Organization : Director of Corporate IT Office and Enterprise IT services

Chris Coupland joined BAE Systems in 2000 as director of e-business, and since 2003 has held the added responsibility of managing all IT across the group.

His key duties include driving business change across the company; developing and implementing IT governance, strategy and architecture; and managing BAE Systems’ £1.5bn contract with its IT outsourcing partner, Computer Sciences Corporation.

Coupland began his career as a project engineer with GEC before moving into management consulting with McKinsey and Booz Allen Hamilton.

A fluent German speaker, he holds an MA in electrical and information sciences from Selwyn College and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.