Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the biggest talking point among IT leaders in 2025—both the new capabilities and capabilities of the technology, and the challenges of implementing it at scale and in a way that delivers measurable benefits.
For the digital, data and technology leaders Computer Weekly is privileged to speak to every week, incorporating AI into their broader strategies and managing often-inflated expectations only adds to the challenges of one of the most important jobs in any modern organization.
All this comes as they struggle to tightly control costs in a still challenging economy and juggle skills shortages, talent development and cybersecurity. So how well are they doing?
Computer Weekly gets access to some of the top technology leaders in the world, and the details they share make for fascinating reading for anyone looking to develop and implement an IT strategy to improve their business, support employees and advance their careers.
Here are Computer Weekly's 10 best interviews with IT executives in 2025:
The BBC's Research and Development Unit serves public purposes which it believes Directed by Jatin Aitorais to make some of the technologies and inventions he creates available for free or at a very low cost. Aitora sees his job as helping to achieve technical breakthroughs that the news and media industry could benefit, and he said the BBC's R&D department had been doing this for many years. Computer Weekly talks to him about self-belief and learning in different industries.
The UK Map Service has moved far away from paper maps and is now looking to use artificial intelligence to understand, interpret and extract information from geographic data. CTO Manish Jethwa has a long-standing passion for turning geographic data into useful informationand he leads development in the next generation organization geospatial technologies.
As a technologist who also leads corporate operations, CTO Thomson Reuters believes her technical background gives her a unique advantage as the business information group seeks to transform its products using artificial intelligence. That's why its mission is to use digital systems to transform internal processes and customer service.
Richard Masters Vice President of Data and Artificial Intelligence, Virgin Atlanticis an expert in enterprise data, but his career began elsewhere – space. Before turning to analytics, Masters received a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Oxford. He now applies his expertise in astrophysics to the nitty-gritty details of using artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience.
The vehicle restoration specialist is looking to the power of artificial intelligence and connected vehicle technology to improve the customer experience and get motorists back on the road in the shortest possible time. Group CIO Anthony Hausdorfer implements a digital transformation plan.
Digital media plays a key role in attracting nearly two billion Premier League football fans around the world, with data analytics and artificial intelligence playing an increasingly important role. For Alexandra Willis, Director of Digital Media and Audience Development As the organization that runs top-level club football in England, the priority is to create data-driven experiences that keep fans engaged and entertained off the pitch.
Among the questions a technology leader might consider is: What does it mean to be innovative and, perhaps, what technologies can be used to implement an innovation strategy? Considering the main way people tend to place bets, Bet365 through a mobile application, Alan Reid, Head of Platform Innovation at Bet365 Hillside Technologytalks to Computer Weekly about how generative AI changes people's attitudes interact with computers.
Kate Balingit leads the digital health initiative at Mars Pet Nutrition, reporting to the pet care company's CIO, where she oversees commercialization and implementation artificial intelligence through well-known pet food brands such as Pedigree, Iams, Sheba and Whiskas. She talks to Computer Weekly on how to make artificial intelligence relevant for your brands to support pet health.
Dan Keyworth, Director of Business Technology V McLaren Racingsays his role is to manage the technology at the cutting edge of Formula 1, all the IT infrastructure that needs to be deployed at Grand Prix racing and the IT that keeps McLaren Racing's business going in the right direction.
The world of performing arts is in a completely different universe compared to the bits, bytes and IT infrastructure that Keith Nolan and the Royal Ballet and Opera IT team spend their working hours at home. He talks about how IT reduces costs and helps drive innovation to become world class.
