Ahmed Hasan, Global Technology and Transformational Leader
- James Pepper
- Feb 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 12
I met with Ahmed Hasan, a transformational leader and digital guru, at
the IoD in London, to chat all things technology transformation and
innovation at large scale corporations.
JP: You’ve had a rich and varied career to date, could you start by telling us a bit about
yourself, your career journey, roles and goals, ups and downs, lessons learned...
AH: Following my degree in Geology, I spent several years in the oil industry, where I quickly developed a knack for technology—writing C-Shell scripts and HTML code. This led me to pursue my goal of a career in technology, which has allowed me to travel and work across the world in a wide range of industries. Over the years, my career has evolved from an IT Infrastructure Manager to a global Chief Information/Digital Officer.
Perhaps, I must be a masochist because I’ve always sought out challenging roles (or
perhaps they’ve sought me out), where others have perhaps struggled, finding I thrive in the pressure and ambiguity that often walks hand-in-hand with these situations. These
environments have ultimately strengthened my resilience, clear thinking, and ability to
innovate under pressure, and allowed me to really accelerate value to the business.
One of the most transformative experiences in my career was training to become a Master Lean Leader. The tools and techniques I learned in that role significantly increased my value and contributions to the companies I have had the pleasure of working for. At the time I didn’t realise how pivotal this experience would be for my career growth. My advice to others? When presented with an opportunity to explore a new area—take it! It may unlock doors in your career that you never even knew existed.
JP: As Chief Digital Officer at GE Life Sciences, you led significant technology-driven
initiatives. Could you share an example of how these initiatives contributed to
revenue targets and fostered a culture of innovation?
I’ve always had a mindset geared towards improvement and innovation, constantly
thinking about how products and processes can be optimised. This instinct has followed me throughout my career and at GE Life Sciences (GELS), this mindset led to a major
transformation. Tasked with enhancing brand recall and visibility during the consideration
phase of the purchase journey, I developed a digital strategy focused on connecting
current and potential customers with each other and with our products.
I assembled a small team to create a personalised B2B website—a destination-style
knowledge base where research scientists and lab technicians could learn, share best
practices, and engage with GE experts. As word spread, enthusiasm and interest in the
platform grew, and so did the team. We then expanded the initiative, integrating an
eCommerce engine to simplify access to our product portfolio. The momentum continued as we built apps, integrated disconnected systems, and brought data to life.
This culture of curiosity and creativity proved incredibly successful, opening new sales
channels, strengthening brand growth, and increasing engagement—demonstrating
that digital transformation isn’t just about technology; it’s about empowering people to think differently.
JP: At Spark44, the consolidation of 75 agencies reportedly saved over £65 million in
agency fees. What were the key challenges you faced, and how did this impact JLR?
AH: Spark44 was an innovative business model—somewhere between an in-house and
outsourced marketing and advertising agency. Co-owned by Spark44 and JLR, its core
mission was not only to reduce costs but also to enhance brand performance and sales
globally.
As part of the agency consolidation, our team grew overnight from 200 to 1,000+
employees, presenting three major challenges:
Ways of Working – Merging multiple agencies meant unifying different work styles.
Using Lean methodologies, we conducted workshops and invested in a workflow tool to align delivery processes across key hubs.
Over 12 months, we achieved consistency and continuously improved quality.
Data & Technology Fragmentation – Brand consistency globally was at an all-time low. To address this, we leveraged existing workflow technology and introduced a digital asset management tool alongside a retailer marketing system. We also implemented a team of Cybrarians (not a villainous Doctor Who race!) to manage metadata and tagging, significantly improving global brand consistency and messaging.
Cultural Shift – A sudden expansion diluted Spark44’s original start-up culture. To
rebuild it, we launched a Digital Acceleration Programme—a strategy that put content
where consumers are while driving innovation and creativity. This programme became
the foundation for a new digital-first culture.
The impact on JLR was profound—beyond the financial savings, we contributed to a 50%
increase in sales, improved consumer sentiment, and a surge in industry awards for
digital innovation, further strengthening trust and engagement within JLR.
JP: As Head of Business Transformation at BAT, you led a major global initiative to
modernise business processes and ERP technology. How did these transformations
align with BAT’s ambitions?
AH: I have long believed that technology should never be implemented for technology’s
sake. Over the past 15 years, I’ve made it a core leadership principle to ensure that every
technology initiative serves a strategic business purpose.
At BAT, our transformation focused on simplifying processes across back-office and
supply chain functions, making them more adaptable to evolving business needs. Once
streamlined, we configured ERP applications to support these changes.
The key to success was ensuring process agility and automation. Leveraging Microsoft’s
hyper-scaler capabilities and SAP’s latest version, we laid the foundation for a more
responsive, future-ready business. This transformation would allow for operational
efficiency, product innovation, and stronger organisational competencies, ensuring
BAT remains agile and resilient in a rapidly changing market.
JP: How do you balance the need for standardised processes with regional flexibility in
global transformations?
Balancing standardisation and flexibility in global transformations is incredibly complex.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve found that business processes often evolve not due to legal
requirements but from habit, legacy workflows, or localised preferences.
To drive change effectively, I follow a structured, collaborative approach using Lean and
MVP frameworks. This involves:
Mapping an ideal value stream and challenging why it wouldn’t work
Collaborating with process owners to co-create a viable transformation model
Documenting a global process framework, using the 80/20 rule for localisation
This approach ensures consistency where it matters while allowing necessary flexibility in
highly regulated or culturally diverse markets.
JP: What is the key to successful technology-enabled business transformation?
AH: Whether I’ve been tasked with transforming a function, online commercial channel or end-to-end full business global transformation, I follow a framework I’ve developed over time called COSMIC:
C – Commitment: Align stakeholders, secure leadership buy-in and ensure
accountability. There can be no turning back or pausing once we start.
O – Optics: Clearly communicate the transformation’s purpose and impact. Top to bottom
the organisation has to know what we’re doing, where and why.
S – Strategy: Define scope, governance, and execution plans. Build in flexibility and base
the plans on a worse case scenario.
M – Mechanics: Assemble the right internal team, technology vendors, and deployment
partners. You will need a committed and engaged A-Team to get this over the finish line.
I – Innovation: Automate, simplify, and improve processes as the project unfolds.
Encourage the team to challenge and ideate at all stages of the transformation.
C – Change Management: Prioritise communication, training, and recognition throughout. Communicate, communicate and communicate!
So many transformations fail due to insufficient change management. Ensuring clear,
consistent communication and employee engagement is crucial for long-term success.
JP: What advice would you give to CIOs and business leaders navigating rapid
technological change?
1. Master Storytelling – Break large transformations into digestible narratives.
Communicate with energy and enthusiasm to drive engagement.
2. Collaborate Relentlessly – Bring stakeholders, vendors, and teams into the fold.
Challenge the status quo and foster transparency.
3. Trust Your Teams – Give them the autonomy to define new ways of working and
grow as leaders.
4. Lead with Integrity – You don’t need all the answers. Be approachable, adaptable,
and fun to work with!
5. Keep it simple – remember this key phrase…Out of the Box is a myth and Customisation
is a sin. Reduce system complexity to maximise functional adaptability.
Comments