Governing Body Spotlight

Raj Seth, CIO, LSUK and business transformation head at Liberty Steel Group (GFG Alliance), is a digital transformation and IT specialist with about 20 years of experience in driving innovation, efficiency, effectiveness and sustained business growth.

Learn more about the UK & Ireland CIO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I’ve become a transformation ambassador that helps senior executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs) along the journey of matching the notion of digital transformation by conveying and translating the vision and business needs into fit-for-purpose IT/digital outcomes.

I’ve had experience defining and executing digital transformational strategies and total-cost-of-ownership-based transformation programs. Over the years, I’ve worked to simplify digital/technology/IT complexity, identify opportunities to embrace innovations to accelerate growth and strategically drive organizations forward, translate business needs into custom technology and digital-based outcomes, and develop high-performing IT/technology teams, across functional shared services, centre of excellence and reporting hubs.

Prior to my current role, I also gained skills in change management, executing at scale and driving sustainable growth, fostering strong stakeholder relationships and championing strategic consulting in operations, customer service, quality and process re-engineering.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

I like to take a consultative leadership approach, promoting a change culture. Another one of my guiding leadership principles is understanding the challenge of an organisation’s BAU and technology demands so they are able to articulate complex IT concepts to non-IT audiences.
 

What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today?

The greatest challenges are talent management (motivation/retention/attrition), AI adoption and cybersecurity.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?

The key to success is to know the stakeholders, know the ecosystem, introduce step wise and intuitive change.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

I measure success as a leader, not by just KPIs/KRAs, but the ability to make an impact inline with the vision and culture of the organisation.
 

What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?

There is value in networking, learning and idea exchange.
 

Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
 

by CIOs, for CIOs
 

Join the conversation with peers in your local CIO community.