Industrial artificial intelligence firm IFS has named Robi Gone as its new Chief Information Officer, a strategic appointment designed to accelerate the company’s internal technology transformation and innovation. Gone moves to the enterprise software company from energy giant Shell, where he held multiple senior IT leadership roles. The transition comes as IFS continues to expand its global operations and solidify its position in the industrial AI sector.
In his new role, Gone will report directly to CEO Mark Moffat and join the Executive Board, overseeing the company’s global IT strategy. He succeeds Helena Nimmo, who is retiring after a tenure that included significant IT modernization and security enhancements. The appointment is aligned with the company’s focus on scaling its own digital infrastructure to support its growth and mirror the AI-driven solutions it provides to clients in asset-intensive industries. Gone’s extensive experience in managing large-scale digital platforms and enterprise transformation is expected to be a key asset in this phase of the company’s development.
A Background in Global Enterprise Transformation
Robi Gone brings over a decade of high-level IT leadership experience from his tenure at Shell. In his most recent capacity as the IT Global General Manager for Finance, he was responsible for spearheading the company’s finance technology transformation. This work involved deploying advanced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions, implementing robust performance management frameworks, and overseeing a wide array of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) integrations across the multinational corporation. His leadership at Shell was marked by a focus on building strong digital foundations to drive operational excellence in a complex, global environment.
Before joining Shell in 2015, Gone built a foundation in enterprise technology consulting. He worked with major consulting firms Deloitte and Accenture, where he advised large corporate clients on digital enterprise transformation strategies and managed complex SAP program deliveries. This background provided him with deep expertise in guiding established companies through significant technological and operational shifts, a skill set directly applicable to his new role at IFS.
Driving a New Phase of IT Modernization
The appointment of a new CIO comes at a pivotal moment for IFS. Under the leadership of CEO Mark Moffat, who took the helm in 2024, the company has sharpened its focus on cloud-native AI innovation to serve its expanding global customer base. Moffat stated that Gone’s expertise in leading enterprise transformation will be instrumental as IFS continues to modernize and scale its global IT landscape, bringing precisely the experience needed for the company’s current growth stage. The goal is to ensure IFS’s internal technology infrastructure is as advanced and efficient as the solutions it sells.
Gone’s primary mandate will be to guide the company’s global IT strategy, strengthening its digital backbone to support rapid growth. This includes enhancing internal systems, bolstering cybersecurity measures, and embedding AI further into the organization’s own processes. In a statement, Gone expressed his excitement about joining IFS, noting the company’s established leadership in Industrial AI. He aims to ensure that IFS’s own technology foundation exemplifies the same standard of innovation it delivers to customers, enabling efficient scaling while maintaining excellence for both employees and clients.
Harnessing the Power of Industrial AI
IFS has positioned itself as a key player in the industrial AI market, offering specialized software that helps companies manage assets, manufacturing processes, and service-intensive operations. The company’s core platform, IFS Cloud, has a suite of AI capabilities branded as IFS.ai. This embedded AI blends machine learning and automation to optimize complex industrial processes, from aviation maintenance and supply chain logistics to energy asset management. Unlike generic AI tools, IFS.ai is purpose-built for the operational complexities of specific industries, including aerospace and defense, manufacturing, and utilities.
The company’s solutions are designed to deliver tangible outcomes, such as predictive maintenance to reduce equipment downtime, real-time insights to improve decision-making, and automation to enhance efficiency. For instance, in the energy and resources sector, its AI can help predict the health of critical assets based on future energy load trends. This focus on industry-specific applications has attracted major global clients like Collins Aerospace, Hitachi Energy, and TotalEnergies, who are increasingly investing in IFS to drive their own digital transformations.
Navigating a Rapidly Expanding Market
The market for industrial AI is experiencing explosive growth, creating both opportunities and competitive pressures. Recent market analyses project that global spending on AI in manufacturing and industrial sectors will increase dramatically in the coming years. One forecast predicts the market will grow from $3.4 billion in 2023 to over $103 billion by 2032. Another report suggests the market could reach nearly $192 billion by 2034, driven by a compound annual growth rate of over 46%. This expansion is fueled by the broader Industry 4.0 movement, the rise of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and immense pressure on companies to improve operational efficiency and automate processes.
Key trends driving this adoption include the use of AI for predictive maintenance, quality control, and supply chain optimization. Companies are leveraging AI-powered systems to reduce unplanned downtime by as much as 50% and improve production efficiency. As this trend accelerates, IFS’s strategy of providing deeply integrated, industry-specific AI solutions positions it to capitalize on the demand. Gone’s appointment is a clear signal that IFS intends to fortify its own technological capabilities to compete effectively in this dynamic environment.
A Vision for Future-Ready Internal Operations
The leadership transition also acknowledges the foundational work of the outgoing CIO, Helena Nimmo. Moffat praised Nimmo for her impact on the company’s IT strategy, highlighting her efforts in strengthening security capabilities and embedding AI across the organization. Her advocacy for diversity and inclusion was also recognized as a significant contribution to the company culture. Nimmo’s work provides a solid platform upon which Gone is expected to build.
Looking ahead, Gone’s leadership will be critical in shaping an internal IT environment that can support IFS’s ambitious growth targets and its commitment to innovation. His focus will likely be on creating a scalable, agile, and secure digital ecosystem that not only supports the company’s global workforce but also serves as a showcase for the principles of industrial AI. By aligning IFS’s internal technology with its external product offerings, the company aims to demonstrate the transformative power of its solutions and maintain its leadership position in the industrial software market.