Beth O’Callahan, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and corporate secretary at NetApp Inc., joins theCUBE’s Rob Strechay and theCUBE’s host Rebecca Knight at NetApp CONVERGE 2025 to unpack the company’s evolving leadership model. The discussion weaves through the intersection of technology, governance and culture, offering a rare view into the strategic functions that support NetApp’s innovation engine.
O’Callahan explores how legal, HR and administrative frameworks shape responsible AI deployment while reinforcing customer trust. She emphasizes how a leadership ethos rooted in empowerment, inclusivity and ethical rigor enables teams to thrive and push boundaries.
The conversation highlights the importance of leadership that champions collaboration and accountability across business units. O’Callahan shares how grounding innovation in shared values is key to building resilient, forward-looking organizations.
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Beth O'Callahan, NetApp
Exploring Leadership and Innovation at NetApp: An Insightful Discussion with Elizabeth O'Callahan
Elizabeth O'Callahan, executive vice president, chief administrative officer, and corporate secretary at NetApp, joins theCUBE live at NetApp CONVERGE 2025 in Las Vegas. Hosts Rebecca Knight and Rob Strechay engage with O'Callahan in a dialogue that blends technology, leadership and company culture, unfolding the multifaceted role they hold at NetApp.
In the conversation, O'Callahan delves into their strategic role encompassing legal, human resources, and other critical functions. They reveal the company's approach to blending technology with culture, emphasizing responsible artificial intelligence usage to align with NetApp's principles. The discussion reveals insights on governance frameworks that ensure ethical AI deployment and bolster customer-centric solutions as well as enabling the company's innovative spirit.
Key insights shared by O'Callahan include the importance of instilling a culture that thrives on innovation and collaboration. They discuss the role of leadership in driving safety, inclusivity and empowerment within teams. According to O'Callahan, successful leadership comes through acknowledging and harnessing the collective abilities of the workforce, guiding them towards strategic business outcomes while navigating evolving technological landscapes.
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate SecretaryNetApp
Beth O’Callahan, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and corporate secretary at NetApp Inc., joins theCUBE’s Rob Strechay and theCUBE’s host Rebecca Knight at NetApp CONVERGE 2025 to unpack the company’s evolving leadership model. The discussion weaves through the intersection of technology, governance and culture, offering a rare view into the strategic functions that support NetApp’s innovation engine.
O’Callahan explores how legal, HR and administrative frameworks shape responsible AI deployment while reinforcing customer trust. S...Read more
exploreKeep Exploring
What steps are being taken to ensure that NetApp is practicing responsible AI both internally and externally?add
What are some key aspects of NetApp's culture that contribute to their success?add
What is the current state of NetApp and how are long-time employees helping bridge the past with its future during this moment of reinvention?add
>> Hello, everyone. Good morning and welcome back to theCUBE's live coverage of NetApp CONVERGE 2025. We are live in Las Vegas. I'm your host Rebecca Knight, sitting alongside my esteemed colleague, Rob Strechay, cohost and analyst. Rob, one of the many things I love about the NetApp show is that they talk about tech, but they also talk a lot about leadership and company culture, and there's a heavy emphasis on those things.
Rob Strechay
>> Yeah, and it always has been that way. I mean, that's been one of the guiding principles with NetApp since its founding, and I think that's one of the things I always look forward to as well coming here.
Rebecca Knight
>> Well, we've got it much in store with our next guest. She's Beth O'Callahan, chief administrative officer at NetApp. Thank you so much for coming on the show.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> I'm delighted to be here. Thank you so much.
Rebecca Knight
>> So, you've been with NetApp for 12 years, but this is your first year as chief administrative officer and in fact, you're the first person to hold the job.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> That's right.
Rebecca Knight
>> So, why don't you talk a little bit about what your role entails and what it means to you personally?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> Okay. Well, thank you. First of all, it's a great privilege and honor to hold this role and be the first incumbent in the role. What it means to me is that the company recognizes the importance of what we call the enabling functions, legal and HR, real estate, government relations, sustainability, all are within my remit. And I don't oversee just a collection of those functions, but really, it's how we work together, integrate those functions, drive synergy, eliminate barriers, and make faster decisions, so that we can have speed and agility in our processes to drive better business outcomes internally and for our customers.
Rob Strechay
>> Yeah, I mean that, to me, like you said, it covers such a broad... That really has not only impact on NetApp, but how your people go and treat their customers and really interact and things like that, which I love, because I think that really gives them some guiding principles. I think one of the things, also, given where you sit is AI has an impact on that as well. What are you seeing from the impact of AI and how you're influencing how NetApp approaches that? Because governance and everything else that goes along with it is super important, especially with all of the regulations and industries and stuff.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> So, Rob, you hit a very important topic, not just for NetApp, but for our customers, for our industry. And I really see this role and the opportunity to drive better AI outcomes, both internally and externally. And let me talk a little bit about why I think that. So, we want to make sure that what we're putting out into the world is a reflection of NetApp's culture, that we're doing responsible AI, both internally and externally. That means that we are using and deploying AI in a way that's responsible, unbiased, transparent, compliant. And we can do that internally by having robust governance from the top of the company through cross-functional, are we enabling employees? Are we running change management? Are we making sure we're complying with legal obligations, respecting their IP of others, protecting customers, privacy and their data? All of those things. And from an external perspective, we are actually helping customers do AI or use AI responsibly. So, I really see our role as being a strategic advisor to our product and go-to-market teams and helping customers drive responsible AI in their organizations.
Rebecca Knight
>> You talked about how the AI that NetApp is helping to shape it should be a reflection of NetApp's culture.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> That's right.
Rebecca Knight
>> So, how are you shaping that culture as a member of the C-suite and making sure that you are in fact keeping it as a competitive edge, but with all of those things that you're talking about in terms of humility, in terms of accountability and in terms of respect and reverence?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> So, great question. So, when I talk about what we put out into the world, we want to do it responsibly. It has to be grounded in our core values and that's why we put out Principles for Responsible AI and it's really just governed by our code of conduct and by the values that have transcended time. Putting customer at the center, building belonging, making sure we are accountable for outcomes. And so, we want to make sure that we are living our values through the solutions that we provide and that we are putting the customer at the center making sure we are helping them solve the problems of today.
Rebecca Knight
>> So, a lot of this can feel, I mean maybe to a little woo-woo, but culture is intangible, and yet, it is so deeply important to the organization in terms of how employees show up every day and in terms of the customer experience and in terms of just the wider experience that NetApp has on the world. So, what are some specific ways that you are putting the customer at the center, as you say?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> So, I think there's a few things. I think the thing that is a hallmark, Rob, and you touched on it of NetApp culture, is that it's a lot of great people, smart people, trying to do the right thing and trying to deliver the great outcomes for customers. And the way that we build that in the culture is that we really operate as a team and we put innovation first. The way we are able to drive innovation is making sure we have inclusive teams that a good idea is welcome and that people are taking appropriate risks so that we can really be and stay at the cutting edge of innovation, as we have been throughout our history. And the other thing is because we are a collaborative culture, we actually see a lot of cross-functional work together to drive those business outcomes, which in the end, is the best thing for the company as well.
Rob Strechay
>> It would seem that that culture, it's always been... Again, full disclosure. Was here a long time ago, but it hasn't changed. I was out with some people last night and we go to a lot of these conferences and they were genuinely excited. How do you see what you're doing really to help motivate people in that way? Because I think, again, it's hard when you have such a large number and you have such a large sales force and marketing teams and everybody else that has to be aligned in that. How do you help keep them aligned and going that direction?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> Well, I think it starts with George at the top of the house, being a fantastic humble leader, but really driving that need to be a team that we operate as a team sport and making sure that we are aligned and we know what... Again, customer at the center means we're trying to drive the best solutions for the customers, and that's putting all of our wood behind the arrow, whether it's in the product team or the go-to-market team. We really think that if we are allowed people to do their best work, we will have the best innovation and I think that's come through. And I just think that there's something in the culture that is a spirit of optimism, which comes from, in part, the incredible innovation that we're able to drive, and that's giving people the freedom to innovate and making sure we have the right teams and bringing the best teams together to produce those great outcomes.
Rob Strechay
>> Yeah, I think you hit on a couple of good things there that I think, again, it's that team mentality. And when people outside of your organization look at your organization, I would have to believe that especially where you're helping protect NetApp and keep it on a lot of these things from a governance perspective, but you also know what the customers are going through. And you must be looking at and how you're seeing the AI act in Europe and how all of that, and there's some more fun stuff coming down the pipe there. You must be an asset or look to be an asset to those teams, I would assume, as well?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> Yeah, it is a very dynamic landscape and I think the great thing about the role that I'm in and having both the HR and the legal teams is they're that see across the enterprise, right? Very unique vantage point. And we will use that vantage point to help see around corners and look at the obstacles that may be emerging in the external landscape, but also, making sure that we're hearing consistent stories or identifying threads and patterns across the company to help make sure we get ahead of issues or identify ways that we can work with or around obstacles that may present themselves, whatever they may be.
Rebecca Knight
>> One of the things you were talking about is empowering individuals to take appropriate risk, making sure they feel secure, and that's really psychological safety within organizations. What are some habits, some mindsets that you, as a leader, embrace that help you navigate this role and help your employees feel that sense of security and also empowerment?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> Well, I think you just have to start by acknowledging that everyone is there to do their best work, that is the goal. Everyone comes with good intent and great ability. And so, it's really helping people realize that ability and making sure that you have their back. I mean, that's the whole point of being a good leader is making sure that you're giving people the systems and processes and guardrails they can to be successful, whether it's in AI or elsewhere, but making sure that you are checking in with them and making sure that that is on a path to success and revisiting. If not, you got to pivot when it's not working and making sure teams know that you're there for them as they navigate uncharted waters.
Rob Strechay
>> Yeah, I mean, again, with the two very large responsibilities you have there, especially where having been on the sales side in a past life and you look at legal, as to your point about having the psychological safety. I like that one. I'm going to steal that. That was good. Hadn't thought about it that way. How do you look to the teams that are the field teams and the go-to-market teams, and there's a lot of partners here, that they look at you, again, in the legal side of things as an asset to that as well? Because to me, there's one thing about keeping NetApp safe, and then there's one thing about also facilitating and making it frictionless to do business as well.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> And the good news is it's not mutually exclusive. I think, again, it's making sure you have the right guardrails in place, people are clear on what they are and that you have a team that really understands the business and is actually there to lock arms with the business and carry it forward. We know what the goals are, we know what the customer goals are, how do we get there and how do we get there together? So, I look at the opportunity ahead in the chief administrative officer role is really moving from being an enabling function to an accelerating function, and I think we can do that.
Rebecca Knight
>> NetApp has a longish history. It's not quite at middle age.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> It was founded in 1992.
Rebecca Knight
>> But this particular moment, frankly, the wider landscape of technology, but also NetApp in particular, it feels like a moment of reinvention. So, how are you, as who's been with NetApp for a good chunk of time, helping bridge the past with its future?
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> So, I think that if you look at NetApp's history, at any inflection point in technology, whether it's the internet or virtualization, looking back on our storied history, that is really when we shine. And I think gen AI is yet another opportunity for us to embrace. So, I don't know that it's different, but it's taking us to the next level and we're embracing it, right? We are embracing it with our optimism that we have in our culture and people know that we can get there. So, I think we talked a little bit earlier about how we want to make sure employees are there on the journey with us. We have, our innovators are far ahead leading the pack, but we also have people internally super excited to use AI to make sure that we're improving productivity. And again, we're providing that governance and structure around it to make sure people are doing that safely in a way that's accelerating the business, but also, prioritizing appropriately so that we're making sure we're getting the productivity gains that we need out of those tools and methods.
Rebecca Knight
>> Excellent. Beth O'Callahan, thank you so much for coming on theCUBE. A real pleasure having you on.
Elizabeth O'Callahan
>> My pleasure, Rebecca and Rob. So nice to be here with you.
Rebecca Knight
>> I'm Rebecca Knight for Rob Strechay. Stay tuned for more of theCUBE's live coverage of NetApp CONVERGE. You're watching theCUBE, the leader in enterprise tech news and analysis.
Rebecca Knight
Rob Strechay