Andrew Jordan has been with global broadcasters, producers and entertainers NBC Universal for close to two years. He’s been a CTO for the Thomson Reuters group and held business technology leadership roles at DunHumby and Citi in the past. NBC Universal has  set up Media Labs, a new $72 million (£44 million) innovation hub at the US media and entertainment company. Media Labs will be based at the new NBC Universal Technology Center, a "state-of-the-art technology centre" in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, which will be the new headquarters for the company's core technology team. What the judges said: “They have recognised that their world is changing,” Edward Qualtrough “His role is too big to drive the labs himself, but it is his idea. The challenge is how do they transform how they look to the end consumer. I’m impressed that he wants to keep pushing, but what I’m struggling with is, did he paint a picture of what the NBC delivery model will be in three years time?” Mike Altendorf “Can they cannibalise their own market?” Adam Gerrard “He’s using labs to spot threats and that is good.” Ian Cox When did you start your current role?2012 Have you completed an MBA?Yes Order the following sources of advice/information by value to you: In-house Analyst Peer Group Vendors Consultant Technology strategy and spending What is the major transformational IT project that has been recently completed, or is underway at your organisation?The launch of Media Labs, the company's first dedicated division focused on innovation and business acceleration through the use of technology. This group, located in London and New Jersey, but managed by me in London, looks to deliver targeted projects that can rapidly incubate solutions that will provide sustained and long-term commercial benefits across all our lines of business. What impact will it/does it have on the organisation?In a world where technology, both at a consumer and an industrial level, are changing at an exponential scale it is absolutely vital to have a capability to inform the businesses early enough of their potential impact such that they can accommodate to become a competitive advantage. This could be in response to major shifts in consumer behaviour, industry advances such as 4K, or threats to existing business models such as time-shifting. It is also there to advise and assist with industry threats coming from emerging technology challenges such as in the areas of anti-piracy or geo-blocking. It acts as the centre of knowledge informing the organisation on technology trends within industry. The group also provides the resource and capability to allow businesses to incubate, prototype and launch new business ideas using an entrepreneurial model. What new strategic technology deals has your organisation struck and with whom?This new business division has only just been launched so any future commercial arrangements have yet to be established. That said, the intent is very much to forumlate partnerships with other industry participants, academic bodies, VCs and Private Equity as well as engaging heavily with the start-up community. IT operational spend compared to the revenue or company turnover as a percentage?Significant and within industry benchmarks. What is the strategic aim of the CIO and IT operations for the next financial year?As the media industry adapts to changes in consumer behaviour, and global expansion in the digital and new media space (e.g. iTunes and Amazon) it is incumbent on the technology functions to ensure the business is scaled and able to quickly adapt to these changes as and when they occur. This strategy ensures Media Labs works seamlessly with the rest of the technology and operations groups, drawing upon a wide range of expertise and advising on these changes in industry and the optimal solutions around adaptability. Transformation achievements Would you describe the CIO role as a transformation leader in your organisation?It is increasingly as much a part of the business dialogue as it is the senior representative in technology and operations. Describe the transformations you have led / been involved in, how did they transform operations, customer experience or the organisation?About a year ago I piloted an enterprise social collaboration platform. This was not launched in the sense of doing formal due diligence and vendor selection but instead it was put in the hands of a few key individuals to test and trial. Since that point, the platform has gone viral and is widely adopted, and there are now plans in place to implement this solution company-wide. This has been especially effective at bringing operational efficiencies across all our international locations which, in many cases, experienced barriers to collaboration due to geography, timezone and language. Beyond technology, can you describe a business transformation programme that you own or contribute to?I run the Digital Task Force, a cross-organisation, cross-discipline group focused on setting the future strategy and agenda in the digital space. What key technologies are being considered to enable transformation?Without being specific in vendors, technologies around social collaboration, enterprise search and community are key to success. What percentage of your applications / infrastructure is run from the Cloud?Still a relatively small percentage but growing. How is the use by employees of their own technology, use of mobiles and social networking impacting operations, customer experiences or the organisation at present?This is still under evaluation. Do you have a plan in place for how to deal with shadow IT and BYOD. How do you influence and engage executives, place the right controls around employee choice and engage with the organisation on this issue?Yes, but still early in analysis. Where do you seek transformational inspiration from?Regular and consistent engagement within the industry and fellow CIOs. The CIO role in the business Who do they report to?Chairman Does the CIO have a seat on the board?Yes How often do you meet with the CEO?Weekly Does your organisation have a digital leader and what is the difference in their responsibilities to yours?No The IT department How many staff make up the IT team?(What is the split between in-house/outsourced staff)About a 30/70 split outsourced to permanent Describe the CIO’s management team, do you have direct reports that develop the relationship and services between the business and IT?Yes, a direct alignment with individual senior managers who map onto each line of business