Jake Fraser

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2026.

Jake is a proud and pragmatic nerd who loves leading teams that make tech work brilliantly, while reminding colleagues that "if you think technology is the answer to your problems then you understand neither technology nor your problems."

Guided by his personal values of accuracy, integrity, knowledge and service, Jake strives to be an authentic, trustworthy, and highly capable leader that challenges stereotypes, champions equity and diversity, and drives the profession forward.

Jake has an MBA from Cranfield University, is a Chartered Fellow of CMI, and has been a Professional Member of BCS for over a decade.

What's the most exciting part of your current role?

Taking on a new role in a new sector in a new part of the UK means there's a lot to learn, and learning new things every day is an incredible and exciting feeling. Technology has never been better than it is today, giving unprecedented opportunity for tech leaders to make everything from AI to ZTNA good for businesses, their customers, and for society as a whole.

What do you do in week one of a new project to avoid pain in month six?

You can have the best plan and the best, well-suited tech, but if you don't communicate brilliantly you'll always struggle. Engaging, communicating, and advocating for change early on ensures everyone involved or impacted understands the journey ahead.

What’s the part of your estate you most want to simplify in 2026?

Our sprawl of SaaS tools. Right now we are asking colleagues to juggle and context switch too much, as point solutions have been brought in over time. Reducing the number of tools in use day-to-day helps everyone learn more of the skills they need to do their jobs well, and controls cost as a nice bonus.

Excluding smartphones, what piece of technology could you not live without and why?

Music streaming, because even when things are tense or the workload is a lot, music helps us step back and bring a bit of joy to life.

Tech, particularly in the workplace, can feel like a "fun sponge" but there are so many opportunities in workplace tech to add joy.

What excites you most about the future of IT?

Tech underpins so much of modern life and the current AI hype has helped surface some important existential questions about the role of tech in enabling humans. I hope to see this conversation continue. It's exciting to be part of the community of leaders that will ensure great tech enables brilliant humans to solve the big problems out there.

What talent are you quietly proud of that would never show up on LinkedIn?

One of the many reasons I'm fond of Scotland is the incredible range of whiskies that are made here. Having spent a lot of time on the islands off the west coast, I can pretty confidently identify just from taste the whisky from every Islay distillery.

What’s your most-used keyboard shortcut or command that you wish everyone knew?

Like all my peers, I'm a chronic multi-tasker meaning I normally have too many applications windows open at once. The alt + ` (backtick) command for swapping between windows in the same application is so useful when you're jumping between documents.