Joseph Topinka

Joe Topinka is an award-winning CIO, executive coach, and advisor who has spent more than three decades helping organizations bridge the gap between business and technology. He led technology organizations at Snap One, Red Wing Shoe Company, and McGladrey before founding CIO Mentor, LLC. Joe coaches public and private sector leaders on building business-aligned IT strategies, demand shaping, cybersecurity maturity, and leadership accountability. Leaders trust him for his practical approach, his coaching style, and his ability to help teams move from reactive execution to intentional outcomes.

Joe serves as CXO Advisor to Netskope, Chief Strategy Officer at AgenticLabs, and is Board Member Emeritus with the BRM Institute. His advisory work spans enterprise-scale modernization, AI readiness, and leadership development for CIOs, CISOs, and executive teams. He brings a business-first mindset and a people-centered view of technology, grounded in real operational experience.

He is the author of IT Business Partnerships: A Field Guide and his new book, Beyond the Algorithm: Lead What Machines Can't, is available now. The book equips leaders for the AI era, focusing on influence, judgment, coaching skills, and the human elements of leadership that technology cannot replace.