Reason for the role
ERM has enjoyed significant growth for many years and has ambitious plans to build on that success through the execution of its Strategy. ERM’s Executive Committee is committed to harnessing in technology and data as a means of enabling sustainable growth and is seeking a high caliber CIO to join its executive team to lead this effort.
The remit is threefold. Firstly, the information technology (IT) foundations have not kept pace with growth in revenue and FTEs. A focus on upgrading legacy infrastructure and building a strong global IT capability is required to support future growth. Secondly, significant opportunity has been identified in the automation and enhancement of ERM’s business processes.
Thirdly, ERM’s management is focused on:
1) Using technology to enable its existing services (business lines) to become more efficient, to present stronger commercial value propositions and to become more profitable.
2) Ultimately using data that we gather on multiple projects around the world to create new sources of revenue.
A preliminary 5yr roadmap has been constructed to indicate the sequencing and time needed to implement a competitive digital strategy
ERM are looking to invest significantly over the next few years in the “Strengthen the Foundation” projects, with a further significant investment to enhance our capability and achieve our vision (“Building for the Future and Make Us Distinctive”)
It is a priority for ERM to have a technology platform that allows our staff to do their work, keep data secure and operate in an environment where we deliver to our clients. A digital focus will ensure that ERM continues to be competitive and provide world class digitally enabled solutions to its clients, across its nine global business lines.
This is an exciting time for ERM and in order to achieve the global strategy, the company is committed to investing resources to support digital transformation.
The first critical step is to hire a world class CIO – someone who can refine and secure buy-in to a DIT (“Digital, IT and Technology”) strategy and execute superbly, spearheading the digital enablement of ERM’s ambitious plans.
Role & Responsibilities - Dimensions of the role
In recognition of the criticality of our HTD Strategic Imperative to ERM’s success, the CIO will sit on the executive team and report to the CEO.
The CIO has global accountability, a current annual opex budget of c. $16M and c.80 FTEs based primarily in London but also globally.
ERM current spending in DIT overall is in line with McKinsey benchmarks
but is disproportionately skewed to basic IT run spend; with the strategic investment budget described above, this skew will be rebalanced.
The CIO will develop strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the EXCOM, Regional Leadership Teams and other Functional Leaders.
Role description
The CIO will refine and deliver the Group’s Digital and IT strategy and roadmap. They will be responsible for the delivery of a number of key technology initiatives and projects (both internally and externally facing) and have overall accountability for the efficiency and effectiveness of the technology cost centre and annual IT budget. This is a very diverse role which will remain hands on in terms of managing and delivering projects.
The CIO will:
- Develop and deliver the Group’s IT strategy and development roadmap, being responsible for the technology enablement and digital transformation.
- Develop a robust IT global capability for ERM, characterised by strong leadership, committed and high performing staff, a focus on skills, training and development, and careful management of budgets.
- Deliver suitable IT Infrastructure to support the business, including network, hardware, fixed and mobile comms, third party software applications.
- Create a strong internal customer service culture, ensuring service desk, and first, second and third line support functions efficiently deliver high quality customer service to global ERM colleagues.
- Ensure effective project management delivery, including the selection of different project management methodologies as appropriate.
- Develop strong working relationships with third party suppliers, ensuring contract compliance and effective partnership working.
- Manage IT-related risks in line with the ERM risk management process, observing good risk mitigation practice.
- Ensure management and maintenance of the ISO 27001 certification, including the management of all technology-related risks, such as Data Protection Act and data security (incorporating client data and proprietary data), Cyber-crime, Business Continuity, Intellectual Property Infringements, Licensing – completeness and accuracy.
- Ensure the appropriate IT security, governance and compliance exists so that ERM’s employee, client and supplier data is maintained in accordance with company policy and external legislation.
- Adopt an informed approach to the management of IT due diligence relating to the integration of ERM acquired companies, reflective of the purchasing agreement and any earn-out period. Similarly, ensure the IT strategy supports the ERM Business Strategy to include new country expansion, acquisitions, advancements in client services, changes in employee ‘ways-of-working’ and greater service/ cost efficiencies through technology enablement.
- Maintain a regular review of current and emerging technologies in the market, as appropriate to ERM’s business model, making business recommendations where appropriate. Act as leader for all IT staff, ensuring ERM’s vision and behaviours are embraced across the IT function.
- Select and implement from a range of technologies (RPA, AI, mobility, etc) the right tools to enable efficiency and productivity across a dispersed, mobile workforce.
- Bring commercial experience to the review of ERM’s 9 business lines, in order to decide which ones can take priority in digital enablement, to offer the best value to ERM’s customers. Develop best in class client-facing digital tools characterised by an excellent user experience and the smart use of data to create value.
- Work closely with ERM colleagues across the regions to identify opportunities for business process enhancement.
- Define and deliver a data strategy to enable staff collaboration, knowledge-sharing and effective decision-making. Data strategy to include defining data governance and data standards, data storage, access, retrieval, analytics and visualisation approaches.
- Further develop the data strategy to enable ERM to support and service its clients, leveraging a data-led capability.
Person specification
- A high energy business leader experienced in providing the vision and IT strategy to a global multi-country organization ideally to include EMEA, North America, APAC and/ or Latin America, having experience of leading large scale technology functions across multiple countries, building relationships between HQ and regional centres/local markets.
- A strategic thinker, able to shape the future IT solution that helps strengthen ERM’s market position, combined with the ability and readiness to “roll up your sleeves” and ensure successful delivery of the DIT strategy.
- Deep experience operating at a senior position, preferably as a CIO, and of successfully developing a digital team and processes which are fit for purpose, delivering great service internally and delivering projects to time, cost and quality.
- A demonstrable track record in the digital enablement of internal business processes, to drive efficiency and improve service to clients.
- Strong experience of identifying the opportunity for, and delivering, client-facing digital products to enhance competitiveness and deliver value to clients.
- A commercial and solutions-driven individual, who keeps abreast of market trends and technology developments, in order to align technology to a positive business outcome impacting on costs and service advancement; able to establish a business case for change/ investment with clear sight of ROI.
- The ideal candidate will also have experience of some or all of:
- leading the IT integration of company acquisitions, and the integration of legacy systems and processes
- defining and delivering an organisation-wide data strategy to enable the effective use of data to create value
- providing technology solutions to support a mobile workforce, to enable slick field operations
- The ability to develop excellent relationships with internal and external stakeholders, using strong communication and influencing skills to build collaboration and engage stakeholders in delivery of the DIT strategy.
- A highly credible individual, with the gravitas and experience to present at Executive Committee level and secure understanding and buy in to digital and technology initiatives.
- A relatable technical academic foundational degree would be preferred, ideally with a Masters in Business/ MBA.
- leading the IT integration of company acquisitions, and the integration of legacy systems and processes
- defining and delivering an organisation-wide data strategy to enable the effective use of data to create value
- providing technology solutions to support a mobile workforce, to enable slick field operations
