DPIT: CIO Without Computer Science w/Doug Saunders (1:03) #368
Dissectiing Popular IT, Thursday, August 7th, 2025
At Arctic Glacier, one of North America's largest ice manufacturers, Doug Saunders leads IT initiatives that power a complex global supply chain. With a Master's degree in Russian History and a background in political science, Doug shares how analytical thinking and stakeholder relationship skills translate directly to IT leadership success.
From managing ice factory operations to automating customer service workflows, Doug discusses his counterintuitive approach to IT leadership: learning the business from the ground up before implementing any technology solutions.
His AI automation project eliminated 4,400 annual service calls, reduced staffing from 50 to 10 agents, and delivered over $2M in measurable savings.
Saunders offers practical insights on business-IT alignment, vendor relationship management, and the critical importance of understanding how your company actually makes money before trying to optimize it with technology.