Group CIO at Betfred
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
I split my time between Manchester for work and the Lake District for the rest of the time.
I’m currently the Group CIO for Betfred, one of the world’s leading privately owned global betting and gaming businesses.
What path have you taken to your current position?
I’ve taken an indirect path to becoming Betfred's Group CIO. I started as a developer at 16, having been offered a job while still in high school during the dot-com bubble. I got into mobile development in 2003 and worked my way up the development ladder until I managed a team of developers, testers, project managers, BAs and designers.
With a touch of arrogance and a lot of naivety, I believed my success in managing a team meant I could sell my skills to others, so I set up a digital agency, Degree 53. I quickly realised that running a technical delivery team and a business were two entirely different things, and the former didn’t prepare me well for the latter. My life changed from managing techies to managing finance, commercials and sales. It was a steep learning curve. Despite this, Degree 53 grew to 55 people with a turnover of £3.5M before I sold it to the Nasdaq-listed business Bally’s Corporation.
While at Degree 53, I also founded another venture, Sharp Gaming, intending to create a modern platform for the online gambling industry. I completely underestimated the scale and complexity of this endeavour, as well as the time and funding required. Betfred acquired Sharp Gaming with plans to integrate the technology into their operations.
After several years of effort, we successfully migrated Betfred.com onto the new platform, leading to my current role as Group CIO of Betfred.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
I’d love to say all of this was part of a grand plan, but no. I often wish I was a Highly Effective Person and Begun With the End in Mind, but I’m not wired that way.
I’ve always been presented with professional and personal growth opportunities, so I’ve never had or needed a career plan.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
I’ve been very fortunate to work with two brilliant people. Chris Sheffield, a tech entrepreneur and founder of my first two companies. One of the key things he gave me was the belief that I could be more than just a “techie”. The other is Fred Done, the owner of Betfred.
Fred backed me in Degree 53 and continued to back me with finance and personal support when I faced tough times trying to deliver the Sharp Gaming Platform.
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
The days of viewing IT merely as a cost centre are long gone. For most modern businesses, IT and technology are integral to growing their bottom line. A great technology leader needs to understand their business and be able to consult with all areas on how they can leverage technology to gain a competitive advantage.
History is littered with market-leading companies that failed to adapt to a new wave of technology and got left behind. A technology leader should be a strategic thinker and strategist for the business to ensure this doesn’t happen.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
I think the leaders of the future need to understand data and the power of what you can do with it, as well as have strong cybersecurity skills.
These are two key battlespaces for very different reasons.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
This is my first CIO role, and there’s much for me to learn, so my focus is on that. I believe if I do a great job and build an organisation that doesn’t need me, new opportunities will follow.
What advice would you give to aspiring technology leaders who are just starting their careers?
It might seem old-fashioned, but hard work and common sense are invaluable. Leadership demands dedication and a pragmatic approach.
"Hard work and common sense are invaluable."
What has been the biggest challenge you've faced in your career so far, and how did you overcome it?
Without a doubt, delivering the technology for Sharp Gaming. It took years longer than I thought, costing tens of millions more than I had said. When you’re leading something like that, you take it personally.
There were people with me on the journey who could leave and take the easier option, but it was my responsibility to get it done. This came at a personal cost regarding my private life and health. However, I kept trying and made it a success.
People would tell me the famous quote, "Nobody on their deathbed ever said, 'I wish I had worked more.'". I prefer to tell myself, "If you are going through hell, keep going”.
What has been your most significant achievement or proudest moment as a technology leader?
The successful performance of the Sharp Gaming Platform during the Grand National, the biggest day in the UK Betting Industry, stands out as my proudest moment. After years of hard work, seeing the platform perform flawlessly was incredibly satisfying.
A big thank you to Andrew Daniels from Betfred for sharing his journey to date.
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