Mike Kennedy

Galvanizer
DISC Type : Id

VP Technology Enablement and Strategy | Team Builder | Innovation | Change Management at CDW

Greater Chicago Area, United States

Overview

Mike Kennedy is the Vice President of Technology Enablement and Strategy at CDW, where he leads technology transformation and innovation. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he prioritizes hiring for grit and curiosity over specific technical skills. Colleagues describe him as a trusted leader, team builder, and pragmatic change agent.

Outside of his corporate role, Mike draws heavily on his military background, applying principles like feedback loops and resilience to his professional strategies. He is a proponent of building resilience through intentional habits and challenging the status quo, both personally and professionally.

Unique fact: Mike believes that resilience is not an inherent trait but a skill that is developed through repetition and intentional practice.

Personality Overview

Pragmatic

Self-Assured

Trusting

A combination of speed and relationship gets the best response from them.  They prefer to ensure that they are in control of the situation. They are more likely to accept new and exciting technologies.

Topics They Care About

Developing Resilience
Speaks on the importance of building resilience as an intentional habit to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity, both personally and professionally.
Behavior-based Hiring
Values behavioral attributes like grit, curiosity, and collaboration over rigid technical expertise when building successful teams, believing technical skills can be taught.
Military Leadership
Frequently connects his military training and strategies, such as the critical importance of feedback loops, to his approach in the tech industry.

Media Appearances

CDW Tech Talk Series: Spearhead a New Way of Working with Leadership and Technology. Featured in BizTech Magazine

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CDW Tech Talk: Reaching Business Goals by Making Your Organization More Agile. Featured in BizTech Magazine

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How to Get Executive Buy‑In for Tech Initiatives. Featured in BizTech Magazine

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Work History

3-2021
VP Technology Enablement and Strategy | Team Builder | Innovation | Change Management at CDW
1-2019 - 3-2021
Sr Director of Business Planning for Highly Autonomous Driving at HERE Technologies
1-2018 - 1-2019
Sr Director of Transformation at HERE Technologies
6-2015 - 1-2018
Director of Business Planning at HERE Technologies
7-2014 - 6-2015
Senior Director, Global Software Product Management at The Marketing Store

Education

2006 - 2008
MBA from Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
1996 - 2000
BS from United States Military Academy at West Point

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 25 Location : Greater Chicago Area, United States Job Level : Senior Designation : VP Technology Enablement and Strategy | Team Builder | Innovation | Change Management at CDW
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Insights For Selling To Mike

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Take a friendly, informal yet confident approach while pitching
  • You might need to keep the conversation on track, they tend to slide off-topic
  • Talk about some of the cool and impressive features of your product

DONT's

  • Don’t make promises that are hard to keep
  • Don’t rely too much on what they promise, make your own deductions
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions, but take a friendly and warm approach

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Mike is

  • Relationship and product conviction matter equally, followed by a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Mike

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no though in a friendly way.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Mike move?

  • They can reach decisions quickly if they develop trust and confidence in the product.
  • Can Mike take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they will be ready to take risks.

You And Mike

Personality Compatibility


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