Supriti Singh

Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK in 2025.

Supriti is the Chief Information Officer for the UK, India, Middle East and Africa region at Arup. She is responsible for driving transformation that delivers value by harnessing the power of digital to help solve some of the toughest problems in the built and natural environment.

Born in India, Supriti is an Electrical Engineering graduate with over 30 years' experience across a wide range of sectors. She has a passion for leading, developing, and motivating global diverse technology teams.

Supriti joined Arup in October 2018, prior to which she has been the CIO for TIP Trailer Services & General Electric Capital Business (Equipment Services, Europe) where she drove digital transformation programs.

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

The opportunity to bring digital transformation to life by adopting new and evolving technologies - and doing it across diverse teams spread over different countries. There is something incredibly fulfilling about seeing how a new approach or tool can genuinely improve how people work, collaborate, and deliver both impact and value outcome. I really enjoy working with teams from different regions, understanding their unique challenges, and helping them embrace technology in ways that make a real difference to their day-to-day work.

It is not just about transformation - it is about creating momentum, building confidence, and seeing progress in action

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

One of my most impactful achievements has been fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the team. This initiative aims to support individuals in enhancing their skills, expanding their knowledge, and attaining industry-recognised qualifications that contribute to both personal advancement and organisational growth. I have actively encouraged team members to pursue upskilling opportunities and enrol in certification programs such as the Chartered IT Professional (CITP) and RITTech.

The initiative has received strong engagement from colleagues across both the UK and India, with many currently working towards certification milestones. Several team members have already successfully achieved their credentials, setting a positive precedent and clearly demonstrating the value of ongoing professional development.

What's the biggest challenge facing IT leaders today, and how are you tackling it?

Keeping the organisation secure in an increasingly complex digital world. Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, and the shift to cloud, AI and hybrid work has expanded our risk surface significantly. Balancing this with the need to drive innovation is a constant challenge - especially when compliance demands are evolving, and talent is scarce.

To tackle this, we have taken a proactive, integrated approach. We have built layered defences, real-time monitoring, and strong governance. But I believe that security isn't just a technical problem - it is a people issue too. That's why we have focused on cultivating a strong security culture through awareness, training, and open engagement across teams. Security is built into our digital initiatives from day one, not bolted on later. And by aligning with regulatory frameworks and embedding resilience into our core, we ensure our teams can innovate confidently - without compromising trust or safety.

What piece of technology could you not live without, and why?

My smartphone. It's like my constant companion - almost a shadow - that travels with me wherever I go and provides crucial support in my day-to-day life. It's my essential hub for communication, information, and productivity, helping me stay connected with family, friends, and colleagues, access important data in real time, and manage tasks efficiently no matter where I am.

In today's world, I see the smartphone as a true extension of both our personal and professional lives - it keeps everything we need right at our fingertips.

What excites you most about the future of IT?

What excites me most about the future of IT is the incredible opportunity it offers to drive better outcomes for our clients and truly transform how we work. We are at the edge of a new digital era where technologies like AI, quantum computing, digital twins and hyper-automation are not just emerging - they are already changing the game.

I am genuinely energised by the chance to adopt these innovations and use them to help deliver our company's strategy in smarter, faster, and more impactful ways. What really inspires me is the potential to apply this next wave of technology across the real world - in the infrastructure we build, the homes we live in, the hospitals and offices we rely on and even the places we go for entertainment. We can use future of IT not just to improve efficiency, but to create more sustainable, inclusive, and intelligent environments.

As a digital leader, I find it incredibly rewarding to see how IT empowers people through continuous learning, better collaboration, or unlocking new ideas. For me, helping to build those agile, curious, and future-focused teams is one of the most exciting parts of the journey.

What’s the strangest job you’ve ever had?

I cannot think of any strangest job I have ever had, though I have had a challenging and exciting career.

If you could instantly master one new skill, what would it be?

If I could instantly master one skill, it would be coding. Earlier in my career, I had the chance to work with code, and I really enjoyed the creativity and logic that comes with it. As technology evolves so rapidly today, I often find myself thinking about how exciting it would be to translate my own ideas directly into digital solutions.

It is not just about the technical side - it is about being able to take a thought, an insight, or a challenge, and bring it to life through code. The ability to create and innovate hands-on, especially in today's world of AI and automation, is something I would love to reconnect with and develop further.