CIO Profile

Rob Fraser

IT director | Sainsbury's

7

Rob Fraser is IT director of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain - a position he's held since July 2009 when he joined the company from professional services company CSC. He's also a member of Sainsbury's operating board, and a board member of IT sector skills council e-skills UK.

At CSC, Fraser was VP of retail, consumer and transport. Prior to that, he spent a decade at Boots the Chemists - joining the company in 1997 as a programme manager, following stints at Arthur Andersen, Marks & Spencer and Rank Xerox, and rising to become IT director for the retail business and a member of the Boots Executive Committee.

Fraser took over group IT responsibility at Boots just in time to oversee the completion of a £300m project to overhaul the company's IT infrastructure. During that period, the company upped its new IT investment pot from around £25m to £100m per year.

IT projects keeping Fraser busy at the moment include a number of initiatives focused on simplifying and enriching the shopping experience for Sainsbury's customers, and also driving efficiency and simplification for staff in stores. Modernising ways of working and developing inhouse IT skills are also on his agenda.

Fraser studied engineering at university and also holds an MBA in management. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his two teenage daughters, and has a passion for fine wines.