Mastering the Science Behind Creating an IT Department

 

In this episode of There’s More to IT, host, Jason Claybrook, sat down with David McLaughlin, President & CEO, Columbia Advisory Group. The two discuss McLaughlin’s journey in the field, the importance of the advisory component in CAG’s work, and CAG’s role in higher education.

McLaughlin co-founded Columbia Advisory Group a little over 10 years ago in March of 2012. “CAG is a technology company,” McLaughlin explains, “but first, we are an advisory. So what to do and how to do it are most important.”A lot of CAG’s focus in the background is executing what the strategy is and then providing a roadmap for a company.

This is especially true for some of the larger public sector organizations that CAG works with. McLaughlin explains that specifically, higher education organizations like to have more input and control over how quickly they change things. As a result CAG has learned to give these organizations a plan, allowing them to control how fast they want to go. “You know your mechanism and your institution more than anyone.”

The two go on to discuss the role of security in higher education systems, the difference between public and private sectors, and much more.

More Stories Like This:

Breaking through ‘Pilot Purgatory’ in Innovating New Solutions

Is Cryptocurrency and Its Tech Infrastructure Ready for a Revolution?

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Jabra
ISE 2026: Jabra Unveils Scalable Room Solutions for the Hybrid Workplace
March 5, 2026

At ISE 2026, Jabra highlighted how meeting technology is evolving to support the realities of hybrid work, where the experience must be equally effective for people inside and outside the room. In a conversation with Craig Durr, Chief Analyst and Founder of The Collab Collective, Jabra’s VP of Video Product Olly Henderson explained that…

Read More
Marketing AI Pulse
The Marketing AI Pulse Brief for Feb 2026: Trust in the World of LLM Ads, OpenClaw, Reddit & More!
March 3, 2026

Starting in 2026, The Marketing AI SparkCast alternates between the Marketing AI Pulse Monthly Brief and in-depth interviews with leading marketing AI innovators. This episode is the February 2026 edition of the Monthly Brief and focuses on trust and authenticity in an AI-driven world. Aby Varma and Matt Cyr explore the emergence of advertising inside…

Read More
student visibility
Why Student Visibility Matters in Today’s Schools
March 3, 2026

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of School Safety Today by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso interviews SRO Todd Brendel of Dayton Independent Schools (KY), who shares frontline insights on the importance of knowing where students and staff are throughout the school day. He explains how they manage…

Read More
skilled trades mentorship
Why the Trades Need a Cultural Reset to Attract and Retain the Next Generation
March 3, 2026

The skilled trades are at a critical crossroads. According to an August 2025 report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), the number of women working in construction and extraction occupations rose to 366,360 in 2024, the highest level ever recorded. Yet despite that growth, women still account for only about 4.3% of construction…

Read More