Large Corporate Finalists

Priya Almelkar is SVP & CIO at Wolfspeed, leading enterprise technology strategy to enable growth, scalability, and innovation across advanced semiconductor manufacturing. With 25+ years across telecommunications, retail, and semiconductors, she has driven Digital/ERP transformations, built AI-enabled manufacturing and engineering models delivering measurable ROI at scale. Her work integrates IT and OT to improve yield, quality, operational excellence, and time to value while partnering with technology peers to advance emerging technologies into real-world industrial impact

Wolfspeed's IT team delivered transformational results even while navigating company-wide restructuring.Coming out of emergence as a stronger company, our enterprise-wide AI program is delivering results that matter. AI for engineering drove a 50% efficiency gain, directly compressing the engineering development cycle, AI for manufacturing driving yield and quality improvement and AI for enterprise delivered efficiency gain. Together, the AI program has already realized a 3X ROI - fundamentally redefining ways of working through intelligent automation. In addition our SAP ERP transformation is on track for completion in less than 20 months, a pace made possible by AI-accelerated delivery.

I enlisted in the Air Force in 1993, while in the USAF I worked with communication systems and network technologies. In 1997I became a help desk engineer at Microsoft for WIndows 98. I moved do Internetwork Engineering to focus on Ciscio Networks and Exchange consulting in 1999. After consultinting at SMI in 2002 I accecpted the role of Director of IT in 2003 and was promoted to CIO in 2009.

Under my leadership, Speedway Motorsports has become a technology leader in sports and entertainment, expanding from 6 to 11 speedways while supporting a diverse business. environment We have been early adopters of AI, integrating it across operations, marketing, analytics, cybersecurity, and administration. We transformed our networks with zero trust architecture and delivered high-capacity Wi-Fi and digitla media networks across some of the nation's largest venues, enhancing fan engagement, operational efficiency, and revenue growth. Pairing this peer recognition with receiving SMI's highest individual honor in 2022 would ensure my staff is recognized for their achievements both internally and externally.

Markus Hill is Chief Information Officer at Rodgers Builders, Inc., where over 22 years he has turned technology into a strategic asset driving performance and growth. Markus is committed to developing future leaders and his community. He teaches business ethics at Catawba College and holds an MBA from Wake Forest University.

In our first full year of audit compliance within a broader global organization, the Rodgers IT team of seven successfully completed J-SOX and CIS 8.1 audits while the business grew 18%, and three major system transformations were delivered simultaneously. All work was completed in-house, under budget, and without disrupting operations. This was not achieved by adding resources, but by building a simplified, scalable foundation over time. That approach allowed a small team to absorb significant complexity while maintaining performance. The result strengthened Rodgers’ operational discipline, earned the confidence of global leadership, and reinforced our ability to scale with the business.

Visionary executive with over 35 years of experience driving growth and innovation in the life sciences industriy. Expertise in developing technology products and offerings that improve clinical trial efficiency, enhance patient engagement, and ensure regulatory compliance. Proven success in managing global P&Ls exceeding $500M, leading teams of 3,500+, and executing $1B in M&A transactions. Experienced Board leader with a deep commitment to advancing patient care and operational excellence in the healthcare and pharma-services ecosystems.

I would characterize my success story in two fundamental ways. Firstly, I am humbled and honored to have made some small impact on the progression of Clinical Research and the myriad of Clinical Outcomes I have been involved with over the years. The direct line of sight to improving patients’ lives has been incredibly rewarding. The second element would be the number of amazing people I have had the privilege to work with across my career. Again, to have made some small impact on people’s lives and careers is something I take great pride in.

Ben Schwering is Chief Information Officer at Premier, Inc., where he leads digital transformation and responsible AI adoption to enhance patient care, strengthen supply chains, and improve operational efficiency. Previously Premier's Chief Information Security Officer, he built robust security frameworks and risk management programs to safeguard sensitive data and ensure compliance. With over 20 years of experience, Ben is known for harnessing emerging technology to solve complex challenges and build a secure, patient-centric healthcare environment.

My accomplishments center on digital transformation, responsible AI adoption, and cybersecurity—each tied to measurable outcomes. I led a multi-year transformation that modernized core platforms, migrated critical workloads to the cloud, and adopted agile delivery, improving reliability and time-to-market while lowering costs. I established an AI enablement framework balancing innovation with governance—secure data foundations, ethical standards, and tools that let teams deploy AI at scale, driving productivity and better insights. And I shifted cybersecurity from reactive to proactive through zero-trust and strong identity management, reducing risk and enabling growth. Together, these positioned technology as a strategic enabler of competitive advantage.