Read more about them here

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I was pleased to be quoted in the piece and wanted to share a few reflections on what these themes mean for my own work and for IT leadership more broadly.

1. From IT Projects to Business Transformation

The article highlights an important shift. We are not simply delivering IT projects. We are leading business transformation efforts that rely on technology to succeed. In my work at WHSmith, SoftBank Robotics, and Fast Retailing (Uniqlo), this distinction has been clear. Success is not measured by implementing a system. It is measured by how the business changes, how operations improve, and how growth accelerates.

2. Value Creation and Revenue Focus

CIOs are increasingly being evaluated on their ability to create value. The article notes that many organizations are now directing investment toward monetizing data and developing new digital revenue streams. For me, this shift reinforces the need to align all technology programs with measurable business outcomes, whether they involve new customer engagement channels, loyalty initiatives, or improved retail experiences.

3. Scaling AI for Real Impact

Impactful AI continues to rise on priority lists. The article suggests that the age of pilots is fading and CIOs are now concentrating on enterprise level adoption, governed data pipelines, and models tailored to specific use cases. In my experience, the foundation matters most. Data, pipelines, governance, and model discipline must come before the question of what can be automated or predicted next. Trust and value both depend on that groundwork.

4. AI Security and Governance

The potential of AI comes with new risks. Many CIOs are treating AI as a new security frontier that covers model transparency, vendor oversight, and adversarial threats. From my perspective, governance and security need to be part of the design from the beginning. They cannot be bolted on after momentum builds.

5. Enterprise Security

Security remains a constant priority. Even as innovation accelerates, strengthening the overall security posture continues to sit at the top of CIO agendas. This reinforces something I have believed throughout my career. No matter how forward leaning the roadmap is, the foundation must be strong. You cannot build advanced capabilities without protecting the core first.

6. Customer Experience (CX)

Improving customer experience remains a defining project area, and it frequently sits at the intersection of digital, operations, and culture. The article cites examples such as automated quoting, AI enabled support, and self service capabilities. In retail and F&B environments, I have seen that the technology used by store teams and customers is only as strong as the systems behind it. Real time data, analytics, integration, and reliable infrastructure matter just as much as the features that appear on a screen.

7. The IT Foundation

While emerging technologies receive much of the attention, the foundational elements remain essential. ERP modernization, cloud optimization, integration layers, and API strategies are still at the center of effective transformation. In my roles, ensuring that the foundation is stable and current has always been a priority. Innovation only scales when the core environment can support it.

8. IT Modernization

For many organizations, modernization is both the engine of change and the enabler. It often involves retiring legacy systems, introducing modern platforms, moving toward cloud first strategies, and enabling better scalability. The article includes a quote that captures this direction well:

“Retiring old legacy systems that are slowing us down, introducing modern solutions… everything we do will support our data initiatives and will give us the data we want for AI and allow us to scale and the business to grow.”

This reflects much of what I have focused on in large scale retail and global operations environments.

9. Reimagining IT for the Future

One of the most important shifts is a forward looking mindset. The focus is no longer on what the company needs today but on what it will need two, three, or five years from now. The article references my work in future proofing IT environments and improving scalability by implementing solutions that are efficient, flexible, and designed to support long term growth. This is central to the CIO role. We are not only supporting current operations. We are shaping the technology landscape that the business will rely on in the future.

My Reflections for IT Leaders

• Be strategic first. Projects should be framed around business impact, not technical activity.
• Align every initiative with a measurable outcome such as revenue growth, margin improvement, or customer experience.
• Build the foundation early. Innovation only succeeds when data, security, governance, and core systems are strong.
• Look ahead. Modular architectures, scalable operating models, and global flexibility are no longer optional for competitive organizations.
• Lead with confidence. CIOs are not simply maintaining the business. They are helping to reinvent it.

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Modernizing our retail technology stack has been a key strategic priority as we work to enable innovation, simplify operations, and support our store teams across more than 340 retail locations. This cloud foundation strengthens our ability to scale, respond quickly to business needs, and deliver exceptional experiences to the customers who rely on us every day.

This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of our teams and partners. I’m deeply grateful to our colleagues at Aptos Retail, Makira, and Atmosera, as well as the many individuals across the business who brought expertise, hard work, and persistence to this effort.

A special thank you goes to Vaishali Gupte, whose leadership was instrumental in guiding this project from planning through an exceptionally smooth go-live. Her ability to unify teams and keep the program on track was a major factor in its overall success.

I’d also like to recognize the outstanding partnership from our business stakeholders, including:
Sara Wyant, Chris Backhouse, Shelly Clausen, Richard Fortner, Melissa Turner, Greg Morgan, Chris Brooksbank II, Sophia Rossi, David Luashvili, Louise Sur, Janine Walton, Chris Burns, Terrie Phillips, and many others who played a vital role along the way.

And, of course, my deepest appreciation goes to our IT team. Their grit, determination, and technical excellence made this transformation possible. Thank you to Mackenson Emile, Ron Silverio, Bruce Field, Terence Robles, Robert Sellinger, Don Chaney, Gary Yu, Wayne Tiu, Raul Andrade, Steve Baltzer, Swathi Bangalore Rama, and the many others who contributed to this successful launch. Leading this team continues to be one of the great privileges of my career.

For more details, you can read the official press release here:
https://lnkd.in/gDcm2HZi

Onward and upward as we continue building the future of retail technology.

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Vaishali Gupte, John Varcho, and I, also had the pleasure of running into our Oracle System Integrator, BTM Global, while visiting our booth on the expo floor. Pictured are BTM’s CEO, Kimberly Berneck, and Co-founder/CTO, Andy Huynh.

BTM played a vital role in the successful rollout of Oracle Xstore across our North America business in just 100 days. Additionally, our partner RetSci supported the deployment of Oracle MFP in just 16 weeks. We’ve built an impressive track record with Oracle, achieving rapid deployments for our North American business!

Thanks again for the opportunity to showcase our partnership, Rose! I look forward to seeing you, the Oracle Retail leadership team, and our industry peers at Oracle #CrossTalk next month!

#WHSmith #Oracle #Cloudworld #Travel #Retail #Xstore #MFP

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This award is not just a recognition of my efforts; it symbolizes the collective vision, unwavering commitment, and relentless hard work of our outstanding teams at WHSmith North America. It is a testament to the resilience showcased by our IT and business teams, their unwavering passion, and their persistence in achieving the seemingly impossible.

Last year was just the beginning of our transformation and the exciting journey ahead. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my remarkable IT and business teams, our invaluable partners, and, of course, my supportive family for contributing to this achievement. We have numerous accomplishments to celebrate, and this marks just the beginning of our path forward.

Join us at WHSmith as we embark on this thrilling journey ahead!

Read more about the amazing tech leaders and their teams here: https://lnkd.in/gquYDBxx

A special thanks to our amazing partners: Oracle Retail, BTM Global, RetSci, Columbus Consulting International, NCR Corporation, Amazon, Spencer Technologies

Las Vegas Top Tech Awards Cox Business VEGAS INC
#WHSmithNorthAmerica #TopTechAwards #VegasInc #AllegiantStadium

Check out the Las Vegas Weekly Special Edition featuring the 2023 Top Tech Award Winners!

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Equally important is choosing the right person to lead IT through this stage of evolution. What type of technology leader does your company need at this moment? Someone who can build the foundation, support expansion, and guide the business through a period of complexity and change.

The excerpt below summarizes this perfectly:

As these demands would suggest, a successful technology leader at an adolescent company will be both visionary and hands-on. They must describe and chart a path to the future state but have a detailed enough knowledge of the business and technology to adjust quickly. Communication is critical here. The leader needs to help their business partners understand the direction but also the trade-offs being made, especially in terms of future costs being incurred.

For founders, executives, and early-stage operators, understanding this balance early can be the difference between scaling smoothly and hitting avoidable roadblocks. A strong IT foundation, paired with the right leadership, positions a growing startup for long-term success.

Read the full article here: https://nationalcioreview.com/business/when-to-introduce-it-to-a-growing-startup/

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In a fantastic article written by Sri Manchala, Sri explains why methodical innovators succeed in digital transformations.

Digital transformation is often portrayed as bold, disruptive, and fast. But in reality, the organizations that succeed are rarely the ones that chase trends or deploy technology for novelty alone. The real winners are the companies led by executives who take a disciplined, thoughtful, and methodical approach to innovation.

The methodical innovator is a type of leader that understands that transformation is not a project or a flashy technology rollout. It is a long-term organizational capability that must be built intentionally, step by step, across people, processes, data, and systems.

Great transformation leaders combine vision with structure. They welcome innovation, but they do so with clarity, alignment, and a strong execution plan. They are equal parts strategist and operator, able to translate big ideas into practical, measurable outcomes.

So what does the Methodical Innovator focus on?

1. A clear, business-aligned vision

Before a single system is deployed, they anchor everything in the organization’s strategy. Technology is never the first step; the business is. They ensure every initiative directly supports growth, efficiency, or customer experience.

2. The right foundation

They establish the processes, governance, data quality, and organizational structures that transformation depends on. There are no shortcuts here. A shaky foundation guarantees failure, no matter how advanced the technology.

3. Measured, sequenced execution

Transformation moves in phases, not chaos. Methodical Innovators prioritize ruthlessly, set realistic timelines, and execute with discipline. They prevent the organization from drowning in too many initiatives at once.

4. Talent and culture

They invest in people, not just platforms. Innovation accelerates when teams feel empowered, supported, and accountable. They focus on skills development, leadership maturity, and a culture that embraces change.

5. Scalability and simplicity

They avoid the “Frankenstein IT” trap. Instead of patchwork systems, they pursue unified platforms, clean architecture, and solutions that scale globally. Simplicity is treated as a strategic advantage.

6. Continuous improvement

Transformation is not a finish line. Methodical Innovators monitor outcomes, learn quickly, and refine constantly. They build feedback loops that keep the organization modern, competitive, and aligned.

Digital transformation does not belong to the loudest voices or the fastest adopters. It belongs to leaders who can harmonize innovation with structure, creativity with discipline, and strategy with execution.

In a world full of noise and hype, the Methodical Innovator stands out as the leader who actually delivers results.

So how do we find the methodical innovator? As Sri outlines in his article (and in his book), the methodical innovator must possess these 4 essential traits:

• Strategic Thinking
• Prioritization and Planning
• Organization and Execution
• Character

Learn more about this concept and Sri’s recommendations by reading the full article here. Alternatively, check out his book covering this topic here.

Speaking of great books, I’m a big fan of “The Ideal Team Player” by Peter Lencioni. I regularly refer to the framework in his book and have used it in coaching/training workshops with my teams and global organizations. I highly recommend this book to any business leader looking to build high-performing teams.

#DigitalTransformation #changemanagement #ITleadership #businessalignment #innovation

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John Edwards wrote an excellent article outlining seven practical approaches for rebuilding IT organizations. It is a worthwhile read for IT executives, managers, and staff at every level. These tactics are not only useful for addressing a struggling organization, they apply to any major transformation or optimization initiative.

Having led several IT rebuilds myself, I can personally confirm the effectiveness of many of the approaches described. I would also add that one of the most important things a leader can do during any major change effort is simple: connect, listen, and observe.

Take the time to speak with people at every level of the organization. Ask thoughtful questions. Put yourself in the shoes of your business partners, end users, and your own team members. Viewing the organization through their perspective often reveals insights that are not visible from the top.

When you listen deeply and observe without judgment, patterns start to emerge. It becomes much easier to understand what is working, what is broken, and what people truly need. From there, identifying root causes, defining solutions, and making confident decisions becomes significantly clearer.

These principles have guided me through many complex transformations and continue to serve as a foundation for building strong, high-performing IT organizations.

You can read the full article here:
https://www.cio.com/article/3629479/7-ways-to-rebuild-a-failed-it-organization.html?upd=1629234840045

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