CIO Profile: GroundProbe’s Johnny Serrano shares his journey to IT leadership

A year later, having taken the first step of acquiring a diploma in software engineering, Serrano found the inspiration to enrol in a Bachelor of Information Technology, Electronic Commerce at Queensland University of Technology. While there have been significant advancements in safety over the years, few would argue there’s still much room for improvement, especially in developing economies where mine accidents remain tragically common, often resulting in loss of life and serious injury, devastating families and communities. Since it was founded in 2001, GroundProbe has been developing software and digital sensors designed to help mine operators — and workers — be more alert and responsive to the many dangers that can present themselves, while collecting site data to inform more intelligent project design. Serrano feels that gaining executive support for this vision is the biggest challenge facing many CIOs today, especially as they come under increased pressure to conjure and deploy strategies for digital innovation that deliver tangible business outcomes. Since the onset of the pandemic, GroundProbe has developed a laser-like focus on improving customer experience, which Serrano says further underscores the importance of giving his tech team as much freedom as possible.