IT Leadership Spotlight - Alex Rodriguez, CIO & VP, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Technology changes faster than the blink of an eye. Greater Cincinnati is home to some of the best and brightest IT professionals who not only keep up with the never-ending changes in the field, but also help create them.

LEAD Magazine celebrates those who use IT to positively impact the world around us in every field, from medical technology to business efficiency, customer service and a variety of other systems.

Great organizations realize that interlacing innovation and practical solutions takes more than business acumen and technical expertise. It takes personal relationships where innovation and practical solutions can collaborate. Today’s leaders devote much time finding the right personnel for their organizations while discovering precise knowledge and skills. IT professionals are leading the way beyond the simple transaction of goods and services between business executives and "computer techs," replacing that model with relationships powered by trust and driven by strategic insight.

Historically, Greater Cincinnati’s hardworking and humble IT professionals have kept their boasting to a minimum, despite having nurtured innovation and implemented the best technology in significant ways. Now, however, it’s time to honor those achievements for the rest of the world to see and hear. It’s time for the era of the IT executive.

Alex Rodriguez

CIO & VP, St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Who has been your biggest influence and how have they affected you?

Personally, my father has been the most influential person in my life. He endured many of life’s challenges at an early age and yet retained a sense of hope and gratitude that he passed along to me and my three brothers. As for my professional life, I was lucky enough to stumble onto a startup company while attending college. This start-up company was a pioneer in what was then considered healthcare IT version 1.0. In reflection, from time-to-time I think about my boss back then and his advice was always subtle, always timely and never forgotten.