What Technology Leader Are You?

Engineer, Entrepreneur or Evangelist: What Technology Leader Are You?

Through economic downturn and a global pandemic, technology leadership has had to change.

The role of the CIO and CTO has evolved in recent years, from being a hands-on technical specialist to a strategic business leader instrumental in empowering teams, delivering products and services and helping organisations on their pathway to digital transformation. Last year, analyst firm Gartner reported that ​​almost half of CIOs and CTOs (44%) are now leading business transformation initiatives.

Technology leader insights from:

With HotTopics' Director of Strategy, Doug Drinkwater, moderating, the speakers on this debate are:

• Phil Jordan, former Group CIO, Sainsburys
• Andy Caddy, Group CIO, Puregym
• Supriya Rao Patwardhan, EVP and Global Head of IT services, DPDHL
• Jo Graham, CDIO, Ghd

Overview:

It is all a far cry from how IT was once perceived.

“IT was a necessary evil,” said Andy Caddy, Group CIO at Puregym, during the on-stage session at The Studio, taking place at Abbey Road Studios in May. 

“When I think of my time in retail and banking, IT was this difficult guardian of expensive, hard to understand contracts that were just needed. They weren't the unlockers of value the way that they are today.”

With technology’s influence having grown exponentially, particularly through the Covid-19 pandemic, technology leaders now find themselves not only with a greater say in the boardroom, but a need to balance transformation with the business-as-usual.

“Successful technology leaders are able to context shift, talk about the future, talk about cost, talk about the people agenda, think about skill, about sustainability,” said Phil Jordan, the former Group CIO at Sainsbury’s.

For Jordan, this development as a business leader could even lead to bigger and better roles. “I think we're going to see loads more technology leaders come through and run businesses. Because technology not only operates, but it differentiates and enables businesses.”

Watch highlights: What Technology Leader Are You?

Watch this In The Hot Seat session at The Studio, which took place at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in May, as technology leaders discuss whether you need to be an ‘engineer, entrepreneur or evangelist’, how to approach professional development, levelling up staff and how the CIO can ultimately become the future CEO.