CIO at VCIO Ltd
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
Located in Surrey, England, I am a seasoned CIO with a background in business, engineering, and manufacturing, primarily acquired in Formula One and the automotive sector.
For nearly 30 years, I have operated within the highest tier of motorsport, contributing to teams such as Mercedes McLaren, Aston Martin, and Lotus.
Most recently, I have been a consultant for a prospective new team, developing a comprehensive IT strategy, encompassing data & analytics and the integration of enterprise applications..
What path have you taken to your current position?
I hold a degree in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, which has provided a solid foundation for my career.
Upon graduating, I set up a business focused on infrastructure and networking, which strangely evolved into software development for ERP systems (long story!). This experience offered me an early insight into the synergy between infrastructure and applications, and more importantly I gained a strong business acumen in finance and manufacturing.
In the early stages of my motorsport career, I delved into engineering and simulation systems, greatly benefiting from my academic background.
This eventually led to a 30-year tenure in motorsports, where I have directed the IT functions for various teams. Along this journey, I have also acquired commercial experience through sponsor acquisition and have established several highly successful, multidisciplinary IT teams.
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?
My fascination with understanding how things work and my eagerness to embrace new technology, combined with a passion for cars, inadvertently steered me towards my career path, although it wasn't a conscious decision from the start.
I think like a lot of youngsters I didn’t really have a plan and it wasn’t until I went to Technical College that I started to get a feel for what I wanted to do..
Initially, my focus was purely on technology, but as I became involved in software development, the world of business analysis opened my eyes, and I discovered a greater interest in the processes behind the operational side of business.
While working on a business intelligence system for a well-known car manufacturer, I secured a contract to overhaul McLaren Automotive's business systems. Being in the right place at the right time and with a recognition that I had a much wider breadth of knowledge, this soon turned into my first IT Management role.
Subsequently, I have directed the IT operations for various Formula 1 and sports car companies, most recently as CIO for the Aston Martin F1 Team.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
There are two people who stand out as being influential on my career, one being the course coordinator at technical college and the other a CEO at McLaren.
The course coordinator opened my eyes to what options were available to me and gave me the belief that I could achieve whatever I set out to do.
The CEO took me under his wing when I joined the exec team in a newly appointed lead IT role. With his guidance I learnt how to navigate the politics of the business and how to think strategically and develop my leadership skills.
There have been other influencers along the way where I have learnt key lessons both in what to do and what not to do!
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
Be prepared to adapt. Considering the upheavals of the past five years, readiness for the next five is crucial.
You must inform the business strategy and ensure there is a clear understanding at the leadership level of what is and is not relevant from a technology perspective. This involves keeping abreast of emerging technologies and deciding what is relevant for your business. Even if you are not part of the executive it is important to filter and translate potential opportunities on behalf of the business.
By constantly monitoring the technology landscape you will need to actively seek out disruption. It will be important however to beware of the hype and put things into context. Not long ago, Robotic Process Automation and the Metaverse dominated discussions; now, it's GenAI. A proficient technology leader will navigate beyond the hype to uncover genuine value.
An effective technology leader serves as a bridge between business strategy and key stakeholders. As technology democratization accelerates, business units increasingly seek autonomy over their tools and processes. Developing a franchise model with technologists embedded within the business, coupled to a shared architecture and governance framework led jointly by technology and business unit leaders, will be imperative.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
Know your technology and know your business.
Make it your business to understand your business's capabilities and needs at all levels.
Get out into the business and see what it's like at the sharp end, it can be too easy to become detached.
Work hard on relationships, have integrity and do what you say you will do.
Above all communicate, communicate, communicate!
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I am really interested to see where the next ten years take us in terms of technology and how businesses will adapt. My next role will be at the forefront of this.
How do you measure and communicate the value and impact of technology initiatives to other business leaders and stakeholders?
Understanding how business leaders measure their own value and ensure that any initiative directly related to their part of the business employs the same metrics and language.
There should always be a clear link between the outcomes of technology and the business goals, and visualizing and communicating this connection is vital.
"Make it your business to understand your business's capabilities and needs at all levels."
What has been your most significant achievement or proudest moment as a technology leader?
Having spent over twelve years in a leading Automotive & F1 business I joined a new start-up F1 team, I was employee number five!
We walked into an empty factory in October 2009 and got a race car on the grid in March 2010.
In 22 weeks we stood up an infrastructure in the factory and for trackside, we got a supercomputer up and running, implemented all the enterprise and engineering systems and built a new team. Not bad!
If you are feeling besieged and unappreciated (which is a constant for most CIO’s) then this is the book for you!
A big thank you to Bill Peters from VCIO Ltd for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.
