FOR Cavell Francis, digital transformation is a strategic commitment to building people, strengthening purpose and preparing organisations to compete in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Just over a year into her tenure as the lead for a digital transformation programme at Red Stripe, Francis brings both academic depth and strategic experience to one of the company’s most significant capital investments and a priority initiative within the HEINEKEN group.

“My role is to equip teams, strengthen systems and ensure that technology delivers measurable value,” she said.

Holding a PhD in sustainable development from the University of the West Indies, Mona, her academic work focuses on how governments and businesses can improve decision-making in uncertain environments using scenario planning. That training sharpened her ability to think long-term, assess risk and design structured pathways for change, skills that now guide her leadership in corporate Jamaica.

Her professional career has been anchored in business improvement, productivity and innovation. With academic training grounded in systems thinking, efficiency and value creation, Francis naturally transitioned into enterprise-wide transformation work, where aligning strategy, people and performance remains central to her leadership approach.

Prior to her current role, Francis was involved in innovation and value engineering where she supported the development of new products for market while at the same time led projects to reduce costs while driving innovation and efficiency particularly around raw and packaging materials. She also led Project GROW, a sustainable agricultural initiative launched in 2014 to substitute imported high-maltose corn syrup for locally sourced cassava starch in the brewing process.

After her role in innovation and value engineering, she took on a short-term global development assignment in Haiti which expanded her regional perspective and reinforced the importance of cultural awareness in leading change.

“I learnt over the years to be more culturally fluid,” she shared. “It’s essential to be respectful of people’s culture and ethos, identify what drives them, avoid assumptions, and approach situations with a willingness to learn.”

The experience laid a strong foundation for her transition into digital transformation, where structured change and value creation remain central to her leadership approach. Her passion for digital transformation stems from a conviction that Jamaica must position itself to compete in a technology-driven global economy.

“Digital transformation is more than adopting new technology; it is a strategic approach to integrating tools and technology that add value for both internal and external stakeholders,” Francis said. “For me successful digital transformation is essentially effective change management. Without buy-in from people, even the best technology will not deliver meaningful results.”

“Successfully adopting new technology requires clarity on your ‘why’ and ‘how,’ not just the ‘what,’” she explained. “Simply adopting tech isn’t enough. You need a clear purpose, such as solving a specific problem or increasing value.”

Artificial intelligence is part of that broader shift. Francis views AI as a tool that must be applied thoughtfully and strategically.

Within her remit, the introduction of new systems is accompanied by structured training and targeted change management to ensure employees are prepared and confident.

“It’s important we introduce new ways of working but equally important that we prepare people for the changes that will come,” Francis noted. “We support the team every step of the way.”

A central pillar of her work is the intentional development of Jamaican professionals to lead transformation efforts. Francis believes local expertise is essential for sustainable results.

“No technology can be successfully implemented without the human element,” she said. “Our local team had all the goods to deliver that so it was a no brainer.”

Beyond corporate impact, Francis sees digital transformation influencing Jamaica’s wider job landscape. Automation and data-driven systems are expected to improve efficiency and productivity while creating demand for new competencies in digital operations, analytics and innovation management. She believes this shift will free employees from repetitive processes and create space for higher-value, strategic work.

She defines future-ready talent as creative, adaptable, curious and committed to ongoing learning. Technical skills can be developed. The mindset remains critical.

“What is critical is having the right mindset, one that is inquisitive, entrepreneurial, customer focused and open to change,” Francis said.

Looking ahead, she defines success as sustained growth supported by skilled employees leveraging digital tools to solve practical challenges.

“Begin by clarifying the value you want technology to offer your customers,” Francis advised companies considering their own transformation journeys. “Once you determine that value and the tools that support it, you can start your implementation journey.”

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