What do rescue dogs, York Peppermint Patties, Buffalo Bills football, mentorship, and AI infrastructure have in common?
This week on Powered by Authenticity, quite a bit.
Emily is joined by Kathy Kirchner, Senior Vice President ofService Assurance at Zayo, for a conversation about leadership, telecommunications, AI infrastructure, and the people working behind the scenes to keep the digital world connected.
Kathy shares her journey from growing up on a farm in Montana to leading large-scale service assurance organizations supporting critical network infrastructure across North America. She also reflects on returning from Retirement after realizing she still had more to contribute during one of the most transformative periods in Technology history.
Topics include service assurance, customer experience, AI infrastructure, fiber networks, change management, operational resilience, leadership, career Growth in technology, cross-functional collaboration, and returning from retirement with renewed purpose.
Plus: mentorship, football rivalries, rescue dogs, favorite snacks, and the conversations that make great careers — and great podcasts — memorable.
Kathy reminds us that behind every outage prevented, every network maintained, and every AI Innovation are teams of people dedicated to making it all work.
Whether you’re a technology leader, early in your career, or simply interested in the people powering the systems we rely on every day, this conversation offers valuable insights on leadership, resilience, and the importance of embracing the full support ecosystem behind every success.
Thank you, Kathy, for such an engaging, informative and fun conversation.
Links Mentioned in the episode:
KathyKirchner | LinkedIn
International NetworkConnectivity Services & Fiber Solutions | Zayo
Kathy’s Bio:
Kathy Kirchner has built a career in telecom by learning the business from multiple angles: operations, engineering, customer care, logistics, sales, service assurance, and the messy middle where all of those functions have to work together. She is publicly described as Senior Vice President of Service Assurance at Zayo, leading work tied to service quality, operational resilience, AI adoption, automation, and customer experience across one of North America’s largest fiber networks. Earlier career stops span Sprint, independent telcos, cable operators, Comcast, startups, and network operations leadership. She’s here to talk about leading through complexity, building accountability across teams, and turning operational chaos into progress.
Emily Carlson is a trailblazing executive, mentor, and international #1 best-selling author in the Healthcare IT and technology consulting industry. With a 30-year career spanning Information Technology, Project Management, and Digital Transformation, Emily has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to drive innovation, optimize healthcare operations, and enhance patient outcomes. She is recognized for her expertise in leading complex IT initiatives, delivering best-in-class solutions, and helping organizations achieve strategic growth through technology-driven transformation.
Beyond her executive leadership, Emily is a passionate advocate for equity and inclusion in technology. She is the creator and host of Powered by Authenticity, a podcast on a mission to elevate equity and inclusion for women everywhere. Each episode delivers insightful, inspiring conversations with remarkable individuals who are redefining success on their own terms. The show dives into their stories, shares valuable resources for those ready to start or re-start their professional journeys, and explores the unique challenges and triumphs they’ve encountered along the way. Join us for empowering stories and actionable insights that remind you that your path forward is as bold as you make it.
Emily’s thought leadership extends beyond the microphone—she is a highly sought-after keynote speaker at national and international technology and leadership conferences. Her keynote topics address not only emerging tech trends, digital transformation, and mentorship, but also the broader needs for leaders in every career vertical. She provides valuable insights into adaptive leadership, workplace innovation, and strategies for driving inclusion, engagement, and long-term success across industries. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and inspire action makes her a transformative voice in leadership conversations.
Among her many accolades, Emily was honored as one of Consulting Magazine’s Top Women Leaders in Technology, Excellence, and Innovation in 2021. In 2022, she was named Mentor of the Year, recognizing her unwavering commitment to supporting and uplifting women in technology. She is also an international #1 best-selling author, further solidifying her role as a thought leader and advocate for meaningful change.
When she’s not leading in the tech space, Emily channels her creative innovation into crafting wildly inventive cocktails, extreme charcuterie boards, and outlandish pies. A lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, she cherishes every moment spent with her family.
