“Fix IT!” That directive from the CEO of a leading Swedish B2B electrical goods wholesaler became the starting point for a profound transformation. Starting in November 2023, the construction market had shifted dramatically, impacting both revenue and profitability. Compounding the challenge was a digital and IT development strategy completely out of alignment with business needs, an IT department the same size as the executive management team, and a growing sense of internal chaos and lack of focus.
As interim CIO, Roy stepped into this challenge with a clear vision: to transform IT from a cost center into a strategic enabler. Our mission was to move from chaos to control, establishing a scalable, business-driven IT organization. But we didn’t stop there. We began to strategically position IT at the forefront of the company’s future, owning the crucial data and AI agenda alongside driving essential modernization.
In less than two years, we’ve built the foundation for an IT organization where “All IT should be IT.” This wasn’t just about technical upgrades; it was about instilling a culture of value creation, ensuring every IT initiative directly supported business objectives while meeting rigorous global standards for IT security, data governance, and cost efficiency.
This achievement is even more remarkable considering the challenging environment. We executed this transformation in a declining market, facing immense business demand for modern digital and IT solutions, all without any additional budget. Many called it impossible. We made it happen.
Next to structure, technology, we also worked on culture. As a starter, average age in the IT department was high and no women were employed. Within 1 year we had 7 women employed, including 1 manager and diversified the age mix resulting in almost 40 years age difference between the youngest and the most senior employee. This created a totally different attitude and department.
My sincere gratitude goes to the incredible teams in Sweden and the three CEOs I had the privilege of reporting to during this intense and rewarding journey. The transformation isn’t fully complete, but the conditions are firmly in place for sustained IT delivery that will make a difference.
Would you like to explore specific aspects of this IT transformation, such as our IT operating model, the strategies used for modernisation, or how we managed to achieve this without additional budget? Drop us a note.
