Urenco does things a little differently. It has to. It supplies uranium enrichment services and fuel cycle products for the nuclear industry – a niche that requires a lot of specialist care and attention.
Urenco has a clear vision for the net zero world. A world in which carbon-free energy is the norm. And for its CIO, Sarah Leteney, this means approaching the world of technology in different and interesting ways.
How does the role of CIO within the nuclear industry differ from one for a consumer goods company?
Most CIOs spend their time thinking about how to talk to customers through the rapid exchanges that are needed to maintain the flow of high volumes of traffic. They need to know how to keep up with their competitors in terms of customer experience and how to quickly bring new products to market.
What is it like to enable and provision services in such an environment? Can you keep in touch with industry trends? Is there much recognition of what you do?
I work in a high threat environment and there are many special considerations to understand. Moreover, there is a certain cadence and rhythm to what we do. We have to work at a pace which suits the organisation, rather than keep up with the latest trends in the IT industry. Although, we do keep abreast of developments through networks such as Gartner and Aurora. We introduce them where appropriate and relevant.
In relation to the recognition of this role, like every other CIO out there, you are noticed more when something is not working properly. However, Urenco is very good at making you feel as if you are part of something that matters. People readily ask you questions and understand when something is a minor glitch compared to something more significant. Furtherore, we actively encourage people to report issues because that is how you get continuous improvement. Overall, the organisation takes care of my team, we’re not under siege when things go wrong and what we do is widely appreciated.
How do you work with your team to ensure they can provide the most effective service to the business?
We are organised primarily around our production sites. We have a centralised team to provide shared services like architecture and finance. The organisation is only two layers deep in most teams. Therefore, information flow is mainly managed by direct cascade. The senior team is made up of heads of shared functions and site IT managers, and opinions flow freely between them.
Our IT Leadership team has a monthly two-day meeting where we come together in person. We sit together without our PCs and the constant pinging of information. This helps us to realign, to reprioritise matters, and include coaching and learning techniques. Moreover, we all have daily pressures in our lives, and these meetings are about supporting each other and working effectively together.
