Bruce Gray

CIO at HIMSS

Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself

I am from Orchard Park, NY, the home of the Buffalo Bills! I went to the University of Michigan and am a hardcore Wolverine fan as well. I have been working and living in the NY/NJ area since finishing grad school. I lead the Information function at HIMSS, so I am responsible for all software development & support, infrastructure and analytics.

What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?

Like most journeys, it has been a winding road. I started out writing business software and moved to management consulting before returning to technology roles. I have built my career on delivering major software programs for health technology organizations.

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?

My aspiration has always been to be a CIO. I honestly wasn’t sure if it would happen but the right opportunity presented itself and here we are!

Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?

I have had a few mentors along my journey. Each of these mentors passed along the wisdom from their careers in different ways. One mentor always told me the one thing he couldn’t give me was years of experience – but he could share his wisdom to hopefully help me avoid some of the potholes he stepped in along his journey. Another mentor had an exceedingly high EQ and was just a role model on how to navigate and orchestrate the political environment. The last mentor actually worked for me and was a modern software genius. I learned a great deal from him about architecture, engineering, testing, and agile.

How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?

I see the technology leader role continuing to become both more business-centric and technology-visionary. With the pace of change ever increasing – understanding the true business value being consumed and how technology can enable or increase it will take on increasing importance.

What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?

The term leader is over used. Leadership is a gift that is not truly common amongst many people that hold the title of a leader. True leaders need to have true leadership capabilities that inspire others to greatness. True leaders need to assemble the talent to work together as a team that is greater than the sum of the parts. True leadership is empowering the team to thrive and supporting their pursuits.

How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?

I read, I listen to people I trust and take an occasional executive leadership program. I also try to surround myself with people that want to succeed. Those people bring great learnings to those around them.

What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?

AI seems to be the next genie that is about to leave the bottle at scale. I think we are only scratching the surface on what is possible but yet we need to be very cautious in unleashing these new technologies. We need to consider not only the immediate opportunity but also the long-term ramifications and ensure we understand any negative impacts.

“The best way to be successful is to pursue what brings you joy.”

If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?

The advice I would give to anyone is to chase their dreams and not the dreams of someone else. In today’s world of rankings and ratings and top ten lists, we all get pulled into someone else’s definition of success. The best way to be successful is to pursue what brings you joy.

Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?

My next chapter is to enjoy what I have and give back to the next generation. I firmly believe that our role as a leader is to make sure there is a next-gen leader ready to step into the fold.

A big thank you to Bruce Gray from HIMSS for sharing his journey to date.