Alex Withers

Group Director of Technology, Shine Group

Alex Withers is a technology leader known for driving digital transformation and innovation in the media and entertainment space. As Group Director of Technology at Shine Group, he has played an important role in shaping technology strategies, improving digital operations, and supporting business growth through smart technological solutions. With strong expertise in leadership and emerging technologies, he brings a forward-thinking approach to modern business challenges.

Ques. Could you walk us through your professional journey and tell the experiences that inspired you to work in the field of technology?

Ans. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be an IT teacher. I enjoyed helping people and explaining things, but I also had a genuine interest in how technology worked, taking things apart, figuring them out, and solving problems.

I started my career in 2015 as an apprentice in a secondary school, before moving to a Managed Service Provider in 2016 to continue developing my skills. From there, I progressed through support roles into more senior technical and consultancy positions, gradually taking on more responsibility across infrastructure, security, and solution design. Those early years gave me a really strong, hands-on foundation. From day one, it was about solving real problems for real people, supporting users, fixing issues, and understanding how systems work in practice.

A key turning point for me was moving into roles where I wasn’t just fixing issues, but designing solutions and helping organisations think differently about how they use technology.

Now, leading technology across the Shine Group, my focus is on making sure technology genuinely supports the organisation, whether that’s improving reliability, helping teams work more efficiently, or identifying opportunities to do things in better ways.

Ques. As a technology leader, what strategies do you adopt to foster a culture of innovation, creativity, and continuous transformation within your organization?

Ans. It’s important to build a culture of innovation, but that starts with the people using the technology. There’s no point implementing solutions if they’re only led by IT, any solution has to be designed for the people who rely on it day to day.

For me, it always starts with listening to those on the ground. They understand the real challenges and what would genuinely make a difference. From there, IT can shape and design the solution, but it should always be driven by real needs, not assumptions. When people feel included in that process, they’re far more likely to engage, share ideas and support the change.

Ques. In your perspective, how will emerging technologies and digital transformation reshape industries, businesses, and leadership models over the next decade?

Ans. I think AI and automation are going to continue to play a big role in how businesses operate over the next decade. From what I’ve seen, the biggest impact isn’t just the technology itself, but how it’s used in practice. AI and automation have a real opportunity to reduce admin, improve processes, and free up time for people to focus on more meaningful work.

I don’t think it’s about replacing people, it’s about supporting them. The organisations that get the most value will be the ones that use these tools in a sensible, controlled way, making sure they actually improve how teams work day to day.

Ultimately, I think AI and automation will continue to power businesses, but the focus needs to stay on using them in a way that genuinely supports people and improves how organisations operate.

Ques. What advice would you like to give to aspiring technology professionals and future leaders?

Ans. The advice I’ve always stood by is simple. Take every opportunity you can, build real experience, and learn across different areas of technology, you never know which part will shape your path. And as you grow, don’t underestimate how important communication is alongside technical skills.

You have to be consistent with your work and should know how to focus on your work while managing your day to day responsibilities.

Hard work plays a major role when you want to succeed in any field. Because without hard work, you cannot achieve anything in life. If you want to be successful in the technical field you need to learn and adopt technology that would help you to learn and grow in this field.

Ques. How has your journey as the Group Director of Technology at Shine Group shaped your leadership philosophy, and what key lessons have you learned along the way?

Ans. For me, when I was given the opportunity to be the Group Director of Technology, it was important that my principles stayed the same, just with a greater sense of responsibility that comes with the position.

I believe any leadership role makes you an influencer, and something I’ve always stood by is that you shouldn’t change who you are just because of the title you hold. If you remain consistent and genuine, the people around you understand what you stand for and trust how you lead.

The role has reinforced the importance of balance. You’re not just leading technology, you’re responsible for how it impacts people, how risks are managed, and how the organisation moves forward.

“Leadership comes down to being clear, consistent, and focused on making things better for the organisation and the people within.”