveraging AI in IT problem solving Notable Quotes: “Sometimes there's some decisions that are a little further along than you'd like when IT is brought in." -Dana Staples [10:17] “I believe really strongly that you hire people to do a role and once you hire them, you should let them do it." -Dana Staples  [20:55] Connect with Dana Staples: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastaples/ Explore Cato Networks’ Offerings: https://www.catonetworks.com/ Opkalla is an IT advisory firm that helps businesses navigate the vast and complex IT marketplace. At Opkalla, we work alongside IT teams to design, procure, implement and support IT solutions without an agenda or technology bias. On this channel and the IT Matters Podcast, you can expect that high level of expertise from our hosts, plus interviews with the leading experts on topics like AI, cybersecurity, industry-specific IT solutions, strategy and more. Connect with Us:  Website - https://opkalla.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/opkalla/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/opkallainc Twitter - https://twitter.com/opkalla