Todd Kackley
VP & CIO
Textron
Todd Kackley is the vice president and chief information officer for Textron Inc. In this role, he leads the business unit chief information officers and the Textron Information Services (TIS) organization. He oversees Textron's Information Management Council and manages Textron's information technology supplier and outsourcing relationships.
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Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
Prior to joining Textron, I spent much of my career as a project and program manager leading large-scale ERP initiatives. I joined Textron in 2008 as a program manager and was quickly presented with opportunities to grow beyond my comfort zone, taking on broader responsibilities across multiple IT domains and leading leaders.
In 2015, I stepped into my first CIO role as Vice President & CIO of Textron Systems, a defense-focused business within Textron. In 2020, I transitioned to the Bell aerospace and defense division as VP & CIO, leading enterprise IT for the business. In 2023, I was honored with the opportunity to serve as Textron’s Global CIO.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
My guiding leadership principle is people first, built on trust, because trust is the foundation that unlocks innovation. I believe that when people feel respected, empowered, and trusted to do their best work, they take ownership, challenge assumptions, and bring forward ideas that drive meaningful change.
My role as a leader is to create an environment of psychological safety and accountability – where expectations are clear, diverse perspectives are valued, and teams are encouraged to experiment and learn. By putting people first and leading with trust, organizations can move faster, innovate more effectively, and deliver sustained results.
What the greatest challenge your particular C-level role is facing today, and how are you addressing it?
The greatest challenge facing CIOs today is the unprecedented pace of technology change driven by Generative AI – where innovation is moving faster than traditional governance, operating models, and workforce readiness can adapt. To address this, I am taking a value‑first and responsible approach: establishing clear governance and ethical guardrails, focusing on a small number of high‑impact use cases, and building AI literacy across the organization. By balancing speed with discipline, we are enabling innovation while protecting the enterprise, ensuring Generative AI delivers measurable business outcomes rather than unchecked experimentation.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CIO?
For someone starting their CIO career, one of the most important priorities is deliberately balancing time between building relationships and earning trust – with their team, business stakeholders, and key suppliers. Early credibility is established less through immediate technical change and more through listening, understanding business needs, and demonstrating consistency and transparency in decisionmaking. Strong, trust‑based relationships create alignment, accelerate execution, and enable the CIO to drive meaningful change when it matters most.
How do you measure success as a leader?
I measure success as a leader not only by what is accomplished, but by how it is achieved. Results matter, but the manner in which they are delivered – through integrity, respect, collaboration, and trust – defines the lasting impact of leadership. Sustainable success is built when outcomes are achieved in a way that strengthens teams, reinforces culture, and leaves the organization better positioned for the future.
What is the value of joining Gartner C-level Communities?
Being a member of the Gartner C‑Level Communities provides a strong opportunity to build a trusted peer network within the CIO and CISO community. These relationships are especially valuable when seeking insight on emerging technologies, governance challenges, or shared experiences across industries. The community also enables leaders to demonstrate their leadership in action by facilitating roundtable discussions, leading panel sessions, or presenting at Gartner‑hosted events.
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