[01:30] Have you been in this field for a long time, or did you find your way to your current role through your IT career?

I’ve been in IT for about 30 years and I’ve been in life sciences for about 5 and a half. This industry is very unique. Even what BioTissue creates is unique because there’s only one other company in the world doing it.

[02:16] What’s the most fascinating thing that you guys do as a company?

Our goal is to create products that help the body regenerate cells. To repurpose human tissue that would be otherwise discarded, after birth, to do that. Doctors saw that wound healing directly after birth was a lot more moderated, and they realized that there must be something in that environment that promoted more regulated healing.

[05:00] What is the ultimate goal of something like this?

We currently have clinical trials underway. One focuses on diabetic foot ulcers that don’t heal, but the main driver is that we show the FDA that this is a product that works. That means clinical trials that tackle specific ailments.

[07:00] Where did you get your start in IT?

I did a Computer Science degree in college, and I was lucky enough to get a job at Motorola and was programming a lot of systems. Lots of Unity and C++. We wrote applications for 24/7 plants across the world. It was very stressful; the smallest change needed meeting after meeting to implement. I did that for 5 years then went into consulting, thus working around the world. Then I worked as IT Director for a Norwegian cruise line for 11 years. I really like to focus on the technology available to us.

[10:50] What’s one of your biggest frustrations with tech right now?

A lot of providers need to harmonize their integrations and services. There are a lot of cloud-based systems that don’t have authentication for log-ins and data transfer.

[13:33] What’s one of the more exciting things in tech that you’re looking forward to?

I love data. Just writing fancy functions to clean it up or just solving issues. I enjoy problem-solving.

[17:18] Did you say you use a no-code platform?

We have a variety, mostly on the integration side. We use Workato. I used to have to do a lot of the scripting myself, and now that takes it over. We also use Jitterbit and Api-g, which is a way to bespoke your API.

[20:45] Do you have citizen developers or are they more technical people at your firm that are leveraging these platforms?

Our organization is small. The only sort of citizen coders are in the sales support department.

[23:15] I’ve seen a lot of people say we should get rid of the CTO position. What are your thoughts on that?

In our company, the CTO is incredibly important. He is one of the leaders in the ophthalmic space and he drives the areas that we look at next. Someone like me in IT could never do anything like that.

[24:40] Explain what clinical means.

Most of the products are clinical in nature. Clinical is anything that is applied to the human body, whether it’s drugs, topical, or injectable. Anything to help treat an ailment. Ours are ophthalmic and wound care. We also have an upcoming product to treat dry eyes.

[32:20] I’ve always said if I live to 70, I’ll live to 110 because of advancements in research. What are your thoughts on that?

It’s definitely possible, not just due to research but due to the lifestyle changes we live through.

[34:50] Is living longer the holy grail of your industry?

Our goal as a company is to be the leader in the regenerative space so we can enhance and help people with their quality of life.

[37:00] What’s the most intriguing technology coming up right now?

AI and how it will be used in business applications. Pay processes, helping in the sales service, and recommendations space.

[38:08] How do you jump into AI?

Simple things like a chatbot to answer things like HR questions, yield management optimization, and data analysis.

[47:00] What’s next for you?

I’m never going to stop learning.