HotTopics Global CDO 100 Awards 2026 | Top 100 Chief Digital Officers

The HotTopics Global CDO 100 Awards celebrate the Chief Digital Officers transforming how organisations innovate, engage and grow in the digital era. Each CDO 100 Award winner has been peer-nominated, independently judged and globally celebrated as part of the HotTopics Global C-suite Awards. These leaders turn technology into transformation — driving culture change, customer impact, and measurable business outcomes.

What makes a CDO 100 award winner?

All awards are judged across four key areas that define a HotTopics Global Award winner.
Our judges look for leaders who create meaningful, measurable change — for their organisations, their teams and their communities.

Functional Innovation

New ideas, strategies or initiatives that have driven measurable improvement

Leadership and strategic vision

Clear direction and the ability to bring people with you

Team development

Building diverse, high-performing teams and developing future leaders.

Community contribution

Giving back beyond your organisation — through mentorship, thought leadership, DE&I or contributions to the wider HotTopics and industry community.

Karl Hoods

CDIO, Dept for Energy Security & Net Zero and Dept for Science Innovation & Technology

Victoria Higgin

Group Chief Digital and Information Officer, CityFibre

Trevor Gordon

Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Save the Children

Peter Stojanovic

Editor, HotTopics

Abhinandan Jain

Startek

Abhinandan Jain

United States of America

Consulting

CDO

Adam Forde

HBK

Adam Forde

United Kingdom

Manufacturing

CDO

Alain Groleau

Orange Business

Alain Groleau

France

IT Services

CDO

Alexandre Meerson

Sephora

Alexandre Meerson

France

Retail

Chief Digital, Data & Technology Officer

Amr Arafa

Barry Callebaut Group

Amr Arafa

Switzerland

Food & Beverage

CDO

Anaïs Reding

Department for Business and Trade

Anaïs Reding

United Kingdom

Government

CDO

Andrew Thomson

Motorpoint

Andrew Thomson

United Kingdom

Automotive

CDO

Anthony Battle

Jaguar Land Rover

Anthony Battle

United Kingdom

Automotive

Group Chief Digital & Information Officer

Antonio Queiroz

Euroclear

Antonio Queiroz

Belgium

Finance

CDO

Arda Genc

Eren Perakende

Arda Genc

Turkey

Retail

Group CDO

Ariel Dascal

Rede d'Or Sao Luiz

Ariel Dascal

Brazil

Health

Chief Digital Officer

Arife Baltaci

Zeppelin Group

Arife Baltaci

Germany

Construction

Chief Digital and Information Officer

Atul Bhardwaj

the LEGO Group

Atul Bhardwaj

Denmark

Toys

EVP & CDTO

Axel Adida

Beiersdorf

Axel Adida

Germany

Manufacturing

CDO

Bala Subramanian

UPS

Bala Subramanian

United States of America

Logistics

Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Brian Tilzer

Best Buy

Brian Tilzer

United States of America

Retail

Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Brigitte King

Colgate Palmolive

Brigitte King

United States of America

FMCG

Global CDO

Carletta Higginson

Warner Music Group

Carletta Higginson

United States of America

Entertainment

EVP, CDO

Charlotte Briscall

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Charlotte Briscall

United Kingdom

Health

Chief Digital Officer

Charlotte Light

Aztec Group

Charlotte Light

United Kingdom

Finance

CDO

Ching-Har Wong

Stella McCartney

Ching-Har Wong

United Kingdom

Retail

CDO

Chris Crayner

NBCUniversal

Chris Crayner

United States of America

Media

EVP, Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Christiane Lindenschmidt

HSBC

Christiane Lindenschmidt

United Kingdom

Finance

Chief Digital & Data Officer

Christina Callas

Total Wine & More

Christina Callas

United States of America

Food & Beverage

EVP, CDO

Christoffer Hernaes

Skanska

Christoffer Hernaes

Norway

Construction

CDO

Christoph Heyn

Mars

Christoph Heyn

United Kingdom

FMCG

Global CDO Mars Petcare

Crystal Broj

Medical University of South Carolina

Crystal Broj

United States of America

Education

Enterprise CDTO

Danny Ryder

lululemon

Danny Ryder

Canada

Retail

Chief Digital Officer

Dominic Venturo

U.S. Bank

Dominic Venturo

United States of America

Finance

SVP, Chief Digital Officer

Duncan Robertson

The Travel Corporation

Duncan Robertson

United Kingdom

Travel

CDO

Eileen Jessop

UK Ministry of Defence

Eileen Jessop

United Kingdom

Government

Chief Digital Information Officer

Frank Meyer

Etihad Airways

Frank Meyer

United Arab Emirates

Travel

CDO

Gonzague de Pirey

LVMH

Gonzague de Pirey

France

Retail

Group Chief Omnichannel Officer

Greg Meyers

Bristol Myers Squibb

Greg Meyers

United States of America

Pharmaceutical

EVP, Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Guido Merighi Buitoni

Danone

Guido Merighi Buitoni

France

Food & Beverage

Group CDO

Ian Hood

Fidelity International

Ian Hood

United Kingdom

Finance

CDO

Ildefonso Olmedo

Santander UK

Ildefonso Olmedo

United Kingdom

Finance

CDO

James Ferolo

SVP Worldwide

James Ferolo

United States of America

Manufacturing

CDO

Jimena Almendares

Decathlon

Jimena Almendares

France

Sports

CDO

Jo Migom

Thomas Cook

Jo Migom

Belgium

Travel

Chief Digital & Customer Operations Officer (UK & EU) & GM EU

Jorissa Neutelings

ABN AMRO Bank N.V.

Jorissa Neutelings

Netherlands

Finance

CDO

Judith Apshago

Amtrak

Judith Apshago

United States of America

Transportation

CDO

Juliana Rios

LATAM Airlines

Juliana Rios

Chile

Travel

Chief Information & Digital Officer

Julie Durham

UnitedHealth Group

Julie Durham

United States of America

Health

CDO

Kajsa Hofvendahl

Volvo Trucks

Kajsa Hofvendahl

Sweden

Automotive

SVP & CDO

Kathy Ward

Navy Federal Credit Union

Kathy Ward

United States of America

Finance

CDO

Kay Schwabedal

Virgin Media O2

Kay Schwabedal

United Kingdom

Telecommunications

CDO

Kristin Myers

Northwell Health

Kristin Myers

United States of America

Health

CDO

Laurence Heinrichs

Zenith

Laurence Heinrichs

United Kingdom

Advertising

CDO

Leah Cooper

Sedgwick

Leah Cooper

United States of America

Insurance

CDO

Lee Ellis

Royal London

Lee Ellis

United Kingdom

Finance

Group CDO

Lidia Fonseca

Pfizer

Lidia Fonseca

United States of America

Pharmaceutical

EVP, Chief Digital and Technology Officer

Luis Uguina

Macquarie Group

Luis Uguina

Australia

Finance

Chief Digital Officer

Mamatha Chamarthi

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Mamatha Chamarthi

United States of America

Manufacturing

CDO

Marc Warshawsky

Labcorp

Marc Warshawsky

United States of America

Health

CDO

Mathieu Ovaert

Nestlé

Mathieu Ovaert

France

FMCG

Chief Digital Officer, Europe

Matt Kelleher

Asda

Matt Kelleher

United Kingdom

Retail

SVP, CDO

Matteo Barbazza

STMicroelectronics

Matteo Barbazza

Switzerland

Manufacturing

CDO

Mazen Pharaon

Riyad Bank

Mazen Pharaon

Saudi Arabia

Finance

CDO

Meenakshi Nagarajan

Panera Bread

Meenakshi Nagarajan

United States of America

Food & Beverage

SVP & CDO

Mehreen Shams

Pizza Hut

Mehreen Shams

United States of America

Food & Beverage

CDO

Michael Naggar

Citi

Michael Naggar

United States of America

Finance

MD - CIO & CDO US Personal Banking

Mike Amend

Ford Motor Company

Mike Amend

United States of America

Automotive

CDIO

Mike Shady

Stables

Mike Shady

United States of America

Retail

CDO

Morgan Vawter

Unilever

Morgan Vawter

United Kingdom

FMCG

CDO, Personal Care, Home Care & Foods

Naveen Seshadri

Ralph Lauren

Naveen Seshadri

United States of America

Retail

Global CDO

Niamh de Niese

Bank of Ireland

Niamh de Niese

United Kingdom

Finance

Group Chief Digital & Architecture Officer

Nick Edwards

The AA

Nick Edwards

United Kingdom

Automotive

Group CDO

Patrice Cochin

Michelin

Patrice Cochin

France

Automotive

Chief Digital Experience Officer

Paula Bobbett

Boots UK

Paula Bobbett

United Kingdom

Retail

CDO

Peter Weckesser

Schneider Electric

Peter Weckesser

Germany

Manufacturing

CDO

Pier Paolo Tamma

Pirelli

Pier Paolo Tamma

Italy

Automotive

SVP & CDO

Pravina Ladva

Swiss Re

Pravina Ladva

United Kingdom

Insurance

Group Chief Digital Officer

Priya Thakoor

Airtel Africa

Priya Thakoor

United Arab Emirates

Telecommunications

Group SVP: Digital & Product (Telco & Fintech)

Rakel Óttarsdóttir

Icelandair Group

Rakel Óttarsdóttir

Iceland

Travel

Chief Digital Officer

Rich Carter

Eli Lilly

Rich Carter

United States of America

Pharmaceutical

SVP, Chief Digital Officer

Rob Scruggs

SCAN

Rob Scruggs

United States of America

Health

CDO

Ron Surfield

Nasdaq

Ron Surfield

United States of America

Finance

CDO

Ronald den Elzen

The Heineken Company

Ronald den Elzen

Netherlands

Food & Beverage

Chief Digital & Technology Officer

Sambo Gouda Sare

Bank of Africa

Sambo Gouda Sare

Benin

Finance

Chief Digital Officer

Sean Ringsted

Chubb

Sean Ringsted

United States of America

Insurance

CDO

Sharon Cooper

The Economist Intelligence Unit

Sharon Cooper

United Kingdom

Media

Chief Digital Officer

Shawn Lyndon

Rio Tinto

Shawn Lyndon

Australia

Mining

CDO

Simon Sandford-Taylor

Office for National Statistics

Simon Sandford-Taylor

United Kingdom

Government

Chief Digital & Information Officer

Simon White

Mott MacDonald

Simon White

United Kingdom

Construction

Chief Digital Officer

Siphamandla Masuku

Discovery Limited

Siphamandla Masuku

South Africa

Finance

CDO

Stacey Jaffe

Scholastic

Stacey Jaffe

United States of America

Publishing

CDO

Stephen Rhee

Gallagher

Stephen Rhee

United States of America

Insurance

Global Chief Digital Officer

Steven Zuanella

Generali

Steven Zuanella

United Kingdom

Insurance

CDO

Subash Sharma

Absa Group

Subash Sharma

South Africa

Finance

CDO Personal & Private Banking

Sudhanshu Duggal

Procter & Gamble

Sudhanshu Duggal

United States of America

FMCG

Chief Digital Officer AMEA

Susan Jones

Diageo

Susan Jones

United States of America

Food & Beverage

CDO

Tal Langevich Avraham

Migdal Group

Tal Langevich Avraham

Israel

Insurance

Chief Digital Officer, Innovation & Customer Experience

Tanja Rueckert

Bosch

Tanja Rueckert

Germany

Manufacturing

Chief Digital Officer

Timothy White

GSK

Timothy White

United States of America

Pharmaceutical

Chief Digital & Technology Officer USA

Tricia Blair

Aon

Tricia Blair

United States of America

Finance

CDO

Viren Shah

AGCO Corporation

Viren Shah

United States of America

Manufacturing

Chief Digital & Information Officer

Visna Lim

L'Oréal

Visna Lim

France

FMCG

Global Chief Digital Officer

Wajeeha Awadh

Al Baraka Group (ABG)

Wajeeha Awadh

Bahrain

Finance

CDO

Wendy Redshaw

NatWest Group

Wendy Redshaw

United Kingdom

Finance

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HotTopics Global CDO 100 Awards

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Recognising the world’s most influential digital leaders

What makes a CDO 100 award winner?

Functional Innovation

Leadership and strategic vision

Team development

Community contribution

Explore the Global CDO 100 Awards

HotTopics Global CDO 100 - 2026

Nominations now open

Global CDO 100 award judges

Karl Hoods

CDIO, Dept for Energy Security & Net Zero and Dept for Science Innovation & Technology

Victoria Higgin

Group Chief Digital and Information Officer, CityFibre

Trevor Gordon

Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Save the Children

Peter Stojanovic

Editor, HotTopics

HotTopics Global CDO 100 award winners 2025

Abhinandan Jain

Abhinandan Jain

CDO

Adam Forde

Adam Forde

CDO

Alain Groleau

Alain Groleau

CDO

Alexandre Meerson

Alexandre Meerson

Chief Digital, Data & Technology Officer

Amr Arafa

Amr Arafa

CDO

Anaïs Reding

Anaïs Reding

CDO

Andrew Thomson

Andrew Thomson

CDO

Anthony Battle

Anthony Battle

Group Chief Digital & Information Officer

Antonio Queiroz

Antonio Queiroz

CDO

Arda Genc

Arda Genc

Group CDO

Ariel Dascal

Ariel Dascal

Chief Digital Officer

Arife Baltaci

Arife Baltaci

Chief Digital and Information Officer

Atul Bhardwaj

HotTopics Global CDO 100
award winners 2025