Group Chief Technology Officer

To define, own and execute the technology strategy; to provide a secure, resilient, cost-effective and scalable technology platform across all divisions and territories; and to act as a full commercial partner to the Group Chief Executive, the Group Exco and divisional Managing Directors in translating technology into measurable revenue growth, margin improvement and customer advantage.

In addition, to lead the Group’s enterprise-wide AI strategy as a primary lever for operational efficiency; to establish and scale TourTech as a commercial technology business; to deliver the Group’s FinTech ambition on a secure, compliant and scalable platform; and to turn the Group’s data and insights into a governed, commercially valuable asset, for better internal decisions and for external revenue

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Develop and execute a three-to-five year Group technology strategy directly aligned to the Group’s growth, margin and customer strategy. Translate that strategy into a funded, sequenced roadmap with clear business cases and benefit tracking.
• Define and lead an enterprise-wide AI strategy and operating model that makes AI a core driver of operational efficiency, productivity and customer value across every division. Identify, prioritise and fund high-value use cases (for example in reservations and customer service, pricing and revenue management, demand and inventory forecasting, finance, procurement and shared services); build the platform, tooling and data foundations to deploy them at scale; and track realised benefit against cost-to-serve, margin and productivity targets. Set the Group AI governance framework covering model risk, ethics, privacy, security and human oversight.
• Lead the establishment of TourTech as a company technology business. Define its mandate, commercial model, legal and governance structure, funding and leadership; build a product roadmap that productises the platforms, intelligence and capabilities proven within the Group; and take them to market for Group divisions first and, where commercially sound, for external travel, tourism and retail clients and partners.
• Realise the Group’s FinTech ambition in partnership with company Financial Services and the Group Chief Financial Officer. Define the FinTech product and platform strategy across payments, foreign exchange, travel money and related financial products; deliver the secure, scalable, API-led platforms, partnerships and integrations required; and ensure each initiative is designed within the applicable regulatory perimeter, including exchange control, financial services, FICA and anti-money-laundering, and PCI DSS obligations.
• Establish and own Group enterprise architecture, integration standard and technology reference stack. Define what is mandatory at Group level and what remains at divisional discretion and enforce that boundary consistently.
• Lead the modernisation and, where justified, consolidation of core operating systems across the Group.
• Own the Group cloud strategy and hybrid infrastructure estate. Deliver resilient, appropriately located and cost-managed infrastructure, including in territories and sites with constrained connectivity, and drive disciplined cloud cost optimisation.
• Own the Group information security strategy, controls and maturity roadmap. Ensure PCI DSS compliance across retail, foreign exchange and travel payment environments, maintain a tested incident response capability, and report the Group cyber risk position to the Audit & Risk Committee.
• Ensure tested continuity and disaster recovery arrangements for every business-critical system, with recovery objectives agreed with each division and validated against peak-season trading conditions.
• Establish Group data governance, a single trusted source of operational and customer data, and a practical analytics capability. Build the data platform and product layer that turns Group data into insight: decision-grade analytics for divisional performance, and governed data and insight products that can be commercialised through TourTech, partners and customers. Set the commercial, ethical and privacy rules (including POPIA consent, anonymisation and data-sharing terms) under which data and insights may be monetised.
• Improve digital experiences across booking engines, self-service, mobile, loyalty and payment journeys and support divisions in growing direct and digitally originated revenue.
• Implement a King IV–aligned technology governance framework. Ensure compliance with POPIA and, where applicable, GDPR; with exchange control and financial services obligations affecting TFS; with PCI DSS; and with airline, airport and IATA-related requirements. Close IT general control findings raised by internal and external audit
• Own the Group technology operating and capital budget. Deliver a transparent, defensible view of total technology cost and a demonstrable improvement in return on technology spend.
• Lead technology due diligence on acquisition targets, quantify integration cost and risk, and deliver post-acquisition technology integration to an agreed Group standard and timetable
• Improve the Group’s ability to attract and retain scarce technology skills, and deliver a credible succession and skills-development pipeline
• Own adoption, not just delivery. Ensure that every major technology investment is accompanied by the training, change management and measurement required to realise the benefit that justified it.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications

• A relevant degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or a related discipline. A postgraduate qualification (MSc or MBA) is advantageous.
• Professional certification in areas such as enterprise architecture (TOGAF), IT service management (ITIL), information security (CISM, CISSP) or programme delivery is advantageous.
• A postgraduate or executive qualification in AI, data science, digital business or innovation is advantageous.

Experience

• A minimum of 15 years’ experience in technology, with at least 5 years in a Group, divisional or enterprise-level technology leadership role in a multi-entity, multi-country business.
• A demonstrable track record of leading large-scale technology transformation to completion – not only strategy design, but delivery, adoption and measured benefit realisation.
• Experience in travel, tourism, hospitality, retail, or a comparable high-volume, transaction-intensive, customer-facing sector. Direct exposure to GDS, property management, reservations, tour operating, point-of-sale or payment platforms is a strong advantage.
• Proven experience of consolidating fragmented technology estates across independently managed operating businesses, including ERP and core system rationalisation.
• Hands-on accountability for information security and cyber resilience at enterprise level, including PCI DSS environments and board-level cyber risk reporting.
• Demonstrable experience designing and delivering enterprise-wide AI and automation programmes that produced measured operational efficiency gains, including the governance, adoption and change management required.
• Experience establishing, or leading the commercialisation of, a technology product or business within or alongside a larger group, including the business case, operating model, go-to-market and P&L accountability.
• Experience in FinTech, payments or financial technology, including regulated or partner-led environments, and delivery of secure payment and financial-services platforms.
• A track record of building data platforms and turning data and insights into commercial products or revenue, within privacy and regulatory constraints.
• Experience of technology due diligence and post-acquisition integration.
• Experience operating across global markets, including in environments with infrastructure, connectivity, currency or regulatory constraints.
• Experience building and leading multi-disciplinary technology teams, including through a matrix, and of managing significant outsourced delivery partners.

Knowledge

• Enterprise architecture, integration and API-led design; modern cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure) and hybrid infrastructure.
• Core enterprise and sector platforms: ERP and finance systems; retail POS and inventory; property management and central reservations; tour operating and mid-office; CRM; foreign exchange and treasury systems.
• Information security frameworks and standards, including ISO 27001 principles, NIST, and PCI DSS.
• South African and regional regulatory context: POPIA, the Companies Act, King IV technology and information governance principles, exchange control requirements affecting travel-related financial services, and GDPR where the Group processes European personal data.
• Data governance, business intelligence, and the practical, controlled application of artificial intelligence in a commercial environment.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning, including generative AI, automation, MLOps, and responsible-AI and AI-governance frameworks.
• FinTech and payments: payment platforms and APIs, embedded finance, foreign exchange and travel money technology, and the regulatory perimeter (exchange control, financial services licensing, FICA and anti-money-laundering, PCI DSS).
• Data products, analytics and data monetisation models, and the privacy, consent and anonymisation requirements that govern them.
• Technology business building: product management, platform and software-as-a-service commercial models, pricing, partnerships and go-to-market.
• Technology procurement, licensing models, contract negotiation and vendor performance management.
• B-BBEE, ICT sector transformation and skills development considerations as they apply to technology procurement and team building.

Desired Skills:

• technology skills strategy
• Strategic leadership
• Strong Communication skills

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