CIO50 Australia 2024: Nicola Dorling, Downer

Name: Nicola Dorling
Title: Group Chief Information Officer
Company: Downer
Commenced role: December 2023
Reporting line: Chief Financial Officer
Member of the executive team: Yes
Technology Function: 150+ plus outsourced strategic partners; 6 direct reports and 4 matrix reports.
 
ASX200-listed Downer designs, builds and sustains assets, infrastructure and facilities and is a leading provider of integrated services in Australia and New Zealand with a workforce of 30,000 employees.
 
Since stepping into her role, Dorling has successfully restructured the IT operating model and re-branded the function to Downer Digital in order to better promote the team’s capabilities and service offerings, implemented a holistic TOTEX (Total Expenditure) approach for managing technology budgets, and captured the full portfolio of technology projects across the organisation. Nicola’s first year has been focused on delivering an efficient and effective technology environment, whilst driving innovation to support the company’s growth.
 
Right path forward with digital transformation plan
 
Dorling has developed a comprehensive digital transformation plan that has been endorsed by Downer’s Executive Leadership and Board. This plan focuses on front-office innovations such as the Downer Digital Asset Hub, as well as strategies to optimise the middle and back-office technology landscape. Her vision has reshaped how Downer approaches IT, and the plan has already yielded positive outcomes across the organisation.
 
Downer Chief Executive Officer, Peter Tompkins, praised Dorling’s leadership and focus on driving innovative solutions.
 
“Nicola’s focus on supporting business leaders and solving complex issues alongside our corporate Executive team with innovative solutions based on best practice and a mindset of ‘what drives the best outcomes for customers and our front-line staff’ has been a key enabler of cultural change,” says Tompkins.  “We are already experiencing positive outcomes from key technology changes implemented into Downer’s processes and systems landscape. Nicola has re-branded the technology function to Downer Digital, implemented several high-profile quick wins with a ‘bias to action’, and communicated effectively which has created a new identity for technology at Downer. The injection of new senior talent into her team as we work towards our technology goals gives me confidence that we have the key ingredients for more success and the creation of significant customer and shareholder value”.
 
Capability uplift
 
Under Dorling’s leadership, the Downer Digital team has focused on AI-driven innovation to uplift safety performance through improved analysis and fault detection.
 
In New Zealand, the team has focused on delivering safety vision AI, partnering with Rush Digital to develop an AI powered health and safety platform.  This tool enables site managers to maintain safer work environments through proactive monitoring.
 
The team also developed an asset twin platform that seamlessly integrates as-built geometry, asset data, and quality information into a digital twin. This AI-driven solution allows users to capture and access critical asset data by simply photographing an asset’s serial number, improving employee experience, reporting capabilities, and predictive maintenance across projects.
 
Meanwhile, FaultIQ integrates an off-the-shelf AI detection product with Downer’s in-house configured FaultIQ database. The solution is an automatic fault detection system that assists inspectors to pick up faults in the network, with GPS coordinates. “This solution has revolutionised our performance on the Auckland Road Corridor contract by transforming the inspection process,” says Dorling. “The tool has made inspections safer and more efficient by reducing the requirement for inspectors to get out of the vehicle and take photos that are easily shared with our operator customers.”
 
Dorling and her team have been driving the use of computer vision across Downer. The Energy & Utilities business unit has used computer vision that captures photos which can detect assets on site – such as poles, cable detection, etc – and provide a detection report to the site manager. This not only enables the data to be captured and collected in real time, but this data can then be used to assess historical conditions and predict future condition maintenance requirements, offering customers additional advisory services.
 
Fostering a collaborative learning culture

Dorling has placed a strong emphasis on building a collaborative, learning-oriented culture at Downer. ‘The Downer Difference’ high performance culture initiative centres around the values of OWN IT, DO IT, BE THE DIFFERENCE, encouraging team members to innovate, support one another, and deliver value to customers. She initiated monthly All Hands meetings to foster knowledge sharing and regularly takes her teams to visit leading tech companies such as Google and Microsoft for inspiration.

Her commitment to learning extends beyond her own team. Dorling engages with universities to mentor and teach the next generation of technology professionals, actively supporting STEM students. Additionally, she fosters a diverse and inclusive workforce, with a large multicultural team. Her recent visit to India, where she inaugurated a service desk while dressed in a traditional Indian outfit and speaking Hindi, exemplifies her commitment to inclusivity and cultural appreciation.

Dorling has also built cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams that collaborate across business units, connecting ideas and fostering innovation. By breaking down silos and encouraging collaboration, she has enabled both Downer and its customers to benefit from transformative technology solutions that drive success.