GET TO KNOW not a tech trend – the technology isn ’ t new . I think with a lot of technology trends , it is more about whether we can accept it as a human race and as a business , versus whether it can do the thing we need it to .
AI and Machine Learning have been emerging for some years and there are some truly amazing products out there . I think ChatGPT has started to challenge the concept of ‘ do I trust AI ?’ and people are becoming more comfortable with using it than they would have been using another similar type of AI 12 months ago . ChatGPT has made AI the most accessible and understandable it ’ s ever been and people are starting to use it and engage with it . split between work and home . Recently , I started doing carpentry – making a bar for the garden .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
There are lots of things I ’ ve done wrong or that I would perhaps choose to do differently of course . But if I did go back and change these decisions , would I be where I am today ?
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in Europe ?
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
I think there are two major areas and they link into each other . The first is ‘ invest to save ’. Organisations are moving away from legacy systems and instead investing in asset-light technologies , like SaaS or cloud-based technologies , to enable them to have a service on demand that allows them to ramp up and down as needed . This gives organisations greater control to optimise costs and roll out faster , generating cost savings . The idea of ‘ invest to save ’ is not new , but given current economic challenges , especially in the UK , it is becoming more prominent .
The second is ‘ save to secure ’, where organisations reinvest the money they would have spent but aren ’ t doing so now they are on that cloud-based SaaS , on making sure their environment is secure . Security has gone from being something that businesses know they need , to something that IT has to get done , to being embedded into business strategy , and I have seen this shift in the boardroom too .
I would say the major one is data sovereignty . It is a minefield . Some people overcomplicate it and worry too much , whereas others don ’ t worry enough . It is a massive consideration when deploying technology into different countries – where is the data hosted , how is it accessed , etc .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
From an organisational perspective , with the current UK climate , my role has become a lot more commercial – I am more ROI focused . From a customer perspective , it has become about demonstrating how your business can add value and why it is different .
We are here to provide a service and our goal is to help people succeed . I think the same reasons why my job has become a bit more commercial are the same reasons why our customers are demanding us to focus more on that value piece and how we make a difference to them in the service . And I ’ m massively encouraging this change .
These two areas , saving and security , often work together to cause the problem because cybercriminals know that businesses are under budgetary strain and will be taking more risks with their security in a bid to save on cost . This is the perfect situation for cybercriminals to exploit . So yes , it is important to create a more flexible , asset-light environment , but equally businesses need to ensure that the environment is secure .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside of the office ?
Since lockdown , I don ’ t do the routine activities , like a morning and evening walk , quite as much as I did during that period and it is harder to find that logical
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Focus on the customer , understand what they are trying to achieve and make sure you don ’ t become obsessed with whatever the latest technology is . Instead focus on how that tech can help teach customers and help them grow their businesses . A few years ago , I had the mindset that a good CIO was about being the most knowledgeable on all technologies . But I quickly learnt that this isn ’ t the case . You can know all the technology in the world , but it is useless unless you understand how to create the capabilities around you , leverage the technology and deliver that value back to the customer . p
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