{"id":920700,"date":"2026-07-18T05:12:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/18\/interview-dan-cherowbrier-cto-formula-e\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T05:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T10:12:19","slug":"interview-dan-cherowbrier-cto-formula-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/18\/interview-dan-cherowbrier-cto-formula-e\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Dan Cherowbrier, CTO, Formula E"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Lots of digital leaders must keep multiple plates spinning. After all, being a successful technology chief in the modern era means ensuring nothing falls crashing to the floor. Yet for Dan Cherowbrier, chief technology officer (CTO) at Formula E<\/a>, the number of plates is bewildering.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the most unique job you could ever imagine, because we combine so many elements,\u201d he says about his job running technology at the motorsport championship for electric vehicles (EVs). \u201cMy team keeps the Wi-Fi going, we do the timing, the start lights, the TV production and all the elements of making a race happen, while at the same time constantly trying to innovate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cherowbrier says innovation is one of the watchwords for Formula E<\/a>. He describes the motorsport as a testbed for new ideas, whether it\u2019s the cars on the track, the batteries powering the vehicles or the technology systems behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s our unique selling point \u2013 we are trying something different every time, pushing the boundaries and not accepting the normal, because we don\u2019t have 40 years of legacy to protect,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re different; we can do that. And the fascinating thing about my job is balancing those two areas of operations and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cherowbrier says another crucial element of the organisation\u2019s innovation relates to sustainability. The sport\u2019s ecosystem relies on a strict focus on the circular economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve focused on being net zero, and we\u2019re keen to make sure we follow through on that pledge,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, we think about that process in how we run our services, which data sensors we use, and how we prompt and use AI [artificial intelligence] as that technology evolves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/i>Embracing innovation<\/h2>\n

At Formula E, Cherowbrier, who reports to CEO Jeff Dodds, manages a team of around 20 professionals. This in-house team is bolstered by talent from the sport\u2019s key technology partners, including Infosys.<\/p>\n

Cherowbrier became full-time CTO in January 2025, but he\u2019d worked as a technology consultant for the organisation before joining permanently. For most of his IT leadership career, he has operated as a fractional CTO, working at organisations for two to three days a week, providing strategic technology guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cFormula E decided 18 months ago that they wanted a full-time CTO,\u201d he says, referring to the shift to a permanent position with the organisation. They made that decision because they saw where AI was going. They decided they wanted to be a tech-first championship, so they invested in leadership, and then I\u2019ve dropped most of my other roles to focus on being CTO.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, how has Cherowbrier found the shift to full-time CTO? The answer, after more than a decade of being self-employed, is enjoyable.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of a team in a way that you didn\u2019t have before is rewarding,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re only 12 years old, and a lot of the company has been there since day one and has taken that journey together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, with Cherowbrier, the technology team is forging new directions in digital transformation. Rather than in the early days of the sport, when innovation was mainly focused on making electric cars go as fast as possible, the concentration now is on developing a broad culture of innovation across the organisation and beyond.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to expand that approach out to the rest of what we do, not just inside the sport, but inside in terms of how we message our fans, how we do our freight, how we run our business, how we do our finances and making it so that everyone can come up with the new ideas,\u201d says Cherowbrier. \u201cIt might be the wrong idea at the wrong time, but there\u2019s no such thing as a bad idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want everyone to be confident and comfortable coming up with ideas. If someone on the logistics or finance team has an idea about something we should pursue in broadcast, we want to hear it. It doesn\u2019t matter whether an idea comes from inside or outside the company. The more ideas you\u2019ve got, the better place you\u2019re in to choose.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Exploiting data<\/h2>\n

Since becoming CTO in January 2025, Cherowbrier has overseen some significant shifts. He gives the example of a change in Formula E\u2019s freight footprint.<\/p>\n

Previously, the organisation ran the championship using three jumbo jets that took freight to tracks around the world. Air freight moves the cars, the batteries and valuable technology equipment, such as the TV cameras. At the start of 2025, Cherowbrier and his team used data to reduce air freight from three planes to two.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used AI to analyse all the things we take on the planes,\u201d he says, adding that the company used Google Gemini<\/a> to power this process. We asked questions like, \u2018Why do we take it? Can we source it locally?\u2019. For instance, we now source our medical cars locally. That approach took two cars out of our freight, which is huge, and allowed us to get down to two planes, which has a huge impact on our cost base and carbon emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Headshot\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe amazing thing about motorsport is we\u2019re dripping in data…Success is about how you then use that data to tell a story\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dan Cherowbrier, Formula E<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Cherowbrier continues to look for ways to exploit digital and data. Google Cloud is Formula E\u2019s principal AI partner as the organisation aims to optimise racing performance, streamline operations and enhance global fan experiences. Infosys, meanwhile, is Formula E\u2019s digital innovation partner, with the two organisations seeking ways to exploit analytics effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe amazing thing about motorsport is we\u2019re dripping in data,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you think about the data you might have in a tennis match, you\u2019ve got two players and a ball, and then maybe a little bit about the surface and the weather. We have an entire racetrack, with 20 cars and 20 drivers from 10 teams, all producing different data. Success is about how you then use that data to tell a story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doubling down on AI is the priority for the next 12 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery CTO in the country is worried about how to adopt AI as fast as they need to,\u201d says Cherowbrier. \u201cEvery CEO and CFO is worried about that area, too. It\u2019s almost like an arms race, but you\u2019re desperate not to get it wrong as well, right? So, there\u2019s a fear of missing out and a fear of getting it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Improving experiences<\/h2>\n

Cherowbrier says Formula E\u2019s AI efforts are divided into three bands. First, bottom-up work, where staff across the organisation are permitted to experiment with emerging technology, so long as the capability sits in the organisation\u2019s existing technology stack. The middle layer is the glue that ensures models and services work to produce business benefits.<\/p>\n

The top layer includes strategic, CEO-led projects in key areas, such as commercial and logistics. Cherowbrier says the organisation is also focused on using AI to support content creation, with unique messaging and insights for the modern sports fan. A crucial element here is Race Centre, an AI-powered tool developed in partnership with Infosys, which went live in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got people who are motorsport evangelists who watch every single race, and they know everything about every detail of timing systems and leaderboards,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen other people just want this complex sport explained to them in an understandable format. What Race Centre allows us to do is to differentiate between those two types of users and what they want and then present that data to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Race Centre includes a series of AI-powered features, such as Live Leaderboard, which updates race positions in real time; Generative AI Commentary, which populates automatically after each lap; and Podium Prediction, which allows fans to choose their top three finishers before the start of a race.<\/p>\n

In addition to Infosys Topaz AI services, Cherowbrier says his organisation uses internal APIs to stream data to the platform\u2019s models. He acknowledges that synchronising data streams from disparate locations can be challenging. However, Race Centre is receiving good feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, we didn\u2019t have a great second-screen experience,\u201d says Cherowbrier. \u201cThe system really adds to our approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has plans to do more. Cherowbrie discusses the potential to work with Infosys and develop a digital twin<\/a> that provides a digital visualisation of the race using real-time data feeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of organisations have digital twins, but most places that already have a system like this aren\u2019t tracking things traveling around in circles at 200 miles an hour,\u201d he says. \u201cDigital twins are normally quite static. So, we\u2019re trying to build our capability up. Ultimately, can we give an accurate definition of where the car is, where all 20 cars are at any moment in time, using the data sources available to us?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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<\/i>Transforming continually<\/h2>\n

Cherowbrier reflects on his role and says there\u2019ll be more plates to spin during the next year or so. Most notably, the fourth-generation all-electric race car is set to debut<\/a> in next season\u2019s championship, with 600kW (or 815bhp) output. Presenting this power upgrade to fans in new, innovative ways brings fresh challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cGen Four is one of the fastest EV cars you\u2019ll ever see,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has incredible acceleration, but also a quite impressive top-line speed. So, it\u2019s about, \u2018How do we tell that story authentically and really well?\u2019. And that means scaling some of the things we do. Nearly 600 million people are watching at home, and we have plenty of fans coming to our races.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cherowbrier says the almost constant technology-enabled change in his sport and across business more generally creates new requirements for CTOs and CIOs. While effective digital leaders used to be chief engineers, today\u2019s successful technology executives are enablers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccessful CTOs are like a \u2018continually transforming officer\u2019,\u201d he says. \u201cThat role is about setting an organisation up that can adapt to change. It\u2019s recognising that every company is now a tech company, so we need to make sure our entire organisation can use digital. We become more of an enabler to everyone else in the organisation than just the IT department.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n

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

Lots of digital leaders must keep multiple plates spinning. After all, being a successful technology chief in the modern era means ensuring nothing falls crashing to the floor. Yet for Dan Cherowbrier, chief technology officer (CTO) at Formula E, the number of plates is bewildering. \u201cIt\u2019s the most unique job you could ever imagine, because<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":920701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[151101,22316,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-920700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cherowbrier","category-interview","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920700","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=920700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/920701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=920700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=920700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=920700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}