Technology Management: Steering IT through uncertainty

Nicholas Woods, CIO, Manchester Airports Group

Steering IT through uncertainty

If ever the phrase “VUCA” (the acronym for the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous nature of today’s world) felt appropriate to use, it’s now. Nick Woods, CIO at MAG, will be talking about how he has led IT through the current Covid crisis and used this as an opportunity to re-position IT from business service providers to integral leaders and strategic partners. In an industry which continues to see significant impacts due to the ongoing pandemic; placing Technology at the heart of MAG has been essential in responding to the crisis, whilst also ensuring that the right foundations are in place to support the eventual recovery.  

Nicholas is Chief Information Officer for MAG, a leading UK airport group which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports. A passionate technologist, he joined MAG in 2016 to lead Technology for the £1Bn Manchester Transformation Programme. Promoted to Chief Technology Officer in 2017, he was instrumental in developing MAG’s IT Strategy and was subsequently appointed CIO in September 2018. Prior to joining MAG, Nicholas worked in consulting for Accenture, where he specialised in the delivery of complex systems integration and transformation programmes. He studied Computer Science and Management Science at the University of Edinburgh.

Alastair Pooley, CIO, Snow Software

Using Technology Management to manage the ‘new normal’

IT leaders have worked at pace to enable all-remote work forces and ensure business continuity. As the economic impact continues to spread, focus will likely shift from protection against immediate uncertainty to mid and long-term planning through the ‘new normal’. In this session we explore how visibility of your technology landscape, whether on-premises or in the cloud, will enable  improved insights and greater governance.  We will discuss technology management strategies which will help meet your organization’s needs today and in the future. Alastair Pooley is the Chief Information Officer at Snow, where he is responsible for global IT strategy and implementation. Before joining Snow, Alastair served as a Global VP of Infrastructure & Cloud Services at Sophos (LSE: SOPH) where he was instrumental in the development of Sophos Cloud and delivered services to 3000 employees and 100 million endpoint users. Prior to this, Pooley spent more than 15 years working with Star Technology (acquired by Claranet) and MessageLabs (acquired by Symantec). He has presented at national and international conferences and maintains currency in industry leading technical/security qualifications including AWS, Linux Professional Institute and ISC(2). He gained a BSc in Physics from the University of Warwick and was awarded an MBA from Cranfield University.

Graeme Hackland, CIO, Williams F1 Team

A highly experienced business leader with a proven track record of delivering cost effective, reliable technology-enabled change, to industry standards. A highly effective communicator with senior management, colleagues; media; industry analysts, sponsors and their guests. Achievements include: delivering £MM projects which contribute to company success on time and budget, establishing IT Risk Management and improving governance; productivity and service efficiencies

Event Chair: Sue Walnut, Head of IT Service UK and Germany, NATIONAL EXPRESS GROUP

I bring infectious passion to explaining technology elements simply, to any audience, and I thrive on building effective partnerships across boundaries. I drive exceptional results from my teams through transformational leadership. Leveraging compassionate engagement and clear communication of responsibilities and accountabilities, I create open cultures with staff who are empowered, productive, and happy. A successful career covering market analysis, project management, data, and all areas of Information Technology, has shaped me into a well-rounded, quick-thinking, and business-centric technology leader. I have a solid reputation as a trusted strategic partner who listens, thinks holistically, and delivers the right technology and organizational outcome.