In this episode of The Mindful CIO Podcast, host Nathalie Heynderickx is joined by Simon Reiter, Chief Technology Officer at CareSuper, for a thoughtful and grounded conversation on what it truly means to lead technology teams in a human, sustainable way.

With more than 23 years of experience across superannuation, financial services, healthcare, education and government, Simon reflects on the realities of senior leadership — including the self-doubt and nerves that can arise even after years of experience. His openness sets the tone for a discussion that highlights vulnerability as a strength, not a weakness, in modern tech leadership.

A central theme of the episode is healthy culture, a core pillar of the Mindful CIO Manifesto. Simon explains why culture must come before strategy and transformation, and introduces his memorable “hamburger culture” metaphor — where leadership sets direction from the top, teams take ownership from the bottom, and sustainable culture is built together.

The conversation also explores diversity beyond gender, including diversity of thought, background and neurodiversity, and why inclusive teams are better equipped to solve complex problems. Simon shares how mentoring and sponsorship, particularly for women in STEM, are both deeply human and strategically vital.

Simon offers practical examples of how he fosters listening and psychological safety at scale — from skip-level meetings and “CTO Connect” sessions to an anonymous “Ask the CTO” channel and an internal technology podcast.

The episode also dives into AI leadership, addressing the pace of change, the risks of shiny-object syndrome, and the importance of clear use cases, strong data foundations and ethical governance. Simon reinforces a critical reminder: technology alone does not create value — people and process do.

He closes with reflections on self-care, energy management and why leaders must look after themselves first in order to lead others well.

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🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:

00:00 – Welcome to The Mindful CIO Podcast, Introduction and context for the conversation

02:10 – Beyond the CV: A Personal Leadership Insight

Simon shares a candid reflection from his leadership journey

03:00 – Leading at Scale: Staying Grounded on Big Stages

Public speaking, presence and composure in high-stakes environments

05:00 – Why Change Management Must Start on Day One

Early investment as a success multiplier

05:20 – The Mindful CIO Manifesto and the Power of “Less Is More”

06:00 – Culture Before Strategy

The foundation of sustainable performance

07:40 – The “Hamburger Culture” Metaphor

Shared ownership from leadership and teams

08:50 – Diversity as a Performance Advantage

Beyond gender to lived experience and thinking styles

11:00 – Neurodiversity and the Strength of Tech Teams

Why technology roles suit different cognitive strengths

12:30 – Making Change Human and Tangible

Driving adoption through communication and storytelling

16:50 – Sustaining Energy While Leading Complex Change

Travel, boundaries and personal rhythms

21:20 – Managing Energy, Not Just Time

Physical, mental and emotional energy buckets

24:20 – Leadership Role Models and Paying It Forward

Mentorship, influence and legacy

31:00 – Listening at Scale: Building Trust Across Teams

Skip-levels, CTO Connect and psychological safety

36:30 – Navigating the Pace of Change and Responsible AI

Strategy, governance and human-centred adoption

54:50 – Final Reflections on Sustainable High Performance

Leadership maturity and long-term impact

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🎙️LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST

✦ Website: ⁠⁠https://mindfulcio.community/podcast⁠⁠/

✦ Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205⁠⁠

✦ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu⁠

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🔗CONNECT WITH SIMON REITER

*Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reitersimon/