Corporate Finalists

Madhu Annagiri is a technology executive who has spent over two decades leading enterprise transformation, currently as CIO for Clean Earth. He led One Clean Earth, unifying two acquired subdivisions into a single operating business through a unified ERP, CRM, and customer portal, and proprietary platforms including ORBIT and CORE. Earlier, he led CRM transformation at Michaels and ERP transformation at CSC, building a career defined by turning fragmented organizations into unified, scalable ones.

I led One Clean Earth, the program that took two subdivisions acquired from separate companies and built them into one unified operating business. That meant building shared processes and technology from the ground up, effectively running a startup inside an existing company. Under this umbrella, I built ORBIT and CORE, our proprietary field and operations platforms, an intelligent document processing capability, One Source, a single CRM replacing three, Connect Plus, a single customer portal replacing five, and a unified Oracle ERP. One Clean Earth is why the business could operate, scale, and grow as one company.

Brett Don is the chief information officer for Stradley Ronon. He ensures the efficient delivery of technology services to the firm’s 225 lawyers across nine offices. A results-driven technology and risk executive, Brett is a trusted resource to the firm’s board of directors, fostering productivity and performance using advanced technologies to maximize service and revenue. Brett, leverages his certification in information security (CISM) to mature the firm’s information security program to align with client expectations.

Under my leadership, we have transformed the IT department from a reactive, operational resource drowning in a toxic culture into a proactive, strategic advisory model for our customers with a 93% staff retention rate. We modernized aging infrastructure, consolidated platforms, expanded cloud capabilities, strengthened security, and introduced emerging technologies, including GenAI, to reimagine how legal services are delivered. Together, we’ve achieved our mission of delivering stable, reliable, highly available and secure systems to our customers, so they can serve the firm’s clients with greater confidence, efficiency and excellence.

Kathy Junod, Head of Information Technology at Greene Tweed, leads enterprise digital transformation aligned to growth strategy. She translates business objectives into scalable solutions across ERP, analytics, infrastructure, and cybersecurity, enabling integrated operations and data-driven decisions. Kathy combines strategic vision with strong execution, delivering large-scale implementations, improving process integration, and optimizing costs. She builds high-performing teams and fosters accountability and innovation, positioning IT as a trusted partner driving measurable value and supporting global expansion.

Kathy Junod has led Greene Tweed’s IT organization through a period of significant digital transformation, aligning technology investments with business strategy and measurable outcomes. Under her leadership, the company advanced SAP modernization, strengthened cybersecurity and compliance readiness, improved analytics capabilities, and enhanced operational efficiency across global functions. By building high-performing teams and fostering strong business partnerships, she positioned IT as a strategic enabler of growth, innovation, customer value, and long-term organizational success for all stakeholders.

Brian Schaeffer is CIO at OceanFirst Bank, with more than 30 years providing technology, cybersecurity, and risk management solutions across the financial services, healthcare, publishing, and public sectors. He excels at translating complex technology and security concepts into meaningful business terms. For 20 years, Brian has volunteered in support of National Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection initiatives. He holds a bachelor's in Computer Science, a master's in Information Security and Assurance, and several industry certifications.

I believe technology should move the business forward, not just support it. That conviction shapes how I lead — empowering my team, mentoring future leaders across the bank, and creating space for people to grow, including an intern who is now one of my directs leading our AI efforts. It also shows in results: a 10% cut in IT expenses, a governed data and AI platform delivering nearly 50% in time savings in current use cases, and cybersecurity resolution times cut in half. To me, real leadership means making technology a genuine competitive advantage.