David Glenn serves as Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer for Hospitality Solutions, where he leads the company’s global technology strategy and operations.  With more than 35 years of experience as a technology and business operations executive, David is recognized for driving large-scale transformation initiatives that deliver sustainable growth, operational efficiencies, and measurable impact across industries.  He holds an MBA and Ph.D. in Global Leadership & Strategy from George Washington University and is a published author in the technology field.  David has also served on the board of the Make A Wish Foundation, MDA as well as the Association of Information Technology Professionals. Recently, in an exclusive interview with CIO Magazine, Dr. Glenn shared insights into his transformative leadership in hospitality technology, the evolving landscape of AI and data-driven innovation, and strategies for driving business growth through operational excellence. He also shared his personal hobbies and interests, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.

Hi Dr. Glenn. What motivated you to pursue a career in technology and business operations?

When I was young my grandfather sent me to a computer camp as he felt that was the future. From there I feel in love with the field. Yes, I was one of those kids you would see playing on the TRS-80 outside the Radio Shack at the mall! I went on the participate in the Diversified Education Program in High School. That is where you went to school for half a day and worked the other half during your junior and senior year. I was lucky enough to land a position with a computer retailer back when you had to configure the IBM PCs with video graphics cards, memory etc.. After that I made the decision that is what I wanted to do as my choic e of career. I love technology and being able to use it to help solve complex business issues as well as an enabler for business to more forward and be competitive.

What do you love the most about your current role?

I have the luxury of being able to work with some extremely talented people. I am not just referring to my fellow leaders. I am referring to all levels of the organization. I get to be part of taking an established brand and its industry leading products and solutions and carving them out to a completely new company with new services, solutions and products to continue to be a leader in the industry. Bringing together products, data, engineering, and operations to deliver tangible business impact along with being able watch people grow as a result is the daily reward. Stay tuned! Big announcement coming after the 1st of the year!

How do you think technology can be used to drive business growth and innovation?

Technology is a multiplier when it is relentlessly tied to outcomes — revenue, margin, retention, or operational cost. The most effective programs define the metric first, then apply automation, data, and AI to compress decision cycles, remove manual toil, and create new customer value that didn’t exist before.  Also, Speed To Market is key in any industry.  Technology can help drive that.

Can you describe your vision for the future of the industry?

The industry will move from tool‑driven adoption to outcome orchestration: companies that combine human judgement, robust data governance, and composable AI services will lead. Expect more real‑time verticalized platforms, rigorous operational controls around models, and a shift toward products designed for ethical, auditable automation.  As it relates to technology in the Hospitality industry.  The next decade will be about shifting from isolated point solutions to real‑time, human‑centered platforms that blend hyper‑personal guest experiences with operational rigor. Technology will stop being a cost center and become the connective tissue that turns guest intent into seamless, measurable value while protecting trust and margin.  The winners will be organizations that combine disciplined operations, responsible AI, and a guest‑first mindset — delivering experiences that feel effortless to guests and sustainable for the business.

What do you believe are the most important qualities of an effective leader in technology and business operations?

Clarity of purpose, operational empathy, and a bias toward learning. Leaders must set crisp priorities, remove obstacles for their teams, and create psychological safety so fast experiments can happen without fear of blame. Equally important is the ability to translate technical tradeoffs into business risk and ROI conversations.  At the end of the day you must be a good listener.  Avoid jumping to conclusions. A habit in a lot of IT leaders.

What mentors or role models have had a significant impact on your career?

Practical, supportive leaders who combined high standards with human warmth influenced me most — people who taught me to be both rigorous and generous. I’ve also learned a great deal from operators who prioritized runbooks, SLAs, and the boring but critical work of keeping systems healthy.  Mentors that I understood that I am going to fail and coached me on how to manage that.

Can you share a book or resource that inspires you and why?

I value books that blend strategy and people—works that offer practical frameworks rather than abstract theory. They remind me that durable transformation is about habits and systems as much as technology.  Specifically Lou Gerstner (Prior CEO of IBM) book “Who Says Elephants Can’t Jump” and the book “Saving Big Blue”.

What are some of your passions outside of work? What do you like to do in your time off?

I recharge around family.  Recently became a grandfather to my amazing 15 month old granddaughter Layla.  Love anything on the water, golf, good music.  I also enjoy connecting with local tech leaders and trading ideas; those conversations keep my thinking fresh.

What is your biggest goal? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

My priority is to scale AI and data capabilities responsibly, so they deliver measurable competitive advantage across the organization. In five years, I expect to leading us into future offerings and continuing to find ways that technology can continue to enable to business and help us drive success.

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in technology and business operations?

Be relentlessly curious and fiercely pragmatic: run things reliably, and explain technical choices in business terms. Build operational discipline early — runbooks, KPIs, and post‑incident learning — and seek mentors who will push you on both craft and character.  As I said in the aforementioned, be a good listener.