How Nationwide CTO Michael Carrel Is Building an AI-Ready Workforce
Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)Show Notes
In this episode of Technovation, Nationwide CTO Michael Carrel joins Peter High to discuss how the company is building an AI-ready workforce while modernizing technology across its insurance and financial services businesses. Carrel explains why Nationwide made everyday AI available to associates across the company and paired access with future-ready learning sprints, manager certifications, and role-specific skill development.
He also shares how Nationwide is applying generative and agentic AI across underwriting, claims, software engineering, and other domains while maintaining disciplined governance, trusted data, and human judgment.
This episode is presented by Tines — Freedom to build. Complete security. No compromises. Learn more at tines.io
More from Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
AI layered onto a broken process doesn’t fix the process; it just runs it faster. Prakash Kota spent his first 18 months at UKG consolidating two legacy companies into unified CRM, ERP, and data systems before any AI conversation began. Now, as Chief Transformation Officer, he is shifting the question from “what tools can we deploy?” to “what outcome are we trying to reach?” That discipline extends to the customer funnel, where AI-assembled signals travel with a prospect through every handoff, and to sales reps, where an autonomous assistant pushes pre-meeting briefs before a rep has to ask, reclaiming the 40–50% of call-prep time currently spent on research.
The binding constraint on AI adoption is not access to tools. It is the organizational fear and mindset shift required to reimagine work entirely.
Healthcare has accumulated friction that patients have come to accept as normal. Novant Health’s Chief AI Officer is systematically dismantling it.
Most generative AI programs stall at the pilot stage. Zoetis reached 95% computer-based colleague adoption.
The next generation of technology giants may not be built in software. They may be built in factories.