Alleima

Leadership, for me, begins with leading oneself and understanding one's strengths and areas for development. The next layer is leading a team. This involves identifying the right blend of competencies and character traits that foster collaboration, adaptability and forward momentum. The third and perhaps most important layer is aligning IT with business strategy. It is not just about implementing technology—it is about ensuring it delivers measurable business value and positively impacts the bottom line.

At Alleima, digital is embedded in our core strategy. That alignment provides clarity and direction. My role is to translate this strategic intent into focused initiatives that drive the business forward. I see digital not as a support function, but as a key enabler of transformation and growth.

Unleashing the Power of AI in Materials and Manufacturing

Generative AI has opened immense potential in both material science and production at Alleima. One of our key innovations is Alleima Guru, which leverages over 160 years of research— much of it semi-structured and multilingual—to provide actionable insights across global teams. AI is helping us break language barriers and draw conclusions from complex data sets that were previously underutilized.

In production, we see major opportunities to build digital process transparency. Our products go through a series of hot and cold operations, from steel mill to nuclear-grade applications. By digitizing each step, we aim to create self-perfecting feedback loops that improve quality and efficiency. Understanding variations in yield, pressure parameters and process behavior at each stage requires strong data quality. While AI is the enabler, data readiness is where the bulk of the effort lies.

Driving Alignment through Cross-Functional Collaboration

My approach to collaboration starts with recognizing that digital is embedded in our core strategy. To bridge IT, engineering and operations, we created “digital change agendas” for each business unit. These agendas align directly with their strategies and form the foundation of our technology planning.

This bottom-up structure helps us identify shared themes and drive eleven key initiatives, which we track quarterly. Since our separation from Sandvik, we’ve also redesigned IT governance from the ground up. We emphasize simplicity, mandate clarity and cross-functional forums that support fast decision-making. By ensuring every unit has a voice, we foster alignment, engagement and speed across all levels of the organization.

Future-Ready Leadership in Industrial Tech

For anyone stepping into a CIO role in the industrial sector, my most important advice is to fully understand the business strategy and the environment in which you operate. This includes having a clear view of the competitive landscape from a technology standpoint. It is equally important to spend time with individual business units. That is where most decisions are made, and it is where you can truly grasp the ecosystem and your starting point.

One approach that has worked well for us is building digital strategies from the ground up, aligned directly with business priorities. Starting from current realities allows you to identify meaningful use cases and common themes that may require a broader, enterprise-level focus.

As the pace of innovation accelerates, the number of transformative technologies will increase. This makes it essential to stay anchored in real business opportunities. When you appreciate where value can be created and how technology can support that, you build credibility across the organization. That is how a CIO can drive meaningful change and earn a seat at the executive table.