Steve Woodward

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2024.

Steven Woodward is the Global Head of Blockchain Strategy for Anglo American, a leading global mining company. He works across the group to coordinate and align blockchain projects for maximum benefit from this maturing technology. Building on the business's ongoing initiatives, including being the founding member of the World Economic Forum's Mining and Metals Blockchain Initiative, Steven is responsible for working inside and outside the group to act as a thought leader, visionary and evangelist, leading strategic and commercial debates, speaking at conferences, writing white papers and hosting Blockchain forums.

How did you get into IT?

Showing my age, but I first started writing code by copying it out of magazines onto my grandfather's BBC Micro. From there, I was hooked, although I was very close to taking a different path at university: I had completed my RAF flying scholarship but failed the eye test for a fast jet pilot, so I decided on a computer science degree instead. The rest is history.

What do you consider your greatest IT achievement of the last 12 months?

Driving the blockchain strategy within an established enterprise is all about delivering real-world use cases, and one incredible achievement is the launch of Valutrax, our product for traceability and provenance, in support of our ESG values and commitments. Based upon blockchain, this provides our customers, and our customers' customers, access to assured key provenance and sustainability indicators.

How do you ensure diversity is taken into account in your IT recruitment?

Inclusion and diversity is a key importance to me, especially during the recruitment process. I try to have male and female representation during the interview process and have used early talent in the past as well. I feel that this helps twofold: first, if the candidate can't relate and accept questions from people starting their career and most likely junior to them, they might not be the right person for the job. Second, this gives exposure to the early talent on what it's like to interview someone. If I actively demonstrate inclusivity and diversity, they will as well as they interview others during their career.

Which technology are you currently most excited by, and why?

I wouldn't be in my current role unless I was excited by blockchain. From the huge opportunity in transparency, lineage and provenance that blockchain offers to the new paradigms and business models created based on a decentralised and distributed governance structure, there is so much to go after. Although an important point, blockchain is not the answer to every business problem and is so much more than cryptocurrencies.

What would an outsider find the most surprising part of your job?

One thing about my job is the relationships needed to help deliver the business value that blockchain can offer... However. this means my conversations range from talking about Istanbul Byzantine Fault Tolerance consensus, to talking about future derivative trading, to understanding our shipping fleet ebills of lading.

What's your secret talent?

While I can't claim this to be current, I did learn to fly a plane before I had my driver's licence. It has been a while since I have flown but the passion is still there, and who knows? I might just start again.

What makes you laugh?

I love a good comedy film, with comedy action films the best. My youngest daughter Alice loves movie nights, so finding a film to watch at home or the cinema that makes us laugh is great.