Bytes of Experience : CIOs Unplugged
Dana Sanderson / Bo Wandschneider
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
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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Recent Episodes
S1E38 S01-38-Season 1 Wrap‑Up: What We Learned — And Who We Learned It From
Season 1 of Bytes of Experience began as a simple idea: two retired CIOs talking shop over coffee. But after more than thirty conversations with leaders across higher ed, government, healthcare, and…
S1E37 S01-E37 - The CIO Transition Lab: Time, Talent, and the First 180 Days
Stepping into the CIO role is one of the most complex leadership transitions in any organization — and yet most new CIOs receive little structured support. In this episode, Bo and Dana sit down with…
S1E36 S01-E36 - Stronger Together: Building a National Cybersecurity Fabric for Higher Education
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana sit down with Axel Schulz, Director of Cybersecurity Operations at CANARIE, to explore how shared cybersecurity services are evolving across…
S1E35 S01-E35- Leadership in Practice: Lessons from a CUCCIO LDP Graduate — with Darren Schell
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana sit down with Darren Schell, Associate VP Information Technology (a.k.a. CIO) at the University of Lethbridge and a graduate of the CUCCIO…
S1E34 S01-E34 - From the Basketball Court to the Registrars Office: Ray Darling on Leadership, Data, and Student Experience
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana sit down with one of Ontario’s most respected registrars: Ray Darling, University Registrar at the University of Windsor. Ray’s path is anything…
S2E33 S01-E33-Leading Across Campus Cultures: Michael Barr on Polytech, Non‑U15, and U15 Realities
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana talk with Michael Barr, CIO at the University of Saskatchewan, about what it really takes to lead IT across very different institutional cultures —…
S1E32 S01-E32 - The Power of Human Connection: Why Leaders Can’t Ignore It Anymore
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson sit down with Pete Bombacci, founder of GenWell, Canada’s human connection movement. Pete shares the powerful origin story…
S1E31 S01-E31-Leading with Heart and Strategy: Lessons from the Toughest Moments
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, we sit down with Sandeep Sidhu, CIO at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, to explore how leadership networks shape careers, confidence, and the ability to…
S1E30 S01-E30 -Growing IT Leaders: Inside CCUCCIO’s Leadership Development Programs
This episode of Bytes of Experience explores how Canadian universities are developing the next generation of IT and information‑security leaders through CUCCIO’s Leadership Development Program (LDP)…
S1E29 S01-E29-Leading with Inclusion: Nela Petkovic on Collaboration, Culture, and Cybersecurity
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson sit down with Nela Petkovic, CIO at Wilfrid Laurier University and a national leader in cybersecurity inclusion. Nella…
S1E28 S01-E28: Stronger Together: Shared Security Models and Global Cyber Partnerships
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson sit down with Kevin Paul, Director of Cybersecurity at Cybera, whose unconventional path—from computer science to SWAT…
S1E27 S01-E27 - Curiosity, Consciousness, and Culture Change in Higher Ed
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, Bo and Dana sit down with long‑time colleague and leadership strategist Megan Kirwin for a deep exploration of what leadership in higher education really…
S1E26 S01-E26-People First: How Culture Transforms Healthcare with Michele James
This episode explores Scarborough’s extraordinary diversity and how it shaped one hospital leaders approach to inclusion, belonging, and employee experience. Michele, a former Executive VP at…
S1E25 S01-E25- Process Is Strategy: Gary Doucette on Culture, Change, and Continuous Improvement
Hosts Dana Sanderson and Bo Wandschneider sit down with Gary Doucette, former CIO of Acadia University, to explore what happens when a long-time technology leader steps into a new role as an…
S1E24 S01-E24-Leading Across Borders: Higher Ed IT Lessons with Richard Godsmark
In this episode Richard Godsmark joins us to reflect on his career across Canadian colleges, Canadian universities, and now the Australian higher education system. He compares how governance, funding…
S1E23 S01-E23- When Libraries and IT Converge: A Decade of Leadership at the University of Guelph
In this episode we explore the University of Guelph’s bold experiment in unifying library and IT leadership under one role — a model far more common internationally than in Canada. Mike Ridley, Chief…
S1E22 S01-E22-Crossing Systems, Building Culture: Jason Oliver on Leading Higher Ed IT in Canada
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, we sit down with Jason Oliver, CIO at Western University, to explore what it means to lead higher ed IT across borders. Jason shares his journey from the UK to…
S1E21 S01-E21 - Beyond IT: How CIOs Win Influence in the Boardroom
In this episode of Bytes of Experience, hosts Bo and Dana speak with Kevin Magee about how CIOs earn trust at the boardroom table, what boards want to see, and how CIOs and CISOs should coordinate…
S1E20 S01-E20 When Auditors Meet CIOs: Building Trust in University IT Governance
Welcome to Bytes of Experience with Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson. In this episode Alex Matos, Internal Auditor at the University of Toronto, shares his journey into higher‑ed audit and…
S1E19 S01-E19-The Human Side of Transformation: Mark Humphries on Listening, Culture, and Trust
Bo Wandschneider and Dana Sanderson sit down with Mark Humphries, the new CIO at the University of Alberta, to explore leadership during major institutional change. They cover governance models,…
Frequently Asked Questions
Bytes of Experience : CIOs Unplugged has published 38 episodes since October 2025, covering topics in Business, Education.
Bytes of Experience : CIOs Unplugged is currently active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 37m.
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