Uma Shankar
Group CIO
Wittur Group
With nearly 30 years of experience, Uma Shankar spent most of his career consulting for large multinational organizations across various industries. For the past four years, he has served as the Group CIO of Wittur, leading digital transformation initiatives and global IT strategy.
Uma was born, raised, and educated in India before moving to Italy, where he continued to grow professionally and personally. A fun fact about Uma: he speaks fluent Telugu, but can’t read or write it — a skill gap that never fails to surprise people.
Learn more about the Italy CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
With close to 30 years of experience in the IT and business consulting space, I’ve built a career at the intersection of technology, strategy, and transformation. I began my professional journey in India before moving on to Italy at the very beginning of my professional career. I spent the majority of my career working with leading system integrators like TCS, E&Y and Capgemini, advising large multinational clients on complex IT transformations, enterprise architecture, and global delivery models. This extensive exposure to diverse industries, technologies, and organizational challenges gave me a deep understanding of how IT can drive business value at scale.
Over time, I transitioned from a purely consulting role to executive leadership, applying the insights I had gained to drive internal transformation. For the past four years, I have served as the Group CIO of Wittur Group, a leading multinational elevator components manufacturing company where I lead digital strategy, IT operations, and modernization initiatives across global business units. My background in consulting has been instrumental in shaping my approach to innovation, governance, and stakeholder alignment.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
I believe effective leadership starts with a clear vision and thrives on empowering people. By aligning teams with business goals, building trust, and nurturing talent, we create the foundation for long-term success. In my experience, the human side of leadership is just as critical as the technology we choose.
What is the greatest challenge CIOs face today, and how are you addressing it?
The greatest challenge I face as Group CIO is driving digital transformation to deliver measurable productivity and efficiency gains amid fierce competition, geopolitical uncertainties, and tight cost constraints—all while managing legacy systems and cybersecurity risks. To maximize value from every investment, I ensure IT strategy is deeply aligned with business goals, prioritize phased modernization for optimal ROI, and empower teams to innovate securely and cost-effectively—delivering tangible, sustainable results.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CIO?
Success as a new CIO comes from building strong connections with business and IT teams, understanding priorities, and earning trust. It’s important to achieve quick wins while keeping a clear vision for long-term transformation.
How do you measure success as a leader?
I measure success as a leader by the impact I create through my team and the business outcomes we achieve together.
What is the value of being a member of Gartner C-level Communities?
Being part of Gartner C-level communities is invaluable for staying connected, learning, and growing as a leader. It provides a platform to share experiences, challenges, and best practices with peers facing similar pressures and offers fresh perspectives on emerging trends.
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