Regional IT Director @ Abbott

The Regional IT Director – EMEA is a senior enterprise technology leader accountable for regional IT strategy, business enablement, portfolio governance, risk, and predictable value delivery across a complex, regulated, multi-country environment. The role operates as a peer to senior business leaders and Global BTS executives.

In addition, this role serves as IT Hub Lead for Cherrywood, Ireland, a strategic Abbott technology hub, with accountability for hub maturity, talent, leadership capability, culture, and enterprise alignment.

Enterprise & Business Leadership

• Serves as the senior IT executive for the EMEA region with end-to-end accountability for IT outcomes.
• Acts as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to regional and functional leadership.
• Represents EMEA IT in enterprise governance, investment, and prioritization forums.
• Provides decisive leadership during transformation, integration, and change initiatives.

IT Strategy, Portfolio & Investment Governance

• Defines and executes the EMEA IT strategy aligned with enterprise architecture and Global BTS roadmaps.
• Owns regional demand, portfolio prioritization, and investment governance.
• Drives application rationalization, landscape simplification, and technical debt reduction.
• Ensures transparency, value realization, and disciplined execution of IT investments.

Business Relationship Management & Value Delivery

• Owns the IT business portfolio for Finance Shared Services and supported divisions.
• Challenges and shapes demand using financial, operational, and risk-based insight.
• Ensures business cases, roadmaps, and outcomes deliver measurable value.
• Maintains senior executive relationships and technology credibility.

Transformation & Delivery Oversight

• Accountable for end-to-end outcomes across Plan, Build, and Run.
• Sponsors complex, cross-functional transformation programs.
• Ensures effective change management, adoption, and business readiness.
• Enables Finance Shared Services process excellence (R2R, O2C, S2P, MDM).

Quality, Compliance, Security & Risk

• Executive owner of IT quality, compliance, audit, and risk posture for EMEA.
• Ensures adherence to Abbott policies, global quality systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Owns cyber risk governance, privacy, and data protection obligations (e.g., GDPR).
• Leads audit engagement, remediation commitments, and continuous risk mitigation.

Financial & Operational Accountability

• Owns regional IT financial planning, budget, and cost discipline.
• Ensures operational stability, service resilience, and continuity.
• Oversees internal audits, performance reviews, and operational maturity.

People & Organization Leadership

• Leads a high-performing regional IT leadership team.
• Builds succession, leadership capability, and executive readiness.
• Embeds a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Acts as people leader for regional and affiliate IT talent.

IT Hub Leadership – Cherrywood, Ireland

• Provides executive site leadership for the Cherrywood IT Hub.
• Owns hub talent strategy, leadership development, and capability growth.
• Champions Abbott culture, engagement, and modern ways of working.
• Represents IT in site leadership and external ecosystem engagements.
• Ensures hub scalability, operational excellence, and onboarding of new enterprise capabilities.

Governance & Decision Rights

• Chair, EMEA Regional IT Council.
• Executive member, Business Advisory Committees (BAC).
• Primary regional interface to Global BTS, IT Quality, Security, Finance, and Legal.

Success Indicators

• Successor to the Senior Director, International Operations role.
• IT recognized as a strategic, trusted business partner.
• Predictable delivery and value realization from IT investments.
• Strong quality, compliance, and audit outcomes.
• Mature demand and portfolio governance.
• Engaged, high-performing IT organization.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Engineering, or Business; MBA preferred.
• 20+ years of progressive IT leadership experience, including regional or global scope.
• Experience in regulated industries; healthcare or life sciences preferred.
• Fluent English; additional European languages beneficial.