IT Business Partner Playbook

The IT Business Partner Playbook - Dennis Defteros

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝑻 π‘©π’–π’”π’Šπ’π’†π’”π’” 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓 π‘·π’π’‚π’šπ’ƒπ’π’π’Œ

Welcome to episode 9! Genuine connections, the future of business partnering, and stakeholder diplomacy

πŸŽ™οΈ In this episode of The IT Business Partner Playbook Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dennis Defteros, an IT Business Partner at Bausch + Lomb in the UK. With a background in finance and later IT, Dennis brings a wealth of experience in helping organisations navigate digital transformation, ensure project success, and drive strategic value.

πŸ’‘ Key Highlights:

1️⃣ From Finance to IT: An uncommon journey for an IT Business Partner

Dennis shared his career transition from accounting to IT business partnering, reflecting on how strategic thinking and a focus on ROI help him deliver the most value from technology. His insights into cross-functional alignment are invaluable for anyone moving into a business partner role.

2️⃣ Shadow IT, Digital Transformation, and the Need for Oversight

We explored the risks of shadow ITβ€”where teams set up systems without oversightβ€”and the long-term impact of unmanaged resources. Dennis shared how his team is tackling these challenges, emphasising the role of governance, communication, and proactive engagement.

3️⃣ Building Relationships and Managing Stakeholders

A key takeaway from our conversation was the importance of in-person meetings. Dennis highlighted how regular check-ins and genuine connection with IT and business partners (internal, and external) are critical in nurturing relationships and ensuring project success.

4️⃣ Empathy, Strategy, and Business Ownership

Understanding business pain points is essential to driving meaningful change. Dennis discussed how empathy plays a crucial role in his approachβ€”whether guiding business leaders through project management or balancing technology with business needs.

5️⃣ The Future of IT Business Partnering

We touched on the evolving nature of IT Business Partner roles, including the shift towards product management and the increasing pressure for ownership and accountability. Dennis also emphasised the importance of continuous learning to stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.

🌟 Looking Ahead:

This episode reinforces the point that IT Business Partners are not just facilitatorsβ€”they are strategists, innovators and problem-solvers. Is that how Business Partners viewed in your organisation? We'd love to know!

My favourite quote from Dennis, 

"π‘ͺπ’‰π’‚π’π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’†π’“π’„π’†π’‘π’•π’Šπ’π’ 𝒐𝒇 𝑰𝑻 π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒂 π’•π’‚π’„π’•π’Šπ’„π’‚π’ π’‡π’–π’π’„π’•π’Šπ’π’ 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 π’”π’•π’“π’‚π’•π’†π’ˆπ’Šπ’„ 𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒓 π’•π’‚π’Œπ’†π’” π’•π’Šπ’Žπ’†, 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 π’ƒπ’–π’Šπ’π’…π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’“π’†π’π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’π’”π’‰π’Šπ’‘π’” 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕"

Prefer to watch? Catch the full episode here;

πŸ“Ή

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