Gigliola Pirovano
CIO
Conad
Gigliola Pirovano was born in Milan and lived there until 2015, when she relocated to Bologna. Bologna is also where Conad, the biggest grocery retailer in Italy, has its headquarters, and she currently serves as the CIO, IT Director at Conad.
On a personal note, Gigliola is very passionate about sports. She regularly plays tennis and enjoys running, particularly outdoors.
Learn more about the Italy CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I have extensive experience in digital transformation strategy and possess expertise in change management and project management. This expertise stems from my previous roles in management consulting. This was a relevant asset when I joined my current company that was undergoing a deep digitalization process.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
Vision is a key success factor. I think it is fundamental to anticipate future trends and identify opportunities.
What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
Innovation should be guided by business requirements rather than being solely driven by IT. Understanding genuine business needs can be challenging, but it can be achieved by carefully listening to strategic inputs from the board.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
Be passionate, establish good collaboration with other C-levels within the firm.
How do you measure success as a leader?
The ability to drive change.
What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?
You can draw inspiration from the experiences of your peers.
Gartner C-level Communities Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
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