Paragon appoints Stephen Lester as Group CTO to drive tech growth
Paragon Group has appointed Stephen Lester to the newly created position of Group Chief Technology Officer following a period of significant company growth.
Stephen Lester previously served as Chief Technology Officer for the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg region at Paragon. In his new role, his remit will expand from building the technology foundations for those areas to formulating a strategy that brings cohesion to Paragon's technology investments and innovations across its global operations.
Paragon Group operates in regions including the UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, DACHE, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. Its client base includes organisations from highly regulated sectors as well as major consumer brands, requiring tailored technology frameworks and governance.
Strategic focus
Lester's central focus will include refining technology frameworks and governance to support the wide range of customer requirements encountered by Paragon's business lines. The position also encompasses the responsibility of consolidating technology platforms following several acquisitions, which have contributed to Paragon's rapid expansion over recent years.
"Stephen's new role puts him at the heart of Paragon Group's strategic success. Tech is critical to our business ambitions. His understanding of the businesses and the complex and differing needs of our customer base, as well as his track record innovating with our customers to deliver transformation and growth, puts him in the perfect position to create the tech platform we need to support the next phase of Paragon's journey," said Clem Garvey, COO of Paragon Group.
During his time as regional CTO, Lester supported technology integration across new acquisitions and led the process to unify platforms and integrate various business lines. These initiatives have been aimed at achieving smarter and more efficient operations across the business.
AI and data-driven growth
As he steps into the Group CTO position, Lester will focus on expanding the use of artificial intelligence and utilising data-driven strategies. The aim is to accelerate business transformation, strengthen customer engagement, and deliver greater operational efficiency and growth for Paragon's clientele.
Paragon Group is currently undergoing broader organisational changes, including the implementation of new processes and the formation of dedicated teams to support growth. These efforts are designed to build stronger and more integrated business lines with a global outlook.
"This is an exciting time for Paragon, and I'm proud to have the opportunity to step into the role of Group Chief Technology Officer. Technology is at the heart of everything we do, powering our operations and allowing us to innovate and deliver exciting solutions that allow our clients to push the capabilities of what exceptional customer experiences look like. My focus will be on ensuring every part of the business, across our outsourced and marketing services divisions, has the platforms, systems, and innovative solutions needed to perform at its best. That's how we will deliver more for our clients, creating smarter solutions and innovating together to deliver lasting value," comments Stephen Lester.
Lester's appointment is structured to support Paragon's commitment to developing its technology infrastructure to meet evolving demands in an increasingly regulated and competitive environment across multiple international markets.
The company's strategy under Lester's leadership is to bolster its expertise in delivering business growth, customer engagement, transformation, and efficiency. By aligning its technology operations and making further investments in artificial intelligence, Paragon seeks to enhance its offering to both existing and prospective clients, reinforcing processes that reduce cost, risk, and complexity.
Paragon's approach to technology under Lester's direction will focus on supporting both its outsourced services and marketing services divisions to achieve peak performance. Efforts will continue towards integrating business lines and optimising processes to facilitate lasting value for clients through smarter, data-driven solutions.
