Data Before AI | Ep. 5 with Alex Ryals (MicroAge)

What happens when a cybersecurity leader who has sat on every side of the tech table — customer, reseller, distributor, and vendor — decides the future belongs to AI? Alex Ryals, CISO and SVP at MicroAge (celebrating 50 years!), breaks down why most companies are getting AI security dangerously wrong, and what to do before you flip the switch on Copilot or any AI tool.In this episode:00:05 — Intro: Alex's rare career journey across all four sides of the tech channel03:47 — Why Alex traded global scale at TD SYNNEX for a smaller, more impactful role10:53 — As a CISO, how do you balance "move fast" with "stay safe"?14:02 — Shadow AI: the silent risk happening in your company right now18:46 — Building a Copilot sales assistant and using AI avatars on YouTube22:34 — Humanoid robotics, skills marketplaces, and where IT partners fit in25:51 — MicroAge at 50: bankruptcy, reinvention, and lessons for every tech company29:53 — Octum.ai: why data hygiene comes before any AI investment33:30 — First move for leaders who don't know where to start with AIIf you're a business leader sitting on the fence about AI, this episode will either push you off or hand you a map. Like, subscribe, and drop your biggest AI security question in the comments.🔗 Links & Resources[MicroAge YouTube Channel] — Search "MicroAge" on YouTube[Cybersecurity Deciphered] — Alex's personal channel: youtube.com/CybersecurityDecyphered[Think AI Consulting] — thinkaicorp.comDave Goyal - davegoyal.com[Add additional links here]AIGovernance #CybersecurityAI #MicroAge #ThinkAIPodcast #AILeadership