About this episode
In this live episode of The Bridgecast from the Bridgepointe Tech Summit 2025, host Scott Kinka welcomes Aaron Darcy, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Go-to-Market for Lumen, for a deep dive into digital transformation, network modernization, and the infrastructure requirements for the AI era.This conversation tackles the hard truths about digital transformation: why 90% of IT projects still fail, why CIOs can no longer afford to be operators, and why even the most advanced AI tools won't fix dirty data. Aaron shares the practical budgeting framework he's used for 25 years—splitting investments into "run the business" and "change the business" categories—and explains why having an experimentation fund isn't optional anymore.What you will learn:Why CIOs must transition from operators to transformation leaders in the AI eraThe "run vs. change the business" budgeting framework for funding innovationHow Lumen is building network fabric for Cloud 2.0 and AI workloadsWhy dirty data remains the biggest blocker to AI success (and how to fix it)What network-as-a-service actually means and how Lumen Connect delivers itThe role of validated designs in reducing integration burden for customersHow to lead transformation when your organization has competing prioritiesWhy network security must be baked in at the infrastructure levelThe realistic timeline for AI maturity and where we are on the hype curveAbout the Guest:Aaron Darcy is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Go-to-Market at Lumen, where he's driving the company's transformation into an AI-ready network infrastructure provider. With a career built on transformation from Microsoft to GE Digital to Lumen, Aaron specializes in building and scaling new capabilities within large organizations. He's worked alongside several Lumen executives across multiple companies, drawn by the common thread of building something new. His philosophy centers on fundamentals: people first, process second, technology third. At Lumen, he's executing a three-pillar growth strategy focused on physical infrastructure investment, digital platform development (Lumen Connect), and partner ecosystem expansion—all aimed at making Lumen the network backbone for the AI economy.To find out how Bridgepointe Technologies helps businesses make IT decisions faster with world-class engineering support and ongoing guidance, head to https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/Episode Highlights:[04:25] Shift from Operator to Transformation LeaderAaron Darcy stresses that CIOs can't survive in today's landscape by simply keeping the lights on;
