MES IT Leader Spotlight: Disney Group International CTO Michael Harden

MES IT Leader Spotlight is a series featuring midmarket IT leaders – their backstory, their biggest successes and challenges, their day-to-day roles, and even advice for their peers. In this edition, the spotlight is on Michael Harden, CTO of Disney Group International.

Michael Harden is a seasoned IT executive and is currently the chief technology officer and general counsel at Disney Group International.

While Disney Group International (DGI) is not affiliated with that Disney corporation, Harden said that the company was founded by a distant relative of the legendary family.

Ohio-based DGI is a systems integration company that specializes in consulting on developing, integrating, and operating complex IT systems. DGI offers solutions for operating systems, networks, databases, and web services. Its service portfolio includes help desk, IT service management, complaint management, and lead management products.

Harden is a military veteran who has worked for financial institutions and Oracle.

In addition to his current roles as CTO and general counsel for DGI, Harden advises on corporate board governance, serves on several boards, and is a member of the Technology Business Management Council --a nonprofit organization to create and promote best practices for running IT as a business and includes executives from Apptio, Facebook, Cisco, DirecTV, Goldman Sachs, Clorox, The Coca-Cola Company and Xerox.

Here’s more of MES Computing’s conversation with Harden.

Can you talk a bit about your backstory?

[I've used my] prior military leadership skills (Airborne, Air Assault, Pathfinder) and experiences, translating to [my] civilian occupation as an elite Oracle system integrator and management consultant.

Before joining Oracle Corporation, [I] was a fixed income strategist and a member of the emerging markets debt team for Prudential Fixed Income in Columbus, Ohio. Originally, I was going to be an investment banker, so I started working in the financial field.

I made a pivot from that and then I went into Oracle.

What do your day-to-day tasks involve?

I make sure that we're complying with our registrations and ... that we're staying with state and local regulations. If you look at what percentage [I serve] between CTO and general counsel, it's mostly CTO.

What are some tech trends you're seeing that you think are applicable to your organization, or that you personally, are excited about?

Number one is AI. Everything is about AI ... I'm currently most excited about the advancements in generative AI. This technology is transforming industries by enabling machines to not just analyze and or predict, but to create. Whether that’s generating text images, music, or even code.

The ability for AI to augment human creativity and improve efficiency in ways we've never seen before, to me, it's thrilling. These technologies open new possibilities for personalizing experiences, enhancing productivity, and even making complex tasks easier to perform.

I'm excited about this AI-driven automation in industries like manufacturing, logistics, and health care, and that's close to me because I have family members who have struggled with health care.

Are there any other technology innovations or tech areas that you think are going to be important to IT leaders?

Although it's still in its early stages, quantum computing has the potential to solve incredibly complex problems.

Any tech predictions for the new year?

I believe we will see a significant advancement in cybersecurity technologies. AI machine learning will play a central role in improving threat detection and response time. Artificial intelligence can help identify patterns in vast amounts of data, enabling organizations to detect anomalies and potential threats much more quickly.

What is your best advice for anyone who wants to become a CTO or IT executive?

The journey requires a mix of technical expertise, a strategic vision, leadership skills, and business acumen. I think you should broaden your strategic perspective. To move into a CTO role, you must be able to see the big picture, not just the technical details. Also, develop strong leadership and communication skills.