OVO was never perfect and a level of change was expected with a new CTO. But what we are seeing now is not positive change, it is destructive.
The CTO leads with aggression, control and exclusion. He shouts, swears in public meetings, and uses phrases like “Get it done!” or “This is a must!” which only create fear. There is no collaboration, no bringing people on the journey.
He has brought in a large number of expensive consultants, many with no understanding of OVO, the energy industry, or how the company operates. They apply a cookie-cutter approach and add very little value. Some are flown in from the US at a moment’s notice, burning through huge amounts of budget, even while the rest of the company is under heavy cost pressure.
Worse still, several of these consultants are embedded in the tech leadership team itself. They are now driving decisions, despite having no context, no connection to the people, and no real clue about the business. Their input is full of corporate jargon and generic slides, which only adds to the disconnect between leadership and the rest of the organisation.
The culture has shifted dramatically, from one of trust and autonomy to fear and control. People are scared to speak up. Town halls are staged. Feedback is ignored. The People team is complicit, more focused on pushing people out than addressing what is really happening.
