OPERATIONS
What did your time in retail and at Accenture teach you about how organisations really work, and how has that shaped the way you lead Blue Yonder? My first job after graduating from University College London was with Andersen Consulting, which became Accenture. It allowed me to use code to solve problems in the real world. My first project was implementing a warehouse management system( WMS) in London, so I was involved in supply chain very early in my career. I’ ve always worked on the product and consultative sides. That taught me customer empathy, which plays a crucial role in the way I lead Blue Yonder. We want to solve real problems and drive real value for customers.
You helped take Retek from a small player through hyper-growth, IPO and sale. What did you learn about scaling teams, and your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader? I joined in 1997, and it was a rocket ship. We took it public in 1999 at the height of irrational exuberance. I learned a lot about the lessons of hypergrowth, including that without dedication and follow-through, everything breaks. Back then, software companies were way over their skis in terms of what they could really deliver, and there was a lot
of vaporware. It taught me the importance of having people who can help deliver what you’ re promising to customers – a lot of companies went by the wayside because they couldn’ t do that.
You built Oracle’ s retail business to number‐one global market share – what does it take to grow a category leading business? In my experience, if you get the product right everything else takes care of itself. You also need to be courageous enough to challenge conventional thinking. In terms of talent, I find that good talent wants to
134 May 2026