“It’s easy to get lost in the ‘what’ – but real transformation starts with the ‘who’,” said Bryant Noice, Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer at IKEA, in his keynote during Masters & Robots 2025. Find out how the Swedish giant is transforming its business in a truly human-centric way.
When new technologies enter an organisation, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype – rushing to implement the next big thing: AI tools, new systems, digital platforms – and forgetting why we’re doing it in the first place.
“Technology should never lead without values,” said Bryant Noice in his keynote opening the Leadership track at Masters & Robots. “Any innovation detached from people and purpose loses its weight. Real transformation starts with humans: their needs, their empathy, their ability to connect and create meaning.”
That’s why, he advises, before asking “What can this technology do?”, leaders should first ask:
- “Should we do it?”
- “Who truly benefits?”
This moment of reflection is crucial in a world defined by constant change happening at an unprecedented pace.
“Things are moving super fast. For me, the biggest challenge leaders face in 2025 is uncertainty. This comes from not always having a clear purpose for how we want this fast pace of technology to benefit people,” he added.
👉 Watch the full interview with Bryant to discover what leaders can do about it, what companies should focus on right now, and how technology may evolve over the next five years.