Joel Frenette
Technology and AI executive for growth and mid-market companies
22+ years leading enterprise technology and AI programs, with about $3.4M a year in annualized operating savings and a founder's P&L behind the strategy.
Resume last updated September 27, 2026
What I Do for Companies
AI that produces value, not pilots
A prioritized use-case portfolio, governance that doesn't block delivery, and measurement against a baseline.
Proof: current AI-enabled contact-center transformation on AWS; enterprise AI strategy advisory; TravelFun.ai built from concept to beta.
Technology that supports the plan
Portfolio, budget, vendors, cyber and resilience run as one operating model, not separate fiefdoms.
Proof: 50+ initiatives a year, about $3.4M in annualized operating savings, a 98-center modernization.
An operator who has carried the P&L
Founder-level commercial experience, not just technology delivery.
Proof: co-founder and CTO of a business doing about $5M in annual travel sales with 24+ advisors.
About Me
I am a technology executive with over 22 years of IT leadership experience, spanning enterprise AI strategy, infrastructure modernization, cybersecurity governance, and digital transformation. I completed an MBA and master's programs in project management and AI for business in 2025, adding academic grounding to that operating experience.
As Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of TravelFun.Biz and an Enterprise AI Strategy Advisory Board Member at PeopleToGo, I lead programs that have won industry recognition, including award-winning training and AI-consulting programs. I am a published author of 11 books on AI, crypto, and the travel industry, published research on AI governance frameworks and a related USPTO provisional patent filing, and a Council Member and contributor at the Forbes Technology Council.
I've led workstreams and portfolios at organizations including NextEra Energy, HairClub, and AIExperts99, and I co-own the P&L at TravelFun.Biz. That combination, enterprise scale plus founder-level commercial ownership, is what I bring to AI and technology leadership: prioritizing initiatives that produce measurable value, governance that doesn't block delivery, and teams that can execute.
Core Expertise
Key Leadership Experience
Senior Technical Program Manager
Juno Beach, Florida
Leading workstreams in a multi-year enterprise contact-center transformation from Cisco to Amazon Connect, in a SAFe Agile environment.
- Built AI directly into the migration: Amazon Bedrock for foundational AI, Lex and Polly for voice and text, Q for business intelligence
- Coordinating technology, operations and business stakeholders around customer experience, agent experience and delivery governance
Enterprise AI Strategy Advisory Board Member
Ontario, Canada (Remote)
Advise on enterprise AI strategy: adoption priorities, integrations, training programs, and responsible, ethical use.
- Translate AI opportunities into business operating decisions and change initiatives
Council Member & Contributor
Jersey City, United States
Contributing thought leadership on enterprise technology trends, AI governance, and digital transformation.
- Published up to 4 times annually in the Forbes Technology Council Expert Panel and Featured Articles
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO)
Boca Raton, United States
Enterprise AI consulting: strategy, advisory, and conversational AI voice and chatbot implementation.
- Building AI governance frameworks for responsible, compliant adoption
Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder
Boca Raton, United States
Co-founded and co-own an international online host travel agency: about $5M in annual travel sales and 24+ travel advisors.
- Own technology direction: GoHighLevel CRM integrated with the website, web chat, social, SMS and email; built AI, hosting and social-media training programs with LMS video content
- Leading development of TravelFun.ai, an AI-first CRM for travel agents, from concept through beta toward commercial launch
Senior Technical Program Manager
Boca Raton, United States
Managed a portfolio of 50+ IT initiatives a year with combined budgets exceeding $4.2 million.
- Delivered about $3.4 million a year in annualized operating savings through telecom migration and vendor and technology optimization
- Led a 9-month, multi-Scrum-team Salesforce deployment and a 9-month RingCentral call-center migration
Featured Projects
Scope & Outcomes
- Amazon Bedrock, Lex and Polly built into the migration for voice, text and foundational AI capabilities
- Amazon Q deployed for business intelligence
- Coordinating technology, operations and business stakeholders across delivery governance
Technologies
Scope & Outcomes
- $2.2M refresh across 98 centers: Meraki firewalls, switches and Wi-Fi, PCs, printers, tablets and VoIP phones
- Migrated ~200 circuits to a new ISP and moved T1/MPLS to a broadband aggregator, saving about $1.7M a year combined
- $545K data center refresh onto Dell VxRail and PowerEdge Hyper-V, cage to cabinet
Technologies
Scope & Outcomes
- Enabled virtual consultations, campaigns and customer journeys
- Integrated Salesforce with the corporate website and a custom point-of-sale system
- Delivered across multiple Scrum teams in a 9-month program
Technologies
Scope & Outcomes
- Completed a NIST CSF 2.0 assessment with internal and external penetration testing
- Engaged a managed detection and response (MDR) provider
- Rolled out MFA across Office 365 and Salesforce
Technologies
Credentials & Publications
Professional Certifications
Education
MBA, Master in Project Management and Master in AI for Business (60 ECTS each)
Escuela de Negocios Europea de Barcelona, certified by Universidad Internacional Isabel I de Castilla
Spain
2025
Cybersecurity: Managing Risk in the Information Age
Harvard University, Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in Learning with HarvardX
Cambridge, Massachusetts
2018
Recognition
Forbes Technology Council
Contributions to Forbes.com
- The Executive Blueprint For Human-Centric AI(11/06/2025)
Amazon Kindle Publications
Published Books
- How to Become a Travel Agent: The Ultimate Guide to Starting Your Own Travel Business(2023, with Shelby Frenette)
- The Host Success Formula™: How to Become an Amazing Group Leader and Cruise Host(2023, with Shelby Frenette)
- Social Media Marketing Secrets: Strategies for Growing Your Business Online(2023, with Shelby Frenette)
- Solo Travel Myths, Tips & Secrets: A Comprehensive Guide for Independent Travelers(2023, with Shelby Frenette)
Academic Research
Published Research
Get In Touch
Contact Information
Send a Message
Open to conversations about CAIO, CTO and CIO roles.
Reach out through any of the contact methods listed, or book time directly on the calendar.