Colman Swisher: From CIO to Fighting Private Equity

In this episode of The Unfolding Thought Podcast, Eric Pratum speaks with Colman Swisher, former CIO of an international healthcare logistics company, about his unexpected journey from being the first technology hire to leading a fight against private equity–driven decisions.

Colman shares how he built critical systems from the ground up—transforming operations that once ran on little more than email into a fully integrated, data-driven logistics network. He explains what it’s like to navigate the high-stakes world of medical supply chain, why private equity ownership can create systemic risk, and how values-based leadership can hold the line against purely financial motives.

Topics Explored:

  • Building tech infrastructure in a mission-critical industry from scratch
  • The unique pressures of transporting life-saving medical products
  • How private equity can undermine operational stability
  • Strategies for resisting short-termism while protecting customers and teams
  • Lessons in leadership from scaling a high-stakes logistics business

Links:

Have a recommendation? A question? Contact Eric: eric@inboundandagile.com

Find and subscribe to The Unfolding Thought Podcast on these platforms: