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But what remains to be seen is whether it ’ s truly revolutionary or whether it will just be another tool in the kit . There ’ s a real risk that we miss out on GenAI ’ s potential by neglecting the data it ’ s using to generate results . We ’ ve seen examples of this already : where poor quality data leads to inaccurate or biased content .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
The move to SAP S4 / HANA is huge and it will only get bigger . The transformation means tens of thousands of organisations migrating from old SAP ERP systems to a business suite hosted on-premise , in the cloud or as a hybrid . Imagine the volume of data that will be migrated . And imagine how much of that is probably inaccurate , is duplicated data , or is simply not needed .
Although the investment in the new platform will be substantial , investing in data quality will be crucial too to avoid spiralling costs , missed deadlines and , ultimately , failed projects .
What I find interesting is the way companies are pushing back a bit when it comes to migrating to the new platform . They ’ re not settling for the status quo and instead are looking for different options to get there . I think it ’ s forced more thoughtful solutions in the market , and is a great model for the future .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside of the office ?
With my dogs – I have 2 rescues , Darcy and Bennet . I also enjoy golf with my family and I ’ m now starting to explore all that Barcelona has to offer after my move .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I wish I had advocated more for myself sooner . I was very passive in my early career when it came to opportunities and asking for what I wanted . It takes a level of experience and confidence to do that though , and although perhaps I missed out on some opportunities by not speaking up , the route I ’ ve taken has opened different doors and made me the leader I am today .
What remains to be seen is whether it ’ s truly revolutionary or whether it will just be another tool in the kit .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in Europe ?
Compliance challenges with data residency , data sovereignty and GDPR are some of the biggest challenges , although , as a region we are overcoming them by developing and introducing thoughtful architecture . For example , by localising data through regional data centres , using data encryption to protect personal data , or introducing robust data governance frameworks to make sure data remains compliant .
It ’ s important to remember that culturally EMEA is very diverse , so one solution may not be a good fit everywhere . It ’ s one of the things that makes this region so interesting , and we need to consider that in program planning and change management as well .
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 ?
By moving into the EMEA SVP role this year I ’ ve made a pretty major change that has already impacted my dayto-day – especially with a move across the Atlantic . My responsibilities have expanded , and I now lead a much larger team with a strategic EMEA focus .
Add to that Capgemini ’ s recent acquisition of Syniti , giving us an even stronger offer for our customers , bringing together Syniti ’ s data management expertise and Capgemini ’ s deep industry knowledge . That will accelerate my purpose here , which is to scale , and I ’ m excited about that .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain C-level position in your industry ?
Learn how to communicate effectively . Understanding your audience , their level of knowledge and the information they need to know to make a decision is really important .
My instinct is to give as much detail as possible , but this isn ’ t always helpful . It can be overwhelming to be presented with a ton of information that is only vaguely relevant and can turn people off .
So , if you ’ re like me , editing yourself can be useful . The key skill lies in taking out the information that ’ s not needed and keeping in the important details . If that doesn ’ t come naturally , start practising now to spot the areas you need to develop more . p
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