Colonial Pipeline CTO Afshean Talasaz shares AI decision framework for critical infrastructure

Colonial Pipeline’s Chief Technology and Data Officer Afshean Talasaz has outlined a strategic framework for technology leadership that emphasizes adaptability, mission focus, and fundamental mastery in an era of accelerated AI adoption. His approach centers on making decisions that preserve future flexibility while maintaining operational excellence in critical infrastructure. This leadership philosophy offers valuable insights for executives navigating rapid technological change across industries, particularly as AI transforms business operations and decision-making processes.

What you should know: Talasaz’s decision-making framework prioritizes positioning, creating options, and maintaining focus on core mission objectives.

• He evaluates every decision by asking whether it could impact the organization’s ability to adapt and change in the future.
• “The trade-offs from the decisions we make today can become the opportunities or problems of tomorrow,” Talasaz explained.
• His approach distinguishes between what needs to change and what should remain stable, recognizing that “not everything needs to change.”

The big picture: Colonial Pipeline operates critical energy infrastructure that delivers over 100 million gallons of refined products to more than 50 million Americans daily.

• As SVP of strategic projects and innovation, Talasaz is modernizing vital energy arteries that fuel much of the East Coast.
• The company represents part of the “Critical Infrastructure for Critical Infrastructure” (CI4CI) category—technology leaders building digital platforms that make essential systems smarter and more resilient.
• This positioning places Colonial at the intersection of traditional energy operations and emerging AI-driven automation.

In plain English: Think of CI4CI as the technology that powers the technology we depend on—like the smart systems that monitor oil pipelines or manage power grids, ensuring they run safely and efficiently behind the scenes.

His leadership philosophy: Talasaz draws heavily on his musical background to inform his business approach, comparing leadership to ensemble performance.

• “Music has taught me more about conducting business than business school did,” he noted.
• Musical training emphasizes active listening, real-time adaptation, and knowing when to lead versus support—skills directly applicable to technology leadership.
• He advocates mastering fundamentals, comparing it to how “12 notes in Western harmony have translated into hundreds of years of beautiful music.”

Decision-making under uncertainty: When facing critical moments without obvious solutions, Talasaz employs a risk assessment framework focused on avoiding irreversible mistakes.

• He asks, “If I’m wrong, how stuck am I?” to evaluate potential downsides while identifying upside capture opportunities.
• When circumstances change, he first seeks to understand what has changed, then considers the magnitude of change and available pivot options.
• The approach focuses on leveraging existing talent, resources, and previous work while making necessary trade-offs.

What they’re saying: Talasaz emphasizes the importance of enterprise leadership over pure technical expertise.

• “We must be enterprise leaders first and technology leaders second. This means being a student of the business,” he explained.
• “Technology can create new capabilities, enable new ways of executing our business, and create strategic options from the use of technology that may be missing from the conversation.”
• He advocates for senior technology leaders to be “active participants and partners in formulating the strategy and execution of our organizations.”

Looking ahead: Talasaz identifies significant opportunities in IT/OT convergence and targeted AI implementation for industrial applications.

• He sees potential for “positive value asymmetry” opportunities with more upside than downside risk.
• The focus remains on building capabilities that deliver competitive advantages without undermining core operational missions.
• His advice to technology leaders centers on understanding business fundamentals, participating in strategic formulation, and clearly communicating both long-term vision and short-term objectives.

In plain English: IT/OT convergence means combining traditional information technology (like computers and software) with operational technology (the systems that control physical equipment like pumps and valves), creating smarter, more integrated industrial operations.