Leadership as service: the wisdom of Jacky Wright CMgr CCMI

At this year’s President’s Dinner, we were proud to present the CMI Gold Medal Award for outstanding achievement to Jacky Wright CMgr CCMI. The award recognises individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their careers while embodying excellence and innovation along the way.

Over a 30-year career, Jacky has led digital transformation at the highest levels across General Electric, BP, Microsoft and HMRC. As McKinsey’s chief technology and platform officer, she spearheaded tech strategy and firm-wide AI transformation impacting its 40,000 employees.

Celebrating a visionary

In her opening remarks at the President’s Dinner, CMI President Fiona Dawson described Jacky as an “inspirational technology leader”, noting that her career has been defined by driving innovation, sustainable growth and organisational resilience. 

Ann Francke OBE CMgr CCMI, CMI’s chief executive, expressed her gratitude for Jacky’s deep commitment to CMI. 

Jacky has been a vital contributor to our community, notably serving as chair of the CMI AI Council. Ann highlighted Jacky’s role in “guiding CMI on preparing the next generation to integrate AI with authentic human leadership”, a mission that’s integral to CMI and reflects a key issue at the heart of modern management.

Leadership as service

Jacky soon took the stage herself and shifted the focus away from technical milestones and towards the human foundations of her success. She was quick to credit her leadership philosophy to her father, a member of the Windrush generation and an RAF veteran of World War II. Despite enduring systemic discrimination and limited opportunities upon returning from service, Jacky’s father used his experiences as fuel for progress, rather than a source of bitterness.