BC Europe, MiddleEast and Africa June 2020

EMEA EDITION europe.businesschief.com

JUNE 2020

Busiest airports

PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON CYBER SECURITY

IBM’S Blueprint for a Data-driven Enterprise

City Focus

ISTANBUL

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FOREWORD

W

elcome to the June edition of

unparalleled expertise when it comes

Business Chief EMEA!

to establishing new, world class data

This month’s cover features Telstra

centres in China.

Purple EMEA’s Manoj Bhatt, Head

Elsewhere in the magazine, our

of Cyber Security Advisory and

leadership feature speaks with

Consulting, and Rob Robinson,

Inderpal Bhandari, IBM’s Global

Director of Security and Network

Chief Data Officer about data and

Services, as well as Jessica Barker,

cognitive transformation strategies

co-CEO and Socio-Technical Lead of

and his role as Chief Data Officer.

Cygenta and Chair of ClubCISO and

This month’s City Focus explores the

Marcus Bartramm, Partner at Telstra Ventures, on the importance of cyber security to guard against cybercrime amidst digital disruption and COVID-19.

transport and logistics industry within one of the world’s most coveted cities, Istanbul - prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 - while our Top

Other leaders that feature in the

10 looks at the busiest airports in

magazine include Philip Clayson, CIO

Europe, the Middle East and Africa

at SSE Energy Services, explaining

by number of passengers.

how the company’s digital revolution

Do you have a story to share? If you

will benefit customers directly, as well as Chayora’s Oliver Jones, CEO; Jonathan Berney, COO; Yali Liu, EVP – Network and Strategy; and Karen Kesner, Head of Americas and Executive VP, discussing the company’s unique approach and

would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of Business Chief EMEA, please get in touch at georgia.wilson@bizclikmedia.com Enjoy the read!

Georgia Wilson e u r o p e . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

03

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PUBLISHED BY

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Georgia Wilson EDITORAL DIRECTOR

Matt High CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Steve Shipley CREATIVE TEAM

Oscar Hathaway Erin Hancox Sophia Forte Sophie-Ann Pinnell

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Georgia Allen Daniela Kianickovรก

Jack Grimshaw

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Owen Martin

Charlotte Clarke Caroline Whiteley

DIGITAL VIDEO DIRECTOR

DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

PROJECT DIRECTORS

Joshua S Peck

Jason Westgate

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Kieran Waite Sam Kemp

Alex Barron

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Glen White

Shirin Sadr

PRESIDENT & CEO

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Leigh Manning e u r o p e . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

CONTENTS

12 Telstra Purple

36

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE

54

City Focus

ISTANBUL

78

88 64

Busiest EMEA Airports

106 SSE Energy Services

118

136

Chayora

Tech Mahindra

168 BCX

150 DXB Entertainments

184 Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital

198 Bayer

220 Motisun Group

230 Zambia National Commercial Bank

244 258 Rogers Capital

284 Solidarity Saudi Takaful Company

Deem Finance

12

JUNE 2020

13

Putting a spotlight on cyber security

WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

LEWIS VAUGHAN e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

T

elstra Purple is a technology services business, comprising of 1,500 specialists in Australia, EMEA and Asia.

Bringing together Telstra Enterprise’s business technology services capabilities and a number of acquisitions, Telstra Purple is focused on outcome-based, transformative tech solutions.

14

WHY CYBER RESILIENCE COUNTS TODAY Geopolitical risks and the impact of COVID-19 have put security technology at the top of every business leader’s agenda as the world rapidly responds to the threat. Manoj Bhatt, Head of Cyber Security Advisory and Consulting at Telstra Purple EMEA, has seen first hand the increased focus on risk management and cyber resilience in response to the crisis.

“The coronavirus has demonstrated the importance of cyber resilience as businesses move to remote working whilst ensuring they do so securely,” says Bhatt. “Cyber security isn’t just a concern for the security or IT department, and those organisations that already have a strong, ingrained security culture that is business wide will weather the storm best.”

JUNE 2020

15

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

17

“ The coronavirus has demonstrated the importance of cyber resilience as businesses move to remote working whilst ensuring they do so securely” — Manoj Bhatt Head of Cyber Security Advisory and Consulting, Telstra Purple EMEA

As business leaders begin to evaluate their technology stacks to understand their efficacy, and consider how well they integrate with the current business while supporting its future needs and goals, security teams must remain one step ahead with answers to potential questions.

Rob Robinson, Director of Security and Network Services at Telstra Purple EMEA, believes that organisations must think of security as a business enabler.

“It goes back to the conversations we’ve been having with CISOs e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

recently. For a security strategy to be successful, all lines of the business – HR, Finance and IT – must stay informed and aligned with its goals,” explains Robinson. “CISOs admit to friction within companies, saying they don’t think their boards see information security as important a function as they do. It’s important that this thinking changes and security leaders offer guidance on how businesses can protect themselves and mitigate risk. Security has to be 18

considered an enabler rather than something that is negatively impacting the business.”

“ We understand that we’re on a journey in the security industry – there’s definitely no silver bullet” — Rob Robinson Director of Security and Network Services, Telstra Purple EMEA

JUNE 2020

Dr Jessica Barker, co-CEO and Socio-Technical Lead of Cygenta, is an evangelist for driving security culture and awareness within organisations. She believes it’s essential to operate with an agile approach and remain aware of the latest vulnerabilities to maintain that visibility over potential cyber threats.

“Staying up to date with current attacks is crucial, meaning people in security don’t often get very many days off as they need to keep up with the latest news to ensure the greatest level of protection possible,” she explains. “However, it is also equally important that we remain vigilant against previous vulnerabilities that we’re already aware of, because it could be easy to get distracted by the latest trends or newest vulnerabilities.

In many cases, the biggest cyber attacks involve the vulnerabilities that we’ve been aware of for decades, so it’s just as important to remain vigilant against all kinds of attacks.”

Barker is also Chair of ClubCISO, sponsored by Telstra Purple, which is a private members forum for information security leaders, working across public and private sector organisations. More than 350 CISOs are currently registered members.

Barker believes there are a number of key advantages to being a member of the organisation.

“We work together to shape the future of the security industry, community and the CISO role,” she says. “The idea is to provide a voice to CISOs and offer an environment where they can speak between themselves, and externally, about what the CISO role is and what security looks like moving forwards.

It’s been great to have a place to build a network of like-minded individuals, share success stories, as well as navigate the challenges in the industry together and work out the best way to overcome those hurdles.

“This year’s ClubCISO Information Security Maturity Report reveals

“ Sometimes, the biggest cyber attacks can stem from the vulnerabilities that we’ve been aware of for decades” — Jessica Barker co-CEO and Socio-Technical Lead, Cygenta and Chair of ClubCISO

some interesting insights on how CISOs are coping with the additional pressures of COVID-19 and other geopolitical risks,” adds Barker. “The majority (61%) of CISOs believe that the stress of their job has increased over the past 12 months, yet 70% profess to love their job. I believe one of the most important aspects of a CISO’s job today is around cultural change, raising awareness of security threats and figuring out how to embed that cyber security culture within their organisations.”

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

19

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GETTING CYBER SECURITY RIGHT: BEST PRACTICE AND LEARNINGS

threats and issues, and also to share

Cyber security doesn’t sit still, and

best practices.”

understanding the latest threats,

about the latest cyber security

Each year, ClubCISO surveys the

risks and solutions to these prob-

community in a live vote to get a col-

lems is a collective industry effort.

lective view of the current security

Bhatt also sits on the advisory

landscape and understand the con-

board of ClubCISO. Explaining the

temporary issues faced by security

community’s benefits he states:

specialists. The latest ClubCISO

“One of the things we really like

Information Security Maturity Report

about ClubCISO is that it’s a com-

was released in May 2020. This

munity of CISOs for CISOs – that’s

year’s live vote, which was held virtu-

the key thing. It’s a peer group to

ally for the first time due to the

share thought leadership and pro-

COVID-19 outbreak, drew over 100

vide a platform to talk to one another

CISO respondents.

JUNE 2020

Meet a few of the ClubCISO Advisory Board CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:11

21

“ We are seeing a reassuring shift in security investment and awareness, something which is vital for organisations to remain digitally agile” — Manoj Bhatt Head of Cyber Security Advisory and Consulting, Telstra Purple EMEA

“One surprising finding from this year’s report is that there isn’t as much maturity around the cloud as expected,” states Robinson. “We have asked that same question five years in a row, expecting the percentage to increase considerably each year. However, it has remained the same.”

Robinson postulates that this stems from a shortage of skill sets. Another related conversation in this space revolves around how to encourage more diversity in security – sparking an interesting debate around what security teams can do to be more inclusive and e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

22 E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Rob Robinson Title: Director of Security and Network Services at Telstra Purple EMEA Rob Robinson is the Director of Security and Network Services at Telstra Purple in EMEA and has over 15 years of experience in Business and Technology Advisory Services, working within consultancies, integrators and telecommunications companies. Prior to Telstra Purple, Rob joined Company85 through the acquisition of DVS Services in 2015, where he was the owner and Managing Director. As an advisor to CISOs and CIOs, Rob has first-hand experience of helping teams assess their position, build their strategy and deliver successful programmes. Working with his team in the UK and in his capacity of Security domain lead for Telstra Purple globally, Rob delivers programmes of change across multiple industry verticals.

JUNE 2020

business needs now and in the future, and evaluating what kinds of technologies and implementations can support these. The priority in the current environment is supporting home working and guarding against cyber threats.

Bhatt sums up the current situation and issues a warning: “We’re certainly seeing a big drive from a number of vendors talking about how their security products are going to be ‘the silver bullet’, but it’s impossible to determine a solution without a proper assessment and understanding of business needs first.

“You must first understand what build up capabilities. To resolve the

already exists within your organisa-

issue for future generations, Robinson

tion, and what the current technology

believes it’s important to start talking

set up is, before you can consider

about security apprenticeships early,

what the best technologies for the job

and begin to raise the importance of it in

are. If you bring this thinking together,

schools now. “It’s vital to talk about the

it makes you more resilient against

importance of security and feed that

threats, whether that be COVID-19 or

interest into the security industry at a

an out-of-the-blue cyber attack. It’s

time where we increasingly need that

important to join the dots and take a

help and capability,” he says.

holistic perspective.”

The coronavirus pandemic has caused Uncontrollable circumstances such as

THE POWER AND THE THREAT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

these highlight the importance of adopt-

As emerging technologies such

ing a ‘future state’ mindset, reassessing

as machine learning (ML) and

disruption in industries worldwide.

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

23

TELSTRA PURPLE

automation become increasingly

apply technology and modern

sophisticated, so do those with mali-

approaches such as ML and automa-

cious intent. Businesses must be

tion to that,” he affirms.

prepared to keep pace with the threat environment to remain secure.

“The world’s changing,” states

“It’s important that we apply these technologies in a way that’s appropriate, as well as maintain an accurate

Robinson. “We’re not in a traditional

understanding of how we address

bubble where security is at the

and manage security incidents, oth-

perimeter and everything’s protected

erwise businesses will not be in a

centrally – there’s a much wider

position to respond and protect.”

attack surface. There’s a lot of

Whilst cloud is not exactly an emerg-

information sitting outside of non-tra-

ing technology, many businesses are

ditional environments and you have to

still at the nascent stage of their cloud

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Find out how we can help you catch the phish in your inbox and avoid a breach. cofense.com

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

journey. Bhatt has observed that busi-

not recognising the benefits it is deliv-

nesses are split into three different

ering. These are typically organisations

camps when it comes to their cloud

that have not set out a clear path or

security strategies.

taken an objective-driven approach to

The first camp thinks about cloud, but has not embarked on the journey

their cloud strategy.

In the final camp sit the busi-

because they haven’t considered

nesses with cloud expertise that

where it might take them. The chal-

focus on cloud enhancement. This is

lenge is in identifying what cloud will

where a company has moved to the

achieve for the business, and how

cloud and is now looking to enhance

much can be saved by implementing it.

it with approaches such as contain-

In the second camp are businesses that have implemented cloud but are 26

JUNE 2020

erisation. This marks the start of the next stage of the journey, where

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Start your journey at vArmour.com.

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

technologies such as automation and robotics become increasingly influential in the business.

With the pace of technology adoption showing no sign of letting up, it’s vital that businesses and their employees practise good cyber hygiene at their workplaces and homes.

“Security is a continuous journey that must be grounded in what the business is trying to achieve,” says Robinson. “Business leaders and their security advisors must assess the 28

environment the business operates in, understanding the risk landscape, the threat profile and how you place people, processes and technology around security to address these evolving needs. And finally, cyber security must align with all business functions to ensure there are no weak links.”

JUNE 2020

29

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TELSTRA PURPLE

C L U B C I S O I N F O R M AT I O N S E C U R I T Y M AT U R I T Y R E P O RT 20 20 Top three areas where CISOs have driven measurable improvements over the last 12 months: • Security awareness and training • Risk assessment and management • Building the security team

30

Top three hot topics on the CISO radar: • Security culture • Cyber resilience • Cloud security The top three initiatives CISOs are using to foster a better security culture: • Security champions • Proactive “report it” no blame policies • Education around the value of data To check out the latest ClubCISO Information Maturity Security reports, click here

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Manoj Bhatt

Title: Head of Cyber Security Advisory and Consulting at Telstra Purple EMEA Manoj leads Telstra Purple’s cyber security advisory and consulting capabilities for EMEA, working with a wide range of customers across numerous sectors building and running their cyber security services. Manoj is a passionate cyber security professional focused on embedding cyber security into the digital agenda and on the user and customer experience aspects of cyber security. Manoj sits on the advisory board for ClubCISO to share security innovations, best practice and thought leadership across the industry.

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

31

TELSTRA PURPLE

32

Telstra Ventures is a strategic growth investor passionate about scaling great products and leaders.

An independent venture capital firm backed by Telstra and HarbourVest – one of the world’s largest private equity funds – it provides venture capital investment via a ‘Strategic Growth Investment’ approach. This offers entrepreneurs access to the investment itself and reduces the time to reach global scale.

In almost a decade, Telstra Ventures has invested over US$350mn in 60+ companies.

Marcus Bartram is a founding Partner at Telstra Ventures and leads the security portfolio for ventures.

His main role is investing in new security startups, and then helping them scale to become successful large companies.

Telstra Ventures invests heavily in security ventures and is continuously seeking the best-in-breed security innovators globally. With expertise in picking cyber security companies to JUNE 2020

invest in and helping them scale, Bartram believes it’s critical to pick a sector that you have a clear understanding about.

“The best way you can understand a particular area is to go out and talk to as many people in that sector as you can, be it entrepreneurs, customers or vendors,” says Bartram.

“Figure out who the best companies are, what they’re building, who the customers are and what problems they’re trying to solve. This will enable you to build a really rich knowledge base that informs where you invest.”

Telstra Ventures has an extensive portfolio of companies in the cyber security space such as Anomali, Auth0, CyberGRX, AttackIQ, Cofense, CrowdStrike, Varmour and Zimperium.

Bartram notes there are several key areas to scrutinise before investing in a cyber security startup: “It’s important that I understand who’s the team, what pain point they are solving and how many customers do we think

have that problem, what product have they built, and what trends are driving that market. We also consider if the deal makes sense financially. You’ve got to find the right combination of an amazing team, product and market that has the potential to allow the company to scale.”

“This is a threat intelligence company in California. We invested in (the founders) George and Dmitri, because they are very experienced security guys who were redoing protection on the endpoint and disrupting the existing vendors, detecting threats that other technology just couldn’t see.

“Telstra was a very early customer.

Crowdstrike is now the highest-rated vendor by Gartner in Endpoint Detection Response Solutions. It proved to be a really great investment for us because we felt that they had

the best technology, the team was amazing and customers were clamouring for a better solution.”

“This company provides continuous validation of enterprise security programmes. They’re trying to help CISOs answer the question: ‘How secure am I?’. They do that by deploying a platform that effectively tests all the security tools, people and processes on a continuous basis.

“AttackIQ can test all the control points in your environment, be that cloud, endpoint, network protection or controls. This is done by simulating attacks against those controls, and it can become a risk tool for CISOs as they can look at their environment in real time and measure the risks they face.”

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

33

TELSTRA PURPLE

34

“This is a risk mitigation specialist focused on helping customers understand and manage cyber security risk from their supplier base.

The company has built a data exchange which drives massive efficiency in how customers and suppliers collect and share information about their cyber controls.

“It is an incredibly important part of the security sector that affects every organisation globally in the same way. Regulatory drivers, the explosion in the number of suppliers companies use, and companies needing to protect themselves from threats that come from these suppliers make CyberGRX a great company to be a part of.”

“Cofense was set up to counter phishing – still the most common, never-ending problem facing the security industry. During the

JUNE 2020

COVID-19 pandemic, phishing is being massively exploited by criminals.

“The founders, Rohyt and Aaron, started out by building technology to help employees recognise and report phishing emails, to raise the bar and stop people from opening links and attachments they shouldn’t. They have evolved from this to create a sophisticated platform that now integrates and shares data with their customers from tens of millions of data points on all the phishing threats they see, helping to protect customers from phishing attacks.”

“This is a company that lets you visualise and understand all of the traffic and application flows across the environment, particularly in a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud world.

That visualisation allows you to figure out who’s talking to whom and whether those conversations are OK. From that you can design the security controls to implement.

“The platform integrates into all of the native security controls in

AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or VMware to provide visibility into what’s going on and then be able to protect the customer. Customers are using this for cloud migration as much as they are using it for security controls.”

With the future in mind, Bartram affirms it’s essential to continue to seek value in innovative companies globally.

“We must continue to try and invest in these leading companies, because it is good for us, the entrepreneurs and customers in the long term. Telstra Ventures wants to invest in innovative startups in security, cloud, enterprise and consumer platforms, insurtech, healthtech and many other fields, helping those companies scale through Telstra and other relationships. We think and work incredibly hard to find the best companies, and assess how well they will perform. We remain passionate about finding the best entrepreneurs with a passion to build amazing products, which solve real problems in the world today and into the future.”

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Marcus Bartram Title: Partner at Telstra Ventures Marcus is a founder and General Partner of Telstra Ventures. Prior to this he held various executive and senior roles in Telstra, Citigroup, nscglobal and Honeywell in Australia and the UK. Marcus invests in disruptive enterprise software, telecoms and cyber security entrepreneurs that are starting to scale their company. Investments made to date include Anomali, AttackIQ, Auth0, Cohere Technologies, Cofense, Crowdstrike, Corvus Insurance, CyberGRX, Elastica (ACQ:BlueCoat), Headspin, ipSCAPE, Matrixx Software, Dimmi (ACQ:TripAdvisor), vArmour and Zimperium. Marcus received an MBA from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

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e ur o pe eur. boupsein . beusssinc ehie s sf. c hie c o mf. c o m

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

36

JUNE 2020

IBM’S BLUEPRINT FOR A DATA-DRIVEN ENTERPRISE WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

GLEN WHITE

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

37

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

Inderpal Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer, discusses data and cognitive transformation strategies and the role of the Chief Data Officer

“ T

o be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft; when I walk into an organisation I immerse myself in the business strategy

and the detailed end-to-end business processes to know exactly what I’m going to implement, the strategy behind it, measure how well it’s going to unfold and the milestones to be hit,” says Inderpal 38

Bhandari, IBM’s Global Chief Data Officer. With more than 20 years of experience transforming industry-leading organisations, Bhandari has defined the scope, expectations, and deliverables of the modern Chief Data Officer role. Indeed, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest he is the Chief Data Officer.

Bhandari is a recognised expert in transforming data into business value. He improves customer experiences by delivering strategic and innovative capabilities that use data-driven insights to enable growth and streamline productivity. Most recently, he has been doing so at IBM. Bhandari joined the global tech leader in December 2015 to lead IBM’s data strategy and to drive its internal data and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. This work,

JUNE 2020

39

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

“ Our aim was to transform IBM into a data and AI enterprise”

42

His experience and an intimate knowledge of what an effective Chief Data Officer can deliver took shape in the trenches of corporate America where data was becoming the new natural resource. “I became the very

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

first CDO in the healthcare industry in

which Bhandari joined us to discuss

on in the profession – at that point

in more detail, has culminated in the

there were four of us globally. Today

company’s Data and AI Enterprise

the role has expanded massively with

Blueprint – a roadmap for IBM clients

thousands of CDOs, Chief Analytics

to use when embarking on their own

Officers and Chief Digital Officers,

data and AI journeys.

and I’ve been fortunate to have been

2006, and was an entrepreneur in data products before that. It was very early

at the forefront from the very beginning, learning, and understanding the profession.

“Data is a hugely valuable asset and so the importance of the role has transformed within enterprises,” he continues. “My experiences enabled me to contribute to multiple

JUNE 2020

IBM - DATA STRATEGY CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:18

43 organisations while honing the craft

to the cloud – cloud computing has

of using data and technology to fuel

been a major game changer at the

the powerful and complex transforma-

industry level,” he states, expanding

tions that enterprises are undergoing.”

on the technology evolution that has shaped today’s landscape. “And with

TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSFORMATION: DRIVING CHANGE

that came a heightened focus on

Understandably, during his career

which remain core areas for any CDO.

Bhandari has been at the forefront

Once the resources become available

of technological innovation. He has

through cloud or, more recently, hybrid

also seen data evolve to become a

cloud, AI and many of the devices

crucial success factor for the mod-

at the ‘edge’ can and will come into

ern enterprise.

play, such as robotic technology, the

“The rapid change we’re seeing today really started with the journey

cybersecurity, data privacy and ethics,

Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous vehicles.” w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

44

The ability to keep ‘building’ on

terms of transforming their businesses.

the hybrid cloud, says Bhandari, will

Leaders and organisations all over the

accelerate the adoption of AI as part

world have come to realise that it’s not

of enterprise transformation. Other

a question of ‘should we do it’, but a

important technologies that will be

question of ‘when do we do it’. If you

adopted include 5G and blockchain,

don’t, you’ll very quickly be irrelevant.”

which he says has the potential to “It’s a rapidly changing industry. But

IBM: THE CDO’S BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE

with that, comes an acute awareness

When Bhandari joined IBM five years

and willingness on the part of the

ago, his role was specifically created

c-suite and enterprises to gain a much

to facilitate the mission of transform-

greater understanding of what these

ing IBM into a Data and AI enterprise.

trends and technologies can do in

He built a transformation strategy

transform data and data ownership.

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Inderpal Bhandari Title: Global Chief Data Officer Company: IBM Corporation Industry: Information Technology & Services

Location: New York

Inderpal Bhandari rejoined IBM as Global Chief Data Officer in December 2015.

In this newly created role, he has leveraged his extensive experience to lead the development of IBM’s data strategy and drive IBM’s internal data and AI enterprise transformation. The work has culminated in the Data and AI Enterprise Blueprint; a roadmap for IBM’s clients on their own transformation journeys.

Inderpal brings to IBM more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles at such leading companies as Cambia Health Solutions and Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions. Prior to joining IBM, Inderpal served as Senior Vice President and Chief Data Officer of Cambia Health Solutions where he led the development of Cambia’s data strategy and drove the transformation of the company’s consumer experience strategies. Prior to that, Inderpal served as Vice President

of knowledge solutions and Chief Data Officer at Express Scripts/Medco Health Solutions, where he was responsible for maximizing the utility of the company’s data and its readiness to respond to emerging market trends. Before that, he founded Virtual Gold, growing the company into an international market leader for analytics in call centers and professional sports. Inderpal is an expert in transforming data into business value and improved customer experiences by delivering strategic, innovative capabilities that use analytic insights to enable growth and productivity. In 2017, he was named U.S. Chief Data Officer of the Year by the CDO Club, and has been featured as an industry expert by Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, US News & World Report, CNN and FOX. Inderpal earned his Master of Science Degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and holds a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

IBM - ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE CLICK TO WATCH

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1:43

46

roadmap based on three steps:

the company is going to make money,

develop a clear data strategy; execute

maximise business impact, and delight

enterprise-wide data governance and

customers,” he explains. “In IBM’s case

management systems; and become the

it was clear that we were going to make

central data and AI framework for the

money primarily from best-in-class AI

IBM enterprise.

and hybrid multi-cloud offerings. But

The first is crucial for any enterprise

it wasn’t clear what AI meant for an

embarking on such a journey and starts

enterprise or how to go about it. Thus

with one straightforward question:

we thought why not make IBM itself into

what is your company’s monetisation

an AI enterprise and use it as a show-

strategy? This is, says Bhandari, key to

case for our clients.” Bhandari created

a successful data strategy. “Any data

a dedicated team that consists of

strategy has to be tied to the business

world-class data and AI specialists who

strategy, and that revolves around how

collaborate across the entire business.

JUNE 2020

“ To be a good Chief Data Officer is a true craft” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

IBM’s Data and AI Blueprint encompasses technology, organisational considerations, data, and business process transformation. For example, cognitive services give the ability to see and contextualise across all data as well as infuse insights into the work-

Next, the focus rested on consolidat-

flow of business processes. Hybrid

ing critical enterprise data and making

cloud solutions encompassing public

it available as a service. Rapid inte-

cloud, private cloud and on-premise

gration of critical data into a single,

environments, provide enterprise cloud

consolidated data platform can bring

container support while implementing

unprecedented connection and is

and enforcing security standards

the moment, Bhandari says, where a

and privacy policies. Further, the

data strategy ‘really comes alive.’ He

convergence and curation of data that

adds that a unified data platform is the

would have previously been siloed and

fundamental enabler of advanced AI

fragmented across an organisation,

solutions in an organisation, and brings

to create a reliable and trusted source

new business capabilities, drives effi-

that AI systems can build upon.

ciency and top-line improvement.

“Our aim was to transform IBM into a Data and AI enterprise,” he notes.

According to Bhandari, AI systems – all of which are underpinned by data – have four main attributes: they learn from data, they support forms of expression more natural for human interaction, their primary value is their expertise, and their learning evolves continuously as they encounter new information or scenarios. w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

47

IBM

“ Cloud computing has been a major game changer at industry level” 48

— Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM

JUNE 2020

Cognition also brings distinct advantages to points of business that require significant human judgement. In Bhandari’s Global Chief Data Office, for example, several projects utilise IBM’s Data and AI Platform.

“As an example,” he adds, “take a role within our business, which essentially revolves around an employee having to classify whether a client that we’re working with is a government-owned entity. We hold ourselves to very high standards, and so that kind of classification and judgement is crucial.

We have to get it right. Previously, that classification would have involved research, communication with other parties and eventually arriving at the classification. This is a perfect example of where AI comes into its own.

Using our IBM Watson capabilities, we can now access historical data as to how we have previously labelled companies, and we can sift and monitor real-time information about those same businesses.

“That capability makes the decision more quickly, accurately and improves efficiency of the work,” he continues.

“As an example, it may be at a lower w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

49

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

How the IBM Integrated Analytics System Helps You Do Data Science Faster CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:51

50

“ We have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant advantage to” — Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer, IBM JUNE 2020

level in terms of the vast amounts of activity we undertake at IBM, but you multiply it one million-fold across every significant business decision that we make, and you have an insight into the potential of AI. That’s what I envisioned when I began this journey – we have to work AI into every business process, whether it’s supply chain, finance, marketing, accounts payable.

There’s no area it can’t bring significant value to.”

The challenge, says Bhandari, is for enterprises to undertake that scaling of data and AI solutions. Core to that,

he says, is a strong central function

quickly ramp up their AI solutions and

which is the role that he and his imme-

processes and drive business value

diate team provide. However, he also

covering areas including data strategy

adds that in his experience, many

and architecture, automating business

organisations are still in the early

metadata, data privacy and trust, and

stages of their AI adoption journey.

AI applications.

IBM’s learnings from its data and AI

“When I started the Global Chief Data

transformation form the basis of how

Office at IBM, we were effectively at

IBM interacts with clients.

‘ground zero’ in terms of this,” Bhandari

Take the company’s AI Enterprise

notes. “But our success allows us to

Accelerator as an example. This col-

share and take it to a completely new

laborative cross-enterprise initiative

level for both internal transformation

builds on IBM’s AI transformation

and with our clients. Our Enterprise

and is designed to help leaders

Data and AI platform was established

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

51

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

1911

Year founded

$79.59bn+ Revenue in US dollars

350,000 Number of employees

52

at the end of 2017 and by year end

freely admits to adopting a ‘fail fast’

2019 we had over 100,000 active

approach to his role and mission at

users on it internally, who were infus-

IBM and is not afraid to admit – even

ing AI into their business processes,

with his experience – that he and his

and several clients replicating these

team are always learning. “If you are

use cases externally. That’s a really

the CDO then you must be aware it’s

high rate of adoption for both internal

a transformation role and you are

use and by our customers.”

primarily a change agent,” he explains.

“You have to change the enterprise to

A BLUEPRINT FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS

transform it, so the data and AI blue-

Any transformation journey is an

print that we developed has all of the

ongoing process, even with a CDO as

aspects that any change agent should

capable as Bhandari at the helm. He

focus on.

JUNE 2020

53

“You use the data and the technol-

data comes from millions of devices

ogy to affect the change, of course, but

at the edge. That and technologies

there’s also the people and culture fac-

such as quantum computing have the

tor that is equally important. You can’t

potential to revolutionise everything

neglect any aspect of that blueprint if

we do. It’s an exciting prospect and a

you want to succeed. Technology will

very exciting time for Chief Data and

continue to evolve, and so we must

Technology Officers at the forefront

evolve too. The move to the hybrid

of these transformations.”

cloud is only accelerating, for example, and things like cybersecurity, privacy and data ownership will become more and more relevant. Similarly, edge computing will be a critical driver as w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

54

JUNE 2020

55

Susan Bowen, CEO of Aptum Technologies, discusses how IoT may hold the secret to unlocking the full potential of Big Data and enterprise systems WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY AND YOUR ROLE AT APTUM I’m Susan Bowen, I have been the CEO and President of Aptum Technologies, formerly Cogeco Peer 1, since May 2019. Prior to this, I held the position of President at Cogeco Peer 1 and before that Vice President and General Manager of EMEA for three and a half years, based in the UK. As CEO and President of Aptum, my purpose is to guide and empower the Aptum organisation to drive growth for our customers and our business, enabling data as infrastructure globally.

During my first 150 days as CEO of Aptum, my time 56

has been occupied with establishing goals, building a knowledgeable and experienced leadership team and creating a strategy to achieve those goals.

Creating the new foundation for the business has been extremely exciting, and our dedicated team has embraced our vision and made its success possible.

Any organisation is only as good as its employees, and as CEO, it is vital to empower employees to propel the business forward.

LAST YEAR, YOU WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE EXCLUSIVE FORBES TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL. WHAT DID THIS HONOUR MEAN TO YOU AND HOW WILL IT SHAPE YOUR APPROACH GOING FORWARD? To be accepted to join the Forbes Technology Council, and the members that uphold that prestigious name, is an achievement of which I am JUNE 2020

“ Businesses today are encountering amounts of data that grow at an exponential rate, which means they require the appropriate technology to exploit it” — Susan Bowen, CEO, Aptum Technologies

57

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

Digital Transformation.

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helping businesses unlock the poten-

YOUR COMPANY’S NAME LITERALLY MEANS ‘ADAPTABILITY’– IS THIS AN IMPORTANT QUALITY IN A TECH COMPANY, PARTICULARLY ONE INVESTING IN DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE?

tial of their data as infrastructure has

Due to the ever more complex and

proved successful.

unpredictable economic, political and

extremely proud. The opportunity to become part of this community of fellow esteemed tech professionals is testament to the work we have done at Aptum. Our unique approach of

The Council isn’t just about recognition,

social environment in which we currently

though. It encourages contribution and

find ourselves, adapting is crucial not

creation of debate, with the overarch-

only to a business’ success, but to its

ing goal of driving society forward

survival. The speed, intricacy and global

through technology. Being able to col-

nature of today’s disruption is at a dif-

laborate with industry leaders in this

ferent scale than ever before and

private forum will expose me to new

businesses must be conscious of that.

and original perspectives which I will take back to my own forum at Aptum.

We are always looking for opportunities to discover new insights, and where better to receive it than from my colleagues on the Council?

“ The sheer volume of data IoT devices promise means their value is integral” — Susan Bowen, CEO, Aptum Technologies e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

59

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

While technological change has continuously brought about unprecedented opportunities for those capable of innovation, it can also be the downfall of those who are inflexible and reticent to change. Adaptability, then, becomes an indispensable trait for businesses that want to succeed. Due to the highly competitive market, businesses must keep up with the rapid pace of change. The key to this is placing an emphasis on developing and establishing a mindset which favours 60

adaptability into all levels of the workforce, from the boardroom, through to a business’ IT infrastructure.

Businesses today are encountering

hybrid infrastructure solutions with

amounts of data that grow at an expo-

secure data centre, cloud, connectivity

nential rate, which means they require

and managed services across North

the appropriate technology to exploit

America, Latin America and Europe.

it. Reliable platforms which harness the power of their data enable better decision making and generate new insights and deeper customer engagement.

With a 20-year heritage helping

DATA AND IOT ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED. HOW DOES YOUR APPROACH TO THEIR UTILISATION DISTINGUISH ITSELF? At Aptum, we believe that data should

customers maximise technologies to

be treated as infrastructure. As the

store, manage, move and secure their

source of insight into performance,

critical data, Aptum is one of a select

markets, and innovation, data should

group of companies able to offer true

be considered the backbone of the

JUNE 2020

just one component of an IT ecosystem designed to enable businesses to unlock their data potential. But, the sheer volume of data IoT devices promise means their value is integral to that ecosystem.

MANY IN THE INDUSTRY POSTULATE THAT 5G NETWORKS ARE SET TO REVOLUTIONISE IOT. DO YOU AGREE AND WHY? The benefits of 5G will revolutionise IoT. More bandwidth, higher reliability, lower latency and the ability to support a vastly greater number of connected devices will propel IoT into the mainmodern enterprise. We help busi-

stream. The diversity of IoT means

nesses discover the true value of their

that each use case can take advan-

data and support them on the best

tage of 5G in different ways. For

ways to utilise their data sets for their

example: higher processing speeds

desired business outcomes.

will enable faster production in manu-

IoT has the potential to scale the

facturing; lower latency means remote

value of data at an unprecedented rate.

control of machinery from production

Data from hordes of sensor points

plants to hospitals will be possible; air

across an IoT network can be trans-

traffic monitoring would need high reli-

mitted and processed in real time.

ability and service quality; and smart

Aptum’s approach helps organisations

cities will be able to leverage a higher

cleanse, process and manage this

density of devices.

data in order to generate analyses that optimise processes. IoT devices are

5G will indeed transform IoT, but it is important to recognise that this e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

61

D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N

“ 5G will indeed transform IoT, but it is important to recognise that this revolution will not be quickly realised across all applications” — Susan Bowen, CEO, Aptum Technologies

Put simply, as an emerging technology, solutions for many unforeseen problems simply do not exist yet. Software that

revolution will not be quickly realised

secures laptop, mobile, and server end-

across all applications. Due to the grad-

points are not as far developed for IoT

ual nature of 5G’s implementation, where

devices as they are harder to identify.

3G and 4G sites are developed or new 62

This is where the fundamental prob-

infrastructure is built, IoT development

lem lies. For secure control of IoT

will in turn be slow and complex. Some

devices, visibility over all assets is nec-

use cases will involve a large amount

essary. Panaseer commissioned a study

of data, many devices, autonomous

of 200 enterprise security leaders.

machinery, and advanced analytics. 5G

When asked about the assets into

will develop at the same time as these

which they had least visibility, IoT

systems, so due to the sheer scale of the

devices topped the list. An IP address

task, a speedy timetable is not likely.

can rarely be found on an IoT device, and even if it is found it is difficult to

ARE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY HURDLES THAT WILL NEED TO BE OVERCOME BEFORE THE CAPABILITIES OF IOT CAN BE FULLY ENABLED?

tell what the device’s function actually

The main challenge facing IoT is secu-

naturally decreases. This leaves secu-

rity. Recent increases in distributed

rity teams completely in the dark of

denial of services (DDoS) attacks have

the risk individual devices pose and

brought attention to the issue, and beck-

what vulnerabilities can be exploited

oned calls for action in IT communities.

by hackers.

JUNE 2020

is and what it is connected to. With multiple networks in different locations, containing multiple devices, visibility

63

However, companies that work with

Crucially though, it is the role of a tech-

technology partners with experience in

nology partner to be experts in emerg-

securing these technologies will have

ing technologies. As new methods of

the best expertise available to them to

securing IoT devices are developed,

help secure their IoT devices. When first

the partner will be in an informed posi-

enrolling IoT devices into an ecosystem,

tion to conduct their implementation.

they undertake rigorous checks, reviewing the manufacturing guidelines on the best ways to securely configure a device. A full inventory will then be undertaken mapping out each device and its function to increase visibility. e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

64

THE DIGITAL EVOLUTION OF SUPPLY CHAIN

OPERATIONS Dr. Frank Himpel, Faculty Member at CSE Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe, Coyote Logistics, discuss the digitalisation of supply chain

WRITTEN BY

JUNE 2020

GEORGIA WIL SON

65

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

I

n today’s supply chains, fast paced innovation and complex operations built on legacy systems are commonplace chal-

lenges within the industry. To combat this,

supply chains are digitally transforming in order to create more efficiency. With digitalisation, supply chains are experiencing cost reductions, as well as increased agility, end to end visibility and flexibility, resultingin a competitive advantage against others in the industry.

Speaking with Dr. Frank Himpel, Faculty Member at CSE Hamad Bin Khalifa University, 66

and Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe at Coyote Logistics, we discuss current supply chain digitisation trends, the benefits, the challenges and the future of supply chain technology.

HOW CAN THE SUPPLY CHAIN INDUSTRY BENEFIT FROM DIGITISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: Supply chains link customers on buyers’ markets with production capacity and resources needed from resource markets. This occurs on a global scale, making the world a smaller place.

Global ordering and deliveries are a reality in many industries already. In order to facilitate accuracy, forecasting, operational efficiency, and strategic flexibility of the entire chain, JUNE 2020

67

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This means greater savings and shorter time to market.

Dr. Frank Himpel

“ Digitalisation can help to reap the benefits of a more agile supply chain portfolio network for the benefit of all parties involved – customers, companies, suppliers, and logistical service providers” — Dr. Frank Himpel, Facility Member, Engineering Management and Decision Sciences division, College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

of a company trying to satisfy the needs of its ever-more demanding customers. Digitalisation can help to reap the benefits of a more agile supply chain portfolio network for the benefit of all parties involved – cus-

digitalisation has played a crucial role.

tomers, companies, suppliers, and

In the past, logistics and supply chain

logistical service providers. To that

management was considered a purely

end, digitalisation is a great opportu-

operational play that could be opti-

nity in many industries worldwide.

mised by lowering costs as well as overall quality for the customers.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DIGITALISATION?

Transportation tasks and logistical

Dr. Frank Himpel: The digitalisation

coordination were often outsourced to

of a supply chain network has several

achieve greater cost control through

benefits. Depending on the specific

scaling. However, through the advent

industry, products can be delivered to

of digitalisation, this view has been dis-

customers much faster than before.

rupted. Nowadays, logistics and supply

This reduces lead times and delivery

chain management is a strategic asset

times, in particular of so-called high

lead times, while trying to increase

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

69

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

70

runners. Here, predictive analytics

even if the production points are on

tools are employed to simultaneously

the other side of the globe. Thirdly,

and continuously assess internal and

the production concept of mass cus-

external data with regards to improv-

tomisation will be more fully and

ing forecasting of demand volumes

broadly implemented. While this

and demand patterns, as well as provi-

concept has been introduced to the

sion times. Another benefit largely

management discipline already some

associated with digitalisation is to

time ago, it has not been able to show

increase the flexibility of the produc-

its potential on a global scale in many

tion infrastructures (i.e. factories),

industries. Through the disruptive

no matter where they are located

advent of digitalisation, the benefits

geographically. The more interlinked

of mass customisation (i.e. highly

coordination with logistics and trans-

individualised production at compa-

portation capacity ensures the timely

rably lower factor costs) will become

delivery to end users and customers,

available for many industries

JUNE 2020

Coyote Logistics: Helping You Deliver on Your Promises CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:03

71 worldwide. Also, operations can be

autonomous production and logistics

managed in a more granular manner.

capabilities. This spans autonomous

This implies the availability of learn-

mobility of trucks outside the ware-

ing systems to continuously calibrate

houses and factories with more fully

performances (and measure devia-

automated sorting and picking func-

tions accordingly). Therefore,

tionality in warehouses, to factories

management of operations and pro-

that can be steered and adjusted

duction capacity becomes in a way.

from large distances away. All in

To learn about unrealistic KPI targets

all, the benefits of digitalisation in

does not take whole planning cycles

logistics and supply chain manage-

anymore, so that strategic adjust-

ment are very promising, however,

ments can be implemented much

only few companies and industries

sooner. Last but not least, another

have started the journey towards

benefit of digitalisation is the integra-

achieving more digitised production

tion of more fully automated and

potential. e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITALISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: Digitalisation is not without its challenges. Several technologies need to be integrated in a technology network that supports a data network (e.g. the so-called cloud), and both networks need to be linked to production capacities and forecasting methodologies. If one element of the entire setup is missing, or not fully operational, then the benefits might not be achieved. In other 72

words, implementing digitalisation as a step-by-step approach, which is often cautious in nature, might not lead to success. Digitalisation is pretty much a binary system – either a sys-

and stakeholders of a supply chain

tem is being digitalised (and if so, then

network. And, to refer to a classical

all-encompassing), or a system is not

metaphor – the chain is only as strong

being digitalised more profoundly.

as its weakest link.

Island-like solutions, such as those

Jaap Bruining: Another challenge

we have witnessed in past decades,

in the digital supply chain is measuring

where ERP systems co-existed with

the impact of supply chain technology,

more traditional legacy systems, are

to determine improvements in efficiency

not the way forward when it comes

and costs reduction. The importance

to the digitalisation of supply chain

of this came through loud and clear

networks. Of particular relevance

in research from Coyote Logistics last

is the holistic, integrative, systemic

year. Supply chain professionals

implementation along all partners

reported that, while measurement is

JUNE 2020

73

essential, many shippers still struggle

“ One major trend through the eyes of logistics and transportation is the advent of so-called supply chain management-as-aservice” — Dr. Frank Himpel, Facility Member, Engineering Management and Decision Sciences division, College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar

with it. In fact, a majority ranked identifying return on investment as a top supply chain technology challenge.

Integrating with systems, managing tools and analysing data completed the top four.

HAT ARE THE CURRENT TRENDS W WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS IN RELATION TO DIGITALISATION? Dr. Frank Himpel: One major trend through the eyes of logistics and e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

WHAT INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY HAVE YOU SEEN IMPLEMENTED AS A RESULT OF DIGITALISATION WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS? Dr. Frank Himpel: As companies around the globe aim to capitalise on the benefits of digitalisation,

74

transportation is the advent of so-

artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data,

called supply chain

machine learning (ML), and blockchain

management-as-a-service. Supply

have become highly prominent. In

chain management capability can be

particular, blockchain technology

bought on the basis of need, as pro-

is having inroads into innovative sup-

vided by specialised external vendors,

ply chain concepts in the food and

rather than having such functionality

healthcare sectors. In general, AI

in-house. The whole concept of out-

aims to support a company’s desire

sourcing business functions, which

for greater supply chain automation.

began more than half a century ago

Advanced analytics and the internet of

with outsourcing of IT departments,

things (IoT) sources help better fore-

might be adopted to the outsourcing

casting of demand patterns and supply

of supply chain management functional-

potentials, for example. IoT in particu-

ity. Here, completely new business

lar is considered suitable for supply

models can emerge that will specialise

chains where higher uptime and higher

as per lead-time constraint, mode-of-

asset utilisation are key.

delivery-constraint, and/or factor

capacities. Here, flexible transporta-

WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY FOR ADOPTING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS?

tion networks will ensure the delivery

Dr. Frank Himpel: Hybrid supply

of resources to factories, and/or prod-

chain strategies, where paper-based

ucts to customers.

and IT-based approaches are mixed,

allocation constraint. Another trend is the ‘uberisation’ of transportation

JUNE 2020

rarely achieve the level of efficiency

need to build on existing skills sets

required for successfully spanning

and/or recruit to plug any skills gaps.

global supply chains in the long run.

Keep in mind that out of 13 supply

Therefore, those technologies would

chain tasks, shippers did not think a

need to be adapted swiftly. Here, it

single one should be 100% human or

requires bold decisions, rather than

100% technology — both were con-

cautious tactics. However, acting

sistently the most frequent choices.

alone through one’s own ecosystem

Even those predominantly human or

also might not be suitable – therefore,

technology tasks should have some

allocating partners and orchestrating

blend of both. Once strategy creation

them in a concerted effort is key.

and execution is underway, remember

Jaap Bruining: It’s also important to know what the aims are, how tech-

to stay informed on industry trends and new technology.

75

nology will help meet them and how

priorities with those of the business and

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DEVELOPED IN RELATION TO DIGITALISATION?

executive leadership. Secure IT’s input

Dr. Frank Himpel: Talking about

to the strategy. It’s also essential to

technology and advancements in

you will measure the impact it has.

Start a steering committee and align

involve human resources as you may

“ Innovations in technology continue to advance capabilities in business planning, measurement, operations and more”

Jaap Bruining

— Jaap Bruining, Head of Coyote Europe, Coyote Logistics e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

D I G I TA L S T R AT E G Y

76

digitalisation falls short of mentioning

business, and even the advent of

that logistics and supply chain man-

Supply Chain 4.0 will not completely

agement is a people-intensive

get rid of human resources in our

business. Even more so, people in

supply chain networks. However,

logistics and transportation have

as facets of efficiency of increased

a wide variety of educational back-

digitalisation capability are likely to

grounds, with regards to specialisation

(partially) diminish the role of human

and maturity. Logistics is a people’s

beings in these networks, alternate

JUNE 2020

77

jobs need to be allocated for these

measurement, operations and more.

individuals. So, rather than wishing

Advanced AI solutions, better freight

for even more roboterised production

market forecasting tools, technology

and logistics systems, I would suggest

to streamline supply chain and block-

to not forget the human dimension.

chain as a viable operating system

Jaap Bruining: Innovations in

were at the top of the supply chain

technology continue to advance

wish list for shippers, Coyote Logistics’

capabilities in business planning,

research revealed last year. e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

C I T Y F O C U S | I S TA N B U L

78

City Focus

ISTANBU BU JUNE 2020

Business Chief explores the growing transport and logistics industry within one of the world most coveted cities: Istanbul WRITTEN BY

GEORGIA WILSON

79

BUL BU e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

C I T Y F O C U S | I S TA N B U L

S

ituated in the Marmara region of

Turkey on a triangular peninsula, the beautiful Turkish city of Istanbul

not only acts as a bridge between Europe

and Asia, but as a hub connecting people from all over the world to its traditions, history and culture. This huge, vibrant city is currently home to one-fifth of Turkey’s population and is rich in history and architecture dating back to around 660BC, when it was colonised by the Greeks and 80

established as the city of Byzantium. From Roman aqueducts and Byzantine churches to Venetian towers and Ottoman palaces, over its lifespan of 2,679 years, the city has had many occupants, all of whom have contributed to the city’s diverse culture and architecture. Although the city is known today as Istanbul, it has taken on multiple names throughout the years including: Lygos, Augusta Antonina, Nova Roma, Byzantion, Byzantium, Constantinople and finally what it is today – Istanbul.

Due to its location as an international junction for land and sea trade, Istanbul is at the center of Turkey’s economy, and is its largest industrial centre. In 2018, the city was

JUNE 2020

81

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C I T Y F O C U S | I S TA N B U L

“Over its lifespan of 2,679 years, the city has had many occupants, all of whom have contributed to the city’s diverse culture and architecture”

82

the highest contributor to the GDP of

Mustafa Varank, acknowledged

Turkey with a total of US$682,751mn.

that the economic centre of gravity

The city’s diverse industrial economy

is shifting, and an efficient logistics

includes oil products, tobacco,

and transportation system could

electronics, cotton, silk, food, tex-

open the gates to new markets, busi-

tile, rubber, metalware, leather,

ness operations and dynamics to the

chemicals, pharmaceuticals, glass,

country. Currently, “Turkey is among

machinery, automotive and paper.

the top 20 countries with a turnover

As 2019 came to a close, Turkey’s Industry and Technology Minister,

JUNE 2020

of about US$18bn in the transportation sector in the world,” commented

Karınca Logistics Training Film ...

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4:09

83 Ruhsar Pekcan, Trade Minister. As

our government and the ability of our

part of the country’s 2023 Industry

companies to use the existing facili-

and Technology Strategy, the coun-

ties effectively,” continued Pekcan.

try aims to harness its location to

At the dawn of a new age for the

drive higher growth within this sector

logistics and transportation indus-

under its Logistics Master Plan. The

try with investments expected to

plan aims to increase the country’s

exceed US$100bn, we take a closer

competitiveness within logistics and

look at some of the current provid-

transportation by investing in an inte-

ers of logistics and transportation

grated transport network, as well as

based within the city of Istanbul.

improving the efficiency of its logistics services and commercial operations.

KARINCA LOGISTICS

“We expect these figures to reach

Established in 1986, Karinca Logistics

much higher levels thanks to the big

started its operations as a provider

infrastructure investments made by

of customs clearance services. By e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

C I T Y F O C U S | I S TA N B U L

84

2010, the company had launched its

transporting domestic goods such

international road freight transporta-

as footwear and textiles, as well as

tion services and developed into a

delving into warehousing and distri-

sector-specific solution provider

bution services.

of HSSE (health, safety, security

For over 30 years, the company

and environmental) goods for indus-

has been striving to carry the ‘goods

tries such as energy, mining and

and burdens’ of its customers with

construction. In addition to its more

a “zero mistake, zero accident”

dangerous goods, Karinca also started

principle. Its vision is to be the most

JUNE 2020

85

“Due to its location as an international junction for land and sea trade, Istanbul is at the center of Turkey’s economy” e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

C I T Y F O C U S | I S TA N B U L

“This huge, vibrant city is currently home to one-fifth of Turkey’s population and is rich in history and architecture” valuable logistics brand with innovative and forerunning services.

KITA Logistics invests heavily into its vision to become a prominent integrated logistics supplier of storage,

86

KITA LOGISTICS

domestic distribution, project logistics,

Established in 1995, KITA Logistics

exhibition logistics, and global air, sea

has over 20 years of experience within

and land transport. These solutions

large-scale logistics, such as aero-

have provided logistics services to

space, fast moving consumer goods

Hyundai Eurotem, Doosan, Samsung

(FMCG), pharmaceuticals and textiles.

Electronics and Entek, to name a few.

Every year the company handles more

To give back to communities both

than two million tons of cargo in a flex-

locally and globally, KITA Logistics

ible, responsive and decisive manner.

believes in its duty to be socially

The company currently has operations

responsible. With this in mind the

in Turkey, the Middle East, Europe,

company is committed to planting

Central Asia and Russia.

one tree for every 1,000km travelled, as well as awarding students around the world that are majoring in logistics disciplines with scholarships.

MARS LOGISTICS Established in 1989, Mars Logistics is headquartered in Istanbul. During

© KITA Logistics JUNE 2020

the last 30 years of operations the

87

Š Mars Logistics company has grown significantly.

transportation, milk run operations and

Starting out as Mars International

exceeded 100,000 cargoes and 1,820

Transport, it was not until 1997 that

self-owned vehicles.

the company adopted the name Mars

The next three years are predicted

Logistics, when it expanded into air,

to be a transformative time within

maritime, insurance and integrated

the city, particularly within the logis-

logistics services. By 2016, the com-

tics and transportation industry.

pany evolved its services to provide railway transportation, vocational education in logistics, international e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

T O P 10

88

Busiest EMEA airports Business Chief takes a look at the top 10 busiest airports across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) WRITTEN BY

JUNE 2020

GEORGIA WILSON

89

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

T O P 10

208

DESTINATIONS

43 AIRLINES

90

10

London Gatwick Airport PASSENGERS: 46,075,400

London Gatwick Airport began its journey in 1930 as a small flying club known as the Surrey Aero Club. During World War II the airport became a base for the RAF and remained in that role until 1946 when it was decommissioned, becoming a civil airport for charter airlines and cargo flights. In the 1950s London Gatwick Airport became the second largest airport in London, and in 1987 became the second busiest airport in the world, overtaking JFK. In 2018, the airport celebrated 60 years since it was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.

JUNE 2020

09

Munich Airport

PASSENGERS: 46,253,623

Opening in 1992, Munich Airport is operated by the Flughafen München GmbH (FMG), which began operating airports in 1949.

Munich Airport is Germany’s second biggest airport and the only five-star airport in Europe. Since its opening it has been one of the most important passenger terminals in Europe and a key international air traffic hub. Munich Airport’s ‘Strategy 2025’ corporate strategy is based on sustainable value creation. The strategy is made up of five fields of action: air traffic development, landside access and traffic development, seamless travel, expansion of nonaviation business and off-campus growth.

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221

DESTINATIONS

71 AIRLINES

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

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T O P 10

213

DESTINATIONS

77 AIRLINES

93

08

Barcelona El Prat Airport PASSENGERS: 50,172,457

Dating back to 1916, Barcelona El Prat Airport has been operating for over 100 years in the aerospace industry. Today, it is the main airport in CataluĂąa, and is the second largest in Spain. Like many airports in Spain, Barcelona El Prat Airport is operated by Aena Aeropuertos S.A. Its busiest routes include Barcelona and Madrid, Mallorca, Amsterdam, Sevilla, Paris, Ibiza, MĂĄlaga, Rome, London, Munich and Lisbon.

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

T O P 10

07

Madrid Barajas Airport PASSENGERS: 57,891,340

Opened to civil traffic in 1933, Madrid Barajas Airport’s first commercial civil landing was a Fokker VII / 3M trimotor. “On the airfield, in natural terrain, a large white circle with the name of Madrid inside it serves as a guide for pilots.” In the 1970’s, Madrid Barajas Airport began to accommodate Boeing 747 aircraft, with traffic doubling to over four million passengers a year. In 1971 construction began on a new terminal dedicated to international traffic.

94

215 DESTINATIONS

74 AIRLINES

JUNE 2020

291

DESTINATIONS

59 AIRLINES

95

06

Istanbul Airport

PASSENGERS: 68,192,683

Istanbul Airport is the largest infrastructure project in the history of Turkish Republic. The airport opened its doors in 2018 and since then has become a global hub between Aisa, Africa and Europe. When all phases of the airport are operational, it is predicted to achieve a capacity of 200 million passengers. Located on the European side of Istanbul, by the Black Sea, Istanbul Airport was honored with one of Global Traveler’s Leisure Lifestyle awards in the ‘Outstanding Innovation’ category.

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

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T O P 10

311 DESTINATIONS

99 AIRLINES

97

05

Frankfurt Airport

PASSENGERS: 69,510,269

For more than 90 years, Frankfurt Airport has been one of the leading players in the aviation industry, and is widely regarded as a hub in the global air transportation system. Frankfurt Airport states that it is one of Germany’s largest job complexes in a single location, employing 81,000 people. The airport is a “key gateway for companies wanting to access the huge European marketplace. Thus, Frankfurt Airport – which is strategically located in the heart of Europe – is one of the most important hubs in the global logistics chain.”

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

T O P 10

269 DESTINATIONS

74 AIRLINES

98

04

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol PASSENGERS: 71,053,157

With its first aircraft landing in 1916, Schiphol Airport started its journey as a military airport until 1920, where the first KLM flight took place from London to Amsterdam, with a De Havilland DH-16 and Jerry Shaw as the pilot. Spanning 2,787 hectares, Schiphol has three legends relating to the origin of its name. The most popular being the location where many boats sank in the Haarlemmer Lake adopting the name ‘Schip Holl’ or ‘Scheepshol’ translated to ‘ship grave’. Another explanation is that the name comes from the word ‘scheepshaal’, a ditch used for towing ships from one lake to another.

The third comes from the name ‘scip hol’, a low-lying patch of ground where timber used for building ships grew.

JUNE 2020

03

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport PASSENGERS: 72,229,723

Opening its doors in 1974, Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is named after the the former French president who led the Free French Forces during the Second World War before establishing the French Fifth Republic, the constitution under which France operates today. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport is part of Aeroports de Paris, which also operates Paris Orly airport.

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290

DESTINATIONS

105 AIRLINES e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

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02 London Heathrow Airport PASSENGERS: 80,126,320

With a total size of 1,227 hectares, London Heathrow Airport began its journey in 1930 when Richard Fairey paid the Vicar of Harmondsworth £15,000 for a 150-acre plot to build a private airport to assemble and test aircraft. During World War II the government requisitioned land in and around the ancient agricultural village of Heath Row, including Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome, to build RAF Heston. After the war, the RAF no longer needed another aerodrome and it was officially handed over to the Air Ministry as London’s new civil airport on 1 January 1946.

JUNE 2020

210

DESTINATIONS

83 AIRLINES

103

Heathrow Expansion The Preferred Masterplan CLICK TO WATCH

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3:56

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

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01 Dubai International Airport PASSENGERS: 89,149,387

Opening its doors in 1960, Dubai International Airport is our number one busiest airport in the EMEA region, with an annual average growth of 13%. Dubai International Airport is part of the Dubai Airports group alongside Dubai World Centre (DWC). The group strives to deliver world-class experiences to its customers by providing safe, secure and environmentally responsible airports to drive the growth of Dubai.

JUNE 2020

224

DESTINATIONS

85 AIRLINES

105

e uro pe .busi ne ssc hief. com

106

SSE Energy Services: Digital transformation to deliver next-gen services at pace WRITTEN BY

WILL GIRLING PRODUCED BY

LEWIS VAUGHAN

JUNE 2020

107

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SSE ENERGY SERVICES

Philip Clayson, CIO, explains how SSE Energy Services’ transformation is leading to a digital revolution that will benefit customers directly

S

SE Energy Services has distinguished itself in the energy industry via its pioneering attitude, which saw bold

investments in core services, home repair services, broadband, and has one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the sector, where strong, 108

customer-centric business ethics ensure the company’s competitiveness in the market.

In 2019, Bristol-based energy supplier OVO Energy acquired SSE Energy Services, a move which accelerated OVO’s ‘Plan Zero’ sustainability strategy to tackle the most important issue of our time; the climate crisis, by bringing customers with us on the journey towards zero carbon living. OVO Energy has committed to being a net zero carbon business and achieve bold science-based carbon reduction targets by 2030, while helping members halve their carbon footprint at the same time.

The acquisition was significant, states Philip Clayson, Chief Information Officer, because with new ownership came an entirely different and exciting way of operating. Clayson’s expertise and skill in his field is apparent from an impressive career, JUNE 2020

1998

Year founded

9,000 Number of employees

109

Covid impact CLICK TO WATCH

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1:59

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SSE ENERGY SERVICES

Digital transformation CLICK TO WATCH

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1:36

110 including executive-level positions with

that the two companies have a history

some of the largest UK and international

that reaches back to 2004, a relation-

brands. One thing that has character-

ship which has continued to develop

ised his approach in each role has been

ever since. “In 2019, we were selected

fast-paced, visionary leadership: “I’m

by SSE Energy Services as one of its

not a steady-state CIO; I’m a transfor-

partners for a digital implementation

mational CIO. It’s what I do.” Recognised

project with Pegasystems,” Khergamkar

as ‘Transformation Leader of the Year’

explains. Infosys provided DevOps and

at the 2019 Tech Leaders Awards and

security monitoring services for SSE

also a finalist for ‘CIO of the Year’, it is

Energy Services’ collaboration with

with this inspiring attitude that Clayson

Pega, a telco helping to transform the

has been spearheading the company’s

company’s customer service experi-

digital evolution since mid-2019.

ence. “As I look at the partnership

Chirag Khergamkar, Client Partner to SSE Energy Services at Infosys, says JUNE 2020

today, it is about being closer and more strategic to SSE Energy Services

by jointly exploring where we can make a big difference.”

Whilst the objective of digital transformation is relatively commonplace

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Philip Clayson Title: CIO Location: London, UK

in contemporary enterprise strategy, Clayson highlights that the OVO acquisition has given SSE Energy Services an edge that few of its competitors share. ““OVO is another magnitude of speed: it’s an incredibly agile, nimble business”, and Clayson’s fresh attitude compliments what both companies already share: a dedication to best-inclass services, high-quality customer

Phliip Clayson is an award winning transformational CIO, passionate about inspiring technology teams to engage with pace to create, implement and operationalise transformational strategy, in business critical, time and cost sensitive environments. Having delivered all aspects of technology transformation from growth and investment planning, M&A (acquiring, divesting, on both buy and sell side) and completed international product and service launches as well as rationalisation and recovery turnarounds, Philip has delivered transformation in both startups and where legacy technology underpins an existing business. Philip has operated across pre-IPO, VC and PE funded, private and public organisations and across sectors including Telco, Energy, Utilities, Broadcast and Media, in both B2C and B2B. e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

111

BECOME A SELF-HEALING, SUSTAINABLE AND ADAPTING LIVE ENTERPRISE Experience

that is Omni channel and personalized across stakeholders

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leverages advanced data analytics around Customer, Grid and Operations

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with Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to transform Work, Workforce and Workplace

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through DevOps and Agile adoption to implement business-critical projects in a smooth and expedited manner

Assure

Adv

by safeguarding the digital utility and protecting customer data with cybersecurity policies

On the one hand, your utilities enterprise needs to maintain a smart grid network that provides reliable service. On the other, your consumers expect clean energy, customized service and cost-effective tariff plans.

Technology enables a utility to reinvent itself to be a Live Enterprise – learning, adapting, healing, and growing smarter in real-time.

You need to strike a balance by navigating business challenges and opportunities by harnessing digital technologies to ‘Navigate the Future of Energy’.

The journey to digital has so many nexts.

Navigate your next with Infosys. www.infosys.com/industries/utilities #Navigatethefutureofenergy

3 decades of experience in IT Modernization, Transformation and Support 23+ years of global Utilities experience Work with 6 out of the Top 10 UK and European Utilities Utility Market leaders in Smart IT Services, Customer Experience and Digital Transformation Ranked #3 in Forbes Best Regarded Global companies list for 2019

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Infosys Utilities practice has been partnering with Utilities across the globe for over two decades, modernizing and transforming Utilities ability to meet and exceed the evolving needs of a customer while being ever resilient. The opportunity before a Utility today is to transform into a responsive enterprise–soaking up a real time data, analyzing it and publishing actionable insights to the right decision-makers.

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Technology will play a pivotal role in accelerating the digital evolution of a traditional Utility.

Infosys helps water, gas and power utilities adopt digital technology with its two pronged strategy: Industrialize for Efficiency, Agility, Safety & Resilience Digitize for newer business models with Customer, Grid and Workforce Our offerings for the Utilities industry are based on a few fundamental questions:  How are Utilities deriving better analytics and insights around Customer, Grid and Workforce for planning, and operations?  How can Utilities achieve Omni-channel and personalized experience across stakeholders?  Are Utilities leveraging newer business models and advanced technologies to transform Work, Workforce and Workplace?

 How are Utilities accelerating adoption of ERP, and other business critical systems with Cloud and Automation?  How can Utilities make IT/OT systems and operations more efficient, resilient and secure?

It all eventually translates to leveraging the convergence of information and operational technologies. Real-time data integration facilitates advanced analytics – from predictive maintenance of legacy infrastructure to predictive modeling for load management.

Technology enables a utility to reinvent itself to be a Live Enterprise–learning, adapting, healing, and growing smarter in real-time.

You need to strike a balance by navigating business challenges and opportunities by harnessing digital technologies to ‘Navigate the Future of Energy’

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Contact: askus@infosys.com

© 2020 Infosys Limited, Bengaluru, India.

SSE ENERGY SERVICES

“ Being part of the OVO family is another magnitude of speed: it’s an incredibly agile, nimble business” — Philip Clayson, CIO, SSE Energy Services

114

service and outstanding products.

data journey, combining the insights

Additionally, recognising that cus-

of multiple departments and teams to

tomer preferences for digital journeys

discover the best method of leveraging

have increased in recent years, the

enterprise data and unlocking its value.

expansion of self-service capabili-

This accelerated R&D capability will

ties for apps and websites has been a

see it build on current success within

central focus for SSE Energy Services.

the smart home and smart utility sec-

With downloads of the ‘My SSE’ app

tor. These are concepts being explored

gaining speed and very positive con-

by the company as it seeks to deliver

sumer reviews (currently 4.6/5 on the

savings, efficiency and a next-gen expe-

app store), Clayson is confident that

rience to its customers. “There are big

the appropriate level of developmental

investments coming into electric vehi-

pace is being set. Simultaneously, the

cles: charging points on the streets and

company has embarked on a digital

much more engagement with all sorts

JUNE 2020

Digital Smart technologies CLICK TO WATCH

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1:14

115

of home-related energy-saving devices,”

contributor to the grid rather than simply

informs Clayson. “It will include joining

a user of the grid.”

up the ecosystem including solar panels,

Focusing on the future of the indus-

ground pumps and more. It’s a cohesive

try calls into question the concept of

carbon reduction agenda; the smart

the ‘new normal’ - how workplaces

meter is just the beginning.” Distributed

will operate post-COVID-19 - and how

energy management, in particular,

SSE Energy Services will adapt to the

holds very exciting possibilities: a future

challenges therein. When the business

where all electrical appliances are con-

community collectively realised that

nected to the grid to maximise energy

prior paradigms for working had to be

efficiency by eliminating excess and

discarded in order to ensure continu-

channelling power to where it is most

ity, Clayson states that the creativity

needed. Clayson confirms “The technol-

afforded to the IT sector was refreshing

ogy exists to make every household a

and invigorating. “The amount of remote e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

SSE ENERGY SERVICES

“ Being a proper partner means blurring the line between one organisation and another. Infosys is exceptional at providing this next level cooperation” — Philip Clayson, CIO, SSE Energy Services

116

JUNE 2020

working we now do and our usage of video conferencing technology has been a massive change.” Customercentricity is, of course, something that will not change for SSE Energy Services, whatever the business landscape shapes up to be. When asked what he considers to be the company’s greatest accomplishment, Clayson has no hesitation in identifying SSE Energy Services’ enduring acclaim amongst its customers. An appreciation which is unquestionably reciprocated, SSE Energy Services has been able to give back to its customers via OVO’s £50mn Coronavirus Hardship Scheme – an initiative to help members who’ve been impacted by COVID-19 the most.

The digital future looks positive for SSE Energy Services. With the company’s agility and innovative, forward-thinking approach augmented by the latest digital tech, SSE Energy Services looks set to deliver solutions to customers at a new, unprecedented pace. “I like pace: people understand it.

Delivering at pace is what it’s all about.

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

117

BUILDING OUT CHINA’S DATA CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE 118

WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

TOM VENTURO

JUNE 2020

119

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C H AY O R A

Chayora has a unique approach and unparalleled expertise when it comes to establishing new, world class data centres in China

A

s China opens its expanding economy to global businesses to meet the growing demands of its 1.4 billion people, it

presents a compelling market to global retailers, manufacturers and service companies. Starting up or growing in China is not like starting or scaling up in any western-style economy. A partner that understands the need of businesses in the wider 120

world to gain a presence within China, and offer that access from within and at scale, is essential.

Chayora was conceived and launched nine years ago to provide just that bridge into China, a secure and carrier-neutral base for transactional data and operations. Founded by Oliver Jones, Jonathan Berney and Steven Cao, respectively CEO, COO and China Chairman, its focus is entirely on using the unique know-how, expert team, licensing and corporate structure it has created to develop and operate data centre campuses in China.

Conceived on a scale that will make Chayora a major player even by China’s standards, the sites are strategically located and truly hyperscale developments, covering typically more than 30 hectares and with over 300MW of gross power

JUNE 2020

121

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C H AY O R A

“ I was approached by a large global bank looking for an innovative way into China – and I quickly realised that the other major banks had the same problem” — Oliver Jones, CEO, Chayora

load. Sites this large have all the expansion capacity needed, and customers can be accommodated on a flexible funding basis, from being fully funded

by Chayora to being self-funded by the customer.

There are very few international data centre operators that hold the necessary IDC (Internet Data Centre) licences needed to enter China’s market, says Jones. “The potential opportunity was highlighted originally when I was approached by a large

122

global bank looking for an innovative way to handle their data storage in China – and I quickly found out that the other major banks had the same problem.” Understanding both the opportunity and the formidable difficulty of grasping it, the founders put their heads together and set about gathering talent. “We needed the best, so we identified extremely collaborative and competent people to join our team.” The Chayora team is very strong today, well-balanced in global presence, gender mix and relevant professional backgrounds enabling it to deliver a unique proposition to its customers.

JUNE 2020

Chayora Introduction CLICK TO WATCH

|

1:56

123 Jones and Berney are both Hong Kong based, the latter responsible for creating Chayora’s ability to

delivering for customers. We work in the space where these converge.”

Chayora’s key attraction for custom-

deliver and execute its strategy. In

ers is reliable speed to market. This

China, all land is government owned,

is achieved by having pre-approved

with long-term leases acquired by

designs that satisfy national regula-

auction. The first site in the Tianjin

tory requirements. Where a customer

Beijing corridor was acquired in 2017

needs to vary that design the team

as part of an investment agreement

is in place to obtain approval very

with the local government.

quickly. The first facility on the Tianjin

“We have three main business driv-

site, known as TJ1, will accommodate

ers,” Berney explains. “To align with

3,000 racks in six data halls at rack

the China Five-Year Plan and its poli-

densities up 30kW per rack to the

cies, secondly, the objectives of our

customer requirements. Construction

shareholders and, most importantly,

of the first phase shell is complete, e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C H AY O R A

124

equipment is being installed and it is

A customer can come in at a mod-

due to come on stream in September –

est level and scale up to tens or even

the first of nine data centre facilities

hundreds of megawatts. “Hyperscale

on this campus.

generally means over 10MW of IT load

A second campus in Shanghai, which

and is built to suit in our cases,” says

has a population of nearly 25 million,

Jones. “We are able to deliver that now

is at an advanced stage of planning.

to the largest companies in the world,

It will be fully permitted and licensed

which is rare if not unique in China.

and, like Tianjin which serves greater

The large cloud companies coming

Beijing, will be carrier-neutral with

into China have had to start small

enough power available for any

compared to their typical requirements

future expansion offering low-latency

while they build demand but growth

ultra-high-speed connections at

has been constrained due to lack of

a competitive TCO.

facilities at scale and performance.”

JUNE 2020

Though the core team is built of expe-

stimulating. “I have never encountered

rienced developers, operators and

anything as exciting or as rewarding

entrepreneurs with more than 100

as the progress Chayora has made.”

data centres under their belts, Jones says they find this venture the most

In every sector, customers appreciate Chayora’s ability to help them

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Oliver Jones Title: Co-Founder & CEO

Company: Chayora

Industry: Technology industry Location: Hong Kong Oliver Jones is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Chayora. Oliver originally qualified as a chartered surveyor after graduating from Kingston in 1983 and after completing his MBA at London Business School in the late 1980s, specialised in corporate finance and the fast-growing management areas of property and business services outsourcing. Oliver specifically focuses on complex outsourcing transactions and property operating related investment deals. His experience in public partnerships has its roots in the UK in the 1990s when market testing and PFI models were developed. During this time, Oliver advised the UK Government’s Cabinet Office through his role on the UK PFI Panel Property Group and various industry professional bodies. He has worked extensively in real estate and service operator businesses internationally and has a particular insight into the Middle East and Asia through past business interests specifically the UAE, where he was a founder director of Emrill when with Carillion; Hong Kong and China with Citex and EC Harris; and Australia with Symonds. e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

125

C H AY O R A

126

JUNE 2020

127

“ We took up this challenge because despite it being such a massive market none of the major international tech firms had an effective strategy for accessing it” — Oliver Jones, CEO, Chayora e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

C H AY O R A

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Yali Liu

128

Title: EVP — Network & Strategy

Company: Chayora

Industry: Technology industry

Location:Hong Kong

Ms. Yali Z. Liu joined Chayora in 2020 as Executive Vice President responsible for network connectivity products and solutions, as well as business strategy, being a member of the management board of Chayora, supporting delivery of large scalable high performance data centre campuses in China. Yali has over 15 years of strategic and operational leadership experience in global internet, cloud and data centre development, driving transformation and supporting business and customer demands worldwide. Yali was Executive Director at Verizon, responsible for global network planning, engineering and network product development, leading large geographically dispersed global teams to provide development and operational support for innovative product portfolios while aligning technology strategy with business and financial objectives. Between 2014-19, Yali was Vice President of ChinaCache responsible for global business development. She was instrumental in driving carrier-neutral data centres and building the first internet exchange (CHN-IX) in mainland China for more effective regional connectivity among cloud and data service providers and ISPs. Yali holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Peking University, an MBA from University of Dallas, and an M.S. in Computer Sciences from University of Texas in Dallas. Yali has a US patent in internet technology, and is an advisory board member of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC).

JUNE 2020

“ It’s exciting to be developing truly carrier-neutral data centres – something entirely new to China” — Yali Liu, EVP – Network & Strategy, Chayora

to data centre capacity needs. “It’s exciting,” she says, “to be developing truly carrier-neutral data centres – something entirely new to China.”

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced that from July 2020 the fee charging model between three big indigenous operators China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile

formulate a business plan and decide

(which has 950 million subscribers)

whether to choose a wholesale build-

shall be scrapped and internet back-

to-suit data centre or go for racks

bone peering introduced.

within their “colo” to get their services

This is a very important step for-

started. They can expand as their

ward and will significantly improve

business grows.

network performance and user

The buzz around Chayora attracts

experience once fully implemented,

vibrant talent, typified by the recent

Liu affirms: “I am happy that the

appointment of Yali Liu as EVP of

government has opened the way to

Network and Strategy. Liu has one

seamless connectivity to the internet

foot in Texas and the other in Beijing,

backbone in China. Chayora now has

an ideal international background

a colocation partnership agreement

for working with key stakeholders.

with Telstra, under which Telstra will

Formerly Executive Director at Verizon

also be the campus’ network man-

and responsible for global network

ager offering carrier neutrality. Our

planning and VP for ChinaCache, one

customers can now come in with the

of the largest content delivery net-

carrier of their choice. Connectivity

works (CDN) providers in China, she

to international standards is a big

has a rare understanding of both the

focus for us. Customers need to

American and Chinese approaches

know that though we’re China-based e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

129

C H AY O R A

“ Our drivers are threefold, to comply with the political and regulatory environment, secondly ROI, and finally delivering for customers” — Jonathan Berney, COO, Chayora

the US West Coast and specifically in the Bay Area of San Francisco, which is where Karen Kesner, EVP and Head

we have international expertise,

of Americas is based. She leads key

so transparency is a hallmark of

go-to-market and growth acceleration

our business.”

activities for Chayora customers in

Having a strong presence in China 130

the US.

and also in western markets sets

Each of the leaders we spoke to

Chayora apart. Many of the biggest

emphasised the importance of cultural

global tech players are situated on

sensitivity when coming into China.

Chayora – Enable Access CLICK TO WATCH

JUNE 2020

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1:57

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Jonathan Berney Title: COO Company: Chayora Industry: Technology industry Location: Hong Kong With over 30 years of international business experience, in technology, finance and property, before creating Chayora along with his two fellow founders, Jonathan worked as an analyst with Cazenove in London, was CEO of .com, Head of Implementation of an early mobile commerce platform and, more recently, was a regional managing partner with EC Harris. Here he helped organisations with business-critical assets transform and outsource, including the development of mission critical data centres across Asia. He oversaw the mobilisation and operation of Hong Kong’s first Tier IV equivalent data centre.

As well as working in the investment banking and asset worlds, Jonathan spent three years with Gemini Consulting as part of the cap gemini group focusing on helping organisations transform their people, technology and physical assets, and was part of the leadership team for delivering the world’s first public sector e-procurement platform. Jonathan is passionate about the confluence of physical assets and technology developing the new world of digital infrastructure and enabling business through it. He sees himself as a closet entrepreneur bringing an entrepreneurial, transformational approach to often traditional industries. Prior to moving back to Asia 12 years ago, he led a number of development and asset organisations through significant transformations in order to maximise their development and operational performance. These included BAA, Land Securities, London and Continental Railways, American Express, Rail Procurement Agency and the Grosvenor Estate. e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

131

C H AY O R A

132

2011

Year founded

20+

Number of employees

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“Business relationships are much more

She is inspired by her work with advisory

relational, and that relationship has to be

councils in America, China and Europe

built,” says Kesner. “For example, one

and connecting these organisations

of our co-founders, Steven Cao worked

globally to help young people under-

with MIIT in many different projects when

stand their options within technology

he was senior manager in China’s State

and the wider STEM environment.

Grid Corporation and he has a great

“Chayora is extremely supportive of

understanding of Chinese business

that work through a variety of different

compliance. Having people like him and

mechanisms and programmes.”

Yali Liu on the networks side within the business is indispensable.”

The Chinese market is one of the most predictable stable markets, but

Employing great people from diverse

is characterised by a very different set

backgrounds is a core value for Chayora,

of parameters to a typical free market.

and Kesner is deeply involved in the

The current Five-Year Plan talked

advancement of women in technology.

about localisation and innovation.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Karen Kesner Title: Head of Americas and Executive VP

Company: Chayora

Industry: Technology industry

Location: USA

Karen Kesner is based out of Palo Alto, USA and leads multiple aspects of Chayora’s go-to-market and growth acceleration activities, including strategic partnerships, marketing, branding and communications for China entry and expansion. Kesner has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, having held senior positions across sales, alliances and business development at several of world’s leading IT businesses, including Tata Communications, CenturyLink and Oracle, among others. e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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C H AY O R A

134

“ Business relationships [in China] are much more relational, and that relationship has to be built” — Karen Kesner, Head of Americas and Executive VP, Chayora

Its successor, the 14th Five-Year Plan running from 2021 to 2025, will be a crucial element in shaping the new era, both for China and for the world.

Understanding this and aligning your approach with it is a prerequisite to doing business within China. “One of the biggest barriers to entry is the regulatory structure around telecoms and the internet, but China represents almost 20% of the world online market, which means that people need to find

JUNE 2020

135

a way to overcome this challenge,”

gas to levels never seen before—an

reiterates Jones. “We took this up our-

increase of $200bn over two years in

selves because despite it being such

just one (if the largest) global market.

a massive market many international

Chayora is not only able to navigate

firms still have to develop effective

the maze of regulation, it is completely

strategies to access it.” According to

aligned with helping China fulfil its Five-

the WSJ the first phase of the US-China

Year Plan and deliver its international

trade deal signed earlier this year lays

trade targets.

out an aggressive schedule for ramping up China’s purchases of American farm products, manufactured goods, business services and oil and natural e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Powering future factories WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

MANUEL NAVARRO 136

JUNE 2020

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TECH MAHINDRA

Tech Mahindra’s Head of Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing, Debasis Bisoi, on IoT, Blockchain, AI, and the Factory of the Future

N

obody who knows India can be unaware of Mahindra. The logo appears on the front of buses, trucks, motorcycles, com-

mercial vehicles, SUVs and cars, as well as the ubiquitous three-wheelers (available since 2018 in all-electric format). Mahindra is one of India’s 138

great industrial dynasties, a global brand today, with factories in South Korea, South Africa, the US, Australia and China, and a strong presence in defence and energy. Its Chairman, Anand Mahindra, is the grandson of JC Mahindra, one of three family members who founded Mahindra & Mahindra as a steel trading organisation in 1945.

Anand Mahindra is also the founder of Tech Mahindra. An early entrant into the burgeoning though incipient industrial electronics market in 1983, the company was started as a JV with British Telecom, subsequently buying out this partner, growing organically and by acquisition, and today having a presence in all of the world’s principal industrial markets. Tech Mahindra is the highest ranked non-US company in the Forbes Global Digital 100 list, employs more than 131,500 JUNE 2020

139

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TECH MAHINDRA

“ Our Aircraft Health Monitoring System (AHMS) is a solution that uses real-time data captured through integrated sensors throughout an aircraft parts to enhance reliability and safety” 140

— Debasis Bisoi, Vice President Manufacturing Vertical, Digital and IOT Solutions

professionals across 90 countries and includes a number of Fortune 500 companies in its global client list of over 190 companies.

As you’d expect from a subsidiary of a group rooted in vehicle making, manufacturing is one of the biggest verticals in Tech Mahindra. The business is focused on the three key trends it has identified as facing manufacturers in the 21st century: the explosion of intelligent devices and increasing human/robot collaboration; leveraging the power of new technologies to meet the growing demand for mass customisation; and tackling the exponential growth of content consumption – that is, the power of data driving rapid IT/OT convergence.

Of course, global manufacturers are aware of these trends, but putting them to the service of businesses and customers remains a huge challenge.

Tech Mahindra’s four ‘big bets’: factories and SCM, smart products, reliable aftermarket (integrating field warranty with product design and production quality), and mobility and experience, will have the most transformational effects on customers’ businesses

JUNE 2020

Celebrating Change & ChangeMakers; the Digital ChangeMakers CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:16

141 – and the enterprises that will create

‘factory of the future’, with an emphasis

the future are those willing to bet on

on aerospace, defence and process

technologies that will disrupt industries

manufacturing. “I’m responsible for

and will create new opportunities. The

setting the key directions for these

company collaborates with disruptive

sub-verticals, developing strategic

new age technology players, startups,

plans, identifying focus areas, improv-

and academia globally, drawing them

ing solution offerings, identifying

together with academics and custom-

mid-term course corrections, improv-

ers at its annual TechmNxt.i forum.

ing win ratios and developing teams,”

Leading these initiatives since 2012

he explains. “I also work extensively

from Tech Mahindra’s Bengaluru

on mergers and acquisitions and

HQ is VP, Debasis Bisoi. His passion

engage in providing thought leader-

is developing and delivering digital

ship to our manufacturing clients.” His

manufacturing solutions and strategic

team has co-authored more than 180

initiatives in areas like IoT and the

patents and disclosures for these e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TECH MAHINDRA

142

clients, addressing their digital disrup-

leveraging cutting-edge cloud

tion issues and ‘pain points’ with the

computing, sensor, IoT and big data

backing of Mahindra’s many centres of

technologies to perform deep analyt-

excellence and strategic partners.

ics of the aircraft’s health status. The

Bisoi is keen to point out his unit’s

unit collects aircraft operation and

contribution to its high profile custom-

performance data from every system

ers. “A good example is our Aircraft

during flight. Examples include avion-

Health Monitoring System (AHMS).

ics, flight controls, fly-by-wire, landing

This is a solution that uses real-time

gear, braking systems, environmental

data captured through integrated

control systems, thrust reversers,

sensors on aircraft parts to enhance

engines, electrical systems, auxiliary

reliability and safety.” Among many

power units (APUs) and more. On the

clients, the system was adopted by

ground, the AHMS system performs

a Canandian aircraft manufacturer,

the detailed analysis of the transmitted

JUNE 2020

on-board data to support a wide vari-

to advanced automation via chatbots

ety of operational decisions.

and improved strength deployment

In that case, Tech Mahindra engi-

inventory (SDI) scores, the team

neered a system solution. It is just as

improved first-call resolution (FCR)

effective in the business process field,

from 74% to 91% and introduced auto-

though. For another client, this time a

mation that reduced turnaround time

major Swedish car manufacturer, the

for requests by 75%. Monthly request

problem was centred around global

numbers went down by 3,500.

dealer support and access manage-

In the world of process manufactur-

ment – the company was dealing with

ing, Bisoi continues, his team partnered

40,000 requests and 20,000 calls a

with the largest global chemical manu-

month. By setting this client on the road

facturer in its journey from a monolithic 143

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Debasis Bisoi Title: Vice President Manufacturing Vertical, Digital and IOT Solutions As VP in manufacturing vertical Debasis Bisoi heads Tech Mahindra's digital initiatives, solution offerings, verticalisation, top-line growth and key customer relationships in aerospace and process manufacturing industry verticals. He provides leadership to key alliances in the IoT and cognitive space, ventures and strategic initiatives. Bisoi is responsible for Tech Mahindra’s first and largest and multiple subsequent digital relationships in the manufacturing vertical, including solutioning, sales and delivery. He has been instrumental in incubating and growing digital manufacturing, the factory of future, IOT relationships spanning business development, solutioning and delivery. He was an IOT thought leader finalist in the first IOT Congress in 2016 e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

TRANSFORMING MANUFACTURING WITH NEXT-LEVEL TECHNOLOGIES. Tech Mahindra + Dell Technologies

In a progressive market changing environment, the manufacturing vertical is fuelling innovation in several industries. Deep expertise and a collaborative approach can successfully manage complex global supply chains, coste�ective manufacturing facilities, and multifaceted product lifecycles, thereby de�ning the industry leaders of the future.

Next-level technologies will enable manufacturers to roll out new applications, such as advanced monitoring and diagnostics, machine performance optimization, and proactive maintenance.

There are certain partnerships that are industry rede�ning, like the powerhouse collaboration between Tech Mahindra, part of the Mahindra Group, the $15 billion Indian conglomerate and Dell Technologies, who transform IT from edge to core to cloud. Together, we are o�ering leading edge solutions that alter outcomes in the manufacturing industry. To help Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Durable Goods, Industrial Equipment, and High Tech Manufacturers succeed, Tech Mahindra Services and Dell Technologies provide a unique combination of domain knowledge and technology-based solutions. Our IT and business process solutions are speci�c to each customer's needs and focus on delivering real business results.

The Aircraft Health Management System (AHMS) – Analytics platform It's vital that every aircraft is in peak operational condition, ensuring this takes a monumental amount of technology.

The Tech Mahindra - Dell Technologies o�ering comes with Cloud to Ground Solution, Data Extraction, Complex Data Visualization and Data Analytics.

This solution had to address a set of diverse challenges. The biggest was that it had to work on a Public Cloud based Analytics Platform with the ability to support the customer's data sovereignty demands. Built on Dell Technologies validated and ready solution architecture, this used Hadoop to gain deeper insights and enhance data-driven decision making, rather than designing a solution from scratch. Flexible and scalable, the solution starts with a small platform, and grows as capacity demand increases.

The bene�ts were signi�cant. A 20-25% Improvement in aircraft availability and 17% Improvement in First Time Fix rate.

Hot & Cold Storage. Infra for ADAS Solution.

Tech Mahindra and Dell Technologies come together to o�er OEM and Tier-1 enterprises an end-to-end ADAS/Autonomous vehicle consulting, solutions and system integration service. This includes infrastructure (including Hot, Warm & Cold storage), software, applications, annotation services, software & hardware validation, vehicle integration, testing, etc. 8 out of 10 top global auto OEMs incorporate this solution today.

ADAS development demands signi�cant solution integration. The challenges are many, when building an e�cient data management infrastructure and software, which can handle incoming semi -structured, unstructured camera and sensor data in the range of petabytes. This joint solution delivers massive scaling, from 10s of TB to 10s of PB. It is also simple to manage, with uncomplicated volume & single �le systems ensuring extreme performance at scale.

Process HistorianData Management solution This solution re�ects Tech Mahindra's decades of experience working with manufacturing companies, integrating its in-depth knowledge of technology platforms, understanding of business needs and worldclass delivery capability, combined with Dell Technologies proven eco-system to o�er end-to-end IT and engineering solutions.

This is evident in the modern data center which enables extra data to be stored with a smaller footprint and archival. The ease of management and the modern and scalable platform keeps much of the data online, delivering a far higher level of data management.

Workspace as a Service. WaaS. Rising adoption of BYOD across various industries, ease of deployment, scalability, quick availability, combined with the increasing demand for a�ordable virtual desktop virtualization are all boosting the growth of WaaS, organizations are realizing the bene�ts of WaaS that enables them to become less constrained by geography and reduce infrastructure managing costs, while maintaining their employee experience.

Tech Mahindra Dell Technologies WaaS o�ers the best user experience keeping costs low and o�ering extra agility. This solution classi�es the user personas and creates a platform without duplicating the investment made by the customer. It uni�es the remote access system to a common virtual platform using WaaS framework. This joint solution enables your employees to run the latest versions of their productivity applications on any device without any capital costs. It also comes with Dell Secure Works security monitoring.

The Tech Mahindra Dell Technologies alliance is committed to o�ering feature rich solutions that empower greater productivity and e�ciency. Focusing on shared goals, this partnership feeds o� synergies and the result is that a broad spectrum of clients across the manufacturing vertical accelerate innovation.

w w w. te c hm a h in d ra . co m

TECH MAHINDRA

“ The Factory of the Future is about positive environmental impact in terms of reduced waste and carbon footprint” — Debasis Bisoi, Vice President Manufacturing Vertical, Digital and IOT Solutions

146

JUNE 2020

throughput, higher utilisation, flexible manufacturing lines, reduced timeto-market, and higher visibility across other enterprise applications like MES, SCM, and ERP. It is also about new digital technologies and their smooth alignment with human capital and change management, and achieving the desired target state.

He adds: “FoF is about positive environmental impact in terms of reduced waste and carbon footprint. Digital Fabric enables horizontal integration across the product development and value chain, and vertical integration CIO organisation to a product-centric

across manufacturing. It ensures a true,

business, also serving as a key inte-

extended digital enterprise.” As a major

gration partner for acquisitions. “Our

client, the Mahindra Group vehicle

current focus areas in manufacturing

plants also benefit from a partnership

are automation and data exchange

with Tech Mahindra. “We have a very

to facilitate Tech Mahindra’s Factory

active engagement with Mahindra &

of Future (FoF), a smart factory with

Mahindra in its digital transformation

cyber-physical systems, IoT, cloud com-

journey. We identify key solutions areas

puting and cognitive computing as the

on FoF initiatives, and work jointly in

core enablers. Our solution empowers

building proofs-of-concept (PoC’s)

clients to adopt these technologies and

and scaling up.” Tech Mahindra has

overcome the traditional problem of vis-

implemented end-to-end Industry 4.0

ibility across the plant and enterprise.”

solutions at the Chakan factory near

The FoF at its core, he explains, is

Pune, one of India’s largest and most

about automation and robotics, quality

automated car plants, including PoCs, e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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TECH MAHINDRA

SCADAs, historians, simulations and IT tools like the MES, PLM, ERP, integrating them with the shop floor systems.

Digital transformation can be a minefield for companies large and small, Bisoi acknowledges in conclusion. “Tech Mahindra has observed that only 30% of pilots end up reaching scale across the entire organisation: that means companies are failing to capture value from 70% of their pilots. We have identified two steps that can help them overcome 148

‘Pilot Purgatory’. The first is our ‘digital foundry model’. We start with the ideation phase, by identifying all use cases

“ A future-proof, scalable, sustainable network architecture is built to handle the data explosion arising from new age digital disruptions” — Debasis Bisoi, Vice President Manufacturing Vertical, Digital and IOT Solutions

that create value and build PoCs and MVP for cases with good RoI. Only then do we build an agile, product aligned solution for them. Next is to upgrade their factory network infrastructure. A future-proof, scalable, sustainable network architecture is built to handle the data explosion arising from new age digital disruptions.”

At present, in common with the rest of his team globally as well as everyone in India able to do so, Bisoi is working from home. With leading-edge digital

JUNE 2020

$4.9bn Revenue in US dollars

131,522 Number of employees

communication systems and develop-

develop, mass produce and distribute

ment tools at their command, the work

low cost personal protection equip-

of IT professionals is less disrupted

ment (PPE), a powerful branded hand

than those with indispensable work

sanitiser, and even a newly designed

among the community. The impact of

respirator, all specifically targeted at

the global pandemic on the group’s

the needs of India’s people. The indig-

manufacturing plants themselves has

enous ventilator, developed in March,

been met with exemplary and char-

sells at less than 7,500 rupees (not

acteristic Indian compassion allied to

even $100), the hand sanitiser at under

the group’s agility and flexible manu-

400 rupees per litre, or around $5.

facturing capacity. Anand Mahindra was quick to repurpose large sections of R&D and production capacity to e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

149

DXB Entertainments: Leveraging data to drive business value WRITTEN BY

PRODUCED BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE MICHAEL BANYARD

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Bollywood Boulevard JUNE 2020

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D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

Satyan Abraham, ICT Director at DXB Entertainments, discusses his organisation’s digital transformation journey in Dubai

D

DXB Entertainments is the owner of Dubai Park and Resorts™, the region’s leading integrated theme park destina-

tion, featuring four theme parks, two hotels and one retail and dining facility, spread over 30.6 million square feet of land. Since its opening two 152

years ago, it has evolved into the largest integrated theme park destination in the region and offers unique experiences and fun for all ages and has won several awards in recognition of its achievements.

With over 100 rides across four theme parks, that range from high-adrenaline thrill seeking rides to family friendly activities, Dubai Parks and Resorts is an unmissable destination for any visitor to Dubai.

Satyan Abraham, ICT Director at DXB Entertainments, has been with the organisation since 2016. Born in India, Abraham worked in Mumbai before relocating to the Gulf country. Prior to his role at DXB Entertainments, Abraham spent over a decade at Emirates Airlines in a variety of different roles and also headed his own consultancy JUNE 2020

Motiongate Mad Pursuit

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mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

2014

firm called Josh Consulting. “I was truly enjoying my consulting career, when

Year founded

I was approached by a senior execu-

30.6 mn

2

Facility land square footage

100+

Rides across the four theme parks

154

tive at DXB Entertainments, who said that they were building a world-class leisure and entertainment destination, the first of its kind in the UAE and in the region, and that they wanted to bring someone onboard to oversee their major ICT infrastructure project.

From the onset, Dubai Parks and Resorts’ vision was to establish itself as a key component of Dubai’s world class leisure and entertainment experience. “The challenge and excitement associated with working on a project of this magnitude, where I could help contribute to the growth of Dubai’s leisure sector, encouraged me to give up my consulting career and join the company full-time.”

As an award winning entertainment destination and the largest of its kind in the region, Waseem Hassan, the Chief Business Support & Transformation officer at DXB Entertainments believes that in the future, tourists will travel to Dubai

Lapita Lobby

JUNE 2020

specifically to visit Dubai Parks and Resorts™, in the same way that Disney

Lapita Pool

155 is synonymous with Orlando, Florida.

that range from high-adrenaline thrill

“When people come to Dubai, we want

seeking rides such as our Capitol

to be considered the destination

Bullet Train at MOTIONGATE™

of choice,” affirms Hassan. “Dubai is

DUBAI, to more inclusive family

already a major tourism hub and we

friendly activities such the Build-A-Raft

want our theme parks to be the place

River at the LEGOLAND® WATER

to visit, have fun and socialise. There

PARK. The combination of world class

are many destinations around the

rides and the opportunity to meet

globe with theme parks, but what they

characters from your favorite movies

don’t have is an integrated theme

and shows makes Dubai Parks and

park destination like Dubai Parks

Resorts an unmissable destination

and Resorts™ which has something

for any tourist.”

for everyone, and all age groups.

Using data analytics to improve

Across our four theme parks, we have

the customer experience is a key

approximately with over 100 rides,

area for DXB Entertainments. With mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

“ With over 100 rides across four theme parks, that range from high-adrenaline thrill seeking rides to family friendly activities, Dubai Parks and Resorts is an unmissable destination for any visitor to Dubai” — Waseem Hassan, Chief Business Support & Transformation Officer, DXB Entertainments

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Legoland Entrance

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D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

Bollywood Raj Mahal

158

digitalisation driving change in industries

believe that data will help us better

all over the world, DXB Entertainments

understand our customers,” explains

prides itself on being renowned as

Abraham. “Customer footfall analytics

a ‘smart park.’ “Our digital transfor-

allows us to make informed decisions

mation approach has been centered

about operational management,” he

around the smart park concept,”

says. “They provide us with an under-

explains Hassan. “Visitors could come

standing about which part of the parks

into our theme parks with wristbands

are visited the most, as well as the

to gain access and make any purchase

time and duration spent at each site.

without using a wallet – this technology

By understanding and tracking each

exists. I believe we’ve built our services

step of the guest journey we ensure

to be incredibly scalable.”

we are responsive to the needs of

“We truly understand the importance

our customers, continuously improv-

of a customer-centric approach and

ing our offering and delivering on our

JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Waseem Hassan Title: Chief Business Support and Transformation Officer Industry: Entertainment

Location: United Arab Emirates

Waseem Hassan joined DXB Entertainments in 2014 and has headed Human Resources and Administration through the critical pre-opening phase of Dubai Parks and Resorts. In 2018, Waseem took on additional responsibility for Information Technology, Procurement and Business Excellence in his new role as Chief Business Support and Transformation Officer.

With over 13 years’ experience in human resources management at leading leisure and development companies, Waseem brings extensive knowledge of human resources and experience in managing successful large-scale resourcing projects and in implementation of IT infrastructure.

Prior to joining DXB Entertainments, Waseem was the Corporate Director of Human Resources & Administration at the Leisure and Entertainment division, within Meraas Holding, where he led human resources initiatives to support the organisation’s strategic goals. Waseem also spent five years as Director of Human Resources at the Jumeirah Group with responsibility for the Madinat Jumeirah Resort, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and the Food and Beverage Group of Jumeirah International Group. Previously, Waseem has held key positions within Dubai Holding and the Executive Office (Government of Dubai).

Waseem is a CIPD Associate, and holds a postgraduate degree in Human Resources Management. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

159

“ On the analytics front, we use AI technology and analytics to measure customer footfalls and movements through the park and are able to analyse the dwell patterns across the entire customer journey” — Satyan Abraham, ICT Director, DXB Entertainments

Abraham understands the importance of leveraging technology to drive business growth and considers it as a two-part process. “Firstly, we have

promise to offer best-in-class guest

to ask ourselves this question: can

experiences.”

technology bring service improve-

“We bring together a unique blend

ments? Secondly, how can we use

of value and innovation to create

technology as an enabler for business

unforgettable experiences for our

growth?” he says. “In other words,

visitors,” says Abraham. “In our industry,

what can we introduce as a value

you must be extremely customer-

addition which enhances the value

centric – it’s essential.”

chain for the business? For example,

Legoland Water Park Build-A-Raft River

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161

D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

Columbia Pictures Green Hornet High Speed Chase

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E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

Satyan Abraham Title: ICT Director

Company: DXB Entertainments

Industry: Entertainment

Location: United Arab Emirates

Satyan Abraham joined DXB Entertainments in early 2016, heading the ICT Infrastructure stream within the ICT Smart Services program. In 2018, he took on additional responsibilities, overseeing the entire ICT portfolio in his new role as Corporate IT Director.

An astute technology leader with over 25 years’ experience in multinational organisations Emirates Airline, Compaq, Tandem and DXB Entertainments, he led transformational programs across various portfolios, delivering significant cost reductions, whilst building a rich capability of people, processes and technologies.

With extensive experience in the Travel & Transport and Leisure & Entertainment industry, he successfully implemented several large-scale IT projects, positively impacting passenger and customer experience. He has a strong track record, leading organisations from vision through to execution.

In his functional role as CIO/Director, he has implemented IT operating models centred around consolidation, standardisation, digital enablement, strategic sourcing, shared services.

Passionate about digital innovation, his main interests are in enhancing customer experience through the introduction of innovative technologies and solutions. Satyan also sits on the advisory board of startup companies, offering free mentoring and advisory services to early stage entrepreneurs. As part of pro bono consulting, he also provides ICT advisory services to a few governments in Africa.

Satyan holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the London Business School, UK and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from Bombay University, India. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

163

D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

Riverland Fireworks

164

we can introduce store credits on

available for a defined period of time.

the wristband to encourage visitors

It’s all about monetising these services

to purchase items with it, eliminating

while generating additional value for

the need for them to carry wallets on

the customer.”

rides. If the customer doesn’t spend

Having developed several strategic

the credits during their first visit, it

business relationships, Abraham

creates an opportunity for a re-visit

points to DXB Entertainments’ part-

as the store credits would still be

nerships with Dell EMC, Cisco, IBM,

JUNE 2020

165

GBM & Microsoft as particularly influ-

partnered with Kloudspot, a company

ential. “Dell EMC has been providing us

based out of the US that is focused

with key services for our data centers.

on AI and analytics, which we use to

In terms of infrastructure, Cisco is a

measure customer footfalls and move-

key partner for us as we have consoli-

ments through the park and are able

dated on their networking services

to analyse the dwell patterns across

– everything goes through these,” he

the entire customer journey. We have

explains. “On the analytics front, we’ve

also forged strategic collaborations mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D X B E N T E R TA I N M E N T S

Motiongate Meet and Greet kid with Smurfette

166

JUNE 2020

with companies like Inferrix, MGC, Infobeans, who specialise in the IoT, AI and robotic process automation (RPA) space. They constantly evolve their products and develop their capabilities, which we benefit from.”

Looking to the future, Waseem Hassan – Chief Business Support & Transformation Officer – believes the next stage of his organisation’s digital transformation is a complete automation across all processes and operations. “We will use RPA to streamline our back-end processes, such as procurement, invoicing, payables, and everything in the value chain,” says Hassan. “We piloted RPA within IT to fast track all the service calls, so it doesn’t require human intervention. The next stage is to scale it further and automate finance, procurement and HR. The entire onboarding process of staff can be an RPA-driven process, which will make it more efficient and cost-effective.”

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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168

BCX: the push towards digital evolution WRITTEN BY

SHANNON LEWIS PRODUCED BY

JAMES BERRY

JUNE 2020

169

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

BCX

We speak to Mervyn Goliath, Chief Operating Officer at BCX, about how companies can evolve their digital landscape to engage with contemporary concerns

A

digital transformation enabler, BCX has the largest, most technologically advanced, data centre footprint in Africa,

powered at its core by CISCO’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) software defined (SDN) network fabric capability. With its headquarters in South 170

Africa, BCX has a pedigree of enterprise customers across every single industry in both the private and public sector, including finance, mining, oil, gas, retail, manufacturing, commerce, and health.

“The essence of what we strive to do is “re-invent the customer experience”, explains Mervyn Goliath, managing executive for telecommunications data networks, at BCX. Goliath has spent his career working across almost every facet of ICT, starting in the telecommunications arena during the bygone era of packet switching networks and videotext services, and has been on a career path riding on the crest of the wave of technology evolution in subsequent tenures in the internet service provider arena, digital banking, mobile messaging, service delivery, and wholesale enterprise network services. Technology transformation is part of who JUNE 2020

2015

Year founded

$1.3bn Revenue in US dollars

6,300 Number of employees

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

171

BCX

“ The essence of what we strive to do is re-invent the customer experience” — Mervyn Goliath, Chief Operating Officer, BCX 172

he is and he has certainly had his fair share of it – always ready to change and take on the next big challenge.

He has finally come full circle to spearhead one of the biggest data centre network platform transformation programs on the continent, a program which will provide the foundation for real digital transformation, a key technology investment program for BCX, and one which underpins a number its big bets for 2021 and beyond.

“Today, more than at any other time, customers have choices. The key to our success is to provide our customers with an engaging, intuitive customer experience that not only meets their expectations, but enhances it through a clearly defined value proposition” – says Goliath as he echoes a purpose and sentiment regularly articulated

by Jonas Bogoshi, CEO at BCX. “The African market, by its very nature, is not an easy territory to operate in. The barrier, not only to entry, but to actually succeed, is high – not just from a technology, service and connectivity perspective, but especially so in the area of skills availability,” Goliath continues. At BCX we take great care

JUNE 2020

BCX: One Cloud CLICK TO WATCH

|

3:33

173 to develop a deep understanding of

our greatest strengths is being able to

the territories we operate in, and we

leverage and carefully apply our vast

are equally careful to leverage partner-

experience in serving a highly diverse

ships to complement and complete

customer base across every single key

our value proposition in a manner that

industry sector, without exception.”

is sustainable and effective – and of

Goliath, who is a big proponent of

course sensible. This is a strategy we

agile methodology practice, explains

employ across the five continents

that BCX is by default highly adept at

where we presently serve customers.

delivering projects at pace. Employing

“We follow our customers,” he says,

an agile approach and mind-set, is

“and we make sure we understand

not simply for the sake of “ticking the

their needs rather intimately to develop

agile box”, but is in fact an approach

services, which are fit for purpose, and

that sets BCX apart, explains Goliath.

appropriate, for where and how we

While it is important to deliver on

serve them, across the globe. One of

clearly defined milestones together a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Cisco HyperFlex Extending the simplicity of hyperconvergence from core to edge and multicloud, putting IT at the center of rapid innovation in a world where data is everywhere.

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For more information about Cisco Hyperflex Systems, visit cisco.com/go/hyperflex

BCX

176

with customers, it is equally important

you are changing within the scope of

to seek out value adding innovation at

any given project, but also in preparing

every step of the process – and it has

the organisation – the whole organisa-

to be done through an equally agile

tion - for the increased pace. I like to

change management mind-set. “If

think of the whole organisation as one

you’re using an agile approach, you’re

single engine, purring along, powered

going to be doing things a lot quicker

by a unified change mind-set where

than usual,” Goliath says. “Without

everyone is on-board, and collaborat-

the right controls, employed in the

ing well, and ready to move in complete

right way, the sheer pace of delivery

synchrony. Our teams have come to

and change could be impacting and

adopt this manner of thinking and it’s

intrusive on the business. Change

deeply embedded in our culture and

management is therefore important

way of work – it’s a mind-set, not a

not just around the technical things

methodology”, concludes Goliath.

JUNE 2020

Goliath says that people often

our customers to transform for a digi-

ask, “who is BCX’s most important

tal future. This approach works well

customer?” He is quick to answer “at

regardless of the industry sector a cus-

BCX the most important customer is

tomer operates in. While it is critically

the customer of our customer. Part of

important to understand the chal-

how we make this a reality is through

lenges faced by our customers in the

our operating model that ensures laser

way they operate today, the approach

sharp focus on telecommunications

we use to partner with our customers

and IT services as two distinct func-

on their journey to digital transforma-

tional capabilities. This allows us to

tion is key. It is this laser sharp focus

create concentrated value and capabil-

on telecommunications and IT ser-

ity in our overall value proposition to

vices, respectively, which I refer to,

all our customers, without exception.

and the manner in which we bring it

This is especially important in helping

all together, to help customers solve

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Mervyn Goliath Mervyn has over 30 years of experience in both Telecommunications and Information Technology. Before joining BCX, he held roles in Telkom Telematics and MWEB (Naspers). He served as Managing Executive at Openserve, responsible for the implementation of process transformation and “next generation” enablement programs. He served as CTO and CIO at MWEB and interim CTO at Naspers owned SportsCN in Shanghai, China, as COO at ABSA Retail Bank : Digital Channels, and as the Engineering and Operations Executive Vice President for Clickatell. He is currently Managing Executive at BCX.

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BCX

problems, whether moving to the cloud or developing a customised software application, or architecting and running a software defined network solution, that creates the magic,� he says. “When we bring it all together, our customers are able to take advantage of our wide range of services, to leverage data and analytics, protect their systems with the latest in security solutions, replace or maintain devices, or adopt multiple connectivity options, including our leading edge software

179 defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solutions. The work I am doing with my team, assisted by CISCO international advanced services and niche and nimble network partners like BGP, a local specialist networking company, provides what I refer to as the bedrock for digital transformation, for BCX, for our existing customers and for new prospective customers who understand the value of having a partner like BCX who provides an end to end digital transformation strategy, backed up with agile execution and a proven

“ The African market, by its very nature, is not an easy territory to operate in” — Mervyn Goliath, Chief Operating Officer, BCX

managed services value proposition – customers partner with us and we will a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

BCX

build and run their digital landscape and the enablement they need to underpin their business – not just for the here and now – but to ensure that in a world where technology evolution is inevitable, the risk of being dis-intermediated is lowered – or eliminated.”

“There are customers who think they can’t afford to take this journey – our answer to this is, come speak to us and let us help you extract cost out of your existing environment and figure out how to re-invest the savings in a man180

aged digital transformation program.

We have strategic partnerships with all the leading OEM’s – rather than mention them here – you might want to take a look at our website to see the breadth and depth of our capability.

The word partner implies that each of the parties will be giving a little – no, actually a lot more, than just providing service with a mark-up,” he notes. “I think we have managed to get this partnership recipe right.”

When BCX looks towards digital transformation, its focus is on evolution, and on enabling enterprises to take the correct next steps towards the next stage of their development, rather than JUNE 2020

integrating technology for the sake of it. “We like to say that our solutions are purposeful,” Goliath continues. “They obviously need to be developed in line with the customer’s needs, but our edge comes from adding that extra level of innovation – and dare I say, passion.”

BCX works with its customers to help them gain an understanding of potential avenues for digital transformation, and how that can be integrated into an appropriate cost structure. “I always say to customers, you have to be careful when you’re thinking about transformation,” says Goliath. “It’s a lot more than just a simple upgrade. The capability available today is much broader than a single solution you may think you need to have in place.” Take for example Big Data - the elements of volume, variety, and velocity at which data is generated and available today (the well known “three V’s of data”) means companies that want to benefit from data insight need to develop strategies around analytics, machine learning, and deep learning. We have developed a very strong capability not only in this area, but in all the vital layers of digital transformation, including cloud based technologies, a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

181

BCX

182

“ You have to always be an enterprise that thinks ahead” — Mervyn Goliath, Chief Operating Officer, BCX

containerisation, connectivity and the move to SDWAN, cyber-security, mobility, application development, and artificial intelligence and automation – of course all underpinned by a world class software defined network available across the broadest geographical data centre footprint on the African continent, and our high speed on-ramps into Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure – for blisteringly fast and exceptionally well managed local and global connectivity,” says Goliath.

JUNE 2020

183

“In recent times, in this new digital

to confront this, both in the short and

world, everyone has had a taste of

long-term. “You have to always be

working virtually. The global coronavi-

an enterprise that thinks ahead. It is

rus pandemic has certainly forced us

important now more than ever for

to take a closer look at that,” Goliath

organisations to look ahead and think

affirms. As the working landscape

about how they need to evolve their

of the world shifts, BCX and other

own enterprise, rather than just trying

companies turn inwards to develop

to match competitors,” he concludes.

their capabilities for virtual interaction. Social distancing has brought to the fore the importance of engagement. Thanks to its underlying network capability, BCX is in a strong position a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

184

Leading the way: Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital drives digital health transformation in Saudi Arabia WRITTEN BY

RACHAEL DAVIS PRODUCED BY

MICHAEL BANYARD

JUNE 2020

185

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D R . S O L I M A N F A K E E H H O S P I TA L

A visionary approach to medical technology has improved clinical results, boosted patient satisfaction and reformed healthcare at Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Saudi Arabia. CIO Dr. Nitin Verma shares his journey to success

“ 186

L

eading, not following” is the reason Saudi Arabia’s Fakeeh Care is distinguished in the Middle East, according to CIO Dr. Nitin Verma.

Through refined processes and implementation of the best technologies, Fakeeh Care is paving the way for medical facilities across the region to create a more efficient, harmonious and satisfactory experience for patients, families and medical professionals alike.

Over the last six months, Dr Verma has transformed the groups’ attitudes towards high technology.

His clinical background enables a perceptive understanding of the practical applications of technology, and for the past two decades he has been helping develop technology within the medical sector – from a time when very few clinicians had a hand in IT. Now, under Dr Verma’s direction as Chief Information Officer, Fakeeh Care is “leading the healthcare digital transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

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187

1978

Year founded

3,500+ Number of employees

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

D R . S O L I M A N F A K E E H H O S P I TA L

“ Our preference is always to work with vendors who can work as a partner in our digital transformation” 188

— Dr Nitin Verma, CIO, Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital

Creating a user-friendly, multifaceted mobile application for its patients, available in both English and Arabic, was a major breakthrough for Fakeeh Care. While other hospitals in Saudi Arabia have also developed apps to help their customers with their treatment journey, Fakeeh Care mobile application stands out with its awardwinning design.

The mobile app incorporates features such as a ChatBot to handle queries, a platform for patients to access lab results, radiology results, medication prescriptions, and a sophisticated online billing platform which eases queueing times and stress for patients after treatment.

As Fakeeh Care sees anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000 outpatients every day, with over a quarter travelling hundreds of kilometres to the hospital, a revolutionary component of the app is an online consultation platform.

A virtual follow-up consultation for outpatients who have had tests at the healthcare facilities saves time, stress and money, as they can receive the required aftercare without having to return to the hospital.

JUNE 2020

Fakeeh Care: Virtual Consultation CLICK TO WATCH

|

2:20

189 Alongside medication prescription

through an AI solution which highlights

details being available within the app,

the second section of the image,”

Fakeeh Care has also developed a fea-

Dr Verma says. “The AI enables a

ture which sets reminders for patients

deeper insight into what is wrong with

to take their medication. “This has

the image, and therefore what could

enhanced compliance with the medi-

be wrong with the patient.”

cation, resulting in an improved clinical outcome,” says Dr. Verma.

In a clinical setting, AI and robotics

As a result of AI assistance, the total time taken to report on a radiology image at Fakeeh Care has

are being utilised by departments

been reduced by 75%. This not only

within the hospital to improve accuracy,

improves operational efficiency in

negate human error, and enhance

radiology, but empowers radiologists

operational efficiency.

to delve deeper into the abnormal-

“Any radiology imaging which radiologists have to report on can be put

ity identified by the AI and enhance patient care. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

We enable healthcare providers to leverage their clinical and operational decision support along the patient pathway Siemens digital health solutions help healthcare providers applying Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, operationalizing the value of big data and Connecting care teams and patients

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With any digital transformation, the

“Our preference is always to work

right vendor and supply chain relation-

with vendors who can work as a part-

ships are important – but Fakeeh Care

ner in our transformation, and we are

recognises the extra responsibility

working with multiple strategic vendors

demanded of it as a medical care pro-

to realise our vision. There are very few

vider. “Fakeeh Care has a policy that

which I could call ‘strategy partners’,

we work with our strategic vendor in a

but Siemens is one such key partner

partnership, not in a client-vendor rela-

in our digital health transformation,”

tionship,” says Dr. Verma.

Dr. Verma says.

One such partner of Fakeeh Care

Leading such a vast change in a

is Siemens. Siemens’ solution is used

matter of months, Dr Verma has been

extensively in the hospital’s radiology

acutely aware of the importance of a

department, which is seeing a vast

comprehensive change management

digital transformation.

strategy. His approach is to lead a new

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Apiscit Inulpa Title: Chief Information Officer Location: Saudi Arabia Dr. Verma is a medical graduate of the University of Delhi, India and has an MS in pharmaceutical sciences from the US. He has over 27 years of global experience across a broad range of ITES/ Healthcare Technology and Healthcare Operation Management. As the Chief Information Officer at Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, he is redefining the healthcare strategy, roadmap and approach for the group to further strengthen its leadership in the provider landscape in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

191

D R . S O L I M A N F A K E E H H O S P I TA L

192

“ The end goal is helping patients, clinicians and the hospital to bring more efficiency to medicine” — Dr Nitin Verma, CIO, Dr Soliman Fakeeh Hospital

JUNE 2020

193

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Philips: Driving digital healthcare transformation More than ever before, the hospital CIO’s role has become dynamic and transformational because today’s healthcare ecosystem faces many challenges. Cancers and cardiovascular diseases are increasing, with many people requiring treatment for multiple conditions. The response can be hampered by a lack of expert resources and limited access to care - exacerbated by demand for alternative payment models requiring better outcomes at lower costs.

CIOs know that smart use of data can help manage these challenges, but digital strategies are subject to many factors - including the unprecedented growth of unstructured data, standardization of IT platforms and cyber-attacks.

Consider the sheer volume of healthcare data that a hospital collects every day: diagnostic tests, imaging results, ECGs, blood tests and more. The data is typically stored in silos, limiting interoperability and increasing workloads. CIOs can harness this data to drive efficiency and improve patient outcomes. They are now able to manage data by connecting devices, systems and software, to deliver a 360° view of any patient’s health. Clinicians can therefore make faster, more informed decisions, while streamlining workflows and improving efficiency.

Philips partners with global stakeholders to solve these challenges. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they teamed up with the Ministry of Health to launch Taji, the region’s first nationwide virtual cardiology network linking multiple facilities across the country. Patient medical information will be available on demand at the point of care in each one of the connected hospitals to help improves quality access to cardiology care managed by a network of specialists Similarly, Philips has helped many health systems implement eICU - a transformational critical care tele-health program that has been shown to

decrease the length of stay in the ICU by 13% and decrease the mortality rate by 23%. This solution combines audio-visual technology, predictive analytics, data visualization and advanced reporting to remotely monitor large groups of ICU patients and deliver specialist care from any location.

Solutions like these show how we can overcome the challenges facing today’s healthcare systems. IT strategies that offer enterprise-wide interoperability can provide insight-rich data, enabling CIOs to positively influence care delivery and help care teams make meaningful decisions that transform healthcare for everyone.

To learn more about how CIOs and Philips are transforming healthcare, visit www.philips.ae/ healthcare/nobounds/phoenix-childrenshealthcare-cybersecurity

Learn More

culture from the top, starting with the

of making the learning curve for staff

hospital’s CEO. It is equally important

as short and accessible as possible.

to the change management strategy

At Fakeeh Care, the change man-

that change is also led from the bottom,

agement strategy combines a rational

engaging employees at every level

and emotional approach. “The leader-

early on in the process.

ship team will often make the case for

“With a committee and a well-aligned

the major change on the sole basis of

group of executives strongly supported

a strategic business objective,” says

by the top management, alongside

Dr. Verma, “but these reasonings rarely

engagement with employees at lower

reach the people in the middle and bot-

levels, you can ensure the strategy is

tom staff layers emotionally.

led cohesively,” Dr. Verma says.

“If you can combine your rational

On the ‘front line’, group staff who

approach with an emotional approach,

will be hands-on with the new tech-

you can reach every layer of the organi-

nology are given comprehensive but

sation. Human beings respond to the

concise training. This training includes

call to action that engages their heart

instructional videos to reduce the need

as well as their mind, and it makes

for manually requesting IT help for

them feel as if they are part of some-

minor issues, among other methods

thing great, something consequential.”

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

195

D R . S O L I M A N F A K E E H H O S P I TA L

The last part of the change management strategy, Dr. Verma says, is to “engage, engage, engage.” Giving staff what they need to start using the applications, following up with them every 48-72 hours, and creating a manual or automated tool to see the practical utilisation of the technology increases uptake and satisfaction amongst all staff.

Digital transformation at DSFH is accelerated by the “visionary” leadership and “tech-savvy” CEO. The hospital’s founder and namesake, Dr 196

Soliman Fakeeh, established the hospital in 1978 with advanced solutions and technology at its core. It was the first hospital in Saudi Arabia to have a CT scanner - revolutionary even mere decades ago.

The current President and Chairman of the Board, Dr Mazen S. Fakeeh, has enabled a corporate strategy which “never shies away from an investment in technology,” Dr. Verma says.

“When I present him the digital health strategy, his curiosity means he is open to any new technology as long as it meets the end goal: helping patients, clinicians and the group to bring more efficiency to medicine.”

JUNE 2020

Taking the group to the “next level” is at the core of Dr Verma’s digital health strategy, and IT was one of the key factors behind its journey to becoming “one of the most prestigious healthcare groups in Saudi Arabia today.”

Embracing the latest technological innovation not only from the Middle East, but from Europe, America and the rest of the world, and bringing them to the group at the earliest opportunity, means it is “not a follower in digital health transformation, but a leader in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The company’s president concludes: “Fakeeh Care strongly believes that digital transformation-enabled healthcare delivery is the way to move forward. Digital transformation has created a bridge between us and our patients enabling them to be engaged in their own care resulting in improved compliance and a better clinical outcome”.

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198

Creating the supply chain of tomorrow WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM GIRLING AND GEORGIA WILSON PRODUCED BY

CHARLOTTE CLARKE

JUNE 2020

199

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B AY E R

Bayer’s Head of Supply Chain Management, Michele Palumbo, discusses the transformation of supply chain and how Bayer is driving innovation

W

ith over 20 years’ experience within the supply chain and logistics industry, Michele Palumbo is currently the Head of Supply

Chain Management at Bayer S.p.A. (Italy). Palumbo has worked at a number of companies during his career. Prior to joining Bayer in 2010, he worked 200

at SDA Bocconi School of Management, Hoechst Italia S.p.A., Gruppo COMIFAR and various pharmaceutical companies as a consultant in operations and supply chain management. Currently, Palumbo is a member of the Scientific Committee of Il Sole 24 ORE Formazione|Eventi and Adjunct Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.

With his broad range of experience within the industry, Palumbo is well placed to discuss the evolution of supply chain and logistics, and the impact that Coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on the industry. He also has an acute understanding of the technologies – such as cloud computing, advanced radio-frequency identification (RFID), and more – that have both contributed to Bayer’s own digital transformation journey, and are driving the supply chain of the future. He joined us to discuss both areas.

JUNE 2020

“ It is possible to streamline processes and to project systems that are able to resist predictable events, not black swans” — Michele Palumbo, Head of Supply Chain Management Italy 201

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B AY E R

“ In the future, customers and all the actors involved in the supply chain processes will be interested in having full visibility on the distribution processes” — Michele Palumbo, Head of Supply Chain Management Italy

PRE-COVID-19: OLD PERSPECTIVES Palumbo describes the transformation of the industry as a Copernican revolution that we are in the middle of.

However, he believes that the onset of the global pandemic is only accelerating the effects of this revolution. He says: “The impact on industries we are seeing today, I believe, were already rooted a long time ago in the first economical crisis back in the 1930s. Many have previously tried to explain and provide solutions for this revolution, from

202

economists and politicians, through to tycoons, ideologists and more, each one putting profit, capital, the workers or the environment at the centre of this economic universe. However, none had a comprehensive perspective.

“Deming and Juran, for example, tried to put the customer at the centre of the system, but found an audience only in the post second world war Japan,” he reflects. “This disruptive culture reached its peak in the 1980s, with the development of new computing power and the emerging internet allowing the world to connect and forever diminishing the boundaries between countries. Companies that JUNE 2020

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Michele Palumbo Title: Head of Supply Chain Management Italy Location: Milano, Lombardy, Italy Palumbo has been Head of Supply Chain Management Italy in Bayer S.p.A. since 2017. He started working for Bayer in 2010 to source logistics and distributive services for the group in Italy, implementing important strategic and more operational projects in the ambit of the life science industry.

Palumbo is a Summa graduate from Bocconi with a research empirical thesis on circular economy and majored at Polytechnics of Milan in industrial management. He joined the SDA Bocconi faculty where he designed and coordinated managerial logistics training for the technology and production department. After collaborating with some management consulting companies, he took on the role of innovation and logistics manager in the business services department of the pharma-chemical group, Hoechst, in Italy. Then he was responsible for central logistics services in one of the leading pharma wholesalers in Italy, Comifar-Phoenix Group. Palumbo is an Adjunct Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the Catholic University of Milan and faculty member of Il Sole 24 Ore Business School.

A serial innovator, as a manager and academic, he offers a multifaceted perspective and is able to create value in different contexts thanks to technologically advanced, sustainable and efficient solutions.

Empathic and altruistic, intellectually curious and a visionary, he has a large family and is involved in caritative initiatives.

He is a board member of the Italian Food Aid Foundation and of the Observatory on Transport Compliance Rating.

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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Smart solutions & green innovation: we go where your business goes.

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We care about the future. That’s why we use innovative technology and make eco-friendly choices, supporting companies that think the way we do. Because our own health is tied to our planet’s health.

Proud Bayer business partner in RFID and green pallets projects. chiapparoli.it

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Bayer: Who We Are CLICK TO WATCH

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6:12

205

started to connect at that point began

reduced to certifications, audits and

to compete to gather the best core

procedures designed to mitigate the

competences.

main risks. The spirit of progressing

Palumbo explains that growing pres-

towards zero defects became the spirit

sure on margins as a result of global

of greater ‘resilience’. However, I believe

competition was problematic for the

it is possible to streamline processes

long-term sustainability of the entire

and to project systems that are able

system. As a result, the perspective

to resist predictable events, not ‘black

became increasingly short term and

swans’. And, we have to admit that the

short sighted, based around a quarterly

more over-structured the systems are,

ROI. “The new rules were fixed to com-

the more fragile they reveal to be.”

pete, survive and prosper,” he states.

Reflecting on this, he muses:

“But, at the end of 1990s, the concept

“Compare this financial short-sighted

of continuous improvement was mainly

perspective with the ones of Cristoforo e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

B AY E R

206

Colombo, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo

exposed to natural threads struggles

Galilei, and many other visionaries who

to develop antibodies that become part

changed the world with their long-term

of its survival assets. Resilience stands

perspectives. Or, consider those who

to immunity like a snail to a seed – a

built cathedrals without knowing if

snail relies on his shell to cope with

they could have seen them completed

threads. A seed falls to the ground and

or not. In my experience, we have a

is immediately attacked by microor-

great opportunity today to change our

ganisms that try to eat it. But, in doing

perspective very easily. If we change

that they free the vital energy impris-

it to immunity, we can switch to a more

oned in the rind and life starts rooting

natural and sustainable concept:

and, as a paradox, eating the same

threads, after all, are opportunities.

microorganisms. Life takes advantage

We are meant for that, every organism

of threads.�

JUNE 2020

account the concept of ‘Personal, Automate, Local (PAL)’, as described by transformation expert S.A. Culey.

“Personalisation and customer centricity is increasingly important.

Amazon calls it ‘customer obsession’, and it’s something that we have all experienced – it’s set the modern benchmark,” he explains. “Working in the pharmaceutical industry, where customers are often patients and drugs are called ethical products, it is not difficult to get the concept.”

Automation, he notes, is driving collaboration and visibility. “It is the end of invisible supply chains where no news means good news,” he explains. “In the

PERSONAL, AUTOMATE, LOCAL

future, customers and all the actors

Reflecting on challenges and opportu-

involved in the supply chain processes

nities in more general terms, Palumbo

will be interested in having full visibility

considers the impact of the global

on the distribution processes.” Finally,

COVID-19 pandemic. It is, he says,

Plaumbo notes, the idea of Local is

“only the latest disruptive event that is

driven by the concept of density of

accelerating the evolution of supply

value. In terms of volumes, in the last

chains towards collaborative ecosys-

30 years the miniaturisation of elec-

tems able to cope with big challenges

tronic components has enabled both

and take advantage of them by improv-

a noticeable technological enrichment

ing their response capabilities.”

and a reduction in size or dimensions

Supply chains in the future, says Palumbo, will have to take into

of products. This would immediately drive a higher density of value, if it were e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

207

B AY E R

not for the more than proportional cost decrease of the technological developments.

“The final result is counterintuitive, a general decrease of the density of value,” says Palumbo. “In logistics, this is one of the most basic but important elements to consider in the engineering of a distributive network: decreasing density of value allows higher stocks to be distributed and an increase of the service level possible for the customers. This is exactly what 208

we are experiencing with ecommerce during the current lockdown situation.”

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS INDUSTRY Considering the current state of supply chain and logistics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Palumbo is impressed by the response of the industry. “COVID19 emerged in late February with the first three cases of coronavirus in Lodi, where our LSP Silvano Chiapparoli Logistica principal warehouse is located.

We immediately engaged the second warehouse, located in the center of the country, to switch roles in the JUNE 2020

distributive network and minimise the impact of quarantined areas, where it was difficult to enter or get out. Special medical assistance was immediately settled, and a specific COVID-19 protocol was implemented to grant safety conditions for the active workers.

Redundancy in the distributive network and distributed stock in two warehouses allowed an exceptional result.

“It is impressive,” he continues.

“I have to say how reactive the supply chain has been in particular to cope with this disease, certainly in relation to transporting the medical supplies that are required worldwide, as well as the level of collaboration between colleagues from all around the world.

I would have never imagined having meetings in the middle of the night, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

That’s really impressive and something that we’ll never forget.”

Palumbo, who believes that the future for supply chains will change as a result of the virus, explains that “the logistic system will become extremely local and decentralised as a result of COVID-19, which will be a huge challenge for the future for organisations e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

209

B AY E R

210

“ The logistic system will become extremely local and decentralised as a result of COVID-19, which will be a huge challenge for the future for organisations to compete with a completely different shift in approach” — Michele Palumbo, Head of Supply Chain Management Italy

JUNE 2020

to compete with a completely different shift in approach. As I mentioned before, COVID-19 is accelerating the trends of the Personalised, Automated and Local approach. From my perspective, it’s very important that in the future there will be local abilities to serve the customers in an extremely agile, reactive and proactive approach.

It will be a fundamental change.”

BAYER: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND PREPAREDNESS Bayer has, for the past 156 years, used science and technology to provide a better life for all. Innovation, as a consequence, lies at the heart of the organisation. With that in mind, it should come as little surprise that Palumbo recounts a more than positive response to the COVID-19 crisis.

To understand that response, and the wider ambition for technological innovation in the company, he explained in more detail Bayer’s transformation journey. “Today the competitive advantage has changed to competing as ‘systems’ rather than as companies. Technology provides the industry with the ability to escalate, therefore companies need to e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

211

B AY E R

212

be interconnected with their systems.

“It spends more than €5bn on R&D every

At Bayer we have implemented multiple

year, meaning that we can experiment

technologies to escalate our operations

freely and treat any failures as simply

over the years, including RFID trackers

the necessary steps towards success.”

across the supply chain to monitor the

This creatively fertile atmosphere has

flow of goods and Blockchain in the

allowed Palumbo to develop a range

near future to increase accessibility,

of different ideas and projects over

traceability and reliability.” he concludes.

the past 10 years. Serving over 17,000

Bayer is no stranger to frontier-

customers across Italy, Bayer S.p.A.

pushing innovation; its research team

maintains a complex flow of supply

discovered and later distributed

channels, yet the company is able to bal-

Prontosil, the world’s first prominent

ance the myriad elements within it with

antibiotic, which won the 1939 Nobel

transparency, traceability, efficiency and

Prize in Medicine and went on to save

flexibility. The origins of the system that

countless lives. The company’s pres-

make this possible, Palumbo says, can

ence in Italy consists of three divisions:

be traced back to 2010.

Bayer S.p.A. (human and animal), Bayer CropScience (botanical) and Bayer Healthcare Manufacturing (production, packaging and distribution). With a regional revenue of €1.02bn, three state-of-the-art production sites and approximately 2,000 local collaborators, the company is representative of the professionalism, dedication and transformational creativity that has defined Bayer for over a century. Palumbo tells us that it is this spirit that first drew him to the company. “Bayer is really pursuing research and development,” he explains.

JUNE 2020

BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM

Palumbo. Doing so was no easy task,

At that time, Bayer had the vision for

as marrying old systems with new

a digital transformation that would

software proved to be highly challeng-

see the inception of a ‘collaborative

ing. However, he continues, pursuing

ecosystem’, combining TMS (transpor-

100% automation in these aspects

tation management systems), cloud

was a practical necessity, not just

and advanced analytics capabilities.

because it increased the efficiency

This was to be a ‘from the ground up’

of transport costs but also to ensure

journey, starting with system automa-

business continuity in an increasingly

tion via the integration of software

complex environment. “Bayer moved

with legacy technical structures and

to a cloud platform, a pilot project for

then progressing onto more qualita-

the company worldwide. We were the

tive developments. “Phase one was

first to move outside the boundaries

to move from the focus on processes,

of Bayer’s IT system and use a new,

such as pre invoicing, contract man-

unique platform in order to monitor and

agement and so on,” elaborates

track deliveries.”

e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

213

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“ We were the first to move outside the boundaries of Bayer’s IT system and use a new, unique platform in order to monitor and track deliveries” — Michele Palumbo, Head of Supply Chain Management Italy

company also required a way to leverage this new resource in a method that would allow the supply chain to continually adapt and stay ahead of trends.

This is where data analytics and simulation software come in: “They are very important when re-engineering the distributive network in a country,” says Palumbo. “With this software, I have the ability to redesign it and find out the exact consequences of doing so. I can project; I can have a clear understanding of the effects on cost and service level of the new distributive asset.”

Added to this is the usage of RFID (radio-frequency identification) in a way which Palumbo calls “unique within the pharmaceuticals industry”. RFID is a

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION

form of identification technology that can

A shift towards cloud computing edged

enable the unique identification of large

Bayer towards the overall goal for its

volumes of products, assets, people,

transformation: increased collabora-

animals and much more. For a relatively

tive capability. Now with a centralised

low cost, special RFID labels can be

platform from which to share and

added to items or logistics supports

store information, various elements

(e.g. cartons, pallets, etc,) which give

of the supply chain (warehouses, car-

off a readable signal. Each tag has an

riers, agents and customer service

extensive operational lifetime and emits

representatives) could pool strands of

a unique identifier that can be transmit-

information in a flexible manner. Even so,

ted over a long distance at a very fast

with new data streams now open, the

rate, enabling massive and simultaneous e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

215

B AY E R

216

readings that provide a huge increase

its diverse applicability, from Brand

in accuracy, speed and productivity

Protection to production control

compared to barcode readings.

and Industry 4.0 applications, asset

Using this relatively cheap method,

management, hospital processes

billions of items can be accurately

optimisation and many others. However,

tracked during all parts of the logistics

despite the fantastic opportunities that

process, thus granting customers

RFID technology presents to supply

peace of mind through enhanced trans-

chains, very few industries have been

parency which illustrates every step

proactive in integrating it; Palumbo

of their distributive journey throughout

notes that retail, airlines and conveni-

LSP warehouses, carriers’ hubs and

ence stores could all benefit from the

subsidiaries, up to destination.

cost-saving and enhanced stock

Moreover, RFID technology can provide value to companies thanks to JUNE 2020

control implications, yet single-digit percentages of companies opt to do so.

“ We’ve collectively realised how fragile our supply chains are; as a result of coronavirus, it’s become clear how important it is to have reliable digital systems that show us the reality of the whole supply chain” — Michele Palumbo, Head of Supply Chain Management Italy

handling unit arrangement, shipping, receiving and inventory, with an average of 10 to 15 readings per box. All this data generates added value through real-time information and a dedicated BI web dashboard that provides full supply chain visibility, detailed and accurate traceability, perfect recall capability and operational KPI monitoring.

“Increasing the level of service means a general improvement not only in operational efficiency,” Palumbo clarifies, “but also an improvement in turnover.

The benefit that we expect from this project is an increase in our ability to review errors, customer complaints

In Bayer Italy’s deployment, every

and returns. Bayer will be able to have a

single box of product and every

real-time visibility throughout the entire

GreenPallet is uniquely identified by

supply chain.” This will go hand-in-hand

an RFID label and tracked individually

with a significantly increased rate of

throughout the whole supply chain,

productivity and logistical accuracy

starting from LSP facilities up to final

from a relatively small investment in

delivery to customers. More than 30

RFID technology. “In the future, all of

facilities of Bayer’s LSP and transporta-

this shipping information could be certi-

tion partners are equipped with RFID

fied by each and every single actor on a

readers and stations, managed by

shared blockchain,” he continues. “We

middleware that collects and sends all

will also be able to trace information like

data to a remote server. Products and

ambient temperature with embedded

GreenPallets are read during relevant

temperature sensors in order to get

processes such as picking, palletised

data from a cold-chain perspective.” e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

217

B AY E R

THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF THE FUTURE Bayer’s developments and vision for the supply chain’s future are truly futuristic and the company’s focus on solutions for contemporary problems doesn’t stop at RFID. Increasing the level of sustainability in the company’s operations has been over 20 years

1863

Year founded

$43mn+ Revenue in US dollars

in the making, starting with the 1997 ‘Ronchi Decree’, which redefined corporate waste as anything a company discards, intends or is required to throw away, and is consequently taxed 218

for. This has given way to ‘circular eco-

107,824 Number of employees

nomic’ thinking, wherein a company seeks to reduce production ‘inputs’ and reuse materials in a cost-effective

the waste. As a result we have saved,

and environmentally friendly manner.

more or less, €1mn per year.”

It was this restructuring of priorities

The effective evolution of Bayer’s

that resulted in Bayer’s ‘GreenPallet’.

supply chain is a model example

Realising that 75,000 new wooden pal-

of why innovative and bold thinking

lets were being produced every year,

aren’t just ornaments for successful

the company realised that it could save

companies, they are the reasons for

large amounts of money by manufac-

that success.

turing reusable pallets from (recycled)

Referring back to those challenges

plastic. “Instead of being wasted, the

outlined previously, Palumbo claims

pallets return to the warehouse,” says

that the company’s attitude towards

Palumbo. “This has allowed us to avoid

investment in R&D could be more

a huge amount of wasted wooden

valuable now than ever before.

packaging, as well as tax payments for

“We’ve collectively realised how fragile

JUNE 2020

219

our supply chains are; as a result of

“As I have previously stated, threats

coronavirus, it’s become clear how

like coronavirus will make us stronger,

important it is to have reliable digital

because our supply chain will be able

systems that show us the reality of the

to meet the challenge,” Palumbo con-

whole supply chain. Imagine a world

cludes. “This is the story of the supply

where you can really trust in your

chain of tomorrow, where everything is

partners because of the tools that

interconnected, everything is feasible

you have enabled, which provide

and a digital ecosystem is able to cope

information in real time via different

with threats that we can’t predict today.”

platforms.” It is through these systems that a new standard of best-practice for customer service in the industry can be reached, and it is this that Bayer is working towards. e ur o p e . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

220

Motisun: supplying a diverse business portfolio in Africa WRITTEN BY

JOHN O’HANLON PRODUCED BY

JUSTIN BRAND

JUNE 2020

221

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MOTISUN GROUP

Motisun Group has grown to become one of Tanzania and Africa’s dominant conglomerates, achieving stellar growth and diversification

T 222

he port of Dar es Salaam, the ‘haven of peace’, is the gateway to eastern, central and southern Africa. The former Tanzanian

capital has an international airport, and rail links to the landlocked nations, including the Chinesefunded TAZARA linking it with Zambia’s Copper Belt and a planned 2,190-km railway to Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. It is expanding to rival Mombasa and Djibouti as the country develops its industry and the port acclimatizes with the demand for container and bulk mineral export capacity.

Tanzania is not being left behind in Africa’s internet transformation. Dar es Salaam is connected to the rest of the world by all the major undersea cables that have been laid in recent years, including SEACOM and the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy). Other deepwater ports such as Pangani, Mtwara and Bagamoyo are being developed to take the pressure from Dar es Salaam and provide access for Panamax vessels.

JUNE 2020

223

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

MOTISUN GROUP

Motisun CLICK TO WATCH

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6:03

224

This vibrant city has been home

Sayona brand, as well as cabling and

to the Motisun Group since it was

plastic products of all kinds, distribut-

founded in 1992 by Subhash Patel. And,

ing them throughout Tanzania and

though it has grown to rank among

exporting them to all African markets.

the strongest business groups on the

It manufactures locally in some of those

continent, it remains a family concern.

markets. More recently, Motisun Group

It started with a small-scale steel plant

has been able to diversify into hospital-

with a single induction furnace and

ity, hotels, resorts and real estate.

rolling mill, but today MMI Steel Mills

A glance at the diversity of interests

produces more than 200,000MT of

reveals a complex logistics and sup-

steel a year. However, steel is only one

ply chain network. Key to the smooth

of many products the group produces.

running and cost management of this

It also manufactures paints, pipe,

network is the procurement depart-

beverages and juices sold under the

ment. Manoj Kumar is Head of Global

JUNE 2020

Procurement for Motisun, oversees

fruit juices, which are produced at

this vital part of the business from his

state of the art a new plant on a

office in Dar es Salaam and manages

40-acre site in the Mboga area,

a team of procurement professionals

Bagamoyo, which is 150 km from Dar

there in each of the businesses.

es Salaam.� The juices are prepared

The businesses are very diverse,

using fresh fruit sourced from Tanzania,

he says. “Under the Sayona brand,

and the beauty of this product is that

we diverse range of juices, carbonated

fresh fruit of the highest quality, such

soft drinks and packaged drinking

as mangos, pineapple, Guava and

water, and we started going into pure

Orange is available across Africa.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Manoj Kumar

225

A global leader, Manoj Kumar, has a successful history in supply chain management involving procurement, vendor management, material requirements planning & continuous process improvements in diverse industries like paint, chemical, steel, plastic, hospitality (food & beverage) in India, Tanzania and Africa. In a career spanning more than 15 years, he has collaborated with teams to manage a wide range of procurement and supply chain processes consisting of assessment & transformation, warehouse management, vendor management/sourcing, risk management, value management/ Value engineering, financial management, and been a key contributor to the development and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. He has acquired expertise in analysing market activities to build into category strategies to minimise supply risk, drive competitive market advantage, augment productivity & increase operational efficiencies via implementation of standardised processes across all procurement areas. a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

If raw materials for Sayona products

supply chain relies upon stockists with

are comparatively simple and reliable

warehouses all over Tanzania, from Dar

to source, the supply chain for the

es Salaam to Mwanza and Arusha to

paints produced under the Kiboko

Mtwara. No area is too remote.

brand is somewhat more complex.

“We have over 5,000 global suppliers

Only 30% of finished goods are

in our supply chain,” Kumar contin-

imported, the rest is manufactured in

ues. Chemicals for the factories are

high-capacity factories, backed by an

sourced via Dubai,South Africa, the

in-house resin & emulsion manufac-

USA and Europe, while much of the

turing plant. The Kiboko division can

steel required by MIIT’s plants comes

produce 50 tons of top-quality paint

from India. Accurate forecasting is

a day to satisfy the 60% share of the

required to keep costs in check and

Tanzanian market that Kiboko holds.

avoid waste. In the context of Africa it

Packaging and labelling are manufac-

is often not possible to achieve just-in-

tured at a separate facility. The onward

time sequencing of materials.

JUNE 2019

Sometime delays at the port con-

on the freeway. However, forecasting

gestion, fluctuations in availability and

gives manufacturing companies a

disruptions to the road and rail systems

leg-up on these elements of planning

have to be factored in with the rise and

and production cycles, companies can

fall of demand, making it necessary

operate with more agility, transparency,

to store enough raw materials at the

and flexibility to adapt to changing pro-

plants to ensure continuity of produc-

duction environments or schemes.”

tion. “Forecasting and planning always

Lead times are dependent on the

depend on market conditions,” says

location of the suppliers, he continues.

Kumar. “It’s a kind of rear-view mirror

Goods from Canada can take 90 days

approach, in that where you’ve been

by sea, whereas from Mumbai the time

can often help determine where you’re

from dispatch to clearance would be

going; but that does not necessarily

around 40 days. With reliable road and

help you avoid a multiple car accident

rail links, importing from South Africa is

“ Many of our vendors have been in place since the company was founded” — Manoj Kumar, Head of Global Procurement, Motisun

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

227

MOTISUN GROUP

228

“ With wide experience and forecasting business planning exposure, we can manage our accounts, warehouse management inventory management and other key procurement functions” — Manoj Kumar, Head of Global Procurement, Motisun

much easier. “Coordinating supply to a

becomes more diverse as the product

particular plant requires a backup plan

portfolio is extended, which happens

that includes a number of pre-approved

almost daily.” The core software plat-

suppliers. Any disruption in availability

forms in use within the group are SAP

will disrupt the entire supply chain.”

and the versatile Tally ERP, originating

Kumar stresses that there’s real

in India. A phased programme of migra-

partnership between Motisun Group

tion is in place as individual businesses

and its suppliers. “Many of our vendors

integrate legacy programmes and

have been in place since the company

Excel-based practices. “With Tally’s

was founded, however the supply chain

accounting application we can manage

JUNE 2020

It is very exciting, though challenging, to be part of a continually expanding group that dominates the East African market in a number of key verticals, says Kumar. “Our Chairman, Subhash Patel, has a simple mantra: there are three ‘Ms’ at the core of any successful business, Money, Mindset and Manpower. Our people find this a great way to focus our minds on our work. Clearly no business can survive without having a firm hand on its finances; then it has to have a clear vision and finally a committed and competent workforce.” Patel is a person of vision, retaining his humility and empathy, despite being a figure of huge influence in Tanzania and the wider African business world, Kumar acknowledges. Under his leadership our accounts, warehouse management

the group is constantly diversifying

inventory management and other key

and adding new products to the exist-

procurement functions,” explains Kumar,

ing divisions. Kumar and his team are

adding that parts of the business are still

fully equipped to accept the challenge

used to the familiar Excel for budget-

of keeping these supplied with the

ing, preparing financial statements and

materials they need.

creating balance sheets. During the migration period, it is easy to import and export cash management information and financial data to and from Tally. a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

229

230

JUNE 2020

Creating financial inclusivity WRITTEN BY

AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS PRODUCED BY

JUSTIN BRAND

231

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Z A M B I A N AT I O N A L C O M M E R C I A L B A N K ( Z A N A C O )

Last time we spoke with Zambia National Bank, it was on the cusp of an accelerated digital transformation set for completion in 2020. Fresh into the new decade, CDO Wane Ng’ambi, details the bank’s journey

T

he symbiosis between the telecommunications and finance industry is stronger than ever in Africa, and as technology

evolves, many banks are being left behind as a 232

result. One bank in the region that is staying ahead of the curve is Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco), which in 2018, was on the cusp of an accelerated digital transformation set for completion in 2020. Sharing the bank’s success since then is a Chief Digital Officer who understands the relationship between finance and telecommunications better than most, Wane Ng’ambi.

“I love a challenge!” exclaims Ng’ambi when asked what drew him to his current role. “I’m not a traditional banker. To me, one of the slowestchanging industries has been banking and financial services. With Zanaco, the whole agenda of taking a very mature, traditional industry and moulding it into a very tech-savvy future-focused one is a fantastic opportunity.” When Ng’ambi joined Zanaco in 2018, he brought 15 years of experience in the JUNE 2020

233

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Z A M B I A N AT I O N A L C O M M E R C I A L B A N K ( Z A N A C O )

“ We’re at almost 110% growth year-on-year, effectively doubling our traffic through our digital channels” — Wane Ng’ambi, CDO, Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco)

telecommunications industry with him.

Specialising in creating telecommunications and digital solutions from an IT engineering perspective, he previously looked after mobile financial services for MTN in Zambia. “There’s a big drive across Africa that is pivoting mobile telecommunication companies from predominantly providing voice and data services to providing financial services by using the existing technology infrastructure,” he says.

“Mobile money is a big phenomena

234

in regions like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Zambia is the latest country to embark on this journey.” After a few years with MTN, Ng’ambi moved to Millicom International Cellular’s subsidiary, Tigo, in order to care for the company’s mobile financial services and customer distribution technology.

After a year he returned to Zambia to work with Zanaco in order to serve its existing customers through new channels. “The heart of Zanaco’s strategy focuses around the use of technology in order to enable customer fulfillment for different products and services,” he summarises. Over the years, banking has evolved considerably, JUNE 2020

Bank Here TVC CLICK TO WATCH

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1:03

235 but Ng’ambi reflects that telecom-

Zambia National Bank has met

munications engineering has always

the challenges of this ever-shifting

remained embedded in the lives of

landscape head-on and has achieved

customers. “This is the move banks

an astonishing 115% growth across

need to make. They need to ask

digital channels in the last 18 months,

themselves: How do we migrate from

with defining weight placed on mobile

the traditional branch servicing of

channels. Other streams that have

customers and into the digital age?”

contributed to this exponential growth

He is cognizant that Africa com-

include QR Code, which has acted as

prises a largely young population that

a replacement channel to the original

will pilot a remarkable technological

postal one and cost inhibitive POS

shift in the continent in the next five

channel, and the express “Agent

to 20 years, and it is essential that

Banking” channel. “We’re at almost

banks like Zanaco keep the pace in

110% growth year-on-year, effectively

order to remain relevant.

doubling our traffic through our digital a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

Z A M B I A N AT I O N A L C O M M E R C I A L B A N K ( Z A N A C O )

236

channels.” This is the result of what

collectively. This forms up to 20% of

Ng’ambi would describe as a very

the total financial inclusion and often

“aggressive” campaign: “Africa has a

goes missed by banks. “Now, this is

very interesting dynamic; the financial

not regulated formally in Zambia, so

inclusion rate is relatively low, with the

it’s unregulated financial inclusion,

exception of some successful markets

which is pretty much a conventional-

like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

type financial inclusion,” he explains.

Zambia sits at around 59% of the

“But when you look at formal financial

total financial inclusion. This inclusion

inclusion, through regulated entities

includes regulated and non-regulated

such as Zanaco, we’re somewhere

channels.” By non-regulated channels,

around 38-39%. That’s relatively low if

Ng’ambi refers to the phenomena of

you look at the population.” This totals

‘Chilimbas’ – village banking – where

to around 6-9mn individuals who are

groups in rural communities invest

currently excluded from regulated

JUNE 2020

financial services. This makes

branches on a day-to-day basis, with

Zanaco’s growth all the more impres-

a shift of customers moving from

sive, but it also creates a number of

branch to digital marking a negative

challenges to overcome.

trajectory. However, we are close to

“The challenges can be split in two,”

gaining 40,000 customers every month

explains Ng’ambi: “Technology and

who did not have access to financial

culture. Naturally these factors both

services previously. We’re somewhere

intertwine. While automation drives

in the space of maybe 200-300% new-

efficiency, which achieves our digital

to-bank acquisition growth between

strategy, digital transformation impacts

2018 and 2019. That’s a very, very

the lives of stakeholders within the

strong growth for a traditional bank.” To

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

237

Wane Ng’ambi Title: Chief Digital Banking Officer

Company: Zanaco

Wane Ng’ambi is a seasoned telecommunications and financial services executive with extensive skill sets in sales and distribution, financial services, project management, IT and telecommunications and FMCG experience spanning several African markets. Ng’ambi has held several senior management and executive roles in the Telecommunications and Financial Services industry across Africa including his most recent role at Millicom Group (T/A TIGO) as Regional Director – Sales Distribution and Customer Operations – Africa Market. Prior to joining Millicom, Wane served five years with MTN Zambia as Executive Head, Mobile Financial Service (MFS).

He holds a Graduate Diploma in Information Systems Management, BSc (Hons) Computer Science. a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

powered by

ensure that the implementation of these new technologies is smooth, Ng’ambi explains that the bank has traveled around the country to a number of town halls in order to engage with staff as to identify any pain-points in relation to the changes occurring, as well as how to mitigate them within new strategies. “We are very conscious that digitisation can lead to redundancy and so we take a very active role in the reskilling of our staff and honing new skills as the company transforms,� he says.

The benefits of this digitisation greatly outweigh the challenges and JUNE 2020

“ Banks almost solely examine assets, liabilities and the revenue aspect, but behavior is what results in assets and liabilities and revenue”

in addition to the increase in financial inclusion across the nation, there have been other benefits. “We’re now able to proposition customers more effectively; I can look into a customer’s habits over the course of six months and track his experiences to identify individual or economic changes,” he says. In terms of UX, Zambia’s online banking platform was originally very

— Wane Ng’ambi, CDO, Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco)

traditional in terms of UX, but it has since been upgraded to provide a more seamless and accessible experience for customers. “We created the new platform from a number of focus groups around customer behavior and now it is intuitive, fresh. But this will not be enough,” asserts Ng’ambi. “The platform will continuously develop to ensure that it meets the changing demands of the customer.”

As the bank progresses with its digital transformation, Ng’ambi enthuses that the bank’s focus is now on datacentricity. “I am predominantly a telco player and telcos have also shifted focus on to data. When you cross-pollinate the experiences from different industries, you begin to understand the depth and the wealth of what data can a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

239

Z A M B I A N AT I O N A L C O M M E R C I A L B A N K ( Z A N A C O )

DIGITAL INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL Mobicom Africa is a BTL marketing and field force agency specialised in mobile and agency banking info@mobicomafrica.com

www.mobicomafrica.com

Mukuba Pension House, Off Dedan Kimathi street, Lusaka, Zambia

actually mean. One of the things that I have understood from my time in both the telecommunications and banking industry is that the tracking of the behavioral patterns of customers is not a strong suit of the latter.” He goes on, “banks almost solely examine assets, liabilities and the revenue aspect, but behavior is what results in assets and liabilities and revenue.”

Moving forward, the goal of Zambia Bank is the culmination of effective data in order to drive assets and liabilities in a more effective way while using AI to better understand this data.

“Things are looking very, very exciting

N G ’A M B I O N T HE BAN K ’S PART N ERS

“I have a number of fintechs, aggregators and multiple traditional core banking solution providers that all assist with different aspects of our operations in a cost effective manner that meets the needs of our end customers efficiently. One company that covers a very notable amount of our requirements is Devshack International, which allows us to pivot quickly to respond to the consumer’s demands as the market starts to shift and change.”

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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Z A M B I A N AT I O N A L C O M M E R C I A L B A N K ( Z A N A C O )

for us in the future. We are continuing to drive toward mobile interoperability.”

Ng’ambi shares that they are also looking to move towards the creation of an open digital product marketplace via Open API integrations to their digital platforms. “We’re looking to build a whole ecosystem by adding everyone into one interoperable environment where everyone can play and trade with everyone. From a traditional banking perspective, I think this is relatively strong because all banks are already 242

playing with everybody, but from a mobile perspective, mobile acquirers, mobile issuers, are not doing very

“ Things are looking very, very exciting for us in the future. We are continuing to drive toward mobile interoperability” — Wane Ng’ambi, CDO, Zambia National Commercial Bank (Zanaco)

JUNE 2020

1996

Year founded

$15.mn+ Revenue in US dollars

1,228 Number of employees

well, so this is an area where we’re trying to create an environment that allows everyone to play with everyone.

Mobile is continuing its strong growth and we’re trying to now bridge that gap with banking, so that for us is one key area that we’re going to keep focusing on.” As technology evolves, one thing is for certain: customercentricity will remain at the epicentre of all of Zanaco’s operations.

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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Rogers Capital: evolving financial services

244

WRITTEN BY

DANIEL BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY

JUSTIN BRAND

JUNE 2020

245

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

R O G E R S C A P I TA L

Rogers Capital leverages in-house synergies to drive a digital transformation strategy based on employee and customer experience and operational excellence

“

I

have always been driven by curiosity,” reveals Evyn Valayten, Head of Digital Transformation at Rogers Capital. “We

are looking for new ways of working and finding solutions to the problems our teams face.”

Valayten is part of the DNA of Rogers Capital; 246

in his 17th year with the company, he has been tasked with driving a four-year strategic transformation plan for digital and culture change.

This strategic plan is based on three key pillars: Employee Experience, Customer Experience and Operational Excellence.

A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY “We are in the first year of a four-year journey that starts with our employees,” explains Valayten.

“We have begun with the release of our employee portal; because we know if our staff have a positive experience, this will reflect well with our customers. We did several workshops with higher management and operations chiefs and chose to focus on our internal teams to start this journey. On the first release of this portal, we JUNE 2020

247

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

R O G E R S C A P I TA L

“ I have always been driven by curiosity; we are looking for new ways of working and finding solutions to the problems our teams face” 248

— Evyn Valayten, Head of Digital Transformation, Rogers Capital

have delivered a self-service solution to make the headshot process paperless.

“It is important that we correctly define digital transformation,” reasons Valayten. “Simply put, it is the ability to understand how technology can deliver value to customers. It is not purely about the tools themselves, but how to leverage the capabilities of these tools to take advantage of new opportunities.” Valayten stresses the importance of asking probing questions at Rogers Capital to define what its digital transformation journey needs to achieve. He believes it is important to know yourself and who you want to be, understand your resources in terms of budget and skill sets, assess competition and their proposition as well as never losing sight of the end customer and how best to reach and service them. That journey is made easier by synergies across the business which give Valayten’s team in-house support, more specifically, support from RCTS. “We have a technical team of 125 FTEs, able to design, implement and secure everything from laptops to high-end servers.”

JUNE 2020

Digital Transformation CLICK TO WATCH

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0:36

249

BUILDING INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS

choosing the experience first, and

Tackling legacy systems and pro-

then the technology to meet that

cesses in a push to go paperless

need. “We have been workshop-

is a vital part of Valayten’s team’s

ping around our staff experience,”

culture change mission. “We are

he confirms. “Around 75% of our

investing in Intelligent Business

team working has been a backward

Process Management (iBPM) to

strategy – looking at the situation

move towards phasing out printing

and how we can make it better, then

and manual signing. We are testing

choosing the technology that would

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)to

enhance the process. We can see

give time back to our employees by

the culture change already as our

relieving them of repetitive tasks.”

people are coming up with new ideas

Valayten believes the key to a

and participating in the ecosys-

successful digital transformation

tem we are building with a cycle of

journey is working backwards by

innovation.” a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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explains Valayten. “This gives us real-

Over the past two years, Rogers

time access to data anywhere while

Capital has been working with the

keeping cybersecurity paramount.”

app’s developer, Tagit, to support

In the push to go paperless,

its financial services division. The

Rogers Capital needed a user-

Singaporean company is behind

friendly solution. Multiple solutions

the award-winning Mobeix digital

were considered but Valayten

engagement platform that enables

explains that the document manage-

banks and government entities to

ment system from M-Files has been

create and enhance their digital capa-

a sterling addition. Over the past

bilities. “Internally, an iBPM solution

decade, M-files has been used for

was implemented for Rogers Capital

migrating data from file servers with

to build solutions around web apps

reliability and speed to provide docu-

to the mobile app in iOS or Android,”

ment-scanning services for clients.

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Evyn Valayten Title: Head Of Digital Transformation Company: Rogers Capital Evyn Valayten is Rogers Capital’s innovation leader. He joined the company in 2003 and has spearheaded the development of new technology solutions since 2015. “A truly digital company works as a network of connected dots rather than in a hierarchical structure,” says Valayten, who urges that digital companies need to move, adapt and fail fast. As head of Digital Transformation at Rogers Capital, his focus is on breaking the silos, increasing cross-functional collaboration and removing extra management layers.

“The fewer the layers, the faster decisions will be made,” he says. “All these equal, a new corporate mindset can be developed for success.” a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

251

R O G E R S C A P I TA L

252

“ We can see the culture change already as our people are coming up with new ideas and participating in the ecosystem we are building” — Evyn Valayten, Head of Digital Transformation, Rogers Capital

JUNE 2020

253

a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

R O G E R S C A P I TA L

DI D YO U KN OW?

Trusted Services from Rogers Capital Corporate • Company Formation, Ongoing Services • Trust Administration • Fund & Accounting Services, Investor Services • Tax Advisory & Compliance • Outsourcing Services (Accounting, Payroll & Net Asset Value Calculation) • Advisory Services Technology

254

• Digital & Data Service • Managed Connectivity • Endpoint Services • Data Centre • Information Security Advisory Financial • Consumer Finance: Personal & Business – Hire, Credit & Leasing

JUNE 2020

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE “We are hoping to expand the team of developers working with us,” says Valayten. “However, it has proved difficult finding developers with the right technical skills to be the architects here in our sector. One of my main worries for the coming years will be the need to outsource to achieve the required competencies as we add new solutions to our growing list of services. Developing these new modules is key to how we deliver to 255

our clients.”

Managing expectation with change is a balancing act for Valayten.

“These days, everybody wants everything quickly,” he says. “Our teams are keen to get new functionalities and the appetite for change is growing. However, we must work at a steady pace within the framework of testing to ensure the security of new solutions.”

REACTING TO THE TRENDS “The trend today in many companies is firstly implementing digital tools and then forcing outdated policies and procedures over them,” says a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

R O G E R S C A P I TA L

256

“ Our teams are keen to get new functionalities and the appetite for change is growing” — Evyn Valayten, Head of Digital Transformation, Rogers Capital JUNE 2020

Valayten. “We often hear of success stories of Airbnb and Uber and it is crucial to recognise that one important and common feature with these enterprises is that they were born digital. If your company already has a strong culture and has been successful before the digital age, it will most likely be difficult for you to be the next Airbnb, or to even learn from their experience. We need to learn from those non-digital native

2016

Year founded

5,600 Number of employees

257

companies, learn from their suc-

same kind of experience, and we are

cesses and failures as they had to go

supporting that with our employee

through the challenge of unlearning

and customer portals to reflect that

non-digital ways of working.”

desire internally and externally with

Access to information 24/7 has

new ways of working.”

become the norm today, Evyn notes.

“You want to buy something? You just go on Alibaba’s website and within minutes you are done making your purchase and waiting for the delivery.

I see that desire in our businesses.

Our customers are looking for the a f r ic a . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

258

Smart financial solutions with a personal touch WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

JORDAN HUBBARD

JUNE 2020

259

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

DEEM FINANCE

In less than a year, Deem Finance has disrupted the financial services sector through innovation and dedication to its customers

D

eem Finance is built around a simple, yet often overlooked premise in the innovative world of digital banking: to empower

every individual that dreams of a brighter future.

The business is young, having only been established some 12 months ago, and yet it delivers on 260

this vision with a pioneering and assured use of technology solutions that are smart and effective, yet simple and intuitive to use for all. For Deem, the customer is everything.

Naturally, many brands — particularly the new breed of fintechs for whom personalisation is a driving force — will state the importance of the customer in their business. For many, it may ring true. Deem, however, was built to be disruptive, to combine vision and innovation to be more than simply ‘another challenger bank’. At the helm of this fledgling business is CEO Chris de Bruin. A veteran of digital banking and a respected thought leader on digital technologies, de Bruin was approached to take control of Deem’s journey and, in doing so, to build a strong, knowledgeable and highly capable leadership team. He has done both.

JUNE 2020

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mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

DEEM FINANCE

“ We will never settle for good enough in what we already do” — Chris de Bruin, CEO, Deem

Head of Retail Products & Digital at Standard Chartered Bank, and Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company.

RESHAPING THE RETAIL BANK EXPERIENCE The opportunity to be a part of Deem’s

Prior to embarking on his journey

story, he concedes, was an exciting

with Deem, de Bruin has held various

one. “It was a very interesting notion.

positions over more than 20 years

I was approached by stakeholders

in financial services including, most

in a previous, legacy business who

recently, President of Zafin, Global

were looking for a team to take all that

262

was good from these legacy assets or, what was essentially a very old fashioned consumer finance organisation, and repurpose them into an exciting, innovative digital business.

For me, it was a great opportunity to think about how new technologies can fundamentally reshape what you do and what you can offer — how can we be more relevant for customers, help to improve their personal and financial lives, give them a fairer deal and remove some of the imbalance that we still see in banking.

“The genesis of what we do is actually very simple: build a business that uses data and all of the technologies JUNE 2020

Deem Finance — Who We Are CLICK TO WATCH

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263 available with a very coherent purpose,”

thanks to his time in the industry, is

he continues. “Finance is never really

well versed in the impact that technol-

geared towards consumer interests,

ogy can make on the financial sector.

which can leave many uneasy. We’re

“If I take you back to when I was part

different because we deliver informa-

of a team that built a digital bank in the

tion to our customers with an easy to

early 2000s, many of the technolo-

use, but powerful platform that puts

gies were in their infancy,” he explains.

them in control — that socially-minded

“What’s really changed, and perhaps

strategic intent is the key difference.”

been the driver of the biggest transfor-

Of course, that strategic intent is

mation, is our ability to communicate

underpinned by complex technology

in far richer ways with clients, whether

and strong analytics capabilities, the

that’s through social media, specific

greater use of data and an innovative

communications tools or apps.”

mindset that has placed Deem clearly ahead of its competitors. De Bruin,

He also points to the maturation of cloud computing technology as being mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

DEEM FINANCE

264

particularly crucial to Deem’s develop-

banking in the right direction and

ment. Specifically, the migration from

which are giving us a tremendous

private to public cloud, through to the

ability to understand our customers

global ecosystems that are emerging

in ways that would have never been

across sectors. “We tried to harness

possible before.”

all of these innovations from day one,” he notes. “So, building Deem to be

CUSTOMER-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY

cloud-native immediately, for exam-

At its heart, Deem’s proposition

ple, making sure that it’s all open API

revolves around its Cash Up and Miles

instantly, and so on. We invested a lot

Up cards and personal loans, both of

in what we call ‘the digital fabric’ rather

which have proved successful since

than the core systems themselves.

their launch in November last year.

They’re the ones that, in my view, have

The company offers its cards at three

really moved the foundations of retail

distinct income levels — World,

JUNE 2020

Platinum and Titanium — reinforcing

approach to development. Park is a

its inclusive ethos. Across all three of

payments industry expert, with more

these, the company has seen robust

than 25 years' experience covering the

results that, in just 120 days or so since

banking, credit and payment markets.

launch, demonstrate the strength of the Deem proposition.

As Andrew Park, Chief Product

“I joined Deem because it’s a vibrant company with a great vision, and something I really wanted to be part

Officer, highlights, how these products

of,” he states. “When it comes to

work is dictated by a customer-centric

products, we absolutely design with

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Chris de Bruin For Chris, there’s no job too big or too small, or that doesn’t deserve attention to detail. A doer at heart, he is tireless when it comes to getting things done.

It’s this galvanising attitude, coupled with a no-nonsense approach to business, that drives Deem forward. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, in diverse roles that required different skill sets, Chris is finely attuned to the push and pull of the industry. His previous role before joining Deem was President of Zafin, where he was responsible for the company’s technology, engineering, product development, digital ecosystem and investments in new technologies. Prior to this, Chris was Global Head of Retail Products & Digital, Standard Chartered Bank. During his 13-year career at the bank, Chris held several leadership positions including Global Head Distribution, Regional Head Consumer Banking, Korea & Japan, and Group Head of Private Banking and Head of Consumer Banking for the UAE. Before joining Standard Chartered Bank, Chris was part of the founding team at 20twenty Financial Services, where he was Chief Strategist. He also was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company.

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

265

Control your Business!

Achieve your Goals!

Award-winning Debt Collections Technology

“ Anything we build must deliver a better customer experience, a simpler process for staff and higher efficiency for our shareholders”

Citibank, Poland’s Bank Millennium and Deloitte Strategy Consulting.

Hutchinson has managed all product families and segments across the retail banking sector, from private banking to cash loans or payments cards. And yet, in Deem he sees some-

— Alex Kim, CTO, Deem

thing truly unique. “Look at any bank

the end-user in mind and work back

Deem doesn’t have a slogan or brand

from their need — that’s not typically

tagline or need to be built around cli-

how financial institutions work. And

chés; the company absolutely delivers

that works throughout the product life

on that ethos. We exist to help con-

cycle too; as a product is launched,

sumers through the use of our data,

for example, and starts to have actual

technology, products and processes.

users our customer care team works

It’s really as simple as that.”

or tagline and you’ll see some variation on the ‘improving people’s lives’ ethos.

to ensure customers are using it to

For Hutchinson, Deem’s delivery

the very best of its abilities. That

of reliable and transparent information

creates this emotional link with our

to products is a key differentiator.

brand and products that goes way

He and his colleagues recognise the

beyond functionality.”

‘data revolution’ that has changed

From the outset, the creation of that emotional link has been key to

all industries, is now disrupting financial services — Deem is riding this

Deem’s strategy. Roy Hutchinson is the company’s Chief Strategy and Brand Communications Officer, and a man well versed in delivering financial strategy for some of the world’s largest financial institutions, including mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

267

“ Data is essential in everything we do, not just in risk decisions” — Torsten Buening, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Data Officer, Deem

built the entire company from the ground up, based on using data and automation to the benefit of our customers, our employees and our shareholders.”

“Data is essential in everything we do, not just in risk decisions,” confirms Torsten Buening, Chief

disruptive wave. “Nothing supports

Data Officer and Chief Risk Officer.

our mission better than the way that

Buening is an experienced risk practi-

we define information and analytics

tioner with a career that spans

technologies,” he states. “We have

a diverse range of leadership roles 269

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Alex S. Kim Alex believes that technology should make life simpler and better. This belief is the driver for all technology applications at Deem, within the organisation and at the customer’s level, too. In more than three decades of key roles in banking and technology/operations, Alex has worked in the US, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, gaining leadership experience across a broad spectrum of business cultures, from global giants like GE Capital and Standard Chartered Bank as well as regional banks and tech startups. At Standard Chartered Bank, he was CIO, Korea and Regional CIO, North Asia as well as for Korean Exchange Bank, Samsung Card, NextCard and GE Capital. Alex joined Deem from Hawaii, where he worked as EVP, Technology & Operations for American Savings Bank. Alex holds a Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master Degree in Manufacturing Engineering.

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

DEEM FINANCE

2019

Year founded

$50mn Revenue in US dollars a year

800

Number of employees

270

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mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

“ Deem doesn’t have a slogan or brand tagline or need to be built around cliches; the company absolutely delivers on that ethos” — Roy Hutchinson, Chief Strategy and Brand Communications Officer, Deem

for risk and capital management, risk governance and modelling, and startups. “As data sources become richer and more varied, and the ability to connect large amounts of unstructured data grows, there is no reason why a customer couldn’t get a product developed specifically for their individual needs and our risk tolerance.”

Any strong customer proposition has to be underpinned by trust and

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Roy Hutchinson

273

As a polyglot, Roy is a man of many words. Yet, when it comes to communicating financial strategy, he believes ‘no jargon’ works best for the customer. Roy has 35 years of consumer financial services experience, 20 of which were at Citibank, with Global, EMEA, Latin American, Eastern European and US leadership positions. After Citibank, Roy worked for 10 years in the core management team of Poland’s Bank Millennium, being a driver of changes required to make the bank rise to national prominence and become a reference for retail banking in the country. At that time, Roy also served in the Polish Executive Committee of Visa. Next, he became a Director at Deloitte Strategy Consulting, supporting financial institutions in different areas across Europe. Roy has managed all product families and segments in retail banking, from private banking to cash loans or payment cards, winning awards on several occasions, and has also developed or managed digital and branch-based businesses.

A Fellow of the United Kingdom’s Royal Chartered Institute of Marketing, Roy holds a degree in Economics. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

transparency. And, in a world where

mitigated,” Buening continues. “One

personal information informs how

is the more traditional credit risk,

those relationships are built and ser-

because despite our technology and

vices provided, that trust is paramount.

innovative approach, we are still lend-

“A company such as Deem has

ing money and we still require people

two key risk factors that need to be

to pay us back. However, using the

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Torsten Kleine Buening In a business governed by numbers, Torsten’s numerical acumen and love for crunching digits are his greatest assets, along with his expertise at devising strategies that minimise risk for companies and their customers. An experienced risk practitioner, Torsten has close to 20 years of experience covering conventional and Islamic finance in developed and emerging markets. Torsten’s career spans a diverse range of leadership roles for risk and capital management, risk governance and modelling in regional and multinational financial institutions, as well as startups and risk-related roles in consulting. He has worked on prestigious assignments and engagements in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Singapore and most recently Mongolia. Torsten successfully drove projects and change initiatives including a Basel II implementation across 11 countries, an Asset Quality Review under European Central Bank rules and a Machine Learning-based credit decision-making framework. Before joining Deem as Chief Risk Officer, Torsten worked at Tenger Financial Group, where he served as Chief Risk Officer for XacBank, responsible for Risk, Fraud and Compliance and as Board member for Tenger Insurance. He holds a degree as Diplom Wirtschafts-Informatiker/Master of Science in Information Systems of Westfaelische Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster/Germany. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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DEEM FINANCE

Aquisition — Cash Up CLICK TO WATCH

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“ When it comes to products, we absolutely design with the end-user in mind and work back from their need” — Andrew Park, Chief Products Officer, Deem technology and interfaces such as those that we have, the automated retrieval of data from other sources and our own data enables us to make better, more informed decisions through advanced models and engines to give the client the best possible service.”

The other area that Buening is focused on is cybersecurity — specifically, that all systems and interfaces are as secure as they can possibly be to protect both the business and its customers. “If the client can’t trust you, you’re finished,” he states. “We have a complete zero-tolerance strategy; if we lose one client then that’s as good as losing everyone. For that reason, we have a state-of-the-art security operations centre and we use highend experts in cybersecurity.” mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

277

And while that protects the business

‘customer experience offered by

to the highest degree, it is, says Buening,

banks’, it’s customer experience

an ongoing battle to stay ahead of those

generically,” de Bruin states. “The

cybercriminals who are intent on caus-

standard, across multiple sectors has

ing harm. He likens risk management

increased significantly in terms of how

and cybersecurity to a ‘weapons race’,

you offer a rich customer experience,

but also maintains that “you have to

so it puts a lot of pressure on how you

have everything right from the beginning.

design and develop your products.

You must have people on board who are

Consequently, we’ve spent a lot of

determined to make it as hard as pos-

time building best-in-breed systems

sible for anyone to access your systems,

and shifting our thinking to this custom

and who are willing to achieve excel-

journey that is so important to us.”

lence across the entire infrastructure.”

Alex Kim is Deem’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In more than three

THE DEEM EXPERIENCE

decades of key roles in banking and

“Customer experience is no longer

technology operation, Kim has been

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Andrew Weik Park Andrew is a payments industry expert with 25 years of professional experiences in financial services and consulting industries, and a comprehensive understanding of banking, credit and payment markets. Andrew has expertise in sales, marketing, business development, strategic partnership, corporate strategy, business portfolio management, big data analytics, predictive modelling, and credit risk management disciplines.

mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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DEEM FINANCE

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• Overall: Average Card Spend (AED): 26% higher than the UAE market average • Overall: Average Card Transaction: 1.5x UAE market average • Aff luent: Average Card Spend (AED): 43% higher than the UAE market average 280

• NPS improvement: 63 pp up since launch • Customer Demographics: 50% of new customers in more aff luent income levels

a leading figure in the US, Korea,

experience, a simpler process for staff

Singapore, Malaysia and Japan

and higher efficiency for our sharehold-

with companies including Standard

ers. Data processing is the glue that

Chartered Bank and American Savings

brings these strands together.

Bank. All of this experience is neatly

“One area in particular that will open

underpinned by one overarching view

this up further is artificial intelligence,”

on technology: that it should make

he continues. “The technology opens

life simpler and better. “Anything we

up a huge area of opportunity for us,

build must deliver a better customer

not so much in terms of delivering

JUNE 2020

more sophisticated or complex prod-

It will allow very customised delivery

ucts, but rather for delivering more

of services for every single customer.”

simply. We’re around 60% into the

The nurturing approach that Deem

complete automation of our back end

offers its customers is mirrored in the

at the moment — a process we hope

culture that de Bruin and his colleagues

to have completed by June of this year.

have created within the business. “It’s

Most companies shy away from such a

been really important to establish,” de

process, which makes it a real opportu-

Bruin explains, “because where do you

nity for startups like Deem compared

find people that have both the financial

to legacy players or incumbents. By

services talent and the technical exper-

automating our back end processes we

tise that Deem is underpinned by? They

can literally change as needed depend-

are two worlds that very rarely overlap,

ing on the latest data on how our

so our challenge has really been that

customers are interacting with us, how

it’s a market that is rich in banking

they’re using our products and so forth.

talent, but lighter in tech talent — we

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0:14

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DEEM FINANCE

struggled to find what I term ‘digital bankers’. For a lot of bankers, the challenges in entering the world in which Deem exists are around struggling to adapt to this new super-fast, real-time way of thinking — that’s what drew me into the business in the first place.”

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PLANNING Deem’s achievements in its year of business are significant. Driven by de Bruin and his colleagues the company 282

doesn’t rest on its laurels. Together with the ongoing automation of its entire backend, as described by Kim, there are several new products on the horizon that de Bruin says “will truly take the consumers’ side”. While it is too early to reveal specific details, he alludes to innovative launches that will share any benefit that Deem makes

functions under one distinct service

from them with users.

platform that best serves customers.

This development capacity is, in part,

“Technology allows us to build prod-

enabled by the strong ‘digital fabric’

ucts in which the processing costs are

that de Bruin previously mentioned. This

lower, the risk better managed and

could, for example, be used as a foun-

the benefits possible for the consumer

dation to a future Platform as a Service

can be tailored — we can and will

model should Deem move in this

pass some of those benefits back to

direction, or to bring several financial

our key constituents.

JUNE 2020

“We see a great deal of enthusiasm

written into our company culture, so

for what we’re trying to achieve,” he

we will never settle for good enough

continues. “There’s not been a single

in what we already do.”

minute that hasn’t been exciting, and what we hope to do can be divided into two core spaces: what we already do but can do better, and what we are still to start. Craftsmanship and constantly searching for improvements are mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

284

Solidarity: embracing change at scale in insurance WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE

PRODUCED BY

JORDAN HUBBARD

JUNE 2020

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S O L I D A R I T Y S A U D I TA K A F U L C O M PA N Y

Raid Bakri, CIO of Solidarity, discusses his company’s digital transformation journey and the significant culture shift embraced by the organisation

B

ased in Saudi Arabia, Solidarity Saudi Takaful Company offers a range of the highest quality insurance products in

the Kingdom.

Overseeing the company’s digital transformation is Raid Bakri, CIO of Solidarity. Having worked for sev286

eral large organisations such as Al-Rajhi Takaful and AXA Cooperative Insurance prior to joining Solidarity in 2018, Bakri has a comprehensive understanding of the insurance landscape and what is required to succeed in the digital world. “When I joined it was very important to hit the ground running,” he says. “The Solidarity CEO explained to me what he wanted to achieve for the company in its digital transformation, in addition to the services they wanted to launch. I built a straightforward agile strategy and outlined what we were going to deliver and committed that we’d do our best to deliver it within a year. And I’m very pleased to say we have achieved a 513% growth over the last 12 months in the services that were digitised.”

Such growth has come to fruition due to Bakri and his team’s determination. In the past, Bakri believes that Solidarity wasn’t regarded as a major force JUNE 2020

287

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S O L I D A R I T Y S A U D I TA K A F U L C O M PA N Y

“ Optane will help us with configuring faster calculation engines, web applications, data access and anything that requires advanced caching facilities” — Raid Bakri, CIO, Solidarity

cloud, Bakri says his company has no immediate plans to move all of its services over. “One of the key things we had to do was evaluate our infrastructure

288

in the local Saudi Insurance industry.

and really determine what we have and

“Previously, no one really considered

how to optimise our capacity,” he says.

Solidarity as one of the key players in the

“There is a lot of talk around the cloud,

market,” explains Bakri. “However now,

and of course the cloud is important, but

I believe the outlook has changed, mainly

there are regulations that don’t allow us

because our competitors have taken

to transition there easily. I don’t really see

notice of the decrease in their online

much cost optimisation in moving every-

market shares in specific segments,

thing to the cloud because it’s still a niche

this is due to the online services and

set up in Saudi Arabia. The cost would

platforms we have launched. In some

end up costing organisations more as

segments, we’ve been able to capture

opposed to hosting your own infrastruc-

a 30-40% market share online in less

ture on-premise. And it was decided to

than a year.” Despite the rise of the

bring the cloud on-premise” Instead, Bakri believes in partnerships and has the drive to look closer to home and upgrade current processes.

“I partnered with several local vendors that I have good experience with and we launched a project to upgrade our current infrastructure. We went with hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI)

JUNE 2020

private cloud architected by Solidarity

has allowed us to do 329,000 IOPS per

and HPE. HPE and Intel were testing a

second across four virtual servers. The

technology called Optane.” Optane is a

Optane setup has made this capacity

memory module created to accelerate

possible,” says Bakri. “Optane will help

data access speeds. It provides a better

us with configuring faster calculation

computing experience for the front-end

engines, web applications, data access

services allowing the applications to

and anything that requires advanced

fetch the data faster, from calculation

caching facilities, this will allow us to

engines to web applications, this tech-

serve our customers through web plat-

nology can be used anywhere in the

forms faster than the competition. That’s

organisation’s systems architecture.

what sets us apart.”

The technology uses 3D XPoint, a new

Bakri recognises the importance of

type of memory technology that its

change management and believes it is

manufacturers, Micron and Intel, claim

one of the most challenging aspects of

is 1,000 times faster than traditional

any transformation programme. “It’s

NAND flash. “Our front-end setup

one of the hardest things that we’ve

“Private Cloud” enabled with the tech

done,” admits Bakri. “It’s all about mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

289

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“ Ultimately, the best idea always wins” — Raid Bakri, CIO, Solidarity

necessary in order to reach our goals.”

Bakri believes a culture shift was essential or his company would run the risk of stagnating its growth. “Internally, we had to change the mindset and become more visionary. Ultimately, the best idea always wins. It’s important that

collaboration and understanding rather

everyone has his/her say,” he says. “I

than any individual’s effort. When I first

started to operate in Solidarity with

came on board, there was initially some

a startup mindset. I told my team to

resistance in trying new ways of doing

forget about the past and focus on the

things. However, I felt it was impor-

future. I believe a key reason why we’ve

tant and I explained that change was

been able to achieve so much in such a 291

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E :

Raid Bakri An information technology expert and visionary with strategic expertise in implementing complex IT Digital Transformation projects, and 19 years of experience in the IT field, including 9+ years within the insurance industry. He is acknowledged for having an integrated set of competencies in the IT field ranging from managing DevOps and executing large Digital transformation programmes and leading large diverse teams from both the business and IT by breaking down the department silos ensuring agile collaboration to get job done. Bakri possesses a proven record of accomplishments in delivering innovative fluid solutions in a strategic agile manner, focusing on customer centricity, people centricity, efficiency and technology revolution & evolution.

He is known for contributing to the bottom-line in all business areas to ensure value-added functions, facilities and quick to market deployments, are delivered all while improving operational excellence, increasing departmental productivity and optimising costs. mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

S O L I D A R I T Y S A U D I TA K A F U L C O M PA N Y

short space of time is because of that startup mentality we encouraged. 2019 was the turning point for Solidarity Takaful. If that digital culture shift hadn’t happened last year, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in now and it would be a very different story.”

Saudi Arabia itself is in the midst of a significant transformation in its history. The Saudi Vision 2030 is the Kingdom’s ambition and plan to reduce its dependency on oil, by diversifying its economy and developing its public 292

and private sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, technology, aerospace, tourism and many other sectors. With the Saudi Vision mindset by his HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Bakri believes that customer-centricity and easy to

“ It’s all about collaboration and understanding rather than any individual’s effort” — Raid Bakri, CIO, Solidarity JUNE 2020

use services are at the heart of this transformation and Solidarity’s strategy is aligned with it moving forward. “To me, the Saudi Vision is all about providing the best-in-class service for all segments exceeding worldwide standards and becoming a leader in setting the standard on how to service our nationals, visitors and guests. We want everyone to live and render services comfortably,”

293

explains Bakri. “You don’t need to walk

follow. At the end of the day, we are

into a branch or be bound to a specific

selling people a promise that if anything

location to purchase your insurance

were to happen to your assets that

policy or render a service anymore, I

are insured with us, we will return it

call this practice the traditional way.

to its former state, with as little effort

We should enable our customers to

required from the comfort of your home

purchase and render service from any-

or wherever you may be by enabling digi-

where and any time. It’s very important

tal channels and services.”

to be a service-driven organisation rather than a profit-driven one. If we focus on the services, the profit will mid dl e e a s t . b u s in e s s c hie f. c o m

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