GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Ben Pring,
Managing Director, Cognizant’s Center for
the Future of Work
W
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement? that companies and individuals hire in an
extremely half-hearted way.
In 2018, I was invited to talk about the
future of work at the 66th Bilderberg
Meeting in Italy. With only a small number
of speakers selected each year, I felt
privileged to receive an invite to such a
prestigious event. What do you think will emerge as the
technology trend of 2020 and why?
What first made you think of a
career in technology? The most important thing is that businesses
get the architecture and foundations of
their AI everywhere strategy right. By
doing so, they are setting a course to be
‘fit for the future’. Get this wrong – mostly
Loving Star Trek as a young kid growing
up. Since then, I have tried to emulate the
characters’ mission to boldly go where
no one has been before. Technology has
always been about the frontier and I have
always wanted to know what is around the
river bend.
What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
I aim to hire good people so I can give them
freedom and offer them the opportunity to
make their own footprint on the business
and wider technology industry. If you hire
the wrong person for a role, you spend all of
your time ‘managing’ them, which is time-
consuming and prevents innovation.
The old adage, ‘measure twice, cut
once’ is 100% applicable to hiring and
management, but it is remarkably common
www.intelligentcio.com
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the great story of
our time and is making 2019 a crucial year
for CIOs.
by thinking that AI is a passing fad – and
businesses will realise they are falling further
and further behind the competitive pace.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
A lot of money is being invested in AI, but it
is mainly on the supply side. On the demand
“
WITH GREATER
VISIBILITY OF
TECHNOLOGY-
DRIVEN
INITIATIVES,
CIOS HAVE TO
BE BETTER
POLITICIANS
THAN EVER.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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