IT leader of the year is on the right track

There are many reasons why Catherine Doran won the IT Leader of the Year gong at the recent Computing Awards for Excellence. Chief among them was the way she epitomises the new breed of IT leader that is helping the profession establish itself as a critical business function in these uncertain times.

Computing caught up with Doran this week to find out a little more about what makes her tick. From the outset, it was obvious that she is far removed from the stereotypical IT leader. It is also clear that Doran defies those stereotypes through her determination to lead change within her organisation.

Network Rail is poised to embark on a monumental change programme in the coming months. No doubt as business leaders digest the latest economic intelligence, management teams up and down the country will find themselves in similar circumstances.

But the number of firms where IT has such an exalted role in driving that change is pitifully small.
In Doran’s case, her ability to lead the transformation programme is founded on a track record of delivery. She is responsible for a £180m IT budget, supporting 33,500 employees in 460 locations.
Ensuring that the business receives satisfactory support will, however, only get the IT leader so far.

Doran has built on that foundation by streamlining her IT spending through reducing the number of suppliers by 32 per cent; and collaborating with engineering colleagues to create a state-of-the-art geospatial view of the UK’s railway infrastructure – a key asset in gaining greater insight into operations.

Further eye-catching initiatives, such as the use of innovative fibre-optic technology to reduce cable theft, have helped Doran establish the idea that IT can provide business benefits in all kinds of fields unrelated to its usual activities.

Another key initiative will be the introduction of groundbreaking customer-facing information systems. These will be at the forefront of efforts to modernise the UK’s rail infrastructure.

Computing has frequently insisted that IT leaders really can help drive organisational improvements. In Doran’s case, it is gratifying to see that hypothesis so elegantly proven.