He’s already building his network, having made connections through the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) and at CIO events.
Lenard says executives know they can turn to each other for information and advice, but doing so takes intention. He notes that he had been so inundated with work during his first months at his new post that he hadn’t “made the time to get out to as many CIOs as I wanted.”
That’s why, he explains, it’s on his 2026 to-do list.
9. Be part of whatever is next
As Karen Swift, vice president of IT at Penske Media, looks ahead to 2026 and beyond, she can’t say what exactly is on the horizon but she knows for sure more tech-driven transformation is ahead. Her objective is to be a part of it.
“I’ve always been curious, and I think being a successful IT leader, you have to be curious. So I want to move onto what’s next. I think it will be a lot of fun,” she says, adding that she sees the current time as “a tech renaissance.”
“Maybe I’m a little bit crazy for not wanting to slow down, but I am really excited to see what’s next and how I can be a part of it,” she says.
