In a world where tech leaders jump ship every two years, Jake Blough (CTO of Service Express) has spent a quarter-century building a legacy from the ground up. Starting in a family auto shop and eventually entering Service Express in shipping and receiving, Jake’s journey is a masterclass in stewardship, grit, and technical innovation.

Today, Jake oversees Supply Chain, Data Science, and R&D for a global leader in datacenter infrastructure maintenance. In this conversation, we dive deep into how a "mechanic’s heart" and a "No Rearview Mirror" leadership style propelled a company from $4 million to over $325 million.

Key Takeaways from this Episode: 💡

• The Hardware of Leadership: Why the ability to troubleshoot a car engine translates directly to fixing complex enterprise servers.
• Celebrating the Red: How to build a "failure-tolerant" culture where red metrics are viewed as opportunities for innovation rather than grounds for punishment.
• The 100x Algorithm: The strategies behind scaling a business across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
• The Power of Partnership: Why every "Activator" needs a patient partner to balance urgency with wisdom.
• Working Yourself Out of a Job: The "secret sauce" to career longevity—building systems so well you can hand the keys to the next leader and find a bigger problem to solve.

About Jake Blough: Jake is the CTO of Service Express, where he focuses on the future of datacenter infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions, and internal process optimization. He is a firm believer in "Progress over Perfection" and building "scrappy" teams that aren't afraid to fail fast.

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#ServiceExpress #TechCTO #Leadership #DataCenter #BusinessScaling #CareerAdvice #DigitalInfrastructure #LeadersInTech

In this episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla sits down with Kin Lee-Yow, CIO of CAA Club Group. Kin oversees the technological backbone of an organization obsessed with member safety—from roadside assistance to complex insurance underwriting through CAA Insurance and Echelon Insurance.

Kin shares his personal "immigrant success story," moving from the tropical climate of Mauritius to the University of Waterloo, and how his early love for "tinkering" evolved into a high-stakes career in Cybersecurity and AI.

Key Takeaways:

• The Mission of Safety: Learn how a simple mission statement—"obsessed with member safety"—drives every technical decision at CAA.
• Leadership is Psychology: Kin explains why his high school psychology course ended up being more valuable than his coding classes when it came to managing people.
• The 5 Principles of Success: A deep dive into Kin’s framework for a healthy corporate culture: Respect, Learning, Collaboration, Innovation, and Commitment.
• Collaboration Over Competition: Discover the definition of true collaboration—working to make your partner look good rather than trying to outshine them.
• The AI & Internet Parallel: Insights on why Generative AI is a powerful research tool that still requires human discernment and the "Clarify and Verify" method.
• Sharing is Growing: Why the "old school" mentality of hoarding knowledge is a "horrible lie" that keeps your career stagnant.

About the Guest: Kin Lee-Yow is the CIO for CAA Club Group, focusing on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and the ethical implementation of AI. He is a mentor to students and a firm believer in the "Golden Rule" of business: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Follow for more insights from the giants of the tech industry!

#LeadersInTech #CAACanada #CIO #TechLeadership #CyberSecurity #GenerativeAI #ServantLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Mentorship #TechInnovation

In 1998, Miloš Topić arrived in the U.S. with two suitcases and zero English. Today, he is the VP and Chief Digital Officer at a major university, leading thousands. How do you close that gap?

In this episode, we explore the "Refugee Grit" mindset—an unfair advantage that allows leaders to thrive in chaos and innovate when there is no roadmap. We’re breaking down a "golden nugget" from the Leaders in Tech podcast that reveals the exact strategies Miloš used to scale the executive ladder by focusing on people, problem-solving, and the "Machete Principle."

This story is just the beginning. If you want to hear the full, deep-dive conversation about the future of tech leadership and Miloš's incredible journey, you can watch the complete episode here:

https://youtu.be/arkNzF6GyGM

[What You’ll Learn]

🔑 The Machete Principle: Why entrepreneurs don't need a map, they need a blade.

🔑 The Insomnia Hack: The fastest way to get noticed by your CEO.

🔑 Wartime Leadership: How to handle a massive tech crisis without losing your team.

🔑 The Power of the Second Choice: Why your "passion" might be hiding behind an accidental opportunity.

If you’re building your own path right now, drop a "Machete" 🪓 in the comments. We’d love to hear which of Miloš’s lessons resonated most with your journey. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe to join our community of tech leaders and entrepreneurs.