Technology is changing the organisation by driving, enabling and supporting the company’s transformation.

What is your name?

Nadine Thomson.

Describe your current role

CIO Advisory consultancy for Capita

What are your day to day responsibilities?

Advising and working with the new Group CIO at Capita to transform the technology function. This will range from defining the technology strategy and operating model to technology sourcing and managing performance. Capita is 18 months into a multi-year major business transformation. Technology is changing the organisation by driving, enabling and supporting the company’s transformation.

What is your professional background?

I have a Computer Science degree and technical background. I have recently worked as the Group Technology Director (CTO) for Conde Nast International (Vogue, GQ), Technology Director for Vue Cinema and Digital Strategy Advisor for News UK (The Times, The Sun, Virgin Radio, talkSPORT, Unruly adtech) where I restructured their digital technology team and operating model.  Over my career I have led technology transformation internationally across a range of industries including media, retail, entertainment, travel and professional services.

Alongside my technology career, I provide governance and strategic leadership as Vice Chair of Cinema-For-All, a national organisation for developing community-led cinema in the UK. I am also a regular speaker on digital technology and a spokeswoman and mentor for organisations that encourage young people to explore careers in technology. Demand is growing for talent and diversity and I want to inspire the next generation to get involved.

 What are you speaking about at CIO 2019?

Ethics in tech. It’s a fascinating and an increasingly important topic for today’s technology leaders. We are no longer simply providers of platforms and technology products with little regard for their content or the communities they serve. As leaders, we are being called upon to address the ethics of our platforms and products. I’ll be speaking about the leadership challenge of ethics in tech, different technologies that have ethical challenges and how you can educate and empower your business and team to consider ethics in the platforms and products that they build and operate.

How do your particular areas of expertise manifest themselves in your current role?

I build teams and create products and platforms for consumers and businesses. AI (or machine learning) is increasingly something I look to incorporate into a solution. Customers and employees are holding companies to account and the ethics of technology solutions is becoming front of mind rather than an afterthought. My experience across a multitude of sectors and companies with the different technologies being built and in use in those sectors, has given me a wealth of experience to share on approaching ethics in tech.

How do you see your role developing in 5 years’ time?

Increasingly executives in businesses are becoming more digital and technology savvy. I see my role moving to work even more collaboratively with my peers, such as the CFO, CMO, CPO, on our company’s business vision and strategy where everything is digital and there’s not a separate technology strategy. The CIO and CTO role is no longer only about the technology. It’s becoming much more business focused and commercially aware.

What advice would you give to someone adopting a CIO role for the first time?

Gain a deep understanding of the business and the company commercials as quickly as you can. It’s what your peers focus on and this will help you build credibility. Developing great relationships with your peers and throughout the business will be the key to your success in the role.

Build a talented and multi-skilled team. Know your strengths and bring people into your leadership team that have different strengths and views. Surround yourself with experts in different areas and don’t be afraid to let them challenge your thinking – it will lead to better ideas and decision making.

What are the greatest challenges facing modern technology leaders? 

There are 5 key challenges facing the modern tech leader:

Pace of change: Technology, business and society is changing fast. It’s not about just keeping up with the changes, it’s about constantly adapting the technology solutions and the way we work.

Anticipating what’s next: Knowing which emerging technologies to invest in and how the technologies may intersect to open new possibilities (e.g. 5G and IoT) is a challenge and opportunity. As is anticipating the effects of emerging technologies on your business.

Business agility: Many large organisations are struggling to adapt their business models (paper publishers moving online), business processes (annual financial cycles don’t fit with agile product development) and thinking (objectives and targets are siloed by function).

Talent: It is tough to attract and retain talent in today’s competitive market, especially at the mid and senior level in areas such as data science, engineering and security. I’m addressing this through creating a tech brand identity to attract talent, partnering, offshoring and creating hubs in strategic locations.

Technology for a digitally native generation: The generation entering the workforce today expect business technology to work as seamlessly as consumer tech. They don’t see the separation of technology for work and home and want to use the same tools in both places.

 How do you think a CIO can best support company revenue growth?

Deeply understand the business and the commercial levers (where opportunities lay for revenue growth or cost savings). Look for opportunities where the company can use tech to enhance what it does or to develop new business models and revenue streams. Internally focus on automation and streamlining process to make the operations agile and scalable to underpin company growth.

 

Nadine Thomson will be speaking at the 2019 CIO & IT Leaders Summit on September 25th in the Aviva Stadium Dublin. For more information & ticket options visit wwww.ciosummit.ie