Peter Grino
1:1 Leadership Insight
🧠 ThinkSpace Synthesis Memo
Peter Grino, Director of Digital Transformation (Synoptek) – 1:1 Leadership Insight
Facilitated by Beyond | May 8, 2025 | Duration: In-person 1:1, ~60 minutes
👥 Who Was in the Room?
Peter Grino leads digital transformation efforts for CSN through Synoptek, bringing 20+ years of experience in high-tech manufacturing and gaming. His lens is grounded in agile methodology, user-centered design, and operational efficiency. This session offered a look into how Synoptek is driving technology change within a traditionally hierarchical academic environment, and what cultural and operational factors are shaping the implementation.
🎯 What We Set Out to Do
The goal of this session was to understand Peter’s approach to digital transformation at CSN—specifically around the student-facing portal and CRM overhaul. The conversation focused on stakeholder buy-in, change management dynamics, and what it will take to ensure transformation is adopted and trusted, not just delivered. We also explored how Synoptek’s remote staffing model intersects with CSN’s expectations for presence and accountability.
🔍 What We Heard
What’s Working
The leadership team is on board—Dr. Avalos and Dr. McCoy have been supportive.
We’ve done 7 to 10 listening sessions so far to get real input.
The principles are the same; it’s just the pace and governance that’s different from corporate.
The remote model works—our teams get things done—but we know visibility matters here.
What’s Not
People are still skeptical—it’s not that they don’t want it, it’s that they don’t trust it yet.
CSN is not set up to move fast—we need to balance speed with respect.
Stakeholders don’t always understand what’s changing until they feel the impact.
Remote teams can be efficient but not always visible—we need to show up more.
🧭 Where We Go From Here
Digital Experience
The portal and CRM redesign is advancing, with strong leadership support, but pockets of user skepticism remain. Continued listening sessions are essential not just for feedback but for building trust and social proof. Frontline staff and students will need to see tangible value early to stay engaged.
Change Management
Peter’s agile-first mindset is an asset, but success depends on marrying that with the slower, consultative pace of higher-ed governance. The right levers include transparency, pacing, and co-creation—not workarounds.
Trust & Visibility
The Synoptek model delivers efficiently, but visibility is a credibility gap. In-person engagement—even if symbolic—can be a major trust-builder for CSN staff used to relational and physical presence.
Cross-Function Alignment
The digital experience strategy must align with Richard’s governance models and Mike’s infrastructure roadmap. Sequencing and integration are key—without them, improvements risk fragmentation or failure to scale.
🌱 Strategic Opportunities
Build Visibility to Build Trust: Increase Synoptek presence on campus during high-visibility moments to demonstrate commitment and reduce skepticism
Match Speed to Context: Calibrate agile workflows with academic pacing through “guided sprints” or change roadshows
Center User Voice in Rollout: Use student and staff ThinkSpaces to test designs and language, not just features
Integrate for Impact: Proactively coordinate with governance and infrastructure leaders to align timing, ownership, and expectations
Narrate the Change: Don’t just deliver tools—tell the transformation story through data, testimonials, and artifacts that make the value visible
✅ What Happens Next?
This memo will inform how future ThinkSpaces surface portal- and CRM-related concerns, particularly with students and frontline staff. Peter’s perspective will help shape the sequencing of digital experience work in parallel with governance and infrastructure tracks. Beyond will support Peter and Synoptek in using listening sessions not only as discovery tools, but as engines of sustained trust and buy-in.
