Debbie Cunningham’s journey in the IT industry started on the brink of the Y2K date change cutover. What started as a chance entry into this dynamic field has grown into a passionate and enduring career marked by innovation and customer-centricity, she tells TechCentral.

“I spent seven years in the financial services sector before moving to retail where I fell in love with the ‘trader mentality’ of working hard, sweating the small stuff and always putting the customer first,” says Cunningham, who heads digital technologies at Shoprite Group.

She says she has been captivated by technology’s transformative power – its ability to not only create opportunities but also solve complex problems.

“The future holds both exciting innovations and unforeseen challenges, yet the core of my tech journey persists: a passion for problem-solving, an unwavering dedication to enhancing employee and customer experiences, developing teams and future leaders, and an enduring belief in the transformative potential of technology to shape a better tomorrow.”

TechCentral asked Cunningham a few questions as part of its regular IT Leadership Series.

What does your company do?

Shoprite Group is Africa’s largest fast-moving consumer goods retailer. Its core business is in food retailing, complemented by furniture, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, ticketing, digital commerce, and financial and cellular services.

What do you see as the IT leader’s top priorities in 2024?

Leadership should be focused on embracing agile and digital transformation, influencing organisational transformation to adopt a product mindset, leaning into new technologies, and determining how these elements can be incorporated to compliment the current operating models and accelerate business growth.

A critical factor to success is, however, the ability to build and retain a dynamic workforce that can operate autonomously and is empowered to make decisions and bring about change.

Who do you most admire in business and why?

Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, who demonstrated to the world that you can lead with grace yet remain firm in your delivery. Her relentless drive for inclusivity and remaining calm and empathetic during moments of angst and catastrophe is truly inspiring.

How do you attract and retain talent?

The key to attracting talent is the ability to share vision and purpose through storytelling, to motivate and inspire individuals to join a team which has shared values and to be part of a journey that will serve South Africa and affect change for generations to come.

The ability to retain key talent is critical, and can be done by creating platforms for growth, a safe space where employees are encouraged to think outside of the box, question the norm, be willing to try new things, and accepting failure with grace and as a lesson to be learnt.

If you could go back and give your 18-year-old self-one piece of advice, what would it be?

I would advise my younger self to have the courage to take calculated risks, not to take everything personally and to realise that rejection is merely redirection. Understanding that challenges will constantly arise and that you must adopt the right mindset to deal with them, and that every challenge can be solved.

What’s your favourite productivity hack?

Scheduling focus time, making a to-do list for the day and getting the important things done before availing yourself to the team. That way you ensure the direction is maintained and traction for the day achieved.

What occupation (other than your own) would you like to try?

I would enjoy property development – from construction all the way through to renovations – where concepts are taken from ideation to tangible output and delivery.

Where do you see the technology industry heading in the next three to five years?

Technology will become interwoven in our everyday tasks — from our homes to our commute and in the workplace. Mundane tasks will be automated to allow for more free time to think and focus on changing the future for the better. – © 2023 NewsCentral Media