Deep Dive: Aravind Kashyap, CIO at Riddell

With a career starting in consulting and branching into two CIO tenures, Aravind Kashyap brings an “outside-in” perspective to technology leadership focused on using tech to drive measurable business value.

As CIO at Riddell, he is leading a multi-year digital transformation focused on process simplification and stakeholder experience, while embedding AI to support growth and efficiency.

Aravind emphasizes developing “full-stack employees” who understand both tech and business, aligning every initiative to either crush cost or grow revenue. He credits his early influence, C.K. Prahalad, with shaping his thinking, and champions storytelling and cross-industry learning as key skills for today’s CIOs.

Walk us through your career path. How did you decide to pursue a career in technology, and how did you get to where you are now?

Pursuing a career in technology was a conscious decision for me. I graduated in 1992, just as the tech industry was gaining momentum, so choosing that path felt natural. However, becoming a CIO wasn’t something I deliberately aimed for; it just happened over time.

My early career was rooted in consulting, working with large clients on complex technology challenges like cost optimization and transformation.

I spent years on the service provider side, where the CIO was always my customer. That perspective made me constantly wonder what it would be like to sit in their seat, to understand how they prioritize and evaluate partnerships.

About six years ago, I made the transition into the CIO role at Balfour unexpectedly.

I wasn’t actively looking, but a former client, who had joined a private equity firm, reached out. They had just acquired Balfour and needed someone to help stabilize the technology and lead a cost optimization effort. I met with the leadership team and the PE firm, and the opportunity just clicked.

Balfour had just gone through a Chapter 11 restructuring, which created significant constraints around resources, systems, and execution. 

I took on the role with a focus on driving value and efficiency, making sure that every dollar spent counted.

What sets me apart is that I didn’t grow into the CIO role from within a single company; I came in from the outside. That perspective, shaped by years of consulting and sales experience, influences how I operate as a CIO today.

Even from an early stage in my career, I wasn’t a technology geek. I was always more drawn to understanding business needs and using technology to drive value.

For me, it’s never been about the tech itself, but about how it can either reduce costs or grow revenue.

That’s the true measure of value.

Having once been a CEO of a tech company, I’ve also seen the challenges from the very top. That experience, especially transitioning into my current CIO role at Riddell after helping Balfour, taught me the importance of cost-conscious, business-aligned tech leadership.

It’s been an unconventional path, but one that has given me a unique perspective on the CIO’s role.

Can you tell us about some of the initiatives and major career accomplishments that you are proud of?

At Riddell, one of the initiatives I’m most proud of is leading a structured, multi-year digital transformation, including focus on process, data, and experience.

When I joined, my first step was to define what our next three years should look like in terms of maturity and impact. We’re now in the second year of that journey, which will result in Riddell’s technology being a more modern, connected, and intelligent ecosystem, built to accelerate growth, increase efficiency, enhance customer experience, and drive innovation.

On the process side, we’ve gone deep into every operational function to streamline hundreds of processes to drive simplicity and efficiency.

The second layer focuses on data. Riddell has an abundance of data, and we’ve launched multiple initiatives to better leverage it by integrating AI platforms to turn information into business value.

The final layer is about experience. Regardless of who you are, we’re elevating the user experience by aligning process and data improvements with stakeholder needs.

What I’m most proud of is how this transformation is about directly delivering value to the business.

Before Riddell, I led another major initiative at one of the world’s largest beverage companies.

They had thousands of independently operated bottlers across different geographies, each using different systems and processes. The challenge was to unify them under a single ERP platform. This was a massive international, multi-year transformation that initially failed before I got involved.

It was a powerful example of how technology can unite highly decentralized operations when paired with the right strategy and buy-in.

Another memorable initiative came from my time working with a global fashion and consumer goods company. They were operating in 14 countries, in 27 languages, with fragmented systems and processes. We led a global transformation that standardized their systems and business operations across continents.

What stood out from that experience was the role of change management.

With so many variations in culture and work styles involved, the success of the project hinged on aligning leadership from the top while also ensuring buy-in at every level of the organization. That program taught me that transformation is deeply human and not just about the technology.

Across all these efforts, the biggest lessons I’ve learned are around the importance of business alignment, leadership engagement, and managing change thoughtfully.

These are principles I actively apply today in my role at Riddell.

Looking ahead, what disruptive technology or trend do you see impacting the industry and society?

When it comes to disruptive technologies, I’ve always seen them as cyclical waves.

Every few years, something new grabs the spotlight. Whether it was enterprise integration, robotic process automation, or now AI, there’s always a hype cycle where technology moves from unacceptable to acceptable and finally expected.

Right now, AI is transitioning into that “expected” zone across industries.

It’s embedded in almost every platform we use, from CRM and ERP to HR, manufacturing, and supply chain systems. But I always ask one fundamental question, “Does this technology help the business deliver measurable business value?” If it doesn’t achieve either, I’m not interested, no matter how many conferences talk about it.

At Riddell, we’re using AI in targeted ways to drive real business value, but we don’t adopt tech just for the sake of following trends. Every decision is evaluated through three lenses.

First, what’s the ROI horizon? Are we looking for quick wins in three to six months, or are we investing for growth over the next 12 to 18 months?

“Just because 50 other CIOs are chasing a new technology doesn’t mean it’s right for your business.”

Second, what’s the organization’s data maturity? AI is only as good as the data it runs on. If we have strong operational data, we can focus on cost optimization. If we have rich customer data, we can look at ways to grow sales or expand markets.

The third lens is supporting the attainment of the business’s strategic priorities.  For us at Riddell, we’re focused on increasing enterprise value through innovation and growth. Despite our market leadership, we must continue to push ourselves to introduce products, services, and technologies that address customer needs and support the game of football now and into the future.

The broader lesson is not to get caught up in the hype.

Just because 50 other CIOs are chasing a new technology doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. Every organization has a different data landscape, different pressures, and different goals. My role is to evaluate which innovations align with our specific needs and make sure they help us either reduce costs or drive top-line growth.

That disciplined approach is how I plan to navigate the current wave of AI, and the coming wave of quantum computing, which I believe will take center stage in the next five years.

What do you think about the current state of IT talent that’s available? And what strategies are you using to find and develop that talent?

IT talent is one of the most important ingredients for success today, and honestly, it’s a tough space right now. The challenge isn’t about capacity anymore. I’m not looking to hire a hundred people. What I need are a few highly capable individuals with the right expertise.

Externally, I’ve found that the best approach is to build partnerships with one or two trusted providers. When you go deep with a partner, they understand your business, your challenges, and your direction, and in return, you gain access to specialized skills and emerging technologies without constantly ramping up in-house.

“When something goes wrong, I want my team to immediately understand the business context so they can respond faster and more effectively.”

Internally, my focus is on developing cross-functional talent.

The days of siloed roles are over. I need someone who understands demand planning but also grasps how it connects to fulfillment and finance. I call it building “full-stack employees”. People who understand their technical responsibilities and the business impact of their work, establishing a greater connection and day-to-day purpose.

It could be a developer who understands data consumption or an analyst who sees how reports influence decisions, but they need to think beyond their specific function. That business-facing mindset is critical. When something goes wrong, I want my team to immediately understand the business context so they can respond faster and more effectively.

We’re doing a lot to keep our internal team engaged and sharp. We run events and invest in continuous training to keep them regularly challenged, including digital fluency and leadership readiness programming.

I also believe in embedding IT directly into the business. I encourage my team to get out of their seats and spend time seeing other aspects of the company. I have them go into the manufacturing plant, ride along with sales, and see how orders are placed and fulfilled. That’s the only way they truly understand what the business needs.

Ultimately, my ethos is simple. IT has to be a true business partner. Budgets are always tight, and every dollar we spend on talent must deliver value. That means building a team that understands the business, and that’s how we truly make an impact.

What advice would you give someone aspiring to be a CIO, based on your experiences and your background?

If you’re aiming to become a CIO, there are a couple of skills I’d emphasize.

You absolutely need to build strong relationships with your business counterparts. I don’t just mean saying hello in the hallway. You have to truly understand their language, their cycles, their pressures, and how their part of the business operates. If you can’t speak in business terms or grasp the nuances of their challenges, you won’t gain credibility or be effective as a CIO.

It’s also important that you become a true storyteller. You need to bring in stories from the outside world, even from industries that are totally different from your own. Drawing from other sources provides valuable parallels and insights that spark innovation in your own organization.

For instance, I often borrow examples from the food distribution space, where reps meet restaurant owners and manage orders directly. It’s not unlike how our sales reps interact with football coaches.

Storytelling connects the dots for the business and drives change.

In my experience, we in IT are often great at building PowerPoints and sharing data, but we fall short when it comes to storytelling. If you want to step into the CIO role, that’s a skill you must develop because the business is looking for insight and relevance more than simple reports.

Who would you say has been the biggest influence on your career path, either in school or in a previous role? And why?

One of the most profound influences on my career was a person I had the privilege of working closely with during my time in consulting, C.K. Prahalad (whom I knew personally as Alad).

He was a master thinker and a business expert who co-created the concept of core competency. Working alongside him completely reshaped how I view business and understand the bigger picture.

I had the rare opportunity to engage with him daily. Our lunch sessions became informal masterclasses; he would share stories from his work with major companies across industries, and we’d debate and discuss everything. Those conversations taught me more than I ever learned in business school.

The depth of his thinking and his ability to frame complex ideas simply was incredibly powerful. Although he’s no longer with us, the impact he made on me in that short time is something I carry with me to this day.

It taught me the value of forming a personal connection with great thinkers to learn from what they teach and how they think.

How do you decompress from the challenges of being a CIO? What do you like to do for fun?

For me, decompressing has always centered around sports, family, and travel.

I don’t necessarily play a lot of sports, but I’m a huge multi-sport fan, and it’s been a daily ritual and outlet for me for the past 25 to 30 years. It helps me mentally disconnect from the pressures of work.

Beyond that, I prioritize spending quality time with my wife and daughter. We’re a small but close-knit family, and we absolutely love to travel together. We’ve visited around 50 countries, and we always make a point to immerse ourselves in the culture rather than sticking to the typical tourist spots. That cultural experience helps me reset. We usually take two to three extended trips a year, and they’ve created some unforgettable memories.

Machu Picchu in Peru stands out as a favorite. We hiked the Inca Trail and spent time immersing ourselves in the local culture. We’ve also done things like an African safari, a cruise to Alaska, and backpacking through Australia and New Zealand. One of the most special trips was a Harry Potter site tour in Scotland for my daughter.

Are there any books that you recommend, that you give to others, or that have shaped you as a leader?

A few key books have had a profound influence on my thinking and leadership style as a CIO.

At the top of that list are the works of C.K. Prahalad. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, The Core Competence of the Corporation, and Competing for the Future are foundational texts that shaped how I think about business value and innovation.

In more recent years, I’ve really connected with the work of Chip and Dan Heath. Their book Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard is one I admire so much that I gave a copy to every executive at Riddell on my first day.

Another favorite of theirs is The Power of Moments, which I shared with our marketing and sales leaders. Made to Stick is another one I revisit often.

I also highly recommend The First 90 Days, it’s an essential read for anyone transitioning into a new leadership role.

Overall, I’m especially drawn to books about change because personal and professional change is something we all wrestle with. I find that reading about change helps me better lead through it.