Françoise Russo
Chief Digital and Technology Officer
Aramex
Francoise Russo is the Chief Digital and Technology Officer for Aramex, and a Governing Body Member of the Gartner Middle East CIO Community.
Learn more about the Middle East CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I started as a graduate within the Information Technology department of a Fortune 500 global organisation. I progressed from there into several roles, transitioning across different IT functions. I also accepted secondments into business roles – reporting to non-IT managers. My roles included business facing and transformation project management roles, often with a specialty in a particular domain. Ultimately, I progressed to more senior general management roles within technology and then to CIO.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
I believe in leading by example – role modelling the behaviour I would like to see and never asking for what I am not prepared to do myself.
What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
The CIO challenge today is that it is so multi-faceted – technical enough to face into IT and commercial enough to face into the business. Dealing with legacy technology that is 25 years old and driving change through innovation, AI and opportunities. Staying on top of it all as it unfolds, and being agile enough to adapt is a critical skill I have had to develop.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
Resilience is key – it can feel frustrating but keep going. Find your networks and sponsors (needed more than mentors) and don’t be afraid to take on opportunities when they come. Keep learning and growing and build your confidence and authenticity. Great communication, staying focused on enabling business while always being curious and learning in the fast-evolving world of technology. A successful CIO is one that is not leading a functional silo but focused on how technology can contribute to what the organisation needs.
How do you measure success as a leader?
There are different measures for different outcomes. Customers (whether internal or external) loving and using the solutions we create is definitely a significant one. Teams that are enjoying their work and stretched to be the best version of themselves is another. Feeling like I am making a valuable contribution and leaving the organisation better than I found it is a personal one for me.
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