Kris Laskarzewski, Chief Transformation Officer, Integris
Kris Laskarzewski, chief transformation officer at Integris, spoke with Invest: about providing IT support and managed solutions in a rapidly changing tech environment. “Innovation often feels like a momentum within a business, and the protection feels like friction. In reality, the two can coexist when technology decisions are guided by structure and intent. Technology changes all the time, and we empower our clients to keep up with the current landscape in a smart way.”
What significant milestones or strategic initiatives have shaped Integris’ operations and growth in New Jersey over the past year?
In the last year, we’ve taken a step back to explore how we could continue to expand and grow not only in New Jersey but as a national organization. We realized during COVID that we can do a lot for our clients and for our staff in a remote world. It was a time when we engaged with our first private equity company. That is what fueled a lot of growth for Integris. Today, in 2025, we stand at almost 800 people, growing from 55 people in 2020. We have a nationwide presence, with headquarters in Cranbury, New Jersey. We do a lot of work within the state, and we see a lot of potential here and in the surrounding states.
How would you characterize the state of managed IT and cybersecurity in the New York/New Jersey region, and what trends are influencing client needs?
There is a lot of maturity in our space, which I would call accelerated maturity. I believe it is driven by small- and midsize businesses (SMBs), who face a lot of regulations. In years past, big companies had to comply with a lot of different frameworks. All those compliance frameworks get passed down to small businesses, and they have to understand what those mandates are to do business with larger companies. We provide mature GRC managed services, helping them achieve a certain level of compliance that allows them to do more. Ultimately, it becomes a chain of dependencies, working with so many different companies. For example, there is no specific framework that law firms have to follow. But if a law firm wants to work with a large company like a major bank, it ends up owning some sort of information that belongs to the bank. The law firm then has to protect that information. We help clients manage these downstream compliance regulations and requirements. Managed IT and cybersecurity are rapidly changing and evolving as technology advances, and our goal is to prepare our clients for these changes, ensuring they’re compliant, secure, and making the most of their business.
In what ways does Integris support small and midsized businesses in navigating digital transformation and strengthening their cybersecurity posture?
You can’t responsibly provide managed services without understanding cybersecurity. During my time as the chief product officer at Integris, I came up with a framework called Responsible IT Architecture (RITA). The purpose of this architecture is to create a framework for SMB’s that they can easily follow and understand, making cybersecurity best practices easily digestible and transferable. AI and digital transformation fit into that, too, and there’s a big push towards responsibly integrating AI. Integris helps SMBs navigate this landscape and perform the necessary functions that keep them and their clients safe. We make technology a driving force for businesses, streamlining operations to help fortify their security and drive growth through innovation. Our goal is to deliver solutions that move their business forward with confidence, even in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
What impact have hybrid and remote work models had on cybersecurity risks and IT infrastructure demands?
Hybrid work reshaped how we think about infrastructure, data management, and endpoint security. It is different now, and COVID was the force that made us change the way we think about IT and data management resources. The centralized network no longer fits with how we function. This shift accelerated a lot of investments in cloud infrastructure, identity management, and endpoint protection. It’s important to do those things right, and this is what we specialize in. At Integris, we want to ensure the user experience makes sense. We don’t just create a secure bubble around data and networks; we also make it easy to use, understand and navigate from an analytical standpoint.
How can businesses effectively balance innovation with the growing pressures around data protection, operational efficiency, and cost control?
Innovation is great when it is done with discipline. Everybody wants to move fast and adopt AI, automate workflows, and modernize systems, but without strong governance, moving too fast can be a big problem. Innovation often feels like momentum within a business, and the protection we try to put around it feels like friction. Integris is trying to find a balance. We explain that balance to our clients and bring that balance to the SMB space in an affordable way. Technology changes all the time, and we empower our clients to keep up with the current landscape in a smart way that manages cost with the need to innovate and maintain security.
What are some of the most pressing workforce challenges the IT industry faces today, and how is Integris addressing talent attraction and retention?
The workforce has always been a challenge in IT, and it’s not just about headcount. It is often about alignment of skills, pace, and purpose. Technology is evolving quickly, and the challenges have been greater for small businesses. They often cannot compete with the high-level salaries that larger enterprises can afford. This creates a higher opportunity for managed IT services like Integris, because we hire, train, and retain talented IT people and make them available to our clients. This is another important way we provide so much value to our clients; we’re truly interested in connecting people with our professionals who live in their world day in and day out.
What are some examples of strategic partnerships or collaborations that are helping Integris drive innovation and deliver greater value to clients?
Integris has a large network of partners we work with every day, such as Microsoft, VMware, and others. We also build partnerships internally. To deliver comprehensive managed IT services to our clients, it isn’t just one person or team. We do everything from level 1 service desk services to a fractional CIO and CISO level services. The partnerships that exist between the teams at Integris are what make things happen for our clients. We employ AI internally to find the best outcomes for our clients. We have a lot of interesting things happening on the backend in terms of managing AI services. We are looking to deliver these services to the market in the near future. We are collaborating with some of our clients to bring enterprise technology into the AI/BI space for SMBs. One piece to this that we’re excited about is chore automation. This enables our clients’ employees to do more exciting things every day, and it’s something we ourselves have implemented. We’re making work more efficient and rewarding for our teams and yours.
