Job Title : 6

Organization : CIO and Head of BA Services

Paul Coby topped the CIO50 list in 2007 and has been present in the list since then. He joined British Airways (BA) in 1997 and became CIO in 2001, taking charge of the airline’s technology and IT-enabled business change.

He has overseen a 45 per cent reduction in the cost of running BA’s IT operation and masterminded investments in the airline’s website and its online check-in capability. The IT group and Coby have won numerous awards as a result.

At the beginning of 2009, Coby gained additional responsibility as BA’s head of financial shared services with a remit covering transactional financial services, property and business metrics.

Prior to BA, Coby joined the civil service in the 1970s where he rose to private secretary to the Secretary of State for Transport. His oft-quoted business mantra is “there are no IT projects, only business projects”.

Coby is also chairman of UK CIO board for IT skills body e-skills UK and has a keen interest in Roman military history and world music, which includes regular visits to Womad festivals around the world.