About
A highly respected Chief Technology Officer with over 20 years of board-level experience, Christopher Tolson is an innovative leader in digital transformation, scaling technology across global online gaming, retail, and auction sectors to deliver multibillion-pound revenues. He possesses deep expertise in software development, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and product delivery, consistently achieving significant revenue growth, enhancing digital adoption, and embedding secure, scalable platforms. Adept at M&A, investor engagement, and strategic value creation, Christopher excels at guiding complex organizational change and leveraging technology for competitive advantage.
Work
Bonhams
|Chief Technology Officer
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Summary
Led global digital transformation for this international auction house, overseeing software development, systems architecture, service desk, project management, data & BI services, and training, reporting directly to the CEO.
Highlights
Delivered global website, mobile app, and CRM integrations, increasing digital sales from 10% to over 50% by value and 80% by volume.
Implemented a self-service sell hub, generating approximately £25M in new consignments annually.
Partnered with an auction aggregator to build a shared bidding platform, significantly increasing participation and sell-through rates.
Launched an iOS app for business getters, digitising pipeline management and converting over 2000 objects/month.
Embedded SOC/SIEM framework, mitigating live threats and fostering a security-first culture while introducing Agile, CI/CD, and SLAs.
The Workshop
|Chief Information Officer
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Summary
Directed IT Operations, Cybersecurity, BI, Architecture, and Compliance (UKGC, PCI, ISO 27001, GDPR) for a B2B gaming software supplier specializing in sportsbook, casino, poker, blockchain, and digital currency products.
Highlights
Built a private cloud (KVM & OpenStack) and edge architecture, reducing latency from ~6 seconds to ~2.5 seconds.
Reduced L1 & L2 incidents by ~70%, directly enabling record Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) performance.
Strengthened compliance and cybersecurity frameworks, ensuring robust regulatory alignment across operations.
NTT Europe
|Chief Technology Officer > Chief Information Officer
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Summary
Headhunted to advise C-level clients on IT strategy and public/private cloud adoption, developing innovative managed services and consultancy solutions across a large global client base as part of a leading global ICT supplier.
Highlights
Advised C-level clients on IT strategy and public/private cloud adoption, developing innovative managed services and consultancy solutions across a large global client base.
bet365
|Chief Platform Architect
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Summary
Reported to the CEO with a £100M annual budget, accountable for global IT delivery, architecture, project management, datacentres, operations, security, availability, business continuity, and compliance for the world's leading sportsbook betting platform.
Highlights
Built 24x7 IT Operations, SOC, and Service Desk, supporting over 20 major releases daily.
Designed and deployed a global platform and bespoke CDN, significantly enhancing speed and scalability.
Delivered pioneering sportsbook innovations including Inplay, Cash Out, and real-time push data delivery.
Embedded advanced cybersecurity (DDoS, IDS, SIEM) and resilient data solutions to protect critical infrastructure.
Achieved compliance with PCIv2, UKGC, and multiple international regulators, driving multibillion-pound revenue.
bet365
|Head of Infrastructure → Solutions Architect
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Summary
Progressed from Solutions Architect to Head of Infrastructure during a period of rapid growth, focusing on scaling infrastructure to support global expansion and innovation.
Highlights
Delivered a comprehensive datacentre and platform refresh to support rapid global expansion.
Established the Gibraltar gaming platform, enhancing operational reach and capacity.
Built an in-house DDoS mitigation platform, reducing reliance on third-party suppliers and improving security posture.
Introduced real-time push delivery of products, a first-to-market innovation in the industry.
Globix
|Solutions Architect
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Summary
Built a consultancy arm for Globix, significantly increasing datacentre profitability.
Highlights
Increased datacentre profitability fivefold by establishing and leading a new consultancy arm.
Computacenter
|Internet Architect / Enterprise Management
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Summary
Provided professional services consultancy and set up the iGroup web hosting platform for Computacenter.
Highlights
Successfully set up the iGroup web hosting platform and delivered professional services consultancy.
Unisys/Microsoft
|Support Engineer
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Summary
Supported the global rollout of Windows 95 for Unisys/Microsoft.
Highlights
Provided critical support for the global rollout of Windows 95.
Education
DeMontfort University, Leicester
First Class Honours
Design Management
Grade: First Class Honours
Certificates
UK Gambling Commission Personal Management Licence (PML) - 000-051220-M-328885-001
Issued By
UK Gambling Commission
Skills
Digital Transformation & Strategy
Digital Transformation Leadership, Enterprise Architecture & Integration, Data & Business Intelligence Strategy, Product Development & Lifecycle Management, M&A, Investor Engagement, Strategic Value Creation.
Cybersecurity & Risk Management
ISO 27001, PCI, GDPR, SOC/SIEM Frameworks, DDoS Mitigation, Compliance.
Technology Leadership & Operations
Software Development Management, Cloud & Infrastructure Architecture (Public & Private), Global IT Operations & Service Delivery, Budgeting & Supplier Optimisation, Board-Level Stakeholder Engagement, Agile, CI/CD, SLAs, Project Management.
Industry Expertise
Gaming, Sportsbook Betting, Retail, Auction Sectors, Blockchain, Digital Currency.