Q&A: AusGroup Company CIO, David Redpath

CIO Australia sat down with David Redpath, CIO at natural resources and construction services firm AGC/AusGroup, to chat about what’s at the top of his to-do list, his take on the big issues affecting CIOs and his favourite gadget.

What does an average work day involve?

The working day begins with a 5.30 alarm call and I head off to the gym. I arrive around 6am and have an hour’s workout that sets me up for the day. I will arrive at the office before 8am and from there I begin the day talking to my team to ensure they are ok and clear on their tasks for the day.

On a typical day I have back to back meetings with various part of the business, as well as consultants. However, I will block out parts of my day to meet my priorities. I normally leave the office around 4.30pm to avoid the traffic and ensure I am home for some quality family time. Once the kids are in bed I tackle any remaining emails and tasks so I am focused for the next day.

What are the major challenges you face in the role of CIO?

As CIO I find the main challenges are managing our resources and delivering the required improvements to the business. With Western Australia’s booming industry, staff recruitment and retention is a big focus at the moment as many companies are growing at a fast rate, which has led to increased competition for good staff.

What are some of the recent projects your IT department have been working on?

We have recently completed a major reshape of the infrastructure ready for the next phase in the development of the company. The selection of an ERP has also been completed after 18 months, which entailed assessing the business needs and vendors.

What’s next on the IT agenda for AusGroup?

The ERP implementation is the biggest item on the MIS agenda at the moment and will encompass all parts of the business. We have a change program that will run for four years, which has recently commenced, and with the booming resources industry we will be competing for good quality staff.

From an infrastructure point of view, we are rolling out unified communications using Microsoft Lync that will replace all desk phones with softphones, and provide enormous benefits for our employees working on remote project sites. In the coming months, our information management strategy will also be implemented.

What are the three biggest issues facing CIOs today?

What’s your favourite gadget?

At the moment it has to be my Blackberry Playbook, although it drives me insane when I think how much better it could be. Here’s hoping for the next generation!

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