Keep Moving Forward

X-Team
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Welcome to Keep Moving Forward, a biweekly podcast from X-Team for tech professionals who are passionate about growth, leadership, and innovation. In this podcast, we'll talk to seasoned tech leaders, forward-thinking engineers, and visionary experts about the lessons they’ve learned on scaling high-performing teams, navigating complex challenges, and driving innovation. Subscribe now, share with your colleagues, and let’s keep moving forward together.

  1. 12/16/2025

    How nCino’s Will Jung Is Rewriting AI Strategy for Banking

    Most banks are using AI to cut costs and speed up workflows. Will Jung thinks they’re focusing on the wrong set of problems. As CTO of nCino — and a former bank exec himself — he’s looking for ways to reimagine the entire customer experience. In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, Will shares how his team is building explainable AI agents that augment expertise, why trust is the real unlock in regulated industries, and how engineering leaders can drive AI-native transformation through clarity, context, and culture.

    34 min
  2. Inside Thomson Reuters’ AI Adoption Strategy

    12/09/2025

    Inside Thomson Reuters’ AI Adoption Strategy

    Joel Hron, chief technology officer at Thomson Reuters, shares the AI adoption strategy that his team used to achieve 80% uptake across a 5,000-person engineering organization. In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, Joel explains how innovation becomes everyone’s job, how he pushed through early failures, and how grounding AI work in deep subject matter expertise creates lasting competitive advantage.

    34 min
  3. AppDirect’s Andy Sen on Building a Bottom-Up AI Culture

    11/26/2025

    AppDirect’s Andy Sen on Building a Bottom-Up AI Culture

    Andy Sen, chief technology officer and co-founder of AppDirect, shares how bottom-up experimentation accelerates AI adoption, strengthens ownership, and unlocks unexpected innovation across teams. In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, Andy breaks down why fear fades when people start to use AI, how celebration drives more progress than mandates, and what leaders should focus on when beginning their AI journey.

    31 min

  4. 11/11/2025

    Planet DDS’s Mike Gibson on Empathy as a Performance Driver

    Mike Gibson, chief technology officer at Planet DDS, shares how empathy drives performance, why clarity builds trust, and how communication holds distributed teams together. In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, Mike explains how to lead through change with transparency, build autonomy through trust, and create the space teams need to innovate—even in fast-moving, high-stakes tech environments.

    33 min

  5. 10/21/2025

    Fanatics’ Justin Kerestes on Remote Leadership, Scaling Fast, and Operational Excellence

    In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I sit down with Justin Kerestes, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Fanatics Betting and Gaming. We delve into Justin's unconventional journey from economics to leading a thriving engineering organization in the fast-paced world of sports betting. Justin shares valuable insights on remote leadership, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and trust built through everyday interactions. He discusses the challenges of scaling teams while maintaining culture and operational excellence, and the critical role of communication in a remote-first environment. You'll also hear about the impact of emerging technologies like AI in the gaming space and how understanding the 'why' behind tasks can empower engineers. Join us for an enlightening conversation that inspires growth, leadership, and innovation.

    35 min
  6. Ancestry’s Suresh Teckchandani on Non-Negotiables, Innovation, and the AI Shift

    10/07/2025

    Ancestry’s Suresh Teckchandani on Non-Negotiables, Innovation, and the AI Shift

    Ancestry’s Suresh Teckchandani, VP of Product and Engineering, has led teams through transformation by defining non-negotiables, treating innovation as an everyday discipline, and preparing for AI’s impact on engineering. In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, he explains why principles create alignment, how small innovations add up to big outcomes, and how AI can free teams to focus on what matters most.

    31 min
  7. GitLab’s Tim Zallmann on Building Distributed Teams That Move Fast

    09/23/2025

    GitLab’s Tim Zallmann on Building Distributed Teams That Move Fast

    In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I sit down with Tim Zallmann, VP of Engineering at GitLab, to explore the intricacies of building fast-moving, distributed teams. Tim shares how he leads globally-distributed engineering teams while fostering a culture of trust and autonomy. We discuss the critical balance between innovation and operational stability, emphasizing the importance of clarity in communication. Tim also highlights his journey from programming as a teenager to shaping engineering practices at a leading tech company. If you're navigating the challenges of remote leadership or looking to build a scalable culture, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. Tune in for a deep dive into the future of engineering management in a remote world.

    42 min

  8. 09/09/2025

    Zscaler’s Ayesha Mahmood on Leading With Adaptability and Empathy

    In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I sit down with Ayesha Mahmood, Vice President of Software Engineering at Zscaler. Ayesha shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Pakistan to leading engineering teams in Silicon Valley. We delve into her leadership philosophy, emphasizing adaptability and empathy, and discuss how her father's encouragement shaped her perspective on independence and challenging cultural norms. Ayesha also reflects on her time at Apple, the importance of situational leadership, and how to balance immediate product needs with long-term engineering goals. As we explore the impact of AI on user experience and cybersecurity, Ayesha provides valuable insights for technical leaders aiming to navigate the complexities of modern engineering. Join us for an enlightening conversation filled with actionable wisdom and forward-thinking perspectives.

    36 min
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About

Welcome to Keep Moving Forward, a biweekly podcast from X-Team for tech professionals who are passionate about growth, leadership, and innovation. In this podcast, we'll talk to seasoned tech leaders, forward-thinking engineers, and visionary experts about the lessons they’ve learned on scaling high-performing teams, navigating complex challenges, and driving innovation. Subscribe now, share with your colleagues, and let’s keep moving forward together.

Information

  • Creator
    X-Team
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean