The new CDIO stack: Tech, talent and storytelling

When people hear my title — chief digital and information officer — most of them immediately think of technology — cloud, Data, AI, Cybersecurity. They imagine servers, dashboards, code. And, to be fair, all of that is part of my world.

But if I describe my job only in terms of technology, I am telling you a very incomplete story. Over the last few years, I’ve come to see my role as the architect of a three-layer stack: Tech, talent and storytelling.

Think of it as a new kind of CDIO architecture. If any layer is weak, the whole thing wobbles.

Let me start from the bottom. As with any robust structure, the base is always the best place to start.

Layer 1: Tech — The platforms that quietly carry the weight

The first layer is the one everyone ‘expects’. We built strong platforms: cloud infrastructure that can flex with the business, data platforms that bring together information from plants, systems and markets, analytics and AI capabilities that sit on top of that data, and a solid cyber posture to protect all of it.

Let me tell you, this layer is not glamorous.

A lot of it is plumbing, wiring, standards, clean-up. But if this foundation is weak, nothing we talk about in transformation really works. So, a big part of my early journey was about this quiet construction. We rationalized applications, modernised where it made sense, moved workloads to cloud in a thoughtful way, built shared data models instead of islands, and most importantly — put in place basic hygiene first — backup, monitoring, incident response.

This unseen but critical foundation makes all visible transformation and innovation possible, highlighting why careful attention to its integrity is non-negotiable for organizational success. This layer is like the engine room of a ship. Most people never see it. But if it fails, everyone feels it.

Layer 2: Talent — The bridges between business and technology

The second layer was not about machines at all. It was about people, about changing the talent mix so that digital is no longer “their” thing — it becomes “our” thing.

We realised that if we kept thinking in terms of “IT people” and “business people”, we would always be negotiating across a wall. So we started investing in hybrid roles:

• Product owners who understand a real business process and can shape a digital solution around it.
• Business translators who can take a problem from a plant or a function and express it in terms that data and tech teams can actually build.
• Digital champions embedded in plants and offices who are the first level of advocacy and support.

In one of our plants, for example, the quality team became the champion for a product line traceability project. They knew the COPQ and impact on yield, the quirks of the line, the real pain points. When they co-owned the solution, adoption went up dramatically. Not to mention the real-world measurable benefits we could draw from the project.

We tapped existing people who were naturally curious and tech-friendly. We brought in a few from outside. And we deliberately created career paths that rewarded those who could bridge the two worlds.

The quality of conversation changed. Instead of business saying “IT is pushing tools we don’t need” and IT saying “business doesn’t know what it wants,” we started having joint discussions about required outcomes – reducing rework, improving forecast accuracy, cutting order cycle time, improving first-time-right.

The stack was getting stronger. But something was still missing.

Layer 3: Storytelling — The narrative that makes it all make sense

The third layer is the one that surprised even me.

We noticed a pattern. Even when we had good platforms and strong talent, some initiatives would start with a bang and fizzle out. The technology worked. The pilot results were good. But momentum died. When we dug deeper, we realised the issue was not in the code. It was in the story.

The operators on the shop floor, the sales teams, the plant heads and the board were all hearing slightly different stories about “digital”.

For some, it sounded like extra work.

For others, it sounded like a threat.

For a few, it sounded like a distant corporate project that didn’t touch their day.

We needed one simple, honest narrative that made sense to all of them.

For a cable plant supervisor, the story has to be:

“This tool will reduce your rework, make your shift handover easier, and help you go home on time.”

For a sales leader, the story might be:

“This analytics model will help you predict demand better so you don’t lose orders because of stock-outs, and you don’t get stuck with inventory you can’t move.”

For the board, the story is:

“These capabilities will make the company more resilient, more competitive and better prepared for new business models.”

The underlying platforms are the same. The data is the same. The AI models may even be the same. But the way we frame it changes completely depending on who is listening. That is where storytelling comes in. As CDIO, I realised that a big part of my job is to be the chief storyteller of the digital journey. To say, again and again, in plain language:

• Why we’re doing this
• What will change
• What will get easier, not just harder
• How we will know it is working

We started using real stories from our own organization — a plant where a small digital change cut scrap, a team that reduced manual reporting, a manager who went from sceptic to champion. Those stories travelled faster than any slide deck. When we honoured the early adopters publicly, when we shared simple “before and after” narratives, people started to see themselves in the journey. Digital was no longer a buzzword. It became a story they could tell in their own words.

Why this stack matters

So when I talk about the “new CDIO stack,” I am really talking about a new way of understanding this role.

Yes, I am responsible for technology. If the platforms are not robust, I have failed at the most basic level.

Yes, I am responsible for talent. If we don’t have the right mix of skills — product, data, architecture, change — we cannot deliver.

But I am also responsible for the narrative.

If our people don’t understand why we are transforming, if they can’t see what’s in it for them and for the company, then even the best technology and the best people will underdeliver.

For me, the real maturity of a digital organization shows when these three layers are aligned.

Tech carries the weight.

Talent builds the bridges.

Storytelling lights the path.

That, in my view, is the new stack a CDIO has to own. Not just systems, not just skills, but also the story that makes all of it meaningful.

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