Higher ed IT isn’t just about technology—it’s about leadership, strategy, and navigating the unique challenges of institutional culture. And we’ve seen it all. Two retired Canadian Higher Ed CIOs—and CUCCIO CIO of the Year winners—Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson—bring decades of experience tackling technology, governance, and innovation in Canadian universities. In Bytes of Experience: CIOs Unplugged, they cut through the noise to discuss real challenges, real solutions, and the realities of IT leadership. Expect deep insights, candid discussions, and plenty of humor—because IT isn’t always glamorous, but it’s always interesting. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the field, join them for an unfiltered look at the digital evolution of higher ed IT.
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Higher ed IT isn’t just about technology—it’s about leadership, strategy, and navigating the unique challenges of institutional culture. And we’ve seen it all. Two retired Canadian Higher Ed CIOs—and CUCCIO CIO of the Year winners—Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson—bring decades of experience tackling technology, governance, and innovation in Canadian universities. In Bytes of Experience: CIOs Unplugged, they cut through the noise to discuss real challenges, real solutions, and the realities of IT leadership. Expect deep insights, candid discussions, and plenty of humor—because IT isn’t always glamorous, but it’s always interesting. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the field, join them for an unfiltered look at the digital evolution of higher ed IT.
A year into Bytes of Experience, Dana and Bo look back at the first 15 episodes to uncover the themes that shaped their conversations — people‑centered leadership, trust, navigating change, mentorship, cybersecurity, and the human side of technology. They revisit standout moments, share lessons learned, and reflect on what this growing community has taught them along the way.
What happens when a med school IT team joins forces with central IT? At uOttawa, CIO Martin Bernier shows that integration isn’t just about systems—it’s about people, trust, and leading from the heart. Listen in as we unpack the challenges, the wins, and the leadership lessons that make this story a case study for higher ed everywhere.
Bytes of Experience revisits CanSoC with guest Isaac Straley to explore how shared security works in practice. The episode digs into trust, real-time threat sharing, regional SOCs, equity across provinces, and how leadership can build a sustainable, collaborative cybersecurity model amid rising costs and AI-driven threats.
CanSSOC - https://canssoc.ca/
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana talk with David Shipley, CEO and Co‑Founder of Beauceron Security, about why cybersecurity is a leadership and culture challenge, not just a technical one. Shipley shares insights on higher ed’s current security posture, why those who think they’re “not a target” click 37% more often, and how building community before tools is the key to resilience.
COO Maroquine Aziz joins Dana and Bo to explore leadership beyond the IT silo—where systems thinking meets strategic vision. From her dual background in computer science and business, Maro shares how transformational leadership thrives on cross-functional partnerships, trust, and the ability to translate between tech and business.
Topics include:
• What digital transformation really means
• Making AI a driver of change
• Operational excellence as a mindset
• Rethinking KPIs for purpose and people
• Navigating CIO–COO tension with radical candor
About Maroquine Aziz:
Founder of TopFractionalExecs, Maroquine is a seasoned transformation leader and COO who helps organizations scale, stabilize, and lead change through agile executive support.
Bytes of Experience with Dana Sanderson and Bo Wandschneider, joined by Lori McMullen to explore CUCCIO’s origins, growth, and role in supporting Canadian university CIOs through change.
Keith McWhirter, a retired higher ed IT leader and coach, discusses closing the gap between technology and people by focusing on communication, engagement, and the ‘translator’ role that connects the server room to the boardroom.
The episode covers shared leadership, transparency, overcoming a culture of fear around new features, lessons from COVID collaboration, and Keith’s next chapter as a no-fly-zone nomad and career coach.
Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson talk with SFU CIO Brian Stewart about Uniform and how benchmarking helped UAlberta drive service consolidation and smarter transformation.
Gayleen Gray joins us to explore why cutting IT is short-sighted—and how strategic investment, benchmarking, and digital transformation can build resilience and efficiency.
CISO Isaac Straley joins Bo and Dana to explore boardroom politics, incident response chaos, and the delicate art of risk translation. A candid look at security leadership in higher ed—with a glimpse into CanSSOC’s evolving role.
In this episode Bo and Dana share unfiltered stories of major IT challenges and wins from their careers in higher education — from a risky Office 365 migration and a campus-wide ERP rollout (Project Beacon) to building a Data Resource Center and a resilient campus network through COVID and Hurricane Fiona.
They highlight practical leadership lessons: communication and trust, listening to stakeholders, turning skeptics into allies, and focusing on student experience and process maturity. Expect candid insights on change management, collaboration across IT, libraries and research, and how persistence and transparency pay off.
Bo and Dana unpack cultural tensions in higher ed IT—change resistance, governance, and digital gaps—while profiling CIO Abby Lee’s daily balancing act of diplomacy, strategy, and storytelling.
Bo and Dana explore five CIO themes—tech translation, governance, influence, emotional intelligence, and accountability—plus stories on trust, partnerships, and digital wins. Part 2 will dive into cultural conflict and a CIO’s daily reality.
Bo and Dana reflect on decades of higher ed IT—from punch cards to cloud—sharing lessons on governance, funding, and strategy, plus insights on AI, security, accessibility, and leadership through change.
In the pilot, Bo and Dana share their paths to CIO leadership, reflecting on career pivots and the evolving role. They introduce the podcast’s mission: candid conversations on IT strategy, AI, governance, and leadership in higher ed.
Higher ed IT isn’t just about technology—it’s about leadership, strategy, and navigating the unique challenges of institutional culture. And we’ve seen it all. Two retired Canadian Higher Ed CIOs—and CUCCIO CIO of the Year winners—Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson—bring decades of experience tackling technology, governance, and innovation in Canadian universities. In Bytes of Experience: CIOs Unplugged, they cut through the noise to discuss real challenges, real solutions, and the realities of IT leadership. Expect deep insights, candid discussions, and plenty of humor—because IT isn’t always glamorous, but it’s always interesting. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or new to the field, join them for an unfiltered look at the digital evolution of higher ed IT.
