Governing Body Spotlight

Waqas Butt is a strategic technology leader with over 20 years of experience across the Middle East, Europe, Singapore, and the UK. He holds numerous certifications including PMP, ITIL, CISSP, and Agile and is an expert in technology governance and implementation. Waqas excels in driving digital success for organizations by leading innovative strategic initiatives and leveraging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and IoT.

A fun fact about Waqas, he enjoys playing cricket and loves nature, especially gardening.

Learn more about the Middle East CIO community here.
 

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

I began my career in business consulting, spending over 10 years in enterprise business solution consulting and advisory. I then moved on to a larger enterprise to lead digital transformation across multiple continents. I currently serve as the Group Head of ICT & AI at Alpha Dhabi Holding PJSC, an investment holding company in the UAE with over 8 sectors and more than 250 businesses.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Empowering through vision and collaboration – we not only achieve our goals, but also create an environment where every individual feels valued and driven to contribute their best.
 

What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?

The challenge: Fast pace of disruptive technologies and high demand.

How to navigate it: It is necessary to act quickly with clear short-term and long-term goals to achieve a reliable transformation while ensuring constant clear communication with stakeholders.
 

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

First, understand what the business entails as well as its needs and wants. Follow this with continuous learning and adaptability, while maintaining a clear balance between short-term and long-term goals.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

Understand clear goals and objectives of business while maintaining clear communication and vision, ensuring that immediate targets are met while also fostering growth and innovation for future success.

In summary, success of a leader is reflected in the success of the entire organization, marked by sustained growth, a strong organizational culture, and the achievement of strategic goals.
 

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

Joining the community is a valuable investment in knowledge, innovation, and strategy. The community has extensive resources, great thought leaders and collaborative opportunities which helps one to navigate challenges, find direction easily with knowledge sharing and achieve more profound success. I would not hesitate to say its membership means joining a global network committed to excellence, growth, and continuous improvement.
 

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.