#539 Why 70% of Digital Transformations Fail — And How to Fix Them with Tory Bjorklund

The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu

Digital transformation isn’t about technology — it’s about leadership, culture, and execution. In this episode, veteran CTO and transformation expert Tory Bjorklund joins Mehmet to debunk hype-driven transformation, explain why most initiatives fail, and share his proven framework for executing technology-driven change that sticks.

Whether you’re scaling a startup or modernizing a large enterprise, this conversation brings clarity and practical wisdom to one of the most misunderstood journeys in tech.

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👤 About the Guest

Tory Bjorklund is a serial entrepreneur, CTO, and transformation advisor with decades of experience leading large-scale technology and organizational change across manufacturing, fintech, and enterprise software. He is currently building Victoria Fide, focused on helping organizations succeed with transformational change, and is the author of The Digital Transformation Guidebook.

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🔑 Key Takeaways

• Digital transformation fails when technology leads instead of business goals

• Why “go-live” is the beginning, not the finish line

• The role of leadership and communication in successful transformation

• AI reality check: where companies are going wrong

• How to reset a failing transformation before it’s too late

• Why ERP and enterprise tools remain underutilized

• Building a culture that embraces change, not fears it

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📘 What You’ll Learn

• A 3-stage framework for transformation: Prepare → Execute → Sustain

• How to align executive teams and technology leaders

• Why transformation is continuous, not a project

• Practical steps for avoiding costly technology mistakes

• How to think about AI beyond the hype cycle

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🧠 Episode Highlights

0:00 — Intro

1:20 — Tory’s journey across tech, manufacturing & consulting

4:30 — Tech push vs business pull: who drives innovation?

7:05 — Why 70% of digital transformations fail

10:40 — How to course-correct a failing initiative

14:20 — Defining success and ROI from day one

18:30 — The Prepare → Execute → Sustain model

22:40 — Who should own transformation inside the company

26:00 — AI reality: personal productivity vs enterprise value

32:00 — Why ERP & existing tools are still underutilized

37:20 — Industrial AI & the real disruption

39:40 — About Tory’s book

42:00 — Closing thoughts

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Victoria Fide – https://victoriafide.com

• Tory’s upcoming book: The Digital Transformation Guidebook

• Connect with Tory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torybjorklund/