Leading Others Through a Technology Lens

Board service is much more than showing up once a year to cast a vote and listen to annual reports. Nonprofts and corporations of all sizes rely on boards of directors for guidance on sensitive topics, budget concerns and the future of the organization.

At SouthState, board members like Martin Davis share their wealth of knowledge and leadership skills to help guide the strategic direction of the company. Davis learned the ropes of board service in the nonprofit world, with organizations including the American Heart Association, before joining SouthState’s board of directors in 2016.

A former chief information officer, Davis offers valuable insight, as technology plays a more significant role in banking than ever before.

A Curious Leader

For Davis, leadership examples were found close to home. He credits his parents with instilling the values of hard work and a passion for learning. His father began as a hotel waiter and worked his way up the ladder to manage hundreds of employees, while Davis’ mother built circuit boards for General Electric and later enjoyed a second career as a librarian.

“I didn’t have to look far to find leaders,” Davis says.

His parents’ example of self-improvement created a desire for learning in Davis. He was curious to learn new things and expand his worldview. When a mysterious crate from IBM arrived at his high school one day, he was first in line to explore its contents.

“I had to go find the janitor and get a crowbar to open it up. Inside was a punched card machine,” he recalls. “I read the 3-ring binders of instructions and helped the teacher instruct the class on how to use it.”

Remedying major issues during his time at Wachovia Bank caught the attention of executives and catapulted Davis into a successful career in technology. He retired in 2025 after 10 years as chief information officer of Southern Company, where he led a team of more than 2,000 experts in information technology strategy development, operations, and delivery, supporting nine subsidiaries across the Southeast. During his 35-year career, he also held roles including head of enterprise technology services and chief technology officer.

Accolades include recognition as one of the “50 Most Important African Americans in Technology” by U.S. Black Engineers & Information Technology magazine and one of the “75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise, as well as being named 2021 TechBridge Ed Steinike CIO of the Year.

Davis’ years of experience in the technology sector made him a natural fit for SouthState’s board of directors. More and more financial institutions have invited CIOs to join their boards to weigh in on cybersecurity concerns and technology investments.

“CIOs are needed to deepen the conversation and bring a new level of guidance in this arena,” Davis explains.
 
Artificial intelligence continues to be topic of importance, and Davis is frequently asked for input on the future of the technology. He views the capabilities similarly to the early days of the Internet, in that we have only scratched the surface of how we can positively use AI. 

A Thought-Provoking Leader

Much like his expertise in technology, Davis brings his perspective as an African American business leader to SouthState’s board of directors. He’s always willing to share his point of view, if necessary, to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

“I believe in diversity of thought. There are blind spots others have that I can help point out,” Davis says. 

Davis encourages people to see Black History Month as an opportunity to learn more about another culture. 

“We can focus on positive differences, understand someone else and what drives them,” he says.

In fact, learning about his fellow board members is one of the things Davis has enjoyed most about his board service.

“Whether they’re from an entrepreneurial background or owned a family business, I enjoy finding out how they ended up on the board with me. I like seeing the patterns,” he says. 

A Supportive Leader

Once used to store information, the punched cards Davis learned to use in high school have long gone by the wayside, as have floppy disks and countless other file storage means. Human error, however, remains.

Davis says being a problem solver, whether errors in code or interpersonal, has been one constant throughout his career. He’s worked under leaders at several companies, but it’s the all-hands-on-deck and success-against-all-odds moments that truly stick out.

“Experience has been the biggest teacher,” he says. “I’ve learned so much from solving errors and understanding client needs.”

In those crisis and victory moments, Davis observed attributes from the people around him. He discovered what qualities he wanted to take with him and which qualities he didn’t want to replicate.
 
“Treating people how you would want to be treated is key component of leadership,” he adds.

Passing on these experiences and knowledge to the next generation, Davis has mentored hundreds through the Information Technology Senior Management Forum, designed for young people with a penchant for technology.
 
“Seeing them thrive is very fulfilling. Mentoring is one of the most important things a leader can do,” Davis says.

Among his mentees could be the next CIO who will use technology to solve problems, create positive change or lead with humility – just as Davis has throughout his career.