Partner Spotlight - Sharon Prior

The Quiet Force Who Gets Loud Results

Some leaders make noise. Others make impact. Sharon Prior does both, just not in the way you might expect. She’s the kind of leader whose quiet confidence and deep conviction create cultural shifts, not just operational ones. She doesn’t chase recognition. She delivers transformation and people follow.

Her career didn’t begin with strategy decks or big budgets. It started at a desk, as a young typist in a high street bank. Even then, Sharon wasn’t there to simply type. She was watching, questioning and improving, with a knack for systems and a mindset wired for progress. After spotting and fixing a flaw in a banking system, she was told her talents were ‘going to waste’, a comment that spurred her to retrain in IT. That decision became the launchpad for her career as a globally recognised CIO and digital transformation leader.

Growing up in a busy household as the middle child of seven, Sharon learned how to speak up, think fast and hold her own. In an environment where ideas were currency and conversations moved quickly, she developed a leadership style rooted in assertiveness, empathy and sharp instincts.

Now with over 25 years of experience across IT, operations and executive leadership in both public and private sectors, Sharon has become a sought-after transformation specialist. Her work at GlaxoSmithKline was a defining chapter. “Leading digital transformation at that scale taught me resilience and innovation,” she says. It gave her a blueprint for modernising global IT landscapes, delivering enterprise-wide change and building cyber-secure environments that support business agility.

At Heathrow Airport, Sharon brought this expertise to life with powerful outcomes. She led the end-to-end IT operating model transformation of the UK’s busiest airport. Her focus was on simplifying technology, embedding an enterprise architecture that supports sustainability and operational resilience and delivering a strategic roadmap aligned with regulatory and commercial priorities.

These weren’t just tech upgrades; they were culture shifts. Sharon doesn’t just deliver transformation; she leaves behind stronger, empowered teams, sustainable capability, and systems that outlast the programme.

“For me, success is about making a lasting impact. It’s not just about climbing the ladder, but about widening it for others.”

This ethos has shaped her career. Stepping into the CIO was a leap of faith, one that unlocked new realms of board engagement, enterprise leadership and international influence. She has since advised boards on technology strategy, operational resilience, cyber assurance and inclusive innovation, while mentoring the next generation of diverse leaders.

Sharon’s management style is grounded in clarity, composure and conviction. Whether she’s briefing boards or walking the floor with frontline teams, she brings a unique mix of strategic depth and human-centred leadership. Her presence is calm but commanding, approachable yet resolute. She leads with purpose and delivers with precision.

She’s also refreshingly candid about what her journey. “I wish I’d realised earlier that I didn’t need permission to lead,” she says. “Leadership isn’t about titles, it’s about conviction. Once I backed myself, everything changed.”

That clarity shapes her message today.

“Build with purpose. Lead with integrity. Deliver with courage.”

Integrity is a constant in Sharon’s story. Navigating a challenging professional exit in recent years only strengthened her resolve. “It taught me the power of integrity and the importance of standing firm in your truth,” she reflects. “No matter how tough it gets, never compromise who you are.”

Today, Sharon works with organisations as a senior advisor, transformation leader and board consultant. Her portfolio spans sectors, from pharma to aviation to transport and her impact includes reshaping IT operating models, embedding cyber assurance, driving digital-first cultures and enabling C-suite confidence in technology investment.

She’s also a champion for inclusion in tech, a visible voice for women and under-represented groups and a role model for those who don’t see themselves in the traditional leadership moulds.

Now launching her own consultancy in partnership with Community Partners, Sharon is bringing her expertise in transformation, leadership and culture to global clients. With a growing presence in international markets, including the Middle East, she continues to shape the future of business with her signature blend of integrity, insight and impact.

At Community Partners, we’re proud to support leaders like Sharon, those who embody what real transformation looks like; not performative, but permanent. Not ego-driven, but values-led. Sharon reminds us that real leadership doesn’t need to be loud. It just needs to be real.

And if you can do it all while wearing great shoes, even better.

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn