On Season 2 Episode 14 of the Digital Trust podcast, host Christian Redshaw and co-host Zach(ary) Eikenberry welcome back Grady J. Global Director of Business Development at eSentire.
Building on his experience across CIO, CSO, and product leadership roles, Johnston shares practical insights on how IT leaders can rethink vendor relationships; not as transactional exchanges, but as strategic partnerships that advise, support, and enable business growth.
The conversation dives into how to evaluate vendors beyond price, why proof-of-concept testing in controlled environments is critical in today’s fast-moving AI landscape, and how organizations can leverage vendor ecosystems to reduce costs while strengthening internal capabilities. Johnston also highlights the importance of aligning technology decisions with broader business outcomes, helping IT teams move from reactive cost centers to proactive strategic drivers.
#DigitalTrustPodcast #CyberSecurity #ITLeadership #VendorManagement #StrategicPartnerships #RiskManagement #ITStrategy #DigitalTrust #GradyJohnston #ChristianRedshaw #ZackEikenberry #PeopleProcessTechnology
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