Nick Gaines CIO50 2009

While Volkswagen UK CIO, Nick Gaines, may spend his spare time with his guitar collection, his work hours are spent tuning up the car company's IT department.

Gaines is currently overseeing a rebuild of Volkswagen's IT infrastructure within the UK, which is also in the process of being more tightly integrated into the infrastructure across the Volkswagen Group.

The CIO is also leading a programme to transform Volkswagen's sales, order management and logistics processes.

Gaines started his career as a nuclear engineer and has worked within financial services, airports and construction, before taking up the role of BAA's director of business critical systems where he was accountable for the systems' implementation at Heathrow's Terminal 5.

Gaines joined Volkswagen in 2008.