ANZ EDITION JUNE 20 19 anz.businesschief.com
BUILDING AUSTRALIA’S LANDMARKS WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION IN MIND
Refining supply chain strategies in Queensland
Foodstuffs North Island Harvesting a fresh approach to data
Acting CIO Ashley Colyer on how the cooperative stays in tune, in form and in front
City Focus
CHRISTCHURCH
Transforming New Zealand’s agriculture hub
Commitment beyond technology.
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FOREWORD
W
elcome to the June issue
strategy that is driving the continual
of Business Chief ANZ!
growth of one of New Zealand’s most
Foodstuffs North Island, one of
beloved brands.
New Zealand’s leading brick and
Prolific Australian construction
mortar grocers, has undergone
firm Hansen Yuncken is undergoing
a dramatic shift in technological
a similarly innovative strategy,
implementation over the past
positioning itself as a sustainable,
decade. The 100% Kiwi
people-first driver of fresh
owned firm is harnessing
ideas and technologies in
its prowess to the
the construction industry.
benefit of its
Project Manager Vanja
customers: leveraging data to establish a greater degree of
Ashley Colyer, Acting CIO, Foodstuffs North Island
customer centricity whilst maximising its sustainability and profitability. “Seven or eight years ago, IT was considered by many simply as a necessary cost of doing business,”
Krumpacnik discusses technology’s has centrality to the firm’s strategy. Christchurch takes centre
stage in this month’s City Focus, while the Top 10 is comprised of Asia Pacific’s largest companies. Do you have a story to tell? If you
says Ashley Colyer, Acting CIO.
would like to be featured in an
“However, our Board recognised IT
upcoming issue of Business Chief,
was going to be the key enabler of
get in touch at
our future success.” This month, we
marcus.lawrence@bizclikmedia.com
zero in on the digital transformation
Enjoy the issue!
a n z . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m
03
Building an ecosystem? Connect the dots. “Your journey to cloud must navigate pitfalls and opportunities that are unique to your business. We support you in imagining and delivering your cloud journey and making it run�. Eric Meistermann, Deloitte Partner in charge of AXA Group
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CONTENTS
Foodstuffs North Island
12 28
ALIBABA CLOUD NOT YOUR TYPICAL CLOUD COMPANY
What can tech businesses do to address the STEM skills shortage?
40 50
Why we must invest in today’s shared transportation to build the foundation of tomorrow’s smart mobility
60
City Focus
70 TOP 10 Biggest companies in Asia
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CONTENTS
86
Hansen Yuncken
104
UnitingCare Queensland
118 148 naked Retreats
Okada Manila
Foodstuffs North Island 12
harvesting a fresh approach to data through digital transformation WRITTEN BY
DANIEL BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY
MIKE SADR
JUNE 2019
13
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND
Foodstuffs North Island’s Acting CIO Ashley Colyer explains how the cooperative is overcoming the challenges of change management to harvest the benefits of a customer centric approach to data
F
oodstuffs North Island became one of New Zealand’s most successful brick and mortar grocery businesses thanks to
a string of market leading brands such as Four Square, PAK’nSAVE and New World. Established in 1922 along with sister co-operative Foodstuffs South Island, the cooperative’s owner/operator model has seen it become the country’s biggest 14
grocery distributor while remaining 100% Kiwi owned. The North Island co-operative strives to be: In tune with what customers, colleagues and communities need; In form to give customers what they want efficiently, sustainably and profitably; and In front – innovating to make sure New Zealanders get more of what matters most to them. Acting CIO Ashley Colyer recalls the fundamental strategic decision the co-operative made about the future role technology would play across the organisation: “Seven or eight years ago, IT was considered by many simply as a necessary cost of doing business, something we worked hard to control. However, our Board recognised IT was going to be the key enabler of our future success, leading to a seismic shift of our investment in technology.” JUNE 2019
15
Colyer explains that implementing SAP as the core ERP was at the heart of an IT transformation program which saw the replacement of all technology, from the network to data centres, applications and hardware. “It’s a true digital transformation from back end core platforms to customer-centric digital technologies,� he says, emphasising the positive development of recently deployed e-commerce platforms. Alongside this recent focus on customer facing digital programmes, a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND
“ It’s a true digital transformation from back end core platforms to customer centric digital technologies” 16
— Ashley Colyer, Acting CIO, Foodstuffs North Island
Colyer explained that the second broad area of focus was around internal processes optimisation. “We asked, how will we operate more efficiently and effectively? How do we optimise our supply chain? How do we reduce the amount of manual effort associated with core business activities? For example, with support from EY, we deployed new transport management and warehouse management systems that have really underpinned our supply chain transformation. We’re also three years into a program of simplifying the internal user experience of some of our core applications – notably the SAP platform – and moving away from user interfaces that are hard to understand and easy to get wrong, to applications with very defined purposes, built with the end user in mind. This makes it easy for people to do their job with very little training, essentially replicating the consumer technology experience.” Colyer also notes that Foodstuffs North Island leads the charge in New Zealand with the adoption of Office 365 which has seen over 3mn documents moved to the cloud. “That’s
JUNE 2019
17 unleashed our people from their desks,
address this using their SD WAN
the office, the corporate network and
solutions to optimise the available
even the need for VPN in many instanc-
network to all our stores and we’re well
es,” he says. “We can now work on any
progressed with completing this
device, anywhere, anytime. It’s been
enabling programme.”
enormously successful for us allied
The company’s positive approach
with a flexi desk, activity-based
to change management is providing
working environment. Of course, with
a platform for everybody at Foodstuffs
more functions moving to the cloud,
North Island to get on board with new
reliable and performant network
ways of working. “We have really
connectivity only increases in impor-
matured our capability across all
tance and this can be challenging for
business units. We deliver a constant
our more remote stores who have
and heavy program of IT change, both
access to limited bandwidth. Working
within Support Centre and stores.
with Riverbed, we’ve been able to
We’ve a multi echelon approach to a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
Driven by humans, powered by technology, business transformation for a better working world.
ey.com #BetterQuestions
Š 2019 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. ED None.
Should digital transformation be on your agenda, or running it?
mobile platform for the organisation’s
with Adept Group, a local company
forays into retail e-commerce since
with fantastic Salesforce expertise,
2015. “It’s a really engaging mobile app:
to deploy the solution for our whole-
tactile, intuitive and with a great user
sale brand Gilmours. They were key
experience,” he adds.
to delivering a project that came in
Over the past year, Colyer highlights
on time and under budget. The impact
the hugely successful overhaul of
on the business was instant. Since
Foodstuffs North Island’s wholesale
we went live, sales growth has been
e-commerce platform, migrating to
dramatic for the business.”
Salesforce’s recently acquired
Colyer notes a huge shift in the
“CloudCraze”, a natively and purpose
digital expectations of customers,
built B2B e-commerce solution which
whether shopping online or in store,
had yet to be implemented in the
which is focusing the company’s
region,” he reveals. “We partnered
energies on building an integrated,
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Ashley Colyer, Acting CIO Before embarking on a career in IT, Ashley Colyer worked as a trader on the financial markets in London. He believes that data driven role, focused on being able to digest and analyse vast quantities of information, gives him an intuitive approach to the data wrangling solutions technology can offer. “The shift towards a data driven and customer centric approach at Foodstuffs North Island has felt very natural for me,” he says. “You’re really looking at what the data’s telling you and then figuring out what to do next, so my previous career experience has definitely shaped my approach towards leading in IT.” Never one to get overexcited by the latest hyped technology his first thought is: “How do we actually turn that into something that’s going to be useful and meaningful to the business and our customers?” a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
19
FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND
$7.7bn Approximate store sales
1922
Year founded
22,000
20
Approximate number of employees
JUNE 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘WELCOME TO FSNI’ 21
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
ANZ’s Leading Salesforce B2B Commerce Partner
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Adept Group has market-leading experience of delivering successful Salesforce B2B Commerce implementations, and we are proud of the highly successful delivery of Foodstuffs Gilmours Online.
Our history in Salesforce consulting, integration and project delivery is underpinned by our unique Time to Value approach which lays the foundation for the success of our projects - delivering tangible benefits inline with customers expectations.
Contact us today to find out how we can transform your B2B business. enquiries@adeptgroup.co.nz www.adeptgroup.co.nz
“ We need to let what our customers’ data define how we operate” — Ashley Colyer, Acting CIO, Foodstuffs North Island
oped sophisticated AI models allowing our category managers to know what to promote and when to optimise the impact of our promotion and marketing activities.” Colyer adds that the fundamental shift currently being realised at Foodstuffs North Island is a customer driven approach to data core to the company’s strategy. “We need to let
change management with a team at
our customers’ data define how we
Support Centre whose raison d’être is
operate,” he says. “So instead of
to support delivery into the business
promoting something because our
across our 332 stores and help them
suppliers are giving us a special on it,
not just to adopt, but optimise the way
it’s promoting something because we
that technology is used. It’s a big
think it will resonate with our custom-
challenge with so many distributed
ers. Understanding that level of
users, so you need an efficient structure.”
granularity takes trillions of calculations
Colyer believes the grocery industry
so we need the sophistication of AI.”
is ripe for the application of automation,
For Foodstuffs North Island to
AI and machine learning as the vast
develop these capabilities, strong
majority of the business is data driven.
partnerships have been key. EY played
“Promotions, for example, knowing
an important role in the company’s
which to put on, when, how and to
ERP implementation and wider digital
whom. All of that can and should be
transformation, providing “intellectual
driven by data,” he explains. “Previous-
horsepower and capacity to help
ly there really wasn’t the capability
deliver critical large IT programmes,”
to process the volume of data to do
says Colyer of this important strategic
justice to that. Now we’re starting to
alliance. Allied to this, South America-
work with partners who have devel-
based Grability Inc has provided the a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
23
FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND
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Grability is experienced in identifying the right route to ecommerce success Schedule a demo
Contact us JUNE 2019
Blog
Drop us a line sales@grability.com
customer-centric digital experience. “It’s about where they get their inspiration, how they create a shopping list and how we can make it easy for them to find products in store. It’s also about the online shopping experience and how we make that as simple and as engaging and as rewarding as possible.” Like many digitally forward businesses, Colyer predicts Foodstuffs North Island will continue to use AI to greater effect. “It will mean we can start moving our people into significantly more value-add activities. Working out what
25
to order and when is not something a person should be doing. It’s completely predictable to a level that’s as good as, if not somewhat better than, a human could do.” He sees the future focus for
Island is to leverage IT and data to
staff on building a better experience for
serve customers. Allied to that Colyer
customers. “Instore, that may lead to
stresses the exec level focus on
fewer staffed checkout lanes allowing
simplifying the business: “Our goal is
our people to be out helping and
to reduce duplication and streamline
inspiring customers – it’s a big shift away
processes leveraging automation
from ‘processing’ towards ‘customer
and AI to create the headroom in order
experience’,” pledges Colyer. “It’s
to progress many more customer
about adapting your systems and
centric initiatives.”
processes to accommodate that.” The ultimate goal, and number one strategic priority, for Foodstuffs North a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
Covering every angle in the digital age The Business Chief platforms offer insight on the trends influencing C and V-level executives, telling the stories that matter
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TECHNOLOGY
NOT YOUR TYPICAL CLOUD COMPANY 28
JUNE 2019
In Alibaba Cloud’s dynamic office in London, Business Chief spoke with Yeming Wang, General Manager for EMEA, to learn how the Chinese juggernaut is redefining the way we think about cloud technology WRITTEN BY
L AUR A MULL AN
29
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
TECHNOLOGY
G
rappling with some of the largest bemouths in the cloud computing
industry, in China it’s Alibaba Cloud
which reigns king. The cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group has quickly earned its stripes as China’s largest public cloud service provider and has the third largest share of the cloud computing market globally, according
to Gartner. Now keen to extend its reach further afield, the company has its eyes set firmly on a new horizon: the EMEA market. One man at the heart of this strategy is Yeming Wang, General Manager for the 30
EMEA region. Well-versed in the technology space, Wang has previously worked for Huawei, managing its operations in Italy, France, Thailand, Indonesia and abroad. This gave him the perfect springboard to drive Alibaba Cloud’s EMEA expansion, a goal which he says is central to the firm’s strategy moving forward. “Alibaba Group has a very strong presence in the Asia-Pacific and we aim to be number one in this region,” observes Wang, pointing to the group’s global businesses like e-commerce firm Lazada. “Besides the Asia-Pacific, we view regions like Europe as very strategic because of its size and maturity. In the Asia-Pacific region, people are still talking about migrating to cloud, whereas in Europe the discussion is JUNE 2019
31
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE REALISING THAT ALIBABA ISN’T JUST AN E-COMMERCE OR A CLOUD COMPANY, IT’S A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ENABLER — Yeming Wang, General Manager for EMEA, Alibaba Cloud a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
TECHNOLOGY
ALIBABA HAS A RANGE OF BUSINESSES IN SECTORS SUCH AS RETAIL, FINANCE AND LOGISTICS AND WE ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW TO CREATE A DATA-DRIVEN USERCENTRIC EXPERIENCE 32
— Yeming Wang, General Manager for EMEA, Alibaba Cloud
now about the digital journey and how to use artificial intelligence (AI) or Big Data to drive business value.” Alibaba Cloud’s gleaming office in the heart of London is perhaps a testament to its global ambitions. Reclining confidently in his chair, Wang contends that, although there may be stiff competition, Alibaba Cloud is creating a distinguished cloud experience like no other in the region. This is not only because it understands the intricacies of the cloud environment, but also because it also understands the highstakes business world. “When selecting cloud providers, customers are looking for value, stability, security and cost-efficiency. But at the very top it’s different: businesses are looking to see how they can use our vertical expertise to make their business better. So, for instance, how can they use data or machines to better their business? It’s a totally different game,” he says. “Alibaba has a range of businesses in sectors such as retail, finance and logistics and so we understand how to create a data-driven user-centric experiences. We fully believe we can help our clients deliver this too.”
JUNE 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘ALIBABA CLOUD: MORE THAN JUST CLOUD’ 33
In many ways, you would be hard-
US dollars every year and 60-70% of
pressed to find an industry vertical
this business is managed on the cloud.
where Alibaba Group isn’t within reach.
Recently we’ve made a strong
Whether you’re interested in retail,
commitment that we will migrate 100%
hospitality, IT, or fintech, the Chinese
to the cloud over the next couple of
conglomerate is omnipresent. By
years.” With over $39.9bn in revenue
leveraging its tried-and-test
bagged in its last fiscal year, this is
experience in these fields, Wang
no mean feat. With this in mind,
contends that Alibaba Cloud can show,
Alibaba Cloud doesn’t just support the
not just tell, its customers how to
Group’s business, it serves as a clear
digitally transform their industries. “At
demonstration to its customers of what
an infrastructure level, we can prove
its technology can do.
we’re reliable,” explains Wang. “Today, Alibaba Group manages more than 1trn
Overlooking the bustling streets of Covent Garden, it seems that Alibaba a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
TECHNOLOGY
Cloud is not just making its mark on
enabler, offering data and service
the London skyline, it’s also leaving
platforms too. “Once they’ve adopted
a lasting impression on the city’s
cloud, businesses can prepare for the
burgeoning cloud industry. However,
second stage where they derive value
it’s important to recognise that, in
from AI or Big Data,” explains Wang.
many ways, Alibaba Cloud is much
“Then they can focus on the real
more than just a cloud company. As
business outcomes.”
the technology and business worlds
Having touched every industry
become ever more intertwined,
imaginable, Wang contends that
Alibaba Cloud has tried to position
customers can leverage the cloud
itself as a digital transformation
company’s insights and expertise to
34
IT’S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE THAT, IN MANY WAYS, ALIBABA CLOUD IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A CLOUD COMPANY — Yeming Wang, General Manager for EMEA, Alibaba Cloud
JUNE 2019
disrupt their own verticals. “Our
The reason we do this is because we
consumers often ask how we run
don’t just want to run a hotel, we want
Alibaba. So, for example, a hotel
to show people the possibilities of what
company may ask how Alibaba Group
we can do,” Wang says. Hotel giants
manages its hotel, Flyzoo. In this
like InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG)
hotel in Hangzhou, China, everything
have already benefited from Alibaba
is automated. There are no people;
Cloud’s expertise. With more than 350
customers use self check-in and are
hotels in Greater China, the hotel group
served by robots. When you get into a
has joined forces with Alibaba Cloud
room you use voice control. If you need
to develop a scalable and robust IT
room service, a robot will get it for you.
infrastructure that will support its
35
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
TECHNOLOGY
long-term growth goals. In doing so, it hopes to blend best-in-class technology with first-rate hospitality. Alibaba Cloud has not just disrupted the hotel market though, it’s also left a lasting impression in the retail market too. Jack Ma, one of the founders of Alibaba Group, is often credited for coining the term ‘New Retail’, a new omnichannel way of thinking where the lines between offline and online commerce are becoming infinitely blurred. With its parent group standing as one of the largest and most valuable 36
e-commerce companies in the world, Alibaba Cloud is well-equipped to offer sage advice and digitally disruptive technologies in this space. “Today, everyone in retail understands the importance of omnichannel offers and user-centric experiences,” highlights Wang, pointing how Alibaba’s collaboration and communication platform DingTalk could be a valuable solution to connect employees, for instance. Indeed, one retail titan that’s working alongside the cloud computing business is Spain’s El Corte Inglés, the biggest department store in Europe by sales. Joining forces with Alibaba Cloud, the Madrid-based JUNE 2019
department store is leveraging tools including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and more to deliver more personalised experiences to its customers today. Verticals such as finance and smart cities have also been identified as key target markets for Alibaba Cloud but, regardless of the sector, one thing is for certain: digital transformation is set to be at the heart of the company’s business strategy moving forward. “We’ve seen that for almost every company today, especially in Europe, CIOs and CTOs don’t have any doubts about digital transformation,” Wang adds. “A could of years ago they were deliberating about whether to use cloud, but now they’re asking whether they will use Big Data or Artificial Intelligence. They have digital transformation strategies and are looking towards digital platforms because they want to change the rules. They want to be a game changer.” This has offered a window of opportunity for Alibaba Cloud, with Wang noting how customers are keen to develop intelligence-based partnerships with “agile a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
37
TECHNOLOGY
38
ALIBABA GROUP MANAGES MORE THAN ONE TRILLION US DOLLARS EVERY YEAR AND 60-70% OF THIS BUSINESS IS MANAGED ON THE CLOUD — Yeming Wang, General Manager for EMEA, Alibaba Cloud JUNE 2019
companies like Alibaba Cloud who have strong internet DNA”. Indeed, the cloud computing giant has established partnerships and attracted 2.3mn customers worldwide, including over 1mn paying customers. Yet, when asked what he has been most proud of during his tenure, Wang cites the company’s growing brand awareness, pointing out how it’s much more than your typical technology firm. “More and more, people are realising that Alibaba isn’t just an e-commerce or a cloud company, it’s a digital transformation enabler,” says Wang, noting how, looking forward, the firm plans to deepen its partnerships with industry experts like KPMG and Deloitte. “We want to deliver our Asian digital success story to the western market” he concludes. “It’s not just about cloud, it’s about business and digital transformation.”
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
39
PEOPLE
40
What can tech businesses do to address the STEM skills shortage? RICH MORTIMER, CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER AT EGRESS SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES, REFLECTS ON HOW THE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY CAN SOLVE THE ISSUE OF THE SKILLS SHORTAGE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) THAT THREATENS TO SLOW THE PACE OF PROGRESS WRITTEN BY
JUNE 2019
RICH MORTIMER
41
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
PEOPLE
W
e are living through a period of unprecedented change. Rapidly evolving technology has trans-
formed how we live and work, creating expectations for the future that would have seemed the stuff of science fiction just a few decades ago. It’s easy to get caught up in the vast possibilities that technology offers, but we must remember that people are the ones driving innovation in this exciting new world and they are central to its success. To fully realise the potential of the technology at
42
our fingertips, it’s vital that we invest in our people resources and address the skills shortage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that threatens to slow the pace of progress. A recent STEM skills indicator showed that businesses at the cutting edge of the industrial economy, from healthcare to Artificial Intelligence and robotics, are feeling the effects of a lack of STEM skills in the UK workforce. Additional costs of £1.5 billion were associated with difficulties in recruiting staff with the right skill level; 7 in 10 businesses had struggled to fill key positions. While the UK government has rightly identified increasing the UK population’s STEM skills as a priority and a pillar of its JUNE 2019
“Young people start making career choices at a very early stage, so encouraging them to consider STEM-related roles must reflect that. We need to start competing for talent in the classroom” — Rich Mortimer, Chief People Officer, Egress Software Technologies
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
43
PEOPLE
industrial strategy, this transformation
workforce continuity, while also
can’t happen overnight – and in the
offering exciting opportunities to
interim we face a skills crunch. As a
a wider range of people.
scale-up business in the technology industry, at Egress we have first-hand
EARLY EXPOSURE IS ESSENTIAL
experience of working hard to attract,
Young people start making career
recruit and retain the skilled employ-
choices at a very early stage,
ees vital to our fast-paced growth. It’s
so encouraging them to consider
clear from this experience that the
STEM-related roles must reflect that.
technology community urgently needs
We need to start competing for
to step-up to tackle the lack of STEM
talent in the classroom.
skills head-on and get smarter about
Research shows that girls in
building our own pipeline of talent.
particular begin to lose interest in
This way we can strengthen our own
STEM-related careers in their
44
JUNE 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE TRUST NETWORK’ 45 mid-teens, with 58% of them dismiss-
the tech sector is strongly positioned
ing the idea of a STEM career by the
to provide both. Technology is the
time they reach university. As an
biggest force for change on the planet
industry, we need to work with schools
right now, capable of solving some of
and youth organisations to promote
humanity’s most pressing problems.
the benefits, opportunities and
Opportunities to make a positive
satisfaction that careers in technology
difference to the world abound and
offer entrants from all backgrounds.
this should appeal to young people
Doing this successfully means looking at what motivates young
seeking meaningful careers. The tech industry is also growing
people. Today’s career entrants are
exponentially at a time when many
prioritising quality of life over the
traditional industries are facing
accumulation of physical assets like
disruption. It therefore provides
cars and houses; they’re looking for
greater job security for those who
“purpose, not paychecks”. However,
have the skills to be part of it. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
PEOPLE
46
These should be compelling
such as time and workload manage-
messages for young people who are
ment. The obvious remedy for this is
considering their education and career
experience in the workplace and this
options. We need to build awareness
is something we strongly support
and keep providing touchpoints with
at Egress.
the industry, so that when students
Increasingly, universities are recog-
come to make choices, we are firmly
nising that employability skills are
on the shortlist.
at least as important as academic achievements and they’re becoming
THE POWER OF UNDERGRADUATE PLACEMENT PROGRAMMES
more proactive about engaging with
There’s been a common complaint
for undergraduates. As a tech company,
from businesses in recent years that
it’s our responsibility to reach out as well
graduates lack basic workplace skills,
and provide meaningful placements,
JUNE 2019
businesses to secure work placement
“Offering non-financial advantages to employees is an important strategy for scale-up businesses trying to appeal to today’s career entrants” — Rich Mortimer, Chief People Officer, Egress Software Technologies 47
which give undergraduates realistic
their undergraduate studies – with
insight into how businesses operate in
even more on their way following
the commercial environment. Even if
graduations in 2019/20. Having got
ultimately, a student decides against
to know these individuals during their
a career in technology, experience in
placement year, we can be confident
the workplace is transferable and will
that they have the right cultural fit, the
increase their value for future employers.
skills potential we need, and are ready
Undergraduate placement pro-
to grow alongside the business.
grammes are also hugely valuable for where you start to identify your future
BUILDING LOYALTY THROUGH TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
talent. It has worked well for Egress,
Once we’ve recruited into STEM roles,
with several of our current staff joining
we have to create the right environ-
after spending a year with us during
ment to retain staff and create loyalty.
the companies that offer them; they’re
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
PEOPLE
Evidence suggests that high-level STEM employees are less likely than counterparts in other roles to receive ongoing training, which is an imbalance that tech companies must be at the forefront of correcting. Today’s career entrants place heavy emphasis on personal development, so continuous learning opportunities and career progression are vital. It’s important that as start-ups mature into scale-up businesses, there is a formalisation of training and develop48
ment strategies that will attract and retain employees. Workplace training has changed a lot in the past 20 years – and for the better. Previously you might have spent five days in a classroom and received a certificate at the end, but today, training is much more hands-on and real-world focussed. At Egress, our Academy Programme offers personalised training to employees at all levels of the business, from apprentices and undergraduates, right up through management and at executive level. We typically run six-month programmes with multiple short sessions plus mentoring – JUNE 2019
“ Today’s career entrants place heavy emphasis on personal development, so continuous learning opportunities and career progression are vital” — Rich Mortimer, Chief People Officer, Egress Software Technologies
a high-touch approach that’s very effective in developing both the technical and softer management skills that we need in our workforce. Offering non-financial advantages to employees is also an important strategy for scale-up businesses trying to appeal to today’s career entrants. This includes personalised development programmes but also extends to the less tangible ‘experience’ that an energetic and flexible work environment can offer. By focusing on promoting the tech sector to future employees, providing opportunities for undergraduates and developing our own STEM talent within the business, tech companies can put themselves in a much stronger position to navigate the skills shortage, as longer-term educational initiatives also take effect.
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49
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
50
Why we must invest in today’s shared transportation to build the foundation of tomorrow’s smart mobility CEO & co-founder of Zeelo, Sam Ryan, explores why smart transportation is a must for tomorrow’s cities WRITTEN BY
JUNE 2019
SA M RYAN
51
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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
52
W
e’re living in an exciting time
utopian ideal of a seamlessly integrated,
for smart mobility. Buoyed by
intelligent transport network and the
recent developments in trans-
corollary benefits that such a system
formative technologies, such as artificial
will bring – to the economy, to passenger
intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things
safety, to the health and wellbeing of
(IoT) and fifth-generation wireless
both people and the natural environment.
communications (5G), the vision of
But while a future-thinking perspective
fully-sophisticated smart mobility
is all well and good, it’s important to
seems closer than ever.
remember that innovation cannot be
With one eye firmly fixed upon a future
built on blue-sky thinking alone. While
where everyday processes and services
future smart mobility will certainly
will become increasingly interconnected,
comprise an array of exciting forms of
data-driven and autonomous, it’s hard
transportation – wide scale electrification
not to feel a sense of excitement at the
of vehicle fleets, autonomous vehicles,
JUNE 2019
53
fully-connected travel experiences and
fuelled by ever-cheaper models
more besides – we must not lose sight
produced on a hyper mass-market scale,
of the practical steps that need to be
with private car ownership per-capita
taken in the here and now to step change
rising year-on-year in virtually every
transportation for tomorrow. This starts
nation on earth. But while current rates
with a fundamental shift in attitudes to
of ownership still far exceed the pro-
travel – namely, away from the singular
portion of one car for every two persons
and towards the shared.
across much of the developed world, a report on disruptive automotive trends
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
from McKinsey & Company suggests
For close to a century, the car has been
the beginnings of a global downward
considered king when it comes to
trend in private car ownership. In the
convenient transportation. In that time,
face of growing global frustration at
demand has been both fulfilled and
excessive congestion on inter-city a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
“ While future smart mobility will certainly comprise an array of exciting forms of transportation… we must not lose sight of the practical steps that need to be taken” — Sam Ryan, CEO & co-founder of Zeelo
54 highways and in busy urban centres,
tion is getting worse, costing an estimat-
and the resulting environmental
ed $305bn in economic impact in 2017
concerns that such high levels of traffic
in the US alone, an increase of $10bn
bring, there is a growing acceptance
from 2016. Excessive carbon emissions
that private vehicles aren’t necessarily
from traffic are polluting our air to
the way that people will move in future.
dangerous levels, with the World Health
Some are already beginning to break
Organisation claiming that transport
the habits of a lifetime and transition
accounted for almost a quarter of global
towards smarter shared mobility
carbon dioxide emissions in 2010. In
services – though the rate at which this
addition, people are spending longer
is happening is perhaps slower than it
than ever commuting to and from work,
ought to be.
regardless of how they travel, while the
The problems faced by societies on
overwhelming need for more car
a global scale as a result of excessive
parking spaces is limiting our ability to
car ownership are intensifying. Conges-
expand and grow smarter cities in the
JUNE 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘TRAVEL WITH ZEELO | YOUR COMMUTING, FAN AND FESTIVAL TRAVEL SORTED’ 55 way that we want to. The fact is that
communal travel models of old. Because
while cars have long been seen as the
of technological innovations, shared
ultimate symbols of convenience, the
travel experiences are becoming better
global overreliance on them means
than ever – though this, of course, means
that these efficacy benefits are not only
that expectations are similarly increased.
being outweighed by the negatives, but
An influx of well-funded ride-hailing
are simply ceasing to exist altogether.
startups has disrupted the transport
Solo travel is starting to seem less like
market, while the level of on-demand
a route to convenience and more like
expediency offered across a range of
a roadblock.
other industries has fundamentally raised the bar on what customers expect from
SHARING THE SPOILS
the services they consume. People
The idea of travelling together is certainly
want services that are made for them,
nothing new, but today’s innovative
designed and developed around their
shared mobility services are unlike the
wants and needs – and they not only a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
want them immediately, but they expect
chance of actually making the most of
them to be affordable. For the status of
their travel time. Secondly, transport
smart mobility to be truly accelerated,
providers and planners must work
propositions must meet the skyrocket-
together to bridge the current gaps in
ing demands that consumers have now
the network, as the current reliance on
in terms of ease and efficiency.
personal car transportation is primarily
To do this, we can start to focus on
driven by a lack of genuinely compelling
a number of things. Firstly, transport
alternatives. Gaps in the transport
operators and providers can invest in
network can be quickly and dynamically
better onboard experiences to help
filled by new, connected and data-driven
solve the wellbeing and productivity
mobility services, which are a precur-
challenges associated with stressful
sor to the ultimate goal of seamlessly
journeys. By improving communal
connected travel experiences.
travel experiences, whether for work or 56
leisure, operators give people the
Finally, and where feasible, we must look to interlink existing travel options,
“ Because of technological innovations, shared travel experiences are becoming better than ever� — Sam Ryan, CEO & co-founder of Zeelo
JUNE 2019
with a particular focus on solving the challenge of the first and last mile. If people cannot get exactly to where they need to be via shared transport, they will often begrudgingly turn back to the private vehicles they are trying to leave behind. Local municipalities and regulators have a key part to play here, as it is only by enabling the provision of data between all parties in the overall travel experience and ultimately beginning to break down the existing barriers between public and private transportation that we will start to see real progress made.
57
FACING THE FUTURE Improving the performance and viability
will eventually overcome all these hurdles,
of today’s shared travel options will lay
and the dream will one day become
a bedrock upon which to start serious-
reality, but hurdles do, of course, come in
ly building the smarter travel networks
sequence. We cannot scale them all at
of the future. True smart mobility isn’t
once, and without overcoming the
here yet, and there are many hurdles to
challenge of making shared mobility
overcome as we progress towards the
more attractive than solo travel, we run
ultimate goal – including building the
the risk of the remaining hurdles seeming
infrastructure for electric and automat-
increasingly insurmountable.
ed vehicles, working out how these next-generation vehicles will properly interface with the human world and solving synonymous challenges in other sectors such as mobile networks. We a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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CITY FOCUS
City Focus 60
JUNE 2019
Business Chief takes a look at Christchurch, NZ, an agricultural hub and home to some of the country’s most spectacular sights WRITTEN BY
MARCUS LAWRENCE
61
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CITY FOCUS | CHRISTCHURCH
‘The Smart Cities Christchurch project has been assessing and implementing an array of disruptive technologies for the benefit of the city’s population and tourists’ 62
W
hile New Zealand continues
According to the World Population
to mourn those who lost their
Review, Christchurch is New Zealand’s
lives in the terrorist attack
third most populous city and the largest
on two mosques earlier this year, it is
on the South Island, with an estimated
important to remember that the proud
population of 363,926 across 235
and beautiful city of Christchurch is
square miles. Home to the country’s
not defined by the terrible acts that
second-oldest university, the University
have so recently brought it to the
of Canterbury, the International
forefront of international attention.
Antarctic Centre that signifies its status
In the spirit of this, we have taken
as one of the world’s five gateways to
a look at the city’s history, businesses
the icy continent, and some of New
and tourist attractions that earmark
Zealand’s best beaches, Christchurch
Christchurch as one of the country’s
is an historical, cultural, and academic
finest metropolises.
hub of the Pacific nation. First settled
JUNE 2019
63
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘SMART CITIES CHRISTCHURCH’
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
CITY FOCUS | CHRISTCHURCH
by British colonists in 1848, the city was
facilitated by Christchurch’s temperate
named Christchurch after settler John
oceanic climate and volcanic terrain.
Godley’s college at Oxford University.
64
The early city was soon populated by
SMART REDEVELOPMENT
shiploads of British settlers in the
Following a series of powerful earth-
following years, and Christchurch was
quakes in 2010 and 2011 that inflicted
officially established as a city by Royal
significant damage on the city’s build-
Charter in 1856. In modernity, Christch-
ings and infrastructure, rebuilding
urch’s principle economic drivers are
and recovery operations have been
farming, tourism, and manufacturing.
ongoing throughout the decade. New
Agriculture has been the core of
Zealand’s government has invested,
Christchurch’s economy throughout
and will continue to invest, billions of
history, with New Zealand’s leading
dollars to restore the city’s roads to
agribusiness, PGG Wrightson, based
their former quality, redevelop public
in the city. This focus on farming is
transport links, support victims through their psychological recoveries, and complete a series of anchor projects aimed at bolstering confidence and pride in the city. Simultaneously, the Smart Cities Christchurch project has been assessing and implementing an array of disruptive technologies for the benefit of the city’s population and its tourists. The EQRNet solution is one such addition to the city’s digital infrastructure, utilising a sensor system to analyse real-time seismic data to mitigate the impact of earthquakes through data-driven decisionmaking. Citizen information has now
JUNE 2019
Photo © Graeme Murray / www.newzealand.com
‘Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury area is home to an array of nature reserves, native wetlands, parks and forests’ been consolidated into the SmartView
to deploy digital technologies that
app, drawing from myriad sources to
serve entertaining purposes alongside
provide Christchurch residents with
functional and safety-related uses, a
up-to-date details on the weather, local
series of SmartCross units have been
events, news, maps, public services,
installed around the city’s roads. The
and more. The government is currently
SmartCross units, mounted at pedes-
trialling a new pedestrian counting
trian crossing points, feature touch-
method, using cameras around the city
screen displays and internet connec-
to measure citizen density and direction
tions to enable people to play games
of movement in place of the tradi-
and access local information while
tional method of university students
they wait. Keeping safety in mind, the
counting heads with clickers. Keen
SmartCross units only operate while a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
65
CITY FOCUS | CHRISTCHURCH
1856
Established by Royal Charter
363,926 Population of Christchurch
Nearest Airport 66
12km
Christchurch Int.
JUNE 2019
Photo © www.newzealand.com Christchurch’s spectacular glass and steel art gallery at twilight
67
Photo © www.newzealand.com Photo © www.newzealand.com
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CITY FOCUS | CHRISTCHURCH
the lights are red, and their games have been specially designed to engage and satisfy users briefly. Other newlyinstalled technologies include smart rubbish bins which feature sensors to ensure they are emptied at the point of need, and a smart mobility parking solution which has been deployed to ensure people who require accessible parking are able to find a spot when they need one.
THINGS TO DO 68
For residents and tourists alike, Christchurch offers a wealth of fantastic sights and experiences. Known unofficially as New Zealand’s ‘Garden City’, Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury area is home to an array of nature reserves, native wetlands, parks and forests. Hagley Park, in the centre of the city, offers a luscious green idyll as a break from the urban setting. The space, split into the North Hagley Park, South Hagley Park, and Little Hagley Park, hosts open-air concerts, carnivals, an annual flower show, and netball and cricket facilities. Situated within the park are the city’s Botanical Gardens whose first plantings date JUNE 2019
‘Christchurch is emblematic of New Zealand’s national reputation for natural beauty and serenity’
back to the 1860s, and to the east of the parkland the Christchurch Art Gallery houses one of the country’s most important public art collections. To the south, Victoria Park offers incredible views of the city, the bays surrounding Quail Island, and the Southern Alps. Similarly extraordinary views can be found on the Christchurch Gondola ride, taking you up to the crater summit of the extinct volcano, Mt. Cavendish,
All photos © www.newzealand.com
with Lyttelton Harbour, the city, the Canterbury Plains, and the Southern Alps all within sight. The crater rim is also a hotspot for hikers, paragliders, and mountain bikers, offering some of the country’s most scenic routes. At sea level, Christchurch harbours some of New Zealand’s finest beaches, including Corsair Bay, Sumner and Scarborough, Taylors Mistake, the Akaroa Banks peninsula, and Waikuku Beach. With such a rich tapestry of stunning vistas and soothing destinations, Christchurch is emblematic of New Zealand’s national reputation for natural beauty and serenity.
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
69
T O P 10
TOP 10 Biggest companies in Asia
70
In 2018, half of the top 10 largest companies in the world were Chinese. Business Chief has taken a closer look at APAC businesses and ranked the top 10 largest using Forbes’ Global 2000 list WRITTEN BY
JUNE 2019
AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS
71
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T O P 10
72
10
China Merchants Bank [ China ]
With a market capitalisation of US$130.4bn, China Merchants Bank offers leading banking services in China and abroad. The firm was established in Shenzhen, China, in 1987 and it now stands as one of the most influential banking brands in the country. Led by Chief Executive Officer, Huiyu Tian, the bank has won a number of accolades including the Best Commercial Bank of China, the Best Retail Bank in China, the Best Private Bank in China and China’s Best Custody Specialist from the British Financial Times, Euromoney and The Asset respectively.
JUNE 2019
73
09
China Mobile [ Hong Kong ]
China Mobile Communications Corporation, commonly known as China Mobile, is a state-owned telecommunications service located in Hong Kong. With a market capitalisation of $197.6bn and 464,656 members of staff, it is the largest company in Hong Kong. China Mobile was a Platinum Award winner at The Asset Corporate Awards 2018 and received Asia’s Icon on Corporate Governance award. On top of this, the company has also received the Asia’s Best Investor Relations Company award from Corporate Governance Asia.
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75
08
PetroChina [ China ]
PetroChina is an oil and gas operation headquartered in Beijing. Founded in 1999, the company has specialised in the exploration, development, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. PetroChina has sales of $322.8bn and a value of $198.7bn. In its first quarterly report for 2019, PetroChina highlighted that the company and its subsidiaries’ output of crude oil saw a 4.6% increase year-on-year to 223.4mn barrels. It is the second largest oil producer in China, with over 494,297 employees.
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
T O P 10
07
Toyota Motor Corporation [ Japan ]
Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive and truck manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. Toyota was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda on 28 August 1937. Toyota has a market capitalisation of $176.6bn and sales of $272.1bn, making it the 12th largest company in the world and the sixth largest in Asia.
JUNE 2019
77
06
Samsung Electronics [ South Korea ]
Samsung Electronics has a market capitalisation of $272.4bn. Founded in 1969, with headquarters in Suwon, Korea, Samsung exports consumer electronics, information technology, mobile communications and device solutions across the world. It has a workforce of 20,000 employees and placed in Forbes’ Best Employers 2019 for both America and Canada. Additionally, Forbes also ranked Samsung #76 on its World’s Best Employers list 2018.
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
From Inspiration
to Innovation
Bank of China, Hong Kong office
79
05
Bank of China [ China ]
The Bank of China (BOC) is the third largest bank of China’s ‘Big Four,’ with a market value of $143bn, and assets three times the size of Ping An ($3,097.6bn). Founded in 1912, the state-owned bank is 107 years old, making it the oldest company listed in our top 10. Today, it is responsible for 311,133 employees. The major bank operates its services in categories such as corporate banking, personal banking, treasury operations, investment banking, insurance. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
T O P 10
80
04
Ping An Insurance Group [ China ]
Ping An Insurance Group Co. of China Ltd, also known as also as Ping An of China had a value of $220.2.bn in 2018, yet is considerably more asset-rich with $1,038.3bn in assets. The civilian-run company is a conglomerate of companies that handle diversified insurance, responsible for business of insurance, banking and investment. Ping An Insurance was founded on 21 March 1988 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Today, it is part of the Hang Seng Index: an index of the top 50 companies in the Hong Kong Market Stock Exchange.
JUNE 2019
81
03
Agricultural Bank of China [ China ]
The Agricultural Bank of China, also known as AgBank or ABC, is the third largest bank in the world with a market capitalisation of $197bn. The regional bank is also part of China’s ‘Big Four’. It was founded in 1951 and has its headquarters in Dongcheng District, Beijing. Today, it has branches across mainland China, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo, New York, Frankfurt, Sydney, Seoul, and Singapore. ABC has 320mn retail customers, 2.7mn corporate clients, and nearly 24,000 branches.
a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
T O P 10
02
China Construction Bank [ China ]
China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) is the 82
second-largest of China’s ‘Big Four’, and the second largest bank in the world. CCB has 13,629 domestic branches as well as branches in Barcelona, Frankfurt, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, New York City, Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney and Auckland, and a wholly-owned subsidiary in London. The major bank was valued in 2018 at $225bn. CCB was founded in 1954, with headquarters in Xicheng District, Beijing, under the name of People’s Construction Bank of China.
JUNE 2019
83
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Photo © Peter K Burian (Wikipedia)
T O P 10
84
JUNE 2019
01
ICBC
[ China ]
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the largest of ‘The Big Four’ banks in China and also the largest company in both Asia and the world. ICBC generates $175.9bn in annual sales. Not only is it the largest bank in the world by sales, it also gains the top spot for being regarded as the largest bank in the world by total assets, deposits, loans, number of customers and number of employees. The multinational banking company has over 400,000 employees across. It is unsurprising for this reason that it is also number one in The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks ranking. 85
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86
Innovation, sustainability and a people first approach: Hansen Yuncken’s recipe for construction success WRITTEN BY
LAURA MULLAN PRODUCED BY
TOM VENTURO
JUNE 2019
87
The Sydney Coliseum Theatre a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
HANSEN YUNCKEN
As one of Australia’s leading privately owned construction companies, Hansen Yuncken is at the forefront of change and innovation in the building industry
C
onstruction company Hansen Yuncken has continued to define the Australian skyline for decades, creating some of the nation’s
most notable landmarks and buildings including Melbourne’s Port Authority Building and the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Yet, although the Australian firm has a rich history spanning over a century, it certainly isn’t stuck in the past. Keeping 88
up with the blistering pace of change in the construction sector, the business is tackling each and every project with aplomb and an innovative stance. It’s for this reason that Project Manager Vanja Krumpacnik believes that Hansen Yuncken remains a heavyweight in the industry, even after all these years. “As the years have gone by, we’ve grown to take on bigger and more complex projects,” he explains. “We’re trying to be a leader in the construction sector by using new technologies which allows us to provide transparency to our stakeholders, clients and consultants regarding quality and safety processes on site. We also have a rich history; we’ve been around for 100 years and whilst we’re changing with the times in terms of techniques and technologies, our core principles and values have stayed the same.” Michael Gibson, Senior JUNE 2019
89
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HANSEN YUNCKEN
“ With HYway, we can quickly and clearly identify what’s happening on projects from safety to cost”
90
— Michael Gibson, Senior Contract Administrator, Hansen Yuncken
Contract Administrator, also proposes that the firm’s landmark builds have helped to establish Hansen Yuncken as a reputable brand. “It makes clients want to be associated with us and helps to attract talent. We’ve always been an employer of choice,” he notes. Whether it’s in the commercial or community fields, health, entertainment or somewhere in between, Hansen Yuncken has created landmarks for sectors across the country. Take the theatre world, for instance: not only is Hansen Yuncken in the midst of redeveloping Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide and ‘The Hedberg’ Creative Industries and Performing Arts Development in Tasmania, it’s also in charge of creating the Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ, set to open in December 2019. With a sleek undulating design allowing for up to 2,200 guests, the Sydney Coliseum Theatre is set to be the first of its kind outside of Sydney’s central business district (CBD). West HQ CEO Richard Errington says: “With its spectacular architecture and design, Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West HQ will set a benchmark for the
JUNE 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘SYDNEY COLISEUM PROJECT’ 91 arts industry globally and is something Greater Western Sydney residents will be immensely proud of.” Executive Director of Sydney
(NSW) and Eastern Sydney” The right mix of common sense, intelligent thinking and cutting-edge digital technologies helps Hansen
Coliseum Theatre, West HQ, Craig
Yuncken manage and govern its
McMaster added: “The theatre is
projects. It keeps people safe, allows
a stunning multi-mode venue that will
them to focus on what they need to
host world famous musical theatre
do and ensures their clients get what
and live music, family entertainment,
they want when they need it.
comedy, ballet and symphony orches-
Backing this human-touch is their
tras. Servicing the 2.2million people of
award-winning Information Manage-
Greater Western Sydney, the Sydney
ment System, HYway. This superfast
Coliseum Theatre is also expected to
virtual brain brings together shared
draw audiences from the Blue Moun-
knowledge, digital applications,
tains, regional New South Wales
software and processes as well as a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
We Challenge You
TO IMAGINE
“For every great piece of art which comes to life, there is a team of highly skilled artists behind the scenes� www.modernpaintinggroup .com Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, Australia
Frank Forouzandeh Founder & Executive Director at Modern Group
NEVER COMPROMISE... In a city that’s consistently being ranked at the top of the list of places to live in, and boasting of being one of the best in the world, there is no doubt that the construction industry is booming with upcoming projects that make their mark along Sydney’s iconic skyline. For every great piece of art which comes to life, there is a team of highly skilled artists behind the scenes, contributing in the making of such astonishing artistic edifices. Challenging traditional views of the trade industry, our vision is to raise the bar on quality and professionalism within the painting trade to a new level. Disrupting the market with a team of young forward
thinking individuals, Modern endeavours to introduce technology and innovation to a traditional trade industry. This separates Modern’s services from other industry competitors. This is where Modern Painting Group shines and delivers their outstanding work showcasing talent in what they do best. We Live by the fierce motto, “Never Compromise”, Modern Painting Group embodies the ease of project management and frameworks by utilising their cutting edge technology , knowledge, expertise and resources to offer practical solutions. Modern Painting Group only uses the highest quality workmanship and promises quality, which is
why our eyes are cast on the next big up and coming project with Hansen Yuncken towards refurbishing “Western Sydney Performing Arts Centre”, rejuvenating the life of Sydney West’s iconic landmark. Both Modern Painting and Hansen Yunken share an unparalleled vision of innovation and forward thinking that makes this project such a seamless integration of in-house management platforms by relying on new technologies, as well as adopting a futuristic way of thinking to ensure they are continually on top of the latest trends, systems, processes and commercial expertise.
HANSEN YUNCKEN
94
The Sydney Coliseum Theatre is designed to accommodate live concerts, banquets, theatre and more with fully retractable stalls seating best-practice procedures honed and
can’t live without it. With HYway, we
shaped across a myriad of projects
can quickly and clearly identify what’s
into a centralised hub that is accessible
happening on projects from safety to
to all 24/7. For over 8 years, HYway has
cost,” observes Gibson. “It’s all about
been the digital backbone to Hansen
collaboration; it makes it easier for
Yuncken’s project delivery. Intelligent
project managers to the CEO to see
and intuitive, it drives processes and
where a project is at through live data.
supports precise reporting and
It is even used to compile corporate
informed decision-making: it lives,
reporting.”
breathes and delivers certainty. “We JUNE 2019
On top of this, Hansen Yuncken is
also adeptly using Building Information
“Since NRAH, Hansen Yuncken has
Modelling (BIM) and Virtual Design
come a long way in its use of BIM and
Construction (VDC) which perhaps
VDC, We have adopted a range of
can be seen most clearly at the
field technologies on our projects
New Royal Adelaide Hospital (NRAH),
such as drones, point cloud scanning
completed two years ago. The $2bn
and supporting Autodesk products
hospital was the largest hospital
that are all accessible via iPads,”
project ever undertaken in Australia
adds Krumpacnik. “We utilise these
and the single biggest infrastructure
to monitor safety and quality and we
project in South Australia’s history.
believe it’s made our teams more
With such complexity and scale, BIM
efficient in delivering trade because
and supporting construction technolo-
we have the latest information at our
gies proved to be useful tools to collate
fingertips. Additionally, we’ve used
and manage the build in a virtual world.
4D programming whereby we’re
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Vanja Krumpacnik, Project Manager Working for Hansen Yuncken for over a decade, Vanja is an experienced construction professional, having completed a range of hospitality, hotels and entertainment, Defence, commercial and industrial projects. He has been responsible for the delivery of numerous technically complex Managing Contractor projects including the HMAS Creswell School of Survivability & Ship’s Safety, introducing new capability without precedent in Australia. He was also responsible for delivery of the Sikorsky Maintenance & Operations Facility, constructed to meet Sikorsky and the Department of Defence’s requirements.
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Axis Metal Roofing is a family owned business of 40 years. Axis is one of Australia’s leading Metal Roofing & Specialist Cladding Contractors who operate under a certified safety & quality management system. Proudly involved in the construction of the WSPAC project.MRCAA (Metal Roofing and Cladding Association of Australia) Multi Award winning company.
www.axismetalroofing.com.au info@axisbg.com
essentially adding a fourth dimension
Just as innovation has shaped
to a previous 3D model: time. This
Hansen Yuncken’s operations, the firm
means you can visualise the building
is also keen to promote a more environ-
being constructed in 3D over a time
mentally sensitive way of working. Today,
sequence which provides clarity on
the firm is part of the Green Building
the process and safety of the build.
Council of Australia and therefore, every
Essentially getting an insight into what
decision the construction firm makes
the site conditions and constraints
– from the choice of materials and
might be at a future point in time.
processes to construction waste
We’re modelling structures right down
management and ongoing maintenance
to every single element of steel or
– takes sustainability into account.
precast, and that’s quite unique in
“Hansen Yuncken are not just early
the industry.”
adopters of sustainable design, we 97 E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Michael Gibson, Senior Contract Administrator Michael joined Hansen Yuncken at the start of 2016, bringing with him over 13 years’ construction experience. He has completed a variety of education projects including government education, private education and universities. Michael is responsible for all head contract management and administration, to ensure project activities are delivered in accordance with the head contract. He has administered a variety of head contracts including PPP, Joint Ventures, Managing Contract, Design & Construct, Guaranteed Maximum Price and traditional Lump Sum Contracts. He is also responsible for management of all subcontracts and consultants, procurement, Building Code compliance and reporting. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
HANSEN YUNCKEN
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JUNE 2019
CO MPAN Y FACT S
• Founded in Victoria in 1918 by Lauritz Hansen and Otto Yuncken, the company has been in continual operation for 100 years • Today, Hansen Yuncken has an annual turnover exceeding $1bn.
99
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HANSEN YUNCKEN
WITH OVER 40 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT We are proud to be supporting West HQ as their project manager in delivering their 10-year $150 million majorworks masterplan. This includes their most recent projects; the 2000-seat Sydney Coliseum Theatre and 550 space multideck carpark.
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JUNE 2019
$1.bn+ Annual turnover
1918
Year founded
600
Approximate number of employees
Monash University Caulfield Library
actually helped to write the Green
out a rewarding career in the sector,
Star standard, a set of sustainability
Hansen Yuncken is the place to be.
standards for design and construction,”
Krumpacnik speaks highly about the
notes Gibson. “We also created
firm’s lean national structure that
a Council House 2 project in 2006
promotes an inclusive culture, noting
which was awarded the first ever
how everyone feels “important and
6-Star Green Star rating – the highest
highly valued”. “Everyone’s got their
rating you can get. It’s much more than
own responsibilities and no-one is
a tick in a box for us, it is a vital part
seen as above anyone else,” he adds.
of our business.”
“The Executive Management Team are
Today, the Australian construction
really approachable and there’s a mix
market is regaining momentum and it
of experience whereby we have
seems that for anyone looking to carve
long-term employees as well as new a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
101
HANSEN YUNCKEN
102
“ Sustainability is much more than a tick in a box for us, it is a vital part of our business” — Vanja Krumpacnik, Project Manager, Hansen Yuncken
JUNE 2019
cadets.” There’s also a yearly leadership course for employees looking to get the next steps in their careers. “Future leaders are identified and nourished through programmes and mentoring,” Krumpacnik explains. “That might be why we’ve retained so much of our staff: there’s opportunities to learn and be rewarded.” With a variety of projects in the pipeline, Hansen Yuncken is shaking up the Australian construction industry with a people first, innovative and sustainable way of doing business. “Looking forward, I hope Hansen Yuncken continues to increase turnover and chase these challenging landmark projects,” reflects Krumpacnik. “We want to grow and be at the forefront of technology drives. It’s what we currently do and I hope that continues.”
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JUNE 2019
UNITINGCARE ENCOURAGING INNOVATION THROUGH THE SUPPLY CHAIN WRITTEN BY
SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY
STUART IRVING
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UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services at UnitingCare discusses the supply chain strategies UnitingCare is utilising amidst rapid industry changes
A
s an organisation that puts its people and the community at the forefront of its decisions, UnitingCare understands
the importance of leveraging modern technology and innovation to achieve success in the healthcare industry. 106
Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, has overseen how UnitingCare has established and maintained a well-managed strategic function across the business. Having previously worked in management consulting roles at KPMG which took Gillin to Brisbane, Australia, from the UK in 2011, he joined UnitingCare in April 2017. Gillin believes that his previous experience truly laid the groundwork for success in his role with UnitingCare. “A lot of the work I did with KPMG was large-scale global business transformations and most of it was focused around procurement, supply chain and cost reduction,� says Gillin. “In a procurement role, one of the major things that you need to do is engage with suppliers and business stakeholders. With major reform occurring in the aged, health and community JUNE 2019
107
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UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
“ I believe a good partner is one that’s aligned to your values and your objectives. It’s a company that’s proactive with you and not just providing a service”
108
— Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
JUNE 2019
sectors, UnitingCare has had to innovate and make the necessary changes to respond to change. I think my experience in supporting the organisation through that change has afforded me a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.”
INNOVATION IN THE CARE SECTOR Earlier this year, UnitingCare held a successful Supplier Innovation Tradeshow and Showcase in Queensland, led by Daniela Kerr, Procurement Specialist at UnitingCare. The event exceeded expectations, with over 50
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CAROLINE’S STORY: I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES’ 109 of UnitingCare’s key suppliers attend-
UnitingCare’s network of hospitals
ing the trade show. “The theme of the
continue to excel in being recognised
show was sustainability and innovation
for their clinical expertise and use of
and there were lots of advanced technol-
cutting-edge medical technology.
ogies from different suppliers show-
Last year, UnitingCare’s Wesley Hospital
casing new, innovative products and
was internationally recognised as
services,” explains Gillin. “The feed-
Australia’s first Centre of Excellence in
back from everyone in attendance has
Robotic Surgery, one of only 10 hospitals
been fantastic and it made all the hard
worldwide at the time and recently
work worthwhile.”
opened a new Emergency Centre at
Having centred its expo around innovation, Gillin affirms how important it is to
Buderim Private on the Sunshine Coast. “In our aged, community and disability
continue to develop its services and
business units we have developed
facilities. “Innovation is absolutely critical
an affordable housing strategy and
to us and was a key focus of our expo.”
implementation plan, designed and a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
110
JUNE 2019
implemented innovative programs to
to support people to life a full life
support children and families in foster
regardless of their circumstance.
and kinship care,” explains Gillin. “We
“I believe we’re an organisation with
have continued to provide expertise
a heart. I love that we’re an organisa-
to support clients transitioning to the
tion with a social purpose and it gives
National Disability Insurance Scheme
me a sense of pride to know what I’m
(NDIS) including the roll-out of digital
doing is contributing to something
applications to assist clients with their
very meaningful.”
NDIS plan management. From a pro-
With technology transforming the
curement and supply chain aspect,
way companies worldwide conduct
we’re interested in the innovation our
business, Gillin understands the value
suppliers can bring into our organisation.”
of implementing it into UnitingCare’s procurement strategy. “I think it’s really
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
important that we try to get an end-
As a not-for-profit organisation, Gillin
to-end solution from our sourcing
affirms UnitingCare’s operations are
platform to our contract and supplier
underpinned and guided by its mission
management platforms. We’ve currently
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Michael Gillin Michael Gillin is a General Manager, Procurement and Services at UnitingCare and has over 18 years’ experience in driving operational efficiencies. Before starting at UnitingCare, Michael spent ten years as a Management Consultant for KPMG in Australia and the UK helping businesses transform operations and reduce costs. Michael also spent seven years in as an Engineer in the automotive industry with Jaguar Land Rover and MG Rover.
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111
“ I believe we’re an organisation with a heart” — Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
113
got about three or four different solutions
success, Gillin reflects on what his
that work across processes and they’re
organisation looks for when deciding
not all integrated,” he says. “Data is
to embark on a new venture. “I believe
a bit of a challenge at the moment and
a good partner is one that’s aligned to
is critical for us to understand demand
your values and your objectives. It’s
so that we can support the business to
a company that’s proactive with you
be more operationally efficient and
and not just providing a service; it’s
competitive because the industries in
coming to you with ideas and chal-
which we operate are continuing to go
lenging the way that you do things to
through large changes so it’s vital that
help you improve.”
we work out where we fit into that.” Having formed mutually beneficial
After establishing important partnerships with Accenture and Bunzl, Gillin
partnerships with a range of compa-
affirms UnitingCare’s collaboration
nies in order to achieve and sustain
with the two companies are very a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
115
“ Innovation is absolutely critical implemented a procurement hub, which consists of eight Uniting entities across to us and was Australia working collaboratively together a key focus of to deliver procurement benefits,” our expo” explains Gillin. “Accenture are our beneficial. “Led by our Chief Financial
Officer Peter Gunn, we have recently
partner and are responsible for running the hub for us. They’ve been brought on board to bring the organisations together and to run procurement and supply
— Michael Gillin, General Manager Procurement and Services, Unitingcare Queensland
chain initiatives with the goal of reducing costs,” he says. “Bunzl is also a strategic partner to the Uniting Care business; it supports us as one of our major a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
UNITINGCARE QUEENSLAND
2000
Year founded
17,000
Approximate number of employees
116
JUNE 2019
distributers that services around 500 sites across all of Queensland and the Northern Territory. It’s important that we partner with a supplier that understands our needs and the importance of getting product to our residents, patients and clients in a timely matter to help support their needs.”
LOOKING FORWARD Looking to the future, Gillin has a clear idea of where he anticipates UnitingCare to be over the coming years. “UnitingCare have devised a 2030 strategy which has given us direction around our key focus areas. We’ve got a clear direction of where we want to be, but to be successful it really comes down to people. It’s great to have strategies and become more digital, but it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that we provide care, support and health services to people in need,” says Gillin. “The key is to keep the people we look after at the forefront of everything we’re doing. We are driven to making sure any investment provides the most benefit to our front-line staff and the people that we serve.”
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OKADA MANILA
118
Redefining technology in Asia’s hotel industry
WRITTEN BY
SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY
KRISTOFER PALMER
JUNE 2019
119
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OKADA MANILA
Dries Scott, Chief Technology Officer at Okada Manila, discusses how his company is leveraging technology in the hospitality, gaming & entertainment sector
120
JUNE 2019
C
onsidered one of the largest
overseen Okada’s digitalisation jour-
and most exciting entertain-
ney from the ground up, Dries Scott,
ment destinations in Asia,
Chief Technology Officer, reflects on
Okada Manila is in the midst of
how the company has evolved over
a digital transformation as it embraces
the past few years. “Okada Manila
technology to enhance the service
is the first Japanese-owned casino
it provides to its customers. Having
resort opened so there wasn’t any
121
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OKADA MANILA
“We’re very much focused on the technology of today” — Dries Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Okada Manila
122
previously used legacy system to rely
an older legacy. We can adapt and
on. The initial challenge when I came
change, and that gives us an advan-
on board was to start everything from
tage over our competitors because
scratch. It was an empty playing field,
we’re able to be more flexible. We
and we had to go and hand pick every
get a lot of support from our mother
single system installed in the prop-
company UEC, which is a gaming
erty,” explains Scott. “Through that
technology company that provided
process you don’t necessarily want to
some of our core gaming compo-
use legacy or outdated AS400 sys-
nents, and have in many areas been
tems because you want to go with the
beating some of their own competi-
newer developments and technolo-
tors by introducing advanced gaming
gies. I believe it gave us an advantage
platforms that is assisting to drive the
because we’re not stuck dealing with
industry into the next generation.”
JUNE 2019
123
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Dries Scott Dries is an accomplished and versatile IT professional with 23 years of experience in the Information Technology field where he has implemented over 100 different business systems and network tools. Having started as Vice President of IT at Okada Manila in January 2014, Dries went on to become Senior Vice President after proving his success and delivery of a fully operational IT environment to support the company. Dries was promoted again to his current role of Chief Technology Officer in March 2018 to define the technology roadmap to support the Okada Manila’s future objectives.
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OKADA MANILA
“ If you create a memorable experience then people tend to come back” 126
— Dries Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Okada Manila
JUNE 2019
Having worked in a variety of different IT roles early in his career in his native South Africa, Scott undertook positions such as an Associate Director at Sands Cotai Limited and Senior IT Manager with Tsogo Sun followed by a stint as Director of IT Development & Quality Assurance at The Venetian Macao Resort before moving on to Okada Manila in January 2014. Scott believes his earlier experiences in hospitality and gaming laid the groundwork for him to succeed in his current role. “Working through the ranks teaches
OKADO MANILA – CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER – CREATING A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE’’
127
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O U R PA R T N E R S :
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help provide a consistent experience and flexible set of guest services for a more improved satisfaction. Guests can now fully have access to fast wireless internet connection. Cisco switches were strategically deployed at the podium and specific transmission and an unforgettable digital serious concern as Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise installed GPON cables beneath the floor, allowing for less cabling requirement taking into consideration the size of the property. All active components and IT equipment used for the digital transformation of Okada were integrated using CommScope’s Netconnect end-to-end structured cabling solutions. All these have prepared Okada to keep up with the demands of technology in the hospitality industry. Trends, in partnership with tech giants AlcatelLucent Enterprise, Cisco, and CommScope, has journeyed with the five-star hotel, and will continue to work hand in hand to meet its needs and its clients’ through technology-enabled business services and solutions. This is the lifelong commitment of Trends.
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130
you a lot about the various systems and different operations,” says Scott. “Having an understanding of how it all works and is integrated has assisted me with a broad knowledge and very deep understanding of each system needed for an integrated resort.”
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Having helped to oversee Okada’s
“ You shouldn’t just deploy technology for the sake of having technology” — Dries Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Okada Manila
rise from the ground up, Scott has watched as technology has become an increasingly important tool. “With
an escape through its popular gaming
the guest in mind, our implemented
facilities which boast 500 table games
systems start from the moment a guest
and 3,000 electronic gaming ma-
drives into the property. The first thing
chines. With the task of implementing
that they will experience is the car
technology considered a key priority to
park management system and parking
Okada, Scott points out how vital it is to
guidance system guiding the guest
keep up with the latest developments.
where to park the car,” he explains.
“We’re very much focused on the tech-
“As the guest transitions through an
nology of today – not yesterday. 90%
integrated resort, they are exposed to
of our company is actually virtualised
lots of user interfaces and different
as we move towards virtualization, not
systems that can be interacted with.
just from a data centre perspective but
Our portfolio’s quite big — typically
also from a personal computer point
a large integrated resort has over 100
of view” he says. “One of the most
different systems.”
advanced user interfaces that we’ve
Located close to the beautiful,
implemented has been produced by
recently revamped Manila Bay in the
a company called Paragon Digital
Philippines, the resort offers guests
Lifestyle. They’ve allowed us to implea nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
131
133
ment a user interface in the room that
to engage with guests in a better way
has seen a tablet based in every hotel
than ever before. We’ve diversified
room. The tablet is the controlling point
our languages so that our technology
for the user to control all features in the
can be tailored for each specific guest,
room such as operating the TV, brows-
regardless of the language they speak,”
ing the internet and opening or closing
he explains. “It allows us to guide the
the curtains. The tablet really becomes
guests with specific language require-
the portal for the guest in the room to
ments to the staff member that most
interact with the rest of the room.”
suits their needs. For example, if we
Operating with a firm customer-
were to find a guest in a room that
centric approach, Scott understands
speaks Mandarin, we would know
the importance of putting guests at
that they speak Mandarin based on
the centre of every decision Okada
the preference selection when they
makes. “We’re very focused on how
check into the room, which means that a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
OKADA MANILA
2008
Year founded
7,000+
Approximate number of employees
134
JUNE 2019
135
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O U R PA R T N E R S
Paragon Digital Lifestyle “Paragon Digital Lifestyle has allowed us to implement a user interface in the room that has seen a tablet based in every hotel room. The tablet is the controlling point for the user to control all features in the room such as operating the TV, browsing the internet and opening or closing the curtains. The tablet really becomes the portal for the guest in the room to interact with the rest of the room.”
Trends Group “Trends Group helps to assist us in the installation of our entire network, from cabling to supply, connection and configuration of switches on both Campus & Data Center networks.”
HP Philippines “HP Philippines supplies us with our enterprise printing platform which has considerably saved cost on improving reduction of printing waste, reporting usage and accountability and access controls to printers.”
TIM Corporation “TIM Corporation are one of our main infrastructure
suppliers & integrators of our data center environment.”
FusionEx “FusionEx helped us to develop and customize a fully integrated leading-edge Casino Management System assisting in the tables, cage & marketing program play operations.”
Palo Alto Networks “Palo Alto Networks helped to assist us and supply the implementation of our physical and virtualized Firewall requirements.”
Cisco “Cisco helped to assist and supply the implementation of our software defined data centre network with their application centric infrastructure as well as portions of our campus network.”
Fujitsu Philippines “Fujitsu Philippines has been heavily involved in the implementation of many of our core network security components like Firewalls, SIEM, Internet Proxy & NAC.”
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137
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138
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘OKADA MANILA NOW’ 139
if a call was to come through from the
technology for the sake of having
guest’s room, it would automatically be
technology. It’s crucial to have an end
diverted to the most appropriate staff
objective of what you want to achieve
member to assist in the language that
in mind before implementing any tech-
suits the guest.”
nology. It’s been a journey because we
With all companies encouraged to
started with just English-only plat-
adopt an increasing level of technol-
forms but soon realised that a lot of the
ogy to enhance their services, Scott
guests were frustrated because they
believes it has become essential to
couldn’t engage with the technology
ensure there is a clear strategy in
on our English version. This encour-
mind when introducing new technol-
aged us to transition our guest inter-
ogy. “Whatever you want to implement
faces into becoming multi-lingual plat-
should have a purpose and goal,” ex-
forms that enable us to engage with
plains Scott. “You shouldn’t just deploy
the guests better, quicker and without a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
141
our staff needing to communicate in
developed a number of important
many different languages. Ultimately, it
partnerships to accelerate its growth.
creates a better user experience which
The firm established key strategic
enables us to focus more on innova-
relations with Trends Group, HP
tion and entertainment activities which
Philippines, TIM Corporation, Paragon
in turn allows us to improve our guests’
Digital Lifestyle, Palo Alto Networks,
experience at Okada Manila overall.”
TIM Corporation, Fusionex, Cisco and Fujitsu Philippines. Scott believes that
ESTABLISHING KEY PARTNERSHIPS
a good partnership should be mutually
In order to help achieve success in
beneficial with both companies willing
the industry, Okada has formed and
to make it work. “When we’re looking a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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TIM gets I.T. done Total Information Management (TIM) Corporation specializes in delivering business and I.T. solutions that enable various organizations to achieve optimum performance. The pioneer in providing business continuity services, TIM today progressively transforms it's services aligned to the latest industry trends and demands. Customer Success is our Passion.
HEAD OFFICE Tel. Nos. (+632) 857 1846 Fax Nos. (+632) 857 1808
WWW.TIMCORP.NET
143
at a new partnership, we’re looking for
the company to adapt to the latest de-
people that are energised, creative and
velopments. “Sustaining success into
willing to work with us to help deliver
the future is a matter of evolving and
our dreams and wishes. It’s important
staying updated with the latest direc-
to have the drive, will and presence.
tions of the world and the economies,”
A good partner is a company that
he says. “We need to keep up with the
stays there and always checks up on
different generations in order to con-
you to make sure that everything’s as
tinue to be successful. All the different
it should be. These are the long term
students that are coming out of school
relationships and partnerships that
and university are growing up with
we want to have.”
a different age of technology. They’re
Scott points out how critical it is for
used to smartphones and tablets so a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
Between hope and possible there’s a bridge. There from the beginning to where we stand today. And to where we will go from here. One company. One promise. If you can imagine it, we will build the bridge to get you there.
145
it’s up to us to transition our services to meet the latest trends, because if you don’t, you start trailing the competition.”
FUTURE PLANS With an eye on the future of Okada Manila, Scott has clear ideas of how his company can continue to expand during 2019 and beyond. “Today, we’re already running a completely paperless slot gaming operations and we will continue to strive towards digitization of all areas of our business.
“ We’ve diversified our languages so that our technology can be tailored for each specific guest” — Dries Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Okada Manila
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OKADA MANILA
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147 This year alone, we’ve got more than
trends and technologies but only if we
100 different projects that we’re
harness that technology in the right
working on and many challenges that
way. Building the right partnerships
we intend to overcome”, he summa-
and hiring the right people to help us
rises. “Our key driver is to always ask
achieve a digitised future is of key
the question: how can we attract more
importance to our success.”
guests? In what ways can we bring more people to the property and give them an experience that they want to remember? If you create a memorable experience then people tend to come back because they enjoyed it. That’s what we want to achieve on a consistent basis. In order to do that, it’s important we embrace the latest a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
148
naked Retreats: spearheading sustainability in the Asian hospitality market WRITTEN BY
LAURA MULLAN PRODUCED BY
NATHAN HOLMES
JUNE 2019
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Nestled in the hilltops of Zhejiang Province, China, naked Retreats is helping guests reconnect with nature through a sustainable approach
F
or those wanting to relax, switch off their phones and reconnect with nature then
you need look no further than naked Retreats. Offering immersive local experiences in the picturesque hilltops of mainland China, the 12-year-old hospitality company has etched a unique path in the travel world. Today, naked Retreats operates two retreats in Zhejiang province, naked Stables and naked Castle, with several more in the pipeline set to take the naked
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experience across China. The compa-
Championing what the company
ny has high aspirations: it wants to
describes as ‘wild luxury’ – where
redefine how we connect with people,
visitors enjoy nature but experience
places and nature. “We try to take
luxurious hospitality at the same time
people out of their normal routines and
– guests can be sure of a one-of-a-kind
help them switch off their minds so
experience at naked Retreats. “You
that they can reconnect with nature,”
can ride a horse, for example, or pick
explains Paul de Vreede, VP of Sustain-
tea in our tea field,” says de Vreede.
ability and Strategic Initiatives. Even
“There’s always something to do.”
the company’s name ‘naked’ alludes
Yet, whilst you’re bound to have an
to the idea of connecting with nature.
unforgettable stay, perhaps one of
“In Chinese the name is Luo Xin, which
the most distinguishable hallmarks
means ‘naked heart’,” adds de Vreede.
of the retreats is their meaningful, a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
N A K E D R E T R E AT S
152 sustainable vision. Whilst the company goes above and beyond to provide a memorable getaway, it does so in a pioneering fashion which isn’t detrimental to the environment. “Sustainability has been a part of our DNA since day one,” observes de Vreede. Indeed, whether it’s reducing waste through compost and recycling or purchasing local produce, this green way of thinking is vital to the business. Energy efficiency has always been a priority for the hospitality industry. However, in recent years, it’s been afforded a new urgency as consumers JUNE 2019
“ We try to take people out of their normal routines and help them switch off their minds so that they can reconnect with nature” — Paul De Vreede, VP of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, naked Retreats
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘NAKED CASTLE AND MASARATI’ 153 have become increasingly aware of the
systems which heat the soil and rock
catastrophic nature of climate change.
underneath, turning the ground
naked Retreats has taken this chal-
below into a heat reservation ‘tank’.
lenge on since its genesis, ensuring
“We collect heat from the buildings in
that the building envelope of its
the summer, store it underground and
retreats is able to preserve energy
then we retrieve it again in the winter-
injected into the building. “The building
time,” de Vreede explains. “This means
envelope is very important,” stresses
we re-utilise 70% to 80% of the heat
de Vreede. “You can buy high-tech
we use.” Additionally, the company
heating equipment but if the heat flows
uses LED lighting and thermal solar
out of the building through the walls,
collectors in a bid to save energy.
windows or roof then it isn’t productive.
For instance, at the naked Stables
We use several techniques to ensure
retreat, PV solar panels are installed
heat transfer is minimal.” Elsewhere,
on all 30 Tree Top Villa rooftops,
the firm is using geothermal borehole
saving 374 tons of CO2 emissions. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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“ We leave it in the hands of the guest to decide how much energy they want to consume and reward them if they control their consumption” — Paul De Vreede, VP of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, naked Retreats
It’s clear that naked Retreats has taken a forward thinking approach to its energy consumption – and it’s also getting guests involved. “With the naked Guestroom Energy Monitoring System, we allow guests to see how much energy and water they’re consuming,” notes de Vreede. “We leave it in the hands of the guest to decide how much energy they want to consume and reward them if they control their consumption.” naked Retreats is keen to champion water efficiency and as a result, it abides by the mantra: ‘reduce, treat and reuse.’
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Paul de Vreede After more than 30 years in 5-star hotel development as a Project Director, Paul de Vreede joined naked in early 2013 when the company was still in its infancy. When de Vreede took over, he had to immediately make improvements to the most successful retreat in China. He was one of the early professionals with real hospitality experience, truly incorporating naked lifestyle, simple and sustainable, into every aspect. He has not only been critical in putting processes and systems in place to protect the company’s existing assets, he has been a true pioneer (in the naked style) in introducing cutting-edge green technologies to naked.
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“Sustainability has been a part of our DNA since day one” — Paul De Vreede, VP of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, naked Retreats
157
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘NAKED RETREATS – STABLES’ 159 As such, a daily average of 180 tons of water is biologically treated in each retreat and fully re-used for irrigation
2007
Year founded
and flushing toilets, with the remainder being released into surrounding wetlands for ecological balance. Sustainability not only defines operations at naked Retreats, it has also shaped the design and build of each retreat. For instance, naked Stables was the first retreat in China to be awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum status, the highest possible
700
Approximate number of employees
HQ
Loushanguan Lu, Shanghai
certification buildings can receive. a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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On top of this, the hospitality firm also uses local materials, traditional crafts and state-of-the-art construction techniques to ensure that all construction is executed in a sustainable way. “We use materials like structurally insulated panels (SIPs) which reduces heat loss, as well as autoclaved aerated blocks,” explains de Vreede, noting how all products are chosen for their aesthetic value as well as their reduced environmental impact. Recognising that guests may wish 160
to get from point A to point B quickly, naked Retreats has also ensured transportation is green by offering electric carts. However, de Vreede highlights that the company didn’t want to implement carts which use lead-acid batteries because they “don’t last very long and need replacing often”, which is not environmentally friendly. Instead, the firm adopted electric carts which are powered by “Ultra-Capacitors” – an eco-friendly alternative which can be fully recharged in 12 minutes and last more than 20 years without replacement or maintenance. Developing a sustainable hospitality firm from the ground up is no easy feat; JUNE 2019
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it takes a deep understanding of the hotel world as well as a clear grasp of the complexities of sustainable design and operations. As a result, de Vreede says that the business has not only tried to employ local people who have an innate appreciation of the native environment, but it has also forged meaningful relationships with companies which share a similar vision. “We have several strong strategic partners including Jaga, who provide products like heat pumps, as well as Kohler who create water fittings, taps and showers which promote low water usage,” he says. These deep-rooted relationships have meant that every decision at naked Retreats, from the food on your plate to the retreats’ design, has been made with sustainability in mind. The Chinese hospitality market has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and with several new properties in the pipeline, naked Retreats has cemented itself as a key player in the market – but what is the secret to the firm’s success? “I think increasingly people are looking for more of a meaningful travel experience,” reflects de Vreede. “By going a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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“ By going to a green retreat, guests feel like they’re supporting the planet” — Paul De Vreede, VP of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, naked Retreats
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to a green retreat, guests feel like
impact on the environment and
they’re supporting the planet. At naked
promotes maximum sustainability.
Retreats, we’re committed to recycling,
We welcome others to share this vision
energy and water efficiency and a
because it will only benefit the world.”
variety of other sustainability initiatives. We educate people and empower them with knowledge so that they can be more aware of how they live and treat their surroundings. “We feel we are making a contribution to the world by developing this kind of retreat – one which has a minimal a nz .busi ne ssc h ief. com
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