Welcome to the next edition of J&J Global Fulfilment’s ‘A Day in the Life’ series, where we sit down with different members of the team, reflect on their career to date, gain insight into where they see the business and industry going over the coming months and into them as a person outside their role.
In this article
How did you get started in the industry?
“That’s a bit of a long story! I actually started out in graphic design, photography and cinematography, so that was my original training. But alongside the creative work, there was always a bit of technology woven in there. I was always the guy who would go, ‘I’ll have a go at fixing that’. So over time, I developed this reputation for being the person who could sort out complex systems and tech errors.
That then led to a job at Getty Images back in the late 1990s, and Getty was really at the forefront of eCommerce in terms of being able to download digital assets. It was all about catalogues, keyword searches, and just different ways for how certain hierarchy and ontology would work in the context of finding things. That job really sparked something in me, and I started looking into the ways you could use structured data to deliver content online effectively.
Eventually, I migrated permanently to Europe from Australia, and in 2002, I received a call from a recruiter about an opportunity at this then little-known online grocer, not Tesco like I thought, but Ocado, which was looking to scale up. That’s when I really dove into eCommerce fulfilment, and I realised that the logistics world was not too far from the creative problem-solving I’d always loved. It was just designed a bit differently – elegant processes as opposed to images.
From there, I ended up staying at Ocado for around 13 years, so it’s a bit of an unconventional route, but it all kind of makes sense when you zoom out!“
What originally attracted you to J&J?
“So what attracted me to J&J – well, it was actually a bit serendipitous. I was working at an engineering firm at the time, Arup, a massive company with a great mission to help deliver clean water to communities and support renewable energy projects, very noble stuff. However, things just didn’t quite click.
Then one day I was scrolling through LinkedIn and saw this role pop up for Chief Technology Officer. The J&J name rang a bell so I looked into it and thought ‘actually, this sounds like something I could get behind’. I didn’t actually submit a formal application, but rather sent over an email saying ‘hey, this is who I am and what I’ve done, fancy a chat’. And then it just snowballed from there!
What really pushed me into the industry and J&J was the speed of impact you can have here. In logistics, you can have an idea, test it, and see the results very quickly – unlike in big engineering projects that can take five years just to plan! At J&J you can shift the dial fas,t and I love that. The immediacy, the feedback loop – you can see real-world outcomes almost straight away. And for someone who loves a bit of creative problem-solving, that’s gold. By making a small change, for example, how we generate labels or the way in which we allocate stock on the pick route, it hits the bottom line fairly quickly.“
What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?
“A typical day for me right now is talking to a lot of people, to be honest. I usually start my day by checking in on the tech team to see how everyone is doing and if there are any fires that need putting out. There are sometimes a few small things that have been escalated to me, so I’ll unblock those challenges or guide the team through solving the problems. Then I’ll connect with the team leads to make sure they are clear on any next steps and are aligned on priorities.
There’s also quite a bit of liaising with other departments as part of my role, making sure everyone is clear on what we’re trying to deliver and how the tech team can support on that. I spend a fair bit of time trying to stay on top of the project delivery roadmap – which can often be a challenge in itself!
There is also a lot of focus on budgets at the minute given we are starting the new financial year.
Beyond that, there’s a lot of ‘solutionising’, working through ideas, thinking about future strategy, helping shape direction. It’s not all glamorous, some days it’s about cybersecurity policy or compliance documentation. But overall, it’s a great mix of strategic thinking, problem solving and just keeping things moving.“
Have you learnt anything new since being at J&J?
“Yes, absolutely. I’d say the biggest thing is that this is my first proper executive role, so I’ve learned loads about the broader business context, especially around private equity, strategy, and how that links to actual deliverables. I’ve been learning it all on the job, which has been both daunting and exciting.
I’ve now also got a much clearer view of budget cycles, investment decisions, and how all that fits into the day-to-day. It’s the kind of thing that sits above the technical layer, so while I’ve always been comfortable with engineering and problem solving, this role has helped me level up on the commercial side.
Another big one has been cybersecurity. I’ve taken a much more hands-on role in making sure our workforce is properly trained and that we’re staying up to date with policy, regulation and compliance. It’s not the flashiest part of the job, but it’s important and wasn’t something I was so deeply involved in before. So a lot of learning overall! It’s been a real growth curve so far, in a good way of course.“
What do you enjoy most about working for J&J?
“What do I enjoy most… honestly, it’s the pace and the people.
I love that at J&J, you can have an idea and actually see it come to life pretty quickly. That whole journey – from idea to impact – is short, which is rare. You shift the dial fast here. It’s not like working somewhere where a project takes years to get off the ground. At J&J, you try something, test it, and if it works, then it hits the bottom line straight away. That feedback loop is really satisfying.
I also just really like the team. There’s a constant buzz and sense of shared enthusiasm. We’ve got this collaborative culture where everyone helps each other move forward. It’s not competitive, it’s generative. If one of us does something well, the rest can build on it. That’s a pretty special dynamic, and I don’t think it’s always like that in business. This is something that has evolved over time with our team and has created something really strong.“
Where do you see J&J going in the future, and the overall industry?
“I think for both J&J and the wider industry, and it’s probably no surprise coming from someone in tech, is AI. I think there’s going to be a lot more of it. I think in the next 12 to 18 months we’re going to see generative AI being used much more for things like support bots, automatic ticket management, that kind of stuff. So, while it’s interesting, it’s not the bit that excites me most about the future.
What I do find exciting are the more algorithmic applications, like using AI for demand forecasting, inventory placement around the world, and managing duties and taxes internationally. Those are really tricky problems, and if you can solve them well with data and AI, there’s a huge opportunity for efficiency and profitability.
I also think we’ll see a shift toward what I’d call ‘continuous compliance’. Right now, I spend a lot of time filling out audit forms, updating processes for regulations and the like. But we’re getting closer to a place where AI could likely handle that in real time – just constantly evidencing that we are compliant rather than manually proving it every time. That’s a bit niche, maybe, but I think it’s coming.
So, more AI across the board, but more focused towards the smart stuff, those elements that drive decisions and save time, that’s where I think the real industry change is going to be.“
What do you consider your biggest career achievement or standout moment to date?
“That’s a tough one! There isn’t really a single moment where I’ve gone ‘that’s it – I’ve nailed it’. For me, it’s been more of a continuous evolution.
If anything, I think my biggest achievement is building and supporting teams that succeed, giving them the space to be creative and come up with new ideas. It’s not about me personally doing the work – I don’t write the code anymore, I’m not the one making the magic happen. My role is about empowering others, pointing them in the right direction, and creating an environment where they can thrive. So, if I were to retire tomorrow, I’d probably look back and say, ‘yeah, the team got further because of the way I supported them’, and that would feel like a success.“
Aside from J&J and the eCommerce industry, what else interests you?
“It sticks with the data and tech trend here, but I’m really interested in how data can be used for social good. I know it might sound funny, but genuinely, throughout my career, I’ve been involved in businesses that were doing some amazing things with data. Take Arup, for example, they were able to model a building, spin it in 360 degrees, map the sunlight across seasons, and then work out the energy it would take to power that building across the year. They could then see what savings there would be if they moved the building, or even just the windows, by a few degrees. That kind of thing really fascinates me, using data to make smarter, more sustainable decisions before a single brick is even laid.
I’m also into web design and just building stuff for the fun of it. I’ve written a few websites – some eCommerce – but mostly just like to play around to keep my coding skills sharp. I like the craft of it. I always say if I retired tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t rush off to take up gardening, but rather I would likely start a little side project using data to do something clever or useful for people. That’s the kind of stuff that keeps me curious.“
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