Listen "Joanna Drake: How THG Fixed its Frankenstack"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of Ctrl Alt Lead, Tom speaks with Joanna Drake, CIO and now also CTO at THG (The Hut Group), about the company’s radical IT modernisation journey.Facing rapid growth, fragmented storage, and escalating demands for AI and machine learning, Jo led a transformation of THG’s global infrastructure with zero downtime. She discusses the strategic decision to partner with Pure Storage, the unexpected stress test that cemented that relationship, and the results that followed - including 80% power savings and a 90% fraud reduction thanks to THG's self-built Detect platform.Jo also shares her unconventional approach to vendor selection, the value of cultural alignment, and advice for IT leaders building strategic partnerships.Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom Allen / Joanna DrakeX: @Computing_News
Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom AllenX: @Computing_News Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Become a member of Computing today at www.computing.co.ukLinkedIn: @computing-- / Tom AllenX: @Computing_News Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More episodes of the podcast Ctrl Alt Lead
Rolf Krolke: Surviving Scale at Access Group
05/01/2026
Alexandra Ebert: The AI Workslop Problem
01/12/2025
Leading without losing it: CISOs Don Gibson & Bronwyn Boyle on protecting mental health in cyber
17/11/2025
Paul Smith: Fighting for Rights, not Revenue
14/07/2025
Matt Sharp: Building digital, brick by brick
30/06/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.