Wiebo Grobler

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

Born in South Africa, Wiebo Grobler studied Systems Engineering by correspondence and had to contend with the frustrations of a 28.8 kbit/s modem. The experience taught him resilience and patience, prerequisites for a career in IT.

From his first support role at Inmarsat to supporting trading floors at UBS and Deutsche Bank, those skills, combined with a strong desire to learn, helped him succeed. Today, he leads technical teams supporting one of the oldest companies in the world: the London Stock Exchange.

Outside work, he enjoys music and rugby, plays drums and guitar with his children, and values time spent with family and friends around the barbecue.

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

Working with extremely talented engineers at the cutting edge of technology in AI, Hardware testing and software, building a product first approach for our customers and employees.

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

There can be several approaches to a new project, either through Agile/Scrum/ITIL, but the first thing I do is ensure I bring the right people onboard with the correct skills for the project and the right access to be able to do their jobs.

Ensure you have a clear goal from the business on what needs to be delivered, don't make assumptions.

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

ServiceNOW ticket management and automation, using either Copilot or ChatGPT, to create agents that can resolve or respond to minor tech issues using trusted KBs and senior engineer-reviewed solutions.

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

My headphones. Listening to music or tech podcasts when commuting in and out of the office helps me to shift my focus and often leads to resolving problems that have been at the back of mind for some time.

What excites you most about the future of IT?

The astounding leap in technology, not just from GPU/NPU but quantum computing and AI, and how it can be used to further assist - especially in medical, biology and astronomy fields.

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

I am a published author and have won several awards for my short story and flash fiction writing.

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

Control + Command + Q for Macs to insta-lock your screen.