Robina Chatham

Robina qualified as both Mechanical Engineer and Neuroscientist. Her career commenced within the shipbuilding industry, where she pioneered the introduction of computing onto the shop floor. Robina subsequently followed a career in IT, which culminated in the position of European CIO for a leading merchant bank. In 1996 Robina joined Cranfield School of Management as a Lecturer in Management Information Systems where she created the acclaimed and in some cases life changing programme – Organisational Politics and IT Management. In 2000 Robina authored her first book “Corporate Politics for IT Managers: How to get streetwise”, published by Butterworth Heinemann. In the words of the Chief Executive of the British Computer Society “If a fraction of those who read the book do something positive with the ideas presented the state of UK plc will be for ever enriched.”

Robina now runs her own consultancy and training company, she is also a Visiting Fellow at Cranfield School of Management and a Research Associate for the LEF. Her prime focus is on helping senior managers to develop political acumen, to master the art of influencing others and hence increase their personal impact at board level. Other areas of specialism include the building of high performance teams and relationship management. In 2008 Robina won the BSC IT industry award “IT Consultant of the Year”. Her second book, “Changing the IT Leader’s Mindset: Time for revolution rather than evolution” was published in 2010 by IT Governance and her third book “30 Key Questions that Unlock Management: How do I...?” was published in 2012, also by IT Governance. Her fourth book, “The Art of IT Management: Practical tools, techniques and people skills”, was published in 2015 by the BCS. Her latest venture was a book series under the heading of “Technical Leadership Capabilities”, launch by the BCS in March of 2018.

Articles In Journals

• Chatham R & Patching K (1997) IT managers - fighting the stereotype, Management Focus (Cranfield) (9) 22-23.