Mikhail Karasik
CIO and EVP at GMI Holdings, NetCost Market & GMI Trading
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I am the CIO and EVP supporting all efforts within the enterprise. Since taking on this role, I have built a robust IT support team with efforts spanning software development, operations, helpdesk with break/fix and R&D. The HQ is in Brooklyn, NY, however, the company has store and warehouse locations in NY, NJ and PA.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
My background is rooted in IT. With many years of software development, operations and program management, supported by formal education in CIS (BS) and business management (MBA), I ended up teaching technology, then business strategy and organizational development, and now I am running IT.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
Not at all. As I mentioned, I was a technical guy. First deep and then wide i.e. dev, ops, DBA, admin, etc. As a person who needed to learn English from ABC, I was always able to articulate things on a simplest level and found myself translating business needs to technical specifications. Then HALO effect kicked in and I found myself leading, earning trust and helping various teams with the strange mix of technical and business knowledge. The rest kind of worked out by itself.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
One always needs a role model or, as Yogi Berra said, if you don't know where you are going, you are there. I always wanted to learn more and, fortunately, I was always around people who knew more. I also am not afraid to ask questions and show that I don't know. It is sort of a Venn diagram with known on the inside, unknown on the outside, and the circumference being things you are aware of. The larger the circle, the bigger the circumference. So the influences came from the teachers in school, folks who wrote the books, like Aaron Tenenbaum, Moshe Augenstein, David M. Arnow. Later folks at work who knew all the shortcuts, pitfalls and how to translate the ask into real requirements. Then, back in school, James C. Hall, Kevin J. Wynne, Roberta Cable, and many others that helped me learn and understand. Then there are people on the teams I had the privilege to be a part of, or lead. But most of all, I learned form students in my classes. They helped me hone my skill to listen, understand and explain.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
Entropy is always at play. We plan, project and then something disruptive comes in and we react, realign and make new plans. The technology will always change but the role of a leader does not, it should continue to empower people to try, provide a safety net to make mistakes and, most importantly, create an environment based on respect and integrity. It is not a 5-year plan, it is a lifetime plan.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
I guess I answered this in a previous question. Respect and integrity provides safety and drives out uncertainty. People will always be people, all I know is that I should help them be the best they can be by using me as a stepping stone. That is the approach I take with my children. At the end, what is the difference?
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
Read, ask questions and, most important to me, do not forget to 'empty my cup' as in Joe Hyams' book Zen In Martial Arts about a lesson with Bruce Lee.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
In retail, VR, AI and face recognition as applied to personalization and enhanced user experience. We already know how to look at shoppers and connect the dots for marketing and rudimentary personalization in the presentation layer. The next step is to address YOU in a big way and show YOU what YOU want in a mix of things we want YOU to see, within a fully captivating and immersive environment.
"Be you, be honest and be as supportive as you can be."
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Be you, be honest and be as supportive as you can be. At the end, you will either be trusted to guide or rejected and the trust is always earned, never given.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I'll reference my Tae-Kwon-Do teaching time where the first 4 degrees are given for your own accomplishments, and the last 6 earned for the accomplishments of your students. I guess I am approaching the latter stage. But there are always bugger challenges out there and I am still a game :)
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Stop the wars! We have to stop feeding our young for whatever political agenda du jour.
A big thank you to Mikhail Karasik from GMI Holdings, NetCost Market & GMI Trading for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
