McLaren group IT and security director recognised in UK’s top 100 technology leaders

Dan Blackman, group IT and security director at McLaren Construction, was named among the top 100 technology leaders in the UK at the CIO 100 Awards on 18 September. The CIO 100 Awards UK recognise chief information officers and technology leaders for their achievements in digital transformations, themes and ideas.

Dan is the only inclusion on the CIO 100 list from a contractor, demonstrating McLaren’s industry leadership in implementing technologies and architectures that enable and support wide scale digital transformation throughout the business and for its customers.

McLaren’s diverse and inclusive IT team has grown over the past three years to 32 members and includes a dedicated IT development function that uses Microsoft Fabric and Microsoft Power Platform to deliver advanced data products for colleagues. It has succeeded in delivering agile, robust and user-friendly systems that enable digital-first decision making, elevating the status of information management and data throughout the business.

The quality of the McLaren team working with Dan on digital transformation has won it Technology Team of the Year at the CN Workforce Awards 2024 and Digital Team of the Year at the Digital Construction Awards 2025.

Dan comments, “Construction had been slow to digitise, but we have modernised rapidly and are now working smarter with efficient digital processes that create valuable data and business intelligence. People are vital to that transformation. It’s not only legislation and client demand driving that change, but a generation of digital natives coming into the industry.”