A conversation with Microsoft’s Andrew Wilson on the role of Chief Digital Officer, his obsession with technology and its impact on people

Microsoft’s Andrew Wilson on the role of the Chief Digital Officer, his obsession with technology and its impact on people, and the core leadership values that are critical today

The journey from Loughborough University to the London Stock Exchange is about 200 kilometers according to Google Maps. For Andrew Wilson, the son of a bricklayer from Northeast Lincolnshire, first-generation college graduate, and avid Star Trek fan, it might as well have been to planet Vulcan and back. His 30+ year career journey has been an adventure, ranging from running production services at London Stock Exchange, to becoming the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Microsoft, with a number of exciting roles in between.

Chief Digital Officer roles are comparatively new to the C-Suite, so you may be wondering how Andrew carved a path that led him to where he is today. It was in his role with the London Stock Exchange, where Andrew first made the connection on the direct impact technology can have on the lives people. Intrigued by the power of technology and innovation, he was constantly curious about how technology can drive change and enable businesses and people to transform and do things that were often thought impossible.

Andrew’s path continued beyond the Stock Exchange, with titles from CIO to CEO, ranging across industries from manufacturing to retail, government, pharmaceuticals and technology service. Andrew joined Microsoft as Chief Digital Officer, in January 2020.

I am excited to welcome my friend, Andrew as my next guest on The Possibilities Talk Series, where we showcase the incredible leaders who are driving innovation, transformation, and impact to make the Impossible, Possible. While working with Andrew at Accenture, I firsthand experienced many of the transformations he spearheaded as our CIO. And today, he is driving tremendous impact at Microsoft. During our conversation, Andrew defines what a CDO does, what it means to have the role as CDO at Microsoft, and how a CDO with other technology leaders including CTO, CIO, and CISO.

With technology touching every aspect of our lives, we all know that it is also changing the way we work. We talked about the new and emerging technologies that are driving this shift, and why as leaders, we need to prioritize the way we connect with our teams in a more human way. As Andrew shared, “the world is in a deeper place today than when we first started off our careers,” and the importance of being – and bringing – your whole self at work.?

The role of a Chief Digital Officer

Andrew is a renowned optimist, and I have heard him say it before, and he is still saying it today, that “There's never been a better time to be in technology.”?

The opportunity is significant, and as is often said, it is all about the details. Andrew has had the benefit of holding a number of C-Level titles and sitting in a variety of reporting structures across leading organizations – bringing a more holistic lens into how to drive change. He strongly believes that the opportunities before us, to really understand work, the series of behaviors, with telemetry data of these increasingly digital interfaces, open up an opportunity to rethink, re-tune, and re-optimize.

Very powerful sentiment, and with great power comes great responsibility. Adding another layer of great responsibility and power is how CEO Satya Nadella , and his team including Andrew, have redefined Microsoft’s mission: to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.. A very different value equation from thinking simply in terms of a feature upgrade or new widget.

So, what is digital, and how are Andrew and Microsoft thinking about the development and deployment of digital, as Customer Zero. Is Digital Transformation continuous? Is there ever an end to Digital transformation???

As CDO, how is Andrew approaching the future of work, culture, data and communications??

Technology & The Future of Work

A common thread in all of my conversations for this series is the many lessons learned over the last 2+ years that we can apply going forward. What I find particularly interesting is how this experience has uniquely shaped the leadership perspectives for my guests, and how they are approaching and redefining the future for their organizations with technology at the core and the need to prioritize the way we connect with our teams in a more human way. Andrew’s insights around leadership qualities and planning for the future is equally powerful. As Andrew shared, “the world is in a deeper place today and it is important to bring your whole self at work.?

?How is Andrew planning for the future, and specifically, setting design and technology priorities?

The conversation keeps coming back to flexibility.?

Shifting gears to the employee experience and how we collectively can thrive and drive impact for our organizations, Andrew discusses platforms like Viva, which he recently launched at Microsoft . As shared by Microsoft, Viva brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources, and insights in the flow of work. Platforms like this will become core to any organization, as we prioritize behavior data and use it to better engage with teams, collaborate and communicate, with increased focus on health and wellness.

We also talked about the Metaverse and Microsoft Mesh , and the overall impact that Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies are having on the way we work and live. Take a moment to listen to Andrew share the incredible possibilities these innovations can bring.

Being a Human-Centric Leader

I always ask, how do you help people achieve work-life balance, and how do you encourage your team to prioritize their physical and mental health??

Another strong sentiment Andrew shared is why it is essential for leaders and people managers to focus on the needs for their teams as “humans.” While this may seem obvious, this was not typical just a few years ago, and was not the norm when Andrew and I started our careers.?

On the topic of leadership, I asked Andrew, what experiences shaped him as a leader, and what qualities does he admire in a leader?

Andrew feels strongly that the “maturation of leadership cognizance is important.” People are not looking to just work and gain a paycheck. They place a premium?on leadership, culture, and bringing their whole selves to work, and value others who do the same. It is also drives us to be better leaders, learn from one another and continuously innovate by gaining knowledge and experiences through human interactions.

Getting Personal with Andrew

Earlier in the conversation, I shared that Andrew’s passion for technology stems from his curiosity on how it can impact the way people live and work. For him, it is critically important to observe how people interact with technology and what we can learn in the way that innovation and technological advancement can benefit our work and society at large.

Andrew’s life experiences and personal interactions haves shaped the person he is today. His roots from a small town in England has grounded him to be a human-centered leader. The life lessons from his early childhood and influences from his family gave him the foundation to always remain authentic. As a young professional in London, he was driven by technological shift that was happening in business. This is where he saw the true power of technology, and he knew he wanted to be a part of how it could shape the future of our economy and society.

By 2013, Andrew had built a successful career at Accenture, rising through the ranks to become CIO and a senior business leader. During his 30+ year career at Accenture, Andrew not only achieved business success, but also became a visible advocate and champion for inclusion and diversity. He created opportunities for the next generation of talent to experience an equal and inclusive culture, where people can be their true selves and deliver exceptional results. At the time, very few organizations fostered a workplace culture that embraced inclusivity and diversity. In many ways, Andrew was ahead of the times in laying the groundwork that created opportunities for the next generation of talent to thrive.

Today, Andrew resides in Los Angeles with his husband Kenny, and continues to live these values at Microsoft and in the local community – empowering those around him to be their best and authentic selves.

If you find yourself in conversation with Andrew, you will also learn very quickly his love for Star Trek, building with Legos, his cats and his hopes of the return of Dr. Who. He may also tell you a story or two about the time he dressed up as James Bond for a company meeting or staged a Tonight Show-like setup to bring humor and humility to the workplace. These experiences demonstrate Andrew’s ability to insert a unique level of energy and excitement that have been core to how he relates to people and builds authentic relationships. In today’s world, we know how important these gestures can be to engage and energize people. ?

In closing, I always ask my guests what advice they would share with their younger selves, earlier in their careers. Here is what Andrew had to share.?

Andrew, as always, it has been a pleasure talking with you. You are doing some amazing things at Microsoft.. Keep innovating, keep bringing new technologies that will transform the way we live and work – and most importantly, keep spreading your sense of humor and humility.?

Please click here to watch my entire conversation with Andrew. ?