CTO Chats with Fauzi Rachman, CTO, Dentsu

Could you share a bit about your personal journey and how you first got into IT?

My interest in technology started at a very young age, around four or five years old, when my parents brought home an early IBM PC. That sparked a curiosity that has stayed with me ever since. I was always keen to understand how technology shapes people’s lives and drives innovation in every aspect of our world.

This passion led me to pursue a degree in computer science. Later, I graduated from the University of Liverpool with a major in cybersecurity, where I focused on understanding why security is often an afterthought in projects.

My career began in 2004 at a small agency where I explored emerging technologies, including building an early peer-to-peer communication platform similar to a virtual chat room, which was a challenge given the slow internet speeds of the time. In 2006, I moved to Singapore and joined a gaming company. It was a tough, fast-paced environment, but it taught me how to develop a product in a matter of weeks.

After a year, I returned to the digital agency world, eventually joining Isobar (now part of Dentsu). Throughout this journey, I’ve seen firsthand how the full potential of technology, when utilised, can profoundly transform our projects, workplaces, and personal lives.

The IT landscape is known for its rapid evolution. What are some of the most significant challenges you’ve faced, and how do you address them?

A primary challenge is getting organisational buy-in for new ideas. When you want to introduce a transformation, not everyone will share the same understanding or vision. The key is to educate stakeholders, but the challenge is that technology evolves faster than traditional approval processes. You could spend two weeks convincing someone of a specific solution, only for a better one to emerge in that time.

My approach is to work with a small group of people who share the same vision. We work together concurrently, implementing solutions while also educating the wider organisation. You have to understand the unique challenges of each department—be it HR, business, or management—and frame your technology solution as a direct answer to their problems. You need a trusted team to work in tandem to achieve those goals, even without formal approval, because progress cannot wait.

Looking ahead, what emerging technologies and innovation opportunities do you believe businesses should focus on?

The entire AI paradigm, especially Generative AI, is having the biggest impact of my entire career. The solutions are cost-effective, easy to use, and accessible to everyone. When I look at technology, I measure it by its impact—who does it affect? This technology affects clients, consumers, my team, and myself. One solution can handle everything.

People and companies cannot take this lightly. They need to embed this technology into their work, creating a workforce that is augmented by AI. It sounds simple, but many people are hesitant when it comes to disruptive technology. The question I always pose is: do you want to be disrupted by an external factor, or do you want to disrupt yourself first before it happens to you? It’s about understanding what this technology can do, what its impact is, and what the risks are, and then implementing it proactively.

What is the biggest IT-related mistake you frequently see other companies make?

Ten years ago, a mistake might have been choosing the wrong framework or programming language. Today, the biggest mistake is entirely different. Companies now have access to a vast universe of information and powerful tools like Generative AI, but the mistake is not fully utilising them.

When you fail to leverage the tools at your disposal, your progress and performance will lag behind others who are. The critical error today is not a lack of understanding, but a failure to take full advantage of the technology available to enhance the quality and quantity of your work.

How do you envision the IT sector evolving over the next three to five years?

Honestly, it will be madness. The progression of technology will be incredibly fast. We used to see a major paradigm shift every five years, but with the current pace of AI, I believe we will see a paradigm shift every six months.

This will cause a huge and rapid change in the job market. New roles will arise, and old roles will diminish as demand shifts. This won’t just impact certain levels of a company; it will affect every level, from developers and designers right up to the C-suite. In the next five years, I expect to see the entire landscape change completely.

With the regulatory environment in constant flux, how should IT leaders navigate these shifts?

This is a really important area. Legal and compliance teams need to understand the current technology trends from both an opportunity and a risk perspective. The opportunity side—generating revenue and profit—is easy to grasp. The real challenge is on the risk side, which includes cybersecurity and data governance.

To navigate this, the IT, legal, and cybersecurity teams must work very closely together—they need to be fully embedded. I believe we will see a shift where these three functions merge into a single, integrated team to ensure every aspect of a new technology is understood and managed.

How do you balance the need for innovation with the demand for stability and security?

I don’t see them as things to be balanced against each other. Innovation is the driving factor for any company—for the business, the people, and the teams. Security and stability simply need to evolve alongside that innovation.

There shouldn’t be a clash; instead, there should be stronger collaboration between the innovation, cybersecurity, and legal teams. We’ve all heard about the friction that can happen between marketing, IT, and legal. That can’t happen anymore. Today, you have two choices: fly or fail. To be a winner, these teams must work together very closely.

What do you consider to be the most critical skill for an IT leader today?

I would say it’s two things: interpersonal skills and what I call innovation skills, which is more of a mindset. The mindset of innovation means you are constantly looking for ways to implement the best and greatest technology while simultaneously trying to disrupt your own systems.

Innovation means you don’t stick with the same process for long. You are always pushing to evolve, to make things better, more efficient, more secure, and more scalable. As a technology leader, you cannot stop researching technology, you cannot stop understanding market demands, and you cannot stop assessing the impact of technology on your team. It’s a mix of skills and a relentless mindset.

If you could ask one question to any IT leader, what would it be?

“What do you want to achieve?”

This is the million-dollar question. Do you want to be successful in your career? Do you want to bring the company to the next level? Or do you just want to do your job? The best answer is one that goes beyond the self and focuses on doing great things for society. It’s a powerful question for reflection.

Reflecting on your experiences with knowledge-sharing discussions, what has been your most memorable insight?

In recent years, the most eye-opening moments for me have come from understanding the challenges of people from different professional backgrounds. For 21 years, my world was primarily tech, but listening to people in other departments discuss their work challenges was revelatory.

I realised that technology could easily solve many of their problems. This made me question why they never expressed these concerns to their tech teams. It highlighted a communication gap. My advice to them is always simple: be open, be transparent, and just talk to your tech team.

Finally, for someone attending an Ortus Club event, what advice would you give them to get the most value out of their experience?

Understand the context of the event and the key message the speakers want to share. When you’re hearing about a new technology, don’t just think about what it is; think about what this technology can do for you.

If something isn’t clear, ask questions. Talk to the event organisers or the speakers themselves. Create a connection with them and have an informal discussion to truly understand how the technology can help you and your company.