Discovering future applications of current tech is a leadership theme of Manolis Kotzabasakis, the new chairman and CEO of Viewpoint Construction Software, who took the reins from Jay Haladay earlier this year.

"We, as a technology company, need to work with our most visionary customers to see how new technology [such as unmanned aerial vehicles] and others will play out and can be harnessed," he said at Viewpoint's conference, held on Sept. 14-17 in Portland, Ore. More than 1,600 people attended.