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Ruth Sleeter, CIO of engineering software program firm Bentley Programs, started her profession in software program product improvement. She managed product groups at NetApp earlier than coming into extra senior roles that leveraged her digital technique abilities, notably at Lenovo.
She then made the leap to the C-suite, serving as CIO at Deutsche Financial institution. She returned to Lenovo as CIO earlier than shifting to roles at Sonos and Axon. In March 2025, she landed in her present place as CIO at Bentley. Right here, she shares her ideas on the significance of programs pondering and the fragile means of integrating AI into the workforce.
How did your early curiosity in know-how develop?
My dad was additionally a software program engineer. I grew up within the Bay Space simply as Silicon Valley was beginning. I suppose I used to be surrounded by it and didn’t understand it on the time.
I began my undergrad promising myself I’d not be a music or a pc science main, as a result of that’s what I did a ton of rising up. Regardless, I used to be actually good at engineering and programs pondering. I took a category in discrete math within the pc science division and fell in love. I ended up getting an undergraduate diploma in pc science. I used to be tremendous fortunate rising up, particularly as a woman. I had all of those nice individuals who inspired me to do math and science. It was only a very pure match to be a software program engineer. That’s how I began my profession as a software program engineer for semiconductor software program automation.
Did you achieve any formative insights throughout your schooling?
In pc science, you begin with information construction, which is simply programs pondering — let’s break a giant downside down into small elements and take into consideration reusable elements. That anchor — pondering and robust programs design — was very intuitive to me. Individuals ask me how I get via my everyday, with the breadth of the knowledge that I’ve to absorb. The CIO function is fairly attention-grabbing. We get to spend so much of time on technique however on the similar time, we’ve to ensure we’re constructing the fitting inner merchandise. That very same programs pondering that was inculcated in incomes my diploma, that kind of pondering that sparked my curiosity, is precisely the kind of pondering that I like doing now.
How did your early roles enable you to to develop the talents you have got deployed as a CIO?
I believe it was my want to strive new issues. I began out as a software program engineer. I bought into administration type of by chance throughout the dot com increase. I used to be organized and articulate. So, I spent a while studying easy methods to handle software program product groups, which is extremely vital in what I do as we speak.
Then I bought the chance to be customer-facing. If I had recommendation for anyone who needs to be in these kind of management roles, it might be to spend time customer-facing. I have a look at my function as a customer-facing function — studying about buyer empathy and easy methods to talk technique and method and perceive clients’ ache and the way you’re going to unravel it was essential in my profession.
How has the function of the CIO within the C-suite developed since your first CIO place?
The factor that’s actually vital for a CIO to be fascinated with is that we’re a microcosm for the way the entire enterprise capabilities are attempting to execute the techniques towards the technique.
What we are able to do throughout the portfolio is characterize the technique in actual phrases again to the enterprise. We are able to say: These are the entire totally different locations the place we’re fascinated with investing. Does that match with the technique we thought we had been setting for ourselves? And the place is there a delta and a distinction?
Let me provide you with some perception into that after which assist with the discussions round strategic enablement throughout our highest priorities. That will get you into a technique dialog. I see myself as a strategic chief — having the ability to bubble up the place there could also be both help or inconsistencies in how we’re executing towards our technique and investing.
The brand new problem — and it’s a actual problem — is shepherding organizations via AI adoption. Creating a really versatile method to this downside is basically vital. That’s the new a part of the remit that’s notably energizing — a change of this magnitude in how folks work each day has not occurred in fairly a while.
How did you go about studying enterprise technique if you first entered the C-suite?
Once I bought my first CIO function, there was all of this dialog about enterprise course of. That was the half that I needed to study and work out easy methods to map into these broader, strategic conversations. I had my first inner IT function at Deutsche Financial institution, the place we actually talked about product mannequin rather a lot — fascinated with our inner IT deliverables as merchandise.
Once I moved to Lenovo, we had very wealthy enterprise course of and transformation conversations as a result of we had been taking the entire enterprise via such a foundational change. I used to be capable of put these two issues collectively.
It was a wedding of a number of issues: working a product group; marrying that to the traditional IT mind-set about enterprise course of; after which figuring out how that turns into consultant to the enterprise technique.
Has the expertise of being a lady in a male-dominated area modified?
It’s modified tremendously. Early in my profession, I used to be very fortunate. I didn’t even need to be seen as a lady in know-how, as a result of I didn’t perceive why it might matter, which was a splendidly naive place to return from on the time. I hope that’s how girls really feel now. I assumed that we must always simply be measured by our outcomes and our nice engineering prowess. Once I grew to become a little bit bit extra senior, I had this second the place I noticed that extra junior girls had been asking me questions that they wouldn’t essentially ask any person else. They had been trying to me to be a mentor and an instance.
We went via this part the place we bought to begin speaking about this situation very brazenly. I believe that that’s helped us an amazing quantity. I don’t assume we’re accomplished. I believe we’re capable of have these conversations. That could be very totally different than the place I began.
What are a few of the issues you’re engaged on in AI adoption?
As we take into consideration AI adoption within the group, taking a really human-centric method is the primary key to success. That’s a problem for CIOs, as a result of we have a tendency to begin speaking in a short time about enterprise processes. I don’t assume that’s easy methods to method AI. When persons are doing their work, they are not fascinated with the enterprise course of. They’re simply making an attempt to do the factor that they are doing each day.
The very very first thing that we are able to do with AI is make each single individual higher at their jobs. Everyone needs to be higher at their jobs. That’s such a secure place to be and such a productive human-first place to be. It invitations folks to consider easy methods to do their very own work otherwise, as an alternative of anticipating any person to inform them easy methods to use this new know-how. Individuals can have a instructor subsequent to them. They will get recommendation. They will study.
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