Editor's note: Are you a developer that loves building things? There's $22500 up for grabs at this year's Hack Midwest, along with a $10000 grand prize from H&R Block! Join us at Kansas City's largest app building challenge with 300+ developers on September 23-24. Show off your skills, win prizes and make new friends!

In the lead up to Hack Midwest (KC's largest app building challenge September 23-24th with $22500 up for grabs and 300+ software engineers), we're taking time to recognize just a few of the many top tech leaders making an impact in the region and beyond.

Learn about 31 Top Tech Executives Shaping The Future Of Kansas City!

Alan Lowden

Alan Lowden is Chief Information Officer for H&R Block. Lowden is responsible for all aspects of technology, information security, and support across six global development sites and 11,000 H&R Block global retail offices.

Lowden has 20+ years of leadership experience in product development, software engineering, mobile development, and cloud-based solutions across multiple industries. Prior to his current role as CIO, Lowden served in several executive roles at H&R Block.

Before joining H&R Block, Lowden was a VP at Lexmark. He also started a management and technology consulting firm and held several strategic roles with Accenture earlier in his career.

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Rob Zelinka

Rob Zelinka is Jack Henry's Chief Information Officer. He leads technology strategy, operations, and processes. Zelinka joined Jack Henry in 2017 and has more than 30 years of experience in information technology.

In this role he serves as an IT Executive/ and leader of business for a provider of technology solutions and payment processing services primarily for the financial services industry.

Rob has the responsibility for leading the efforts to engineer the Technology organization and improve key business processes, to strengthen quality of service, timely delivery of technology based solutions while improving reliability and reducing time to market.

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Uma Wilson

Uma Wilson is the Chief Information And Product officer at UMB. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing both the technology and product development teams to ensure seamless and unified business transformation and execution. Specifically, her group is focused on utilizing technology for bank product management and development, which includes business plan development, establishing product roadmaps and defining product strategy for payments/card, lending, channel and depository solutions.

With more than 20 years experience in the financial services industry, she is using creativity and technology to develop innovative and game-changing products.

Besides the current one you are reading, Uma has been named to several lists including:

• 2019 - one of the most powerful women in banking by American Banker
• 2020, Uma was named in The Most Influential Women in Payments by American Banker
• 2022, Uma was named in Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business

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Mike Young

Mike Young is the CTO of Spring Venture Group.

In this role, Mike oversees data management, web application development, UI/UX, software engineering, DevOps, service desk, and R&D.

With over 20 years of experience in public and private sector technology, Mike has an extensive background in software engineering, event-based microservice architectures, and Cloud computing.

His experience in digital innovation is essential as SVG plans for the future.

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Ash Siebecker

As Ascend Learning’s Chief Technology Officer, Ash Siebecker is responsible for innovative strategy designed to mature their technology foundation with a focus on customer delight, efficiency and security.

Before joining the senior leadership team as CTO, Ash spent almost four years as Ascend Learning’s VP of Software Engineering.

Ash brings to his role 20 years of software engineering experience, with a combination of experience in the healthcare information technology (IT) industries and high-volume manufacturing. He previously spent time at Euronet as a software engineering leader. Prior to that he served in roles at Cerner Corporation and Motorola/Freescale semiconductor.

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Jamie Patel

Jamie Patel is the SVP, Chief Technology Officer at American Century Investments.

Jamie has over 25 years of experience in the technology field.

Prior to American Century, was the chief information officer of products and central services at the Bank of Montreal. Prior to joining BMO, she was a senior vice president at Sabre Holdings. Both at BMO and Sabre, Patel was integral in the development and success of large-scale technology strategies that directly impacted the development of products and solutions for clients.

Patel holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from North Staffordshire University, U.K. and completed advanced management studies at Southern Methodist University.

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Scott Morris

With over 25+ years experience in the technology sector, Scott Morris currently serves as the CTO of NAIC.

He leads a team of over 220 team members responsible for product development and management, application development and support, infrastructure services, and cloud platform services. In his role, he works with insurance commissioners across the country to provide technology products and services. Scott also leads culture change within the organization to become a more innovative technology group.

Prior to NAIC, Scott served in several leadership positions at UMB. Before UMB, Scott served in various roles at Hallmark.

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Shahzad Zafar

Shahzad Zafar is the CTO of RX Savings Solutions.

A career healthcare technology leader, Shahzad joined Rx Savings Solutions after 13 years with Cerner, where he led the Cloud Platform development business unit and served as an agile coach.

His keen understanding of agile principles and team dynamics helps their engineers thrive in a build-ship-learn environment with nimble, self-organized teams.

You might say he enjoys helping others grow professionally and personally, but that would sell Shahzad short. He’s passionate about helping people succeed, especially when it comes to healthcare outcomes.

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Shelly Brown

With 20+ years in tech leadership, Shelly Brown currently serves as the VP of IT at Burns & McDonnell.

In her 9+ years with the firm, Brown has led or supported many of their advancing business critical platforms to better serve clients, including launching a new intranet, modernizing conference room meeting experiences, advancing the adoption of Microsoft Teams and Phones, and other large enterprise IT change management initiatives.

Prior to Burns & Mac, Shelly served in leadership roles at JMA IT/Nuvento, HNTB, CA & Sprint.

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Brian Anderson

With over 20+ years experience, Brian Anderson currently serves as the CTO of Digital Solutions at Tyler Technologies.

Prior to Tyler Technologies, Brian served as the Chief Technology Officer of Lexmark, developing and implementing the organization's product strategy, as well as leading the company's Research and Development initiatives.

Prior to Lexmark, he served in various engineering roles at places like Tradebot Systems and Cerner.

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Greg Hart

Greg Hart serves as CTO for Washington University in St. Louis. He collaborates with university stakeholders and information technology leaders across campus and BJC HealthCare to align technology strategy with the university’s vision, mission and goals.

For more than 16 years, Hart has developed technology strategies to enhance overall technical capabilities and innovation.

Most recently, he has been vice president of corporate engineering for Faith Technologies Inc. of Lenexa, Kan., since 2020.

Prior to that, he served for four years as VP at Mosaic Life Care as well as holding several leadership positions at Cardinal Health.

Hart specializes in the areas of information technology management, artificial intelligence, process management and systems analysis. Hart earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and technology from California University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in business administration from Ashland University in Ohio and a PhD in information technology management from Capella University in Minneapolis.

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Kristen Guillame

Kristen Guillaume is the VP and CIO of North Kansas City Hospital. She provides oversight and direction for clinical and administrative information technology priorities across the enterprise, ensuring advancements create value and support the hospital’s goals.

Prior to joining NKCH, Guillaume held several leadership roles at Cerner and Netsmart, bringing more than 20 years of experience in information services and healthcare technology. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rockhurst University.

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Nathan Lagergren

With 20+ years of experience, Nathan currently serves as Chief Information Officer of Global Investor and Distribution Solutions at SS&C Technologies - the world's largest independent hedge fund and private equity administrator, as well as the largest mutual fund transfer agency.

His prior leadership roles include VP of Application Development at JP Morgan as well as Morgan Stanley.

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Brent Coonrod

With over 20+ years experience in engineering, Brent Coonrod currently serves as CTO of Shamrock Trading Corp. Previously, he was VP, Software Engineering at Cboe Global Markets. As a Computer Engineering graduate from the UNL, he evolved from a hands-on coder into a seasoned CTO, consistently driving innovation with a passion for delivering solutions where technology and end-users meet.

Brent’s leadership, coupled with his expertise in software development, has led to the successful execution of high-impact projects at world renowned tech firms. He fosters collaborative, operationally focused, innovative, and technical cultures that ensure his teams can perform at their best. He has served as a tech leader at Garmin, Panasonic, and Union Pacific.

Brent’s impact stretches beyond the realm of coding and engineering, as he serves on multiple non-profit and profit boards. He believes in coaching team members to reach their fullest potential. His passion for continuous learning and public speaking have allowed him the opportunity to report to Executive teams and Boards throughout his entire career.

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Anita Newton

Anita Newton currently serves as the Chief Innovation Officer of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. Her mission is to create digital products and services that will help us deliver peace of mind to our members. The Innovation Lab has received numerous awards and their work has been mentioned in USA Today, Forbes, and the Kansas City Business Journal.

Newton has spent the last 20 years helping marketing organizations both large – P&G and Sprint – and small – Zave Networks, myEdmatch, and Adknowledge – grow. She currently advises a startup called Mighty Good Solutions, a consumer goods company that makes products that are currently sold in Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, and Amazon.

Newton helps support the community by serving as Trustee of the Kauffman Foundation and Cristo Rey, Board Committee Chair for the University of Kansas Liberal Arts, and co-chair Rose Brooks 2019 Cabaret. Newton was the 2018 recipient of the Athena Award. She has also taught startup marketing through the Kauffman Foundation’s Founders School and FastTrac Venture program. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas and Harvard Business School.

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Kathiresan (KK) Kasimayan

He is a Quantitative Technology / Digital Transformation leader with deep knowledge of Derivatives and Algorithmic Trading Systems. He leads a team of 25+ professionals in quantitive development, data, operations, software engineering, quality engineering, and technology product development streams. He formed the derivative technology division at Security Benefit and built the quant and software solutions for complete front and back office derivatives workflow to manage fixed index annuities hedging program.

KK has around 20 years of experience in quantitative software development and leadership roles. Being a pioneer of innovative technology solutions, KK has vast experience in software engineering, architecture, best practices, cloud computing, real-time trade execution, data engineering, and product development. KK cherishes helping and coaching team members to learn, grow, and solve problems efficiently.

KK has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Anna University in India. Prior to Security Benefit, KK worked in various engineering roles for H&R Block, Koch, and UST Global. He was also a part of the team awarded Insurance Risk Management Team of the Year for 2017 by EQ Derivatives.

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Ben Sebree

Ben Sebree serves as SVP of Research & Development for CivicPlus where he identifies opportunities for the company’s integrated portfolio of unified applications to continue to meet the evolving needs of local governments and their residents.

He is responsible for defining the vision and strategy for Product Engineering, Information Security, Hosting and IT in order to enable CivicPlus’ solutions to further serve as the foundation for all local governments’ software needs.

He has over twelve years of experience in the technology space with seven years focusing on enterprise platforms, integrations, IoT technology, AI, and CaaS.

Products he's managed have received multiple industry awards, and today, his innovative processes still have numerous patents pending. In addition to leading CivicPlus’ integrated solution offering, Ben holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in management information systems and human resources, and a Master of Business Administration from Kansas State University.

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Andrea Trillo

Andrea Trillo is the Regional Chief Information Officer at AdventHealth. She is also the former President of Greater KC HIMSS Chapter.

Prior to AdventHealth, Andrea served as VP of Clinical Informatics at HCA. Prior to HCA, Andrea was Director of Clinical Informatics at Shawnee Mission Health.

She has a Cerner Certificate in Healthcare Leadership from University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Masters Degree in Healthcare Administration from Park University.

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Dion Gee

As Chief Information Officer, Dion Gee leads symplr’s information technology, infrastructure, and security efforts across our corporate platforms.

A highly skilled leader in emerging technologies and integrations, Dion has spent his 20-year career focused on achieving the top priorities of his internal and external customers with IT solutions.

Before joining symplr, Dion served as the Director of IT Infrastructure and Technical Services, and the HIPPA Privacy Officer for Alere’s toxicology division.

His expertise in acquisition change management has proven invaluable as symplr continues to grow its portfolio.

Dion earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and he is also an INROADS alum.

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Chris Dill

Chris Dill has served as Kiewit Corporation’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Vice President since October 2016. He oversees, strategizes, and implements information technology processes and delivery for more efficient business operations.

Dill served as Kiewit’s CTO from 2013 before assuming office as CIO.

In his over 20 years in the business, he served in different managerial and senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President of Global Technology and West Corporation’s VP of Enterprise Telecom and Network Engineering and VP of Corporate Application Development and Support.

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Samme Diaz

Samme Diaz is the CIO of HCA Midwest, Kansas City's largest healthcare provider. HCA represents 600+ providers, 80+ specialties and providing care in 150+ locations.

Prior to that, she served in various leadership roles at HCA healthcare including Director of Technical Operations and Director of Physician Services.

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David Hakanson

With over 20 years of experience, David Hakanson is the Chief Transformation Officer at GEHA, one of the largest benefits providers offering medical and dental plans for federal employees, retirees and their dependents.

He is an experienced Chief Information Officer and Chief Innovation Officer that is passionate about transforming IT organizations from a keep-the-lights-on focus to being a trusted partner that focuses on innovation and differentiation with the strategic use of technology.

Prior to GEHA, David was VP & CIO at Southern Illinois Healthcare. Before that, David served as CIO and Chief Innovation officer at Saint Louis University (SLU). Prior to his role at SLU, David was CIO at Samford University.

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Geoff Vandegrift

Geoff Vandegrift is CTO of Ad Astra.

A software engineer and technology leader of more than 30 years, Geoff joined Ad Astra in 2018 from an InsureTech startup that experimented with a managerless organizational structure known as Holacracy®.

He believes that building great software requires a leader to care more for the system that builds the technology than the technology itself.

In his role, Geoff is focused on creating an environment that makes space to celebrate and embrace Ad Astra's core values which allow his extremely talented technology team to transform the way Ad Astra develops software.

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David Mitchell

David Mitchell is the CTO of VMLY&R. His teams work in the space between the CMO and the CIO, uniting software systems to create connected brands.

David is the principal author of the open-source Journey Driven Development methodology leveraging agile practices supporting human-centered design for modern customer experience.

Joining VML (now VMLY&R) in 2010, David has led client-facing software teams throughout. An avid programmer, his interest in writing software goes back to the early 1980s. In the 1990s, he helped a boutique artificial intelligence firm survive the AI winter, shifting into web and mobile consulting. An advocate for modern AI and automation, he believes technology is most interesting and relevant when it helps people connect and collaborate.

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Matt Spyers

With 20+ years experience, Matt Spyers currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for FNBO.

Matt leads the FNBO Information Technology Team responsible for Application Development and Technology Infrastructure & Operations.

Under his leadership, FNBO’s technology internship program has grown significantly - they hope to continue to expand the program even further.

Prior to FNBO, Matt held several executive roles at places like Conagra, Sara Lee and more.

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Chris Cook

Chris Cook is senior vice president of Information Technology at Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he is passionate about providing trusted leadership and building strong teams.

He strives to use technology to enable the business and help it achieve its goals with a focus on security, service, scalability and stability. He is currently responsible for leading the Information Security, Information Systems, Software Development, and Architecture teams.

Chris has more than 20 years of information technology experience. Prior to joining Mariner, he led YRC Freight’s infrastructure teams. His past experience also includes leading system operations at Silpada Designs. 

Chris has a bachelor’s degree in system administration/mathematical sciences from Tabor College. 

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Tim Lipscomb

As Chief Technology Officer of Cboe, Tim Lipscomb leads their technology strategy, innovation and integration efforts globally, including overseeing all of Cboe's exchange, data and clearing platforms. He brings more than 20 years of experience in financial markets technology.

Prior to CTO, Tim served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cboe Europe, where he lead its software engineering, infrastructure and operational teams.

Prior to Cboe, Tim served as a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch.

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Omkar Parnaik

Omkar is the Director of Engineering at Sun Life, where he's served for almost 14 years.

Prior to his current role at Sun Life, he was an Associate Director of Application Development and a Software Engineer.

Prior to that, Omkar has served in engineering roles at Sprint, Sourcecorp and Vangent.

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Greg Whitsitt

Greg is the Director of Engineering at Veeva, a technical leader with over 20 years of development experience. He has a passion for problem solving and the simplification of complex problems.

Greg is currently helping to lead Veeva's expansion of their Kansas City office with 100+ positions.

Prior to Veeva, Greg served in various leadership and technical roles at Cerner.

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David Kelley

David Kelley is TouchNet's Vice President of Product Development; he joined the company in 2017.

David is passionate about engineering excellence and the higher education space.

Before TouchNet, David was Vice President of Engineering at Perceptive Software/Lexmark where he oversaw the development of products such as Perceptive Content.

Prior to that, he was a software engineer and software architect working on products in the financial and health care industries. David holds degrees from the University of Maryland and the University of Illinois.

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Justin Stouder

Justin Stouder is the CTO of Firemon.

Stouder is recognized as an exceptionally strong servant leader with over twenty years’ experience building world-class software development and technology organizations. He is a passionate and driven executive who firmly believes in unleashing the potential in people and pursuing excellence through fully empowered teams.

In previous roles, Stouder has been responsible for building and growing global technology organizations across a rich and diverse set of technologies including but not limited to high-frequency cryptocurrency trading, cloud digital transformation, agri-tech and cybersecurity.

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About Hack Midwest

Are you a developer that loves building things?

What if you had the opportunity to show your skills?

There's $22500 up for grabs at this year's Hack Midwest

Join us along w/ 300+ passionate software developers to build amazing things in 24 hours & win thousands in prizes and cash!

Hack Midwest is a great opportunity to:

• get inspired by building new things
• get community recognition
• win awesome prizes and cash
• make new friends!

What will you build? Join us at Hack Midwest!