Richard Gariepy, Senior Director of Managed Services at Compugen and CTO of AE Trade Group, talks to The Ortus Club about the 26-year evolution of IT infrastructure, the persistent human response to technological disruption, and why high-level executive dialogue is a powerful way to transform individual anxiety into collective progress.
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Executive Summary: Key Takeaways
- The Consistency of Concern: While technology shifts from Cloud to AI, the core executive concerns, such as cost, control, and risk, remain remarkably consistent.
- The Human Bridge Advantage: Technical certifications are vital, but the value lies in the ability to translate complex technology into business and people-related outcomes.
- Moving Beyond Anxiety: High-level discussions are most effective when they move past validation (knowing you aren’t alone) toward progression (deciding where to go next). Without structured peer dialogue, many of these decisions are made in isolation, increasing uncertainty in already fast-moving AI transformation cycles.
- Leadership as Orchestration: A moderator’s role is not to teach, but to harmonise an “orchestra of expertise,” ensuring that the table always comes before the moderator.
- Surfacing the Starting Point: To lead an organisation toward a technological destination, a leader must first identify the specific “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt” (FUD) within their team.
Senior IT leaders are making AI and infrastructure decisions under increasing pressure, often without shared peer context or direct benchmarking, increasing the risk of misalignment across leadership teams. Richard Gariepy is an IT service specialist with nearly three decades of experience “taming” technology. As Senior Director at Compugen, Canada’s largest privately owned IT provider, and CTO of the AE Trade Group, his work spans North American infrastructure and digital platform development for SMEs across Africa.
His career shifted when he realised his “superpower” wasn’t technical depth alone, but his ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders. Even after nearly three decades in IT, Richard continues to engage in executive roundtables to challenge his thinking and stay ahead of disruption. Through these forums and B2B discussions, he facilitates structured conversations that help leaders move through uncertainty and share perspectives.
How did a technical migration reveal a “Strength in Connection”?
Richard Gariepy reflects on the early career moment that shifted his focus from certifications to customer satisfaction.
“Early in my career, I was part of a major migration project. I worked alongside technicians who were far more specialised than I was. However, during performance reviews, I realised I had the highest client satisfaction scores. Clients consistently recommended my service because I helped bridge the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders.
That was the moment I realised I could translate technology into something meaningful. It all started with recognising that I could be the bridge between technology and the human experience. Whether it’s cloud or infrastructure, it is never just about the technology. It’s about how people use it to grow.”
Why does the “Human Response Pattern” stay the same as tech evolves?
Despite the rapid pace of change, Richard argues that the underlying fears of 2026 mirror the anxieties of the early cloud era.
“Honestly, not as much has changed as people might think. When cloud strategy emerged, the questions were about cost, control, and growth. Now with AI and cybersecurity, we hear similar concerns. How will this disrupt my business? How will it affect my bottom line?
At the core, it is always about fear, uncertainty, and doubt. AI feels like a paradigm shift, just as digitalisation once did. My role as a moderator is to guide participants beyond that anxiety. Once people move past the fear, they become creative. Technology evolves, but the human response pattern remains remarkably consistent.”
What happens when an executive table moves from validation to progression?
Richard discusses the shift from knowing you aren’t alone to building the collective ambition that shapes the future of the market. Leaders who aren’t part of these discussions risk making decisions in isolation, while others are shaping the market together. This shift matters because it changes how leaders make decisions, from validating internal assumptions to stress-testing them with peers facing similar constraints. It also reflects a growing gap between leaders who regularly engage in structured peer dialogue and those who rely solely on internal alignment processes
“We are social beings. In the late 20th century, we were trying to tame technology as a tool. Now, we have matured. Today, discussions are not about validation; they are about progression. People already know they are not alone. They come to ask, ‘Where do we go next?’
What excites me is watching that shift. When participants move from individual insight to collective ambition. Real initiatives are born there. One of my early moderation experiences led to a collaboration in Africa simply because a participant connected an idea I shared to their own challenge. These tables aren’t just discussions; they shape what disrupts the market tomorrow.”
How do you prepare a “Feast for the Mind” for the C-Suite?
As a moderator, Richard approaches every roundtable as a curated balance between industry pressure and creative dialogue.
“The experts are sitting around the table. I am not the teacher. But that doesn’t remove their doubt. I look at the roles, industries, and organisational contexts. I ask: what are they trying to achieve? What common challenges connect them?
If I can surface the right questions and link perspectives, the discussion becomes a ‘feast for the mind.’ What makes an Ortus discussion effective is the curation. If a topic is too narrow, participants feel constrained. If it’s too broad, it creates anxiety. When the balance is right, everyone walks away with at least one new connection or perspective.”
Why is “Humility” the most critical tool for a technology moderator?
Richard explains why the best leaders are those who act as tools for the conversation rather than the centre of it. At the highest levels, leadership is less about having answers and more about creating the environment where the best answers emerge.
“Moderating forces humility. You are not the center of the table; you are a tool to enable the conversation. A roundtable is like an orchestra of expertise. Each participant is an instrument. My role is to ensure the conversation flows and that the outcome serves the group.
I’ve seen moderators turn discussions into keynote speeches. That is simply the wrong approach. When you truly put yourself aside, you gain more than you expect. Success can make you rigid; moderating keeps me on my toes.”
What is the “One Question” that leads to strategic clarity?
To move forward, Richard suggests leaders should be willing to ask their teams what is holding them back.
“I will always ask: what is causing your fear, uncertainty, and doubt? I need to know where each person is starting from. Everyone arrives with their own perspective. If the subject of our transformation is the destination, I need to understand the starting point. Once we know that, we can begin the journey together.”
Join the Conversation: The Ortus Club’s Executive Network
As AI transformation accelerates, leaders who actively engage in peer-level dialogue are better positioned to validate decisions before scaling them across the organisation. As Richard Gariepy emphasises, human connection is the primary driver of growth. In an age of high-frequency tech disruption, the experts at the table are your most valuable resource. At The Ortus Club, we specialise in the executive roundtables that move leaders from fear to progression.
Our B2B events are the orchestras of expertise Richard describes. A curated space where your challenges become part of a collective dialogue. By joining our network, you step into a feast for the mind that turns industry pressure into tangible, market-disrupting initiatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the biggest barrier to IT transformation today?
A: According to Richard, the barrier isn’t the technology itself, but the “Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt” (FUD) that executives feel. Moving past this anxiety is essential to unlocking the creativity needed for business growth.
Q: How does a “Human-Centered” IT approach differ from traditional IT?
A: Traditional IT focuses on certifications and technical depth. A human-centered approach, which Richard champions, focuses on translating that technical power into meaningful outcomes for business stakeholders and the human experience.
Q: Why are in-person executive roundtables still relevant in a digital age?
A: Richard believes that we are social beings who thrive on connection. While technology is a tool, real market disruption and progression happen when experts engage in collective ambition and face-to-face dialogue.
Q: What is the role of the CTO in an emerging market like Africa?
A: In his role with the AE Trade Group, Richard focuses on building digital platforms that enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to scale, proving that infrastructure must be a direct driver of economic and business expansion.
Q: How should a leader prepare for a strategic technology shift like AI?
A: Preparation starts with humility and listening. A leader needs to understand where their team is starting from, including their fears, before guiding them toward a new technological direction.
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