{"id":866530,"date":"2025-08-20T21:12:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T02:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/interview-david-walmsley-chief-digital-and-technology-officer-pandora\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T21:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T02:12:08","slug":"interview-david-walmsley-chief-digital-and-technology-officer-pandora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/interview-david-walmsley-chief-digital-and-technology-officer-pandora\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: David Walmsley, chief digital and technology officer, Pandora"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

David Walmsley, chief digital and technology officer at jewellery retailer Pandora, is reflecting on four years of sparkling progress. His team has built a platform for digital transformation. Now he\u2019s eager to help push the business into new data-enabled areas.<\/p>\n

When Computer Weekly last spoke with Walmsley in early 2021<\/a>, he\u2019d recently transitioned from being chief digital and omnichannel officer at Pandora to his current role. He\u2019d been tasked with using his broad knowledge to help the company embrace technological innovation<\/a> for high-quality customer experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was brought into Pandora to sort out e-commerce and digital, which is what I\u2019d been doing in John Lewis and Marks & Spencer,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI inherited a traditional IT function that relied on outsourcing and that didn\u2019t have a great track record in delivering big programmes and change. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been addressing during the past four years, and we\u2019ve been having a lot of fun ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walmsley describes a long list of projects that have been completed. However, the biggest shift is cultural. He\u2019s insourced engineering and architecture capabilities and built a strong product management function<\/a>. The overarching strategy is to ensure that people in technology focus on business outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, we\u2019ve built some big stuff, but the bigger change is that we now concentrate on how we use technology to drive conversion, customer satisfaction, shelf-edge availability, manufacturing, and more,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe approach is all about asking, \u2018How do you drive the outcome and line the technology up behind that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

While the solution to the business challenge could involve implementing a big IT platform, the answer at other times might involve clever combinations of existing data and technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we don\u2019t exist to build big stuff, we exist to drive outcomes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s the big achievement. While we have a strong internal technology team, we also have great partners. Our successes are not just about doing clever stuff ourselves and hoping we know best. Our partnerships with Salesforce, SAP and Microsoft have been part of the fuel that\u2019s powered us forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/i>Developing a digital stack<\/h2>\n

When Walmsley last spoke with Computer Weekly, he discussed the importance of using agile-focused development<\/a> techniques to create new experiences. That approach is still important to his team\u2019s work at Pandora four years later, but with a twist.<\/p>\n

Each business domain becomes a product line where stakeholders are integrated with digital and technology professionals in a team. This team runs quarterly planning meetings and establishes sprints and granular delivery points. However, Walmsley was keen to avoid stricter approaches, such as the scaled agile framework, that place tighter constraints on workflows.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t exist to build big stuff, we exist to drive outcomes. And that\u2019s the big achievement. While we have a strong internal technology team, we also have great partners\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

David Walmsley, Pandora<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe created this phrase, \u2018Pandora, the agile way\u2019. We wanted to create our flavour of agile. We do continuous improvement and development from the engineers\u2019 desktops, and automation at scale. Our systems are, in the main, autonomous and loosely coupled. But then there are variations in between,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake the ERP programme with SAP. That\u2019s a massive transformation. Yes, you can be iterative in certain areas during the work. But building an ERP system is at the other end of the spectrum. Yet across this spectrum, our digital stack is the most leading-edge I\u2019ve had in my career. It would hold up against any major enterprise e-commerce stack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pandora\u2019s Digital Hub in Copenhagen plays a key part in this development process. Walmsley explained in 2021 how the hub was established during the coronavirus pandemic as a route to e-commerce innovation. The hub, which employed 120 people four years ago, is now home to over 300 IT, digital and data analytics professionals. Walmsley sets these developments within the context of the firm\u2019s IT hiring decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took an extra floor of the building, so that hub has been expanding over the last couple of years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also been building IT talent and knowledge. We use the phrase sustainable technology, which is about keeping a check on total headcounts and costs. That approach is important for how we frame technology\u2019s contribution to the business.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Building data foundations<\/h2>\n

Walmsley says his technology team\u2019s work involves a mixture of legacy streamlining at the back end and pushing change at the front end.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy opportunity as a digital leader is to drive the top line,\u201d he says. \u201cAll the complexity is at the back end. I bias my days towards doing clever stuff at the front end. However, the back-end digital transformation, across areas like ERP and manufacturing technology, is critical.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walmsley is proud of the work his team has completed on the firm\u2019s data foundations. These foundations will help Pandora embrace emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). As a member of the company\u2019s executive team, Walmsley works with the senior leadership team to develop a platform for change.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur investment in data foundations is a fundamental multiplier to where we\u2019re going next,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve got three big bets in AI.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n Our investment in data foundations is a fundamental multiplier to where we\u2019re going next. We\u2019ve got three big bets in AI
\n <\/figure>
\n David Walmsley, Pandora<\/strong>
\n <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Those bets include working with Salesforce and its Agentforce product<\/a> to develop agentic AI solutions for selling and service. Pandora is eight months into that relationship, and the technology already manages a significant chunk of online customer service requests.<\/p>\n

The second big bet is product development. Here, the team explores how AI can help bring new products to market. Finally, the third bet is back-end automation across the organisation, using productivity-boosting technologies from providers such as Microsoft and SAP.<\/p>\n

Walmsley says Pandora\u2019s explorations leave him to conclude that successful exploitation of AI requires a targeted approach. CIOs can suffer from a fear of missing out when it comes to AI, especially when chief executives and other C-suite members pile on the pressure for innovation. Walmsley advises his peers to hold firm and focus on business outcomes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to use AI, fine,\u201d he says. \u201cBut in terms of the strategic bets, concentrate on your points of competitive advantage. Don\u2019t get distracted. Keep your peers and your business leaders focused on how to apply AI to your points of strategic advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Honing the platform<\/h2>\n

As a key support for its digital transformation programme, Pandora is using Rise with SAP<\/a>, with SAP S\/4Hana Cloud as the core of Pandora\u2019s new ERP system. Walmsley says the push behind the move to SAP was a desire for consolidation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had five legacy ERPs we had to replace \u2013 if you need a new roof on the house, you pay a lot of money and you get a new roof,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we took the opportunity from the start of our digital transformation to think, \u2018Okay, what makes a difference?\u2019 And for me, the back end of the business drives the customer proposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walmsley says solid back-end infrastructure ensures Pandora gets the right product to the right place at the right time. This capability is a crucial differentiator in the digital marketplace, providing customers a clear sense of stock options and availability. The company also uses the SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud to plan orders and analyse scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have over 15,000 people who make our jewellery in Thailand, all on the payroll, all amazing people, and they were working on pen and paper,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe digitisation of the back end gets light on the shop floor. ERP gives us a digital backbone. Then we\u2019ve got discrete platforms, such as the merchandising and warehouse management systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SAP technology deployment began at the start of this year, and the pace continues to accelerate. Pandora ran a series of pilots with SAP and is creating three core ERP systems: one for selling and finance, one for distribution, and another for manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Walmsley says the back-end infrastructure changes are transforming the working lives of thousands of people at the front end of the business. The manufacturing team can track and trace potential issues in real time, and the finance team is automating parts of the reporting process. The next stage will be to use this platform to exploit SAP\u2019s AI features.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you can layer AI, and particularly predictive AI, so that you can play different tunes,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can ask questions like, \u2018Do we want to make more margin here? Do we want to sell more volume there?\u2019 You can drive the sales planning process in a very different way. This next stage is the exciting part for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Refining the experience<\/h2>\n

Walmsley reflects on the progress made in automation and boosting the digital customer experience. Now he\u2019s eager to embrace more emerging technology, including agentic AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the next 24 months, I think the agentic piece on selling and service will come to the front and centre,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s early days, but my ambition is about more than having a chat box in the corner of the screen. Agentic will be the whole digital experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The AI-enabled changes Walmsley envisages won\u2019t be confined to customers. He says agents and other data-powered services will have a huge impact on employee experiences. What\u2019s already clear, he suggests, is that the relationship between IT professionals and business users will transform as employees become more tech-savvy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who are going to thrive in this space in the future are people who can bring different tools to bear and build stuff in low code,\u201d he says. \u201cThese power users will exploit the technology and data that we synthesise together and build their own things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walmsley says the agile development journey undertaken by many organisations, including his own, is the groundwork for helping business users make IT decisions and build technology solutions. The rise of agentic AI will place more power into the hands of users, and he\u2019s keen for Pandora to lead this charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re there to give users the tools to make this change happen,\u201d he says. \u201cThe fundamental contract between stakeholders and technology functions is going to shift very rapidly, and that\u2019s the kind of colleague experience I want to support.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Thomas Michaud<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Walmsley, chief digital and technology officer at jewellery retailer Pandora, is reflecting on four years of sparkling progress. His team has built a platform for digital transformation. Now he\u2019s eager to help push the business into new data-enabled areas. When Computer Weekly last spoke with Walmsley in early 2021, he\u2019d recently transitioned from being<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":866531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[413,22316,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-866530","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-david","8":"category-interview","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}