Paul Adshead MBCS

Leading global infrastructure, cloud and network platforms across 700+ locations and 19 countries, underpinning revenue-critical retail operations at scale. Accountable for global platform reliability, scalability, security and cost efficiency, owning the technology foundations that support 12,000+ colleagues and millions of customer transactions. Responsible for cloud platforms, global network connectivity, secure retail/POS environments, and digital workplace services across a highly distributed, multi-region estate. Enabling retail operations serving millions of customers through highly available, resilient and scalable technology platforms. ⸻ Key achievements: • Driving global infrastructure, cloud, and network transformation across a multi-region estate (UK, US, EU, Asia), improving platform resilience and scalability • Delivering Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) platforms replacing legacy VDI, enabling a modern, scalable digital workplace across international teams • Driving a large-scale SD-WAN rollout across a global retail estate of 700+ locations, improving uptime, resilience, and customer experience • Standardising endpoint security using Microsoft Defender across POS, desktops, and servers, strengthening security posture at global scale • Simplifying and rationalising infrastructure and network providers, reducing complexity and improving operational efficiency

Trusted by CIOs and senior stakeholders to provide independent challenge on investment direction, supplier strategy and operational simplification. Provided executive-level technology advisory and interim CTO leadership across large-scale cloud, network and digital workplace transformation programmes within complex multi-site organisations. Engaged by CIOs, boards and senior leadership teams to shape technology strategy, stabilise inherited operational environments and define commercially aligned transformation roadmaps. Included advisory engagement with Pret A Manger prior to transitioning into a permanent Global Head / CTO leadership role, following successful definition of infrastructure, cloud and digital workplace strategy. Key impact: • Defined target operating models and investment priorities across infrastructure, cloud and end-user platforms • Designed resilient multi-region cloud and identity architectures improving security, scalability and cost transparency • Supported network and service model modernisation across distributed environments to improve reliability and operational control • Provided executive challenge and strategic guidance to senior stakeholders on simplification, supplier direction and platform evolution

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) & Company Director One of three directors responsible for leading and scaling a SaaS MarTech / Customer Data Platform (CDP) business, with full accountability across technology, product, engineering, and service. Led end-to-end SaaS transformation across product, engineering, service and platform functions, culminating in successful acquisition (2024). Accountable for the global technology organisation, aligning platform strategy to commercial growth, scalability, and customer value. Key impact: • Owned and scaled the full technology lifecycle across product, engineering, service, and infrastructure, enabling delivery from concept through to live operations at scale • Defined and executed a cloud-first SaaS platform strategy, improving scalability, availability, and cost efficiency • Re-architected the data platform and customer segmentation engine, accelerating onboarding and reducing complexity across client use cases • Established operational excellence across support, incident management, SLAs, and observability, improving platform stability and customer experience • Introduced DevOps, CI/CD, and automation practices, increasing deployment frequency and reducing lead time for change • Strengthened security, governance, and compliance, enabling expansion into regulated sectors Leadership: • Executive leadership team member, aligning technology with revenue growth, margin improvement, and successful exit • Built and led a multi-disciplinary technology organisation across product, engineering, service, and infrastructure • Defined an operating model linking product strategy, engineering execution, and customer value • Drove a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

Accountable for end-to-end technology across infrastructure, platforms and operations within one of the UK’s largest logistics networks, supporting high-volume, time-critical parcel operations on a 24/7 basis. Led large-scale modernisation across cloud, infrastructure and service operations, improving platform resilience, operational efficiency and customer experience during a period of rapid business change. ⸻ Key Impact • Led transformation of technology platforms underpinning national logistics operations, improving stability, scalability and service reliability at peak volumes • Established and matured 24/7 service operations, strengthening monitoring, incident response and operational governance across a business-critical environment • Delivered cloud and infrastructure modernisation, reducing outages, improving performance and enabling scalable growth • Introduced DevOps, automation and CI/CD practices, accelerating delivery and improving release quality • Strengthened platform resilience, security and compliance, supporting high-volume parcel operations and customer SLAs ⸻ Leadership • Executive leadership team member, aligning technology strategy with operational performance, customer experience and commercial outcomes • Built and led multi-disciplinary teams across infrastructure, platforms and service operations • Drove a culture of accountability, operational excellence and continuous improvement • Transformation programme recognised with industry awards, including BCS and National Technology Awards

Provided executive-level technology advisory to support large-scale digital transformation within Yodel, shaping the transition toward a modern, scalable and cloud-aligned technology estate. Initial engagement prior to transitioning into a permanent executive leadership role (CTO), following successful delivery of transformation strategy and platform direction. Engaged by senior leadership to define target architecture, modernise legacy platforms, and establish the foundations for scalable infrastructure, digital capability and operational maturity. ⸻ Key Impact • Defined transformation strategy across infrastructure, platforms and digital capabilities, supporting Yodel’s evolution into a modern, scalable logistics technology environment • Advised on architecture, cloud adoption and platform modernisation, reducing legacy complexity and improving long-term scalability • Supported the alignment of technology strategy with business growth, operational performance and customer experience • Established foundations for subsequent large-scale transformation across infrastructure, platforms and service operations

Led enterprise infrastructure, networks, data centres and IT operations through a major organisational and technical transformation, including the separation from Carphone Warehouse and the build-out of a standalone national telecoms provider. Key impact: • Delivered one of the UK’s largest network and data centre modernisation programmes, improving resilience, performance and customer service at national scale • Simplified a complex legacy technology estate, introducing standardised service models, operational frameworks and improved monitoring maturity • Transformed IT operations into a proactive, insight-led function, reducing incidents and improving service reliability • Transformation recognised with industry awards for operational excellence and leadership

Held a range of senior technology and infrastructure leadership roles across enterprise, telecoms, financial services and public sector organisations, building deep expertise in networks, infrastructure, service operations, software and large-scale platform delivery. Organisations included: • Carphone Warehouse • Opal Telecom • iSOFT (NHS National Programme for IT) • Nalco Water (Ecolab) • RAC • General Guarantee Finance • Local Council / Governments Progressed through increasingly senior leadership roles, delivering large-scale infrastructure, data centre and service transformation programmes, forming the foundation for later executive leadership positions across global technology, cloud and platform environments.