Erian Laperi

Chief Technology Officer – Communications, Media & Technology (CMT) at Cognizant

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, United States

About Erian Laperi

Erian Laperi is Chief Technology Officer – Communications, Media & Technology (CMT) at Cognizant. Location: Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, United States.

As CTO for Communications, Media & Technology at Cognizant, I partner with C‑suite leaders, boards, and private equity firms to drive AI‑led business reinvention, platform and data simplification, and sustainable margin expansion. With 25+ years in technology and operations leadership, I’ve delivered more than $3B in enterprise value through operating expense reduction, capital efficiency, revenue growth, customer‑experience reinvention, and building high‑performance teams that consistently outperform. My work blends strategic clarity with disciplined execution. I’ve architected unified data platforms, digital twins, enterprise ontologies, and GenAI-enabled workflows that remove complexity and accelerate transformation in large, matrixed organizations. I have modernized legacy environments, reshaped vendor ecosystems, built value‑sharing partnerships, and scaled predictive operations that deliver measurable EBITDA and cash‑flow impact. My leadership approach is anchored in three principles: - Faith in Action — Leaders see the bigger picture, anticipate opportunities others overlook, and act with humility, integrity, and conviction. - Create Value for Others — Exceptional leadership serves teams, customers, shareholders, and society—not just profits. - Profits with Purpose — As Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” I bring PE-style value‑creation discipline—100‑day plans, M&A integration, operational due diligence, synergy capture, high‑ROI technology investments, and scaling emerging technologies positioned for outsized growth (e.g., Palantir pre‑IPO ontology work; ContactEngine → NICE; Innoye → Rakuten; IQGeo → KKR). I thrive on solving complex problems and helping organizations—and their people—build the strategy, capabilities, and operating discipline needed to succeed amid AI, automation, and rapidly shifting customer expectations. Unique Competencies: AI/GenAI | Digital Twins | Unified Data Platforms | Transformation Leadership | Value Creation Plans (VCP) | ODD (Operational Due Diligence) | Vendor Value-Sharing | Operating Model Simplification | Opex/Capex Optimization • CX (Customer Experience) Reinvention | Predictive Operations | High-Performance Teams Opinions are my own.

Skills

  • Operating Models
  • Operational Due Diligence
  • AI Strategy

Additional experience

  • Head of Network Simplification Transformation & GenAI (DR to President of Network)

    AT&T

    October 2020 – February 2025

Education

  • Bachelor’s Degree, University of Nebraska at Kearney
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA), University of Phoenix