The DataStrike Decision-Makers: Tips from a Leader in IT

Get to Know Carlo Finotti 

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The world of technology has been on a rapid and accelerated course of expansion for decades now and is ramping up that speed daily. With all these changes, organizations need leaders who are adept, quick on their feet, and can make timely decisions for the betterment of the business. Meet Carlo Finotti, DataStrike's Senior Vice President of Service Delivery. We recently interviewed Carlo, discussing the nuances of his position, what it takes to be a leader in this field, and trends he sees coming. So, let’s get started. 

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How did you get your start in the field? 

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Finotti: I started my career in the mortgage industry, but I was still looking into what excited me. Going into the dot-com boom, I had the opportunity to service a mortgage application, and eventually I transitioned into a general service desk/help desk position, which I liked quite a bit. I knew right away it was a passion of mine. I saw how important technology was from an organizational standpoint and how it played a role in its structure. 

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It’s widely recognized that hiring for IT roles is a challenge right now – what is your approach to building and fostering a high-performance team in this environment? 

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Finotti: Everyone is bidding on the same candidates – as we grow, word of mouth is integral to successful hiring measures. We're building inroads with nearby technical schools, asking friends who may not even be in the IT field. We have the training platform to rapidly advance them in the cloud and data segments - to take someone who may have little to no necessary experience. It’s as simple as that. 

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What are the biggest data management and infrastructure challenges you see companies struggling with today? 

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Finotti: I think it’s a gap in talent – either they have folks supporting their current architecture and there are gaps in their knowledge, or no one is supporting this infrastructure at all. They may not be data-centric talent. They may have team members trying to learn but aren’t data centric. Data governance is another issue – what are they trying to do with their data warehouse or data lake? These are persistent issues we see commonly. 

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What are the IT challenges unique to mid-market companies? Why?

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Finotti: In mid-market, they will have less talent, or they will have people filling shoes to support data – but they don't really understand or know the data. They truly need someone to fill the void in their current team, whether it’s 24/7 infrastructure, or they have limited resources, someone could leave for a variety of reasons (burnout, turnover, etc.). 

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How do you see AI impacting IT infrastructure over the next five years? What can companies do to prepare? 

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Finotti: AI is a lot of automation right now - look at Microsoft. They’re infusing ChatGPT through their architecture. The largest impact will be in the cloud first. AI automations through cloud and architecture will be the biggest bang for your buck in a few years. I believe AI will be infused into automations to make the IT journey easier. Environments will be automated easier, you can write scripted tasks through AI right now, which I don’t view as true code. A lot of scripted tasks had to be manually written – now AI will take care of 70 % of that, but you still must know the language. There will come a time when we can say, “hey AI, I need X, Y, Z,” and it will write the whole automation scheme within a timeline for completion. Tasks will be completed much faster now. Then, you get into analytics, and you still need the structure of your data to be physically stored – but AI is going to help make sense of it. AI is going to comb through data, give you predictive analytics. For example, you can say, “I’ve seen a revenue in Q3 of such and such, and one factor seems to be affecting expense," and AI will become your data analyst on what’s occurring, give suggestions, etc. But that’s where DataStrike comes in. Your data must be structured and has to be flowing into this data lake or warehouse effectively. If the data is all over the place, AI cannot make sense of the data. We help organizations build it, store it, and change it. AI will sit on top and make predictions on this data and will play a consequential role in how organizations operate. This is the weakest AI will ever be. The models are only going to get better. 

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Are there other IT trends or priorities that companies should be considering in 2025? 

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Finotti: I believe a recession will set in soon. There are a lot of markers (and indicators): as rates are high, the stock market is hot, and there is a forthcoming election. No matter who gets in, I believe we will experience a pullback. An increase in layoffs could occur, and companies will clamp down on budgets. This is where DataStrike can help, by filling gaps in organization’s teams, finding cost optimizations, and helping them better utilize resources if there is a reduction in their workforce. 

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What does it take to become a leader in IT? 

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Finotti: It depends on how high up you want to go, but everyone should start in a service role in IT. It's essential to understand what it takes to serve a customer base. Whether IT is internal or external, you are a service platform for whomever the end user is; the end use could be your finance team, operations, or other structural terms. After gaining technical skills, you must (and will) experience tech change. In today's era, whether you work in finance or retail, understanding the business is critical. It’s not just about cloud or data; you need to know what drives the business—what increases revenue and optimizes expenses. This is why CIOs often become CEOs; they understand the business, build the systems, and are well-versed in operations. From there, developing leadership skills is crucial. Not every engineer or solutions architect can be a great leader, regardless of intelligence. You must think in terms of “we” instead of “I,” and know how to build teams and make hiring decisions. As you advance, the focus shifts to budget control, managing work cycles across internal teams, and leveraging third parties. It becomes a strategic and complex task to run an organization efficiently. Becoming a leader takes years and involves tough conversations, including letting people go. There are good times too, but the journey is challenging and not for everyone. Many aspire to be leaders until they experience it. Motivation, structure, and strategy are essential. I have made mistakes by promoting individuals to managers based on their technical skills alone, which did not work out. Leadership depends on the team size and dynamics —managing two people is easier than managing 15. Everyone’s journey is different, and sometimes, the leader above you may not believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. Always believe in yourself. 

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About DataStrike

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DataStrike is the industry leader in 100% onshore data infrastructure services and enables companies to harness IT changes as a catalyst for growth. With a network of highly specialized experts, strategic partnerships with the world's biggest technology providers, and a platform agnostic approach, DataStrike provides innovative solutions and practical guidance to accelerate digital transformation initiatives and drive better business outcomes for small-to mid-sized businesses. Click here to learn more about our service offerings.

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