Welcome to the IT Pro Panel Profile, where we talk to the CIOs, experts and IT leaders that make up the IT Pro Panel, and discover their top tech, pet peeves and IT inspirations.
Coordinating the IT for one organisation can be more than enough of a challenge for many CIOs - so imagine having to do it for twenty. That’s the challenge faced by Michael Duggan, global CIO for Oxfam International. Oxfam as a whole is made up of 20 independent organisations, with Oxfam International acting as a governing body to coordinate strategy.
The reliability of Oxfam’s IT is more critical than most organisations, as lives often depend of the ability of its members to effectively collaborate and share information. Combine that with working environments that are often hostile, inhospitable and poorly-connected, and you have a very challenging environment for any CIO.
What’s the best way to address such a problem? Well, if you ask Duggan, the answer is by moving to the cloud. A big advocate of the transformative power of SaaS, Duggan has used the cloud to transform how Oxfam operates.
Michael Duggan
Global CIO - Oxfam International
Describe your role in 20 words or fewer.
Global CIO tasked with consolidating and transforming our enterprise capability and supporting the organisation’s transition to new digital operating models.
What was your first computer?
I started out on an Amstrad CPC 464 - the very first home computer that Amstrad made.
What do you like most about working in IT?
I love the constant change and new innovations that are part of this industry.
If you could magically get rid of one piece of technology forever, what would it be, and why?
I’d ditch thick clients with builds (like Windows and macOS), which are a huge drain on resources to maintain. I’d prefer shifting to employee owned digital devices with IT moving up a layer.
What future tech innovations are you most excited about?
I’m really excited about virtual reality - I think we’re really underestimating its potential impact.
Who’s your biggest inspiration in the world of tech?
Lou Gerstner, IBM’s CEO during the 1990’s. IBM was in a tricky spot, but he managed to get an elephant to dance.
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