Targeting tech investment as a CIO

Andrew Brothers, former CIO at Primark, caught up with Emma Carroll, Head of Content at Source, on the latest episode of our Business Leader's Voice podcast.  

Andrew shares his insights on the following matters and more:   

• The CIO's primary agenda is to add business value by driving sales growth and increasing operational efficiency through technology.  

• Prioritising tech investment involves balancing strategic initiatives, risk mitigation, and refreshing your technology. Decisions here involve healthy debate with the executive team. 

• Technology roadmaps and investment priorities aren't static. It is important to emphasise the need for regular reviews with the executive team to ensure alignment, track progress, and adapt to new business needs or market changes. 

• Leveraging data is critical for forecasting future scenarios and providing insights to support decision-making across the business. This means ensuring that multiple data sources are structured correctly, making them usable for predictive analytics and scenario forecasting. This is particularly important in unpredictable markets. 

• While cybersecurity remains a top priority, achieving absolute security is unrealistic. Instead, organisations should focus on implementing strong protective measures, early threat detection, and a well-practiced incident response plan—often with support from external experts. 

• Retail businesses are set to turn to consultants for crucial support in cybersecurity, as well as for their expertise in driving efficiency and leveraging automation and AI. Firms can bring diverse experiences from other companies, enabling rapid learning and implementation.