Introduction

How are C-level technology and information leaders navigating increasingly choppy and murky waters? Is a new playbook emerging for demonstrating top-and-bottom-line benefits from technology investments? And what new paradigms are developing to balance profitability with purpose?

On Wednesday 25 January 2023, Chief Disruptor held the British Army Digital Transformation Conference at the Cavalry and Guards Club. The conference, attended by Chief Disruptor members, the British Army, as well as technology leaders from across Defence, focused on the Army’s Digital Transformation Programme (Programme THEIA).

How can CIOs stay on the path to net zero while also dealing with market volatilities, digital transformation, and rising inflationary pressures?

Since 2005, Nimbus Ninety has brought together innovators, change-makers, and disruptive thinkers to share expertise, actionable insight and strategies. In that time, we’ve helped our members unravel some of the knottiest disruptive challenges facing organisations today; from disruptive business models and mindsets to the emerging technologies shaping how we live and work. Our purpose has always been to cut through the hype and enable our members to leverage these disruptive trends and technologies through our member-led insight reports, content and community activities. This year we’ve taken the bold step of changing the name of the Nimbus Ninety community to Chief Disruptor and we want to share with you the reasons why.

More than ever, the spotlight is on organisations and how they acquire, use and leverage their data. From banking to retail to sports, maximising the value of data is a fundamental tenet of business strategies and operating models. In fact, a recent National Bureau of Economic Research study suggested that digital capital, such as data, makes up 25% of a firm’s value on average. So what are the secrets to unlocking the value of data? Nimbus Ninety, in partnership with Oracle, brought together technology and data experts to connect, share challenges and opportunities and offer up actionable insights from data-driven businesses.

Chief Disruptor LIVE made an incredible in-person return last week at The May Fair Hotel. Members, partners and speakers all converged for a day of keynotes, interviews, panels, roundtable discussions and networking. We discussed and debated the meaning of disruption, data transformation, work and wellbeing, tech for positive change, the metaverse and so much more. There might also have been a few glasses of prosecco to top it all off! Join me as we reflect upon five key takeaways from a jam-packed Chief Disruptor LIVE:

Whether organisations are mid-migration or yet to start their journey, complex, risky and expensive big data cloud migrations are staring them in the face. Siloed data, cultural issues, high costs, a skills shortage and end of support life can block the path towards a unified data platform. And, the case for innovative, data-driven insights is weakened by risks associated with information security and regulation. So what can organisations do to simplify and de-risk these big data cloud migrations? Nimbus Ninety, in partnership with Unravel Data, Appsbroker and Google Cloud, brought together members from across industry to lend support, share challenges and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy a cheese twist or two. The evening began with a presentation from Eric McCarty, Solution Manager for Data Warehouse Modernization at Google and Matt Penton, Head of Data & Analytics at Appsbroker.

Hiring new talent is no longer just about what the employees can offer, but what value the organisation can provide in return. As our State of Recovery Report found, “hiring new talent” to be the top initiative for organisational growth. Mike Miller, the Director of Talent Acquisition at Chipotle has seen first-hand which strategies work best for onboarding new employees, and he relishes crafting the people experience at the restaurant chain. We spoke with Mike to find out what the modern talent landscape looks like, and what Gen Z employees are looking for when considering a new role at Chipotle.

Sales and marketing teams have been under immense pressure from the unpredictability and uncertainty of the last 2 years and, arguably, today’s business environment is more competitive than ever. Now, organisations are realising the need to accelerate sales technology innovation to adapt to changing markets. However, this process is often hampered by outdated tools, ineffective human processes and poor forecasting. What emerges is a widening sales execution gap, the gap between potential and actual performance. Nimbus Ninety, in partnership with Outreach, brought members together to discuss strategies for building a data-driven, future-fit sales strategy that can meet the buying expectations of a digital-first world.