Business Chief USA – October 2019

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A DIGITAL REVOLUTION IN THE US AIR FORCE Nicolas M. Chaillan discusses the launch of the DevSecOps initiative amid technological change EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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FOREWORD

W

elcome to the October edition of Business Chief USA.

under-payed throughout the tech space, and how increased gender parity could add $12trn to the global economy by 2025.

In our cover feature this month, we travelled to Washington D.C. to interview the United States Air Force.

Also in the magazine are in-depth In our exclusive interview with the features with SAP Global Center of federal government, Nicolas Excellence, City of Aurora, M Chaillan, Chief Software FireEye, Plaza Construction, Officer at the US Air Patelco Credit Union and Force, discusses the YMCA of San Diego launch of the County that you won’t Nicolas M Chaillan, DevSecOps initiative want to miss!

US Air Force amid significant technological change.

Finally, be sure to check “This is game changing out this month’s City Focus for us,” affirms Chaillan. “The on Houston as well as a countdown current process takes around six of the top 10 hotels in the United States, to eight months for someone to be according to Travel and Leisure. granted access to a cloud to deploy software there.”

Enjoy the issue!

Our leadership piece showcases technology leader, Helen Knight, as she takes an extended look at why women are underrepresented and

If you have a story to tell, please email harry.menear@bizclikmedia.com Harry Menear

w w w. b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

03

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CONTENTS

12 40 52 Making a success of digital transformation

66

Airswift: Automation and human centricity in recruitment

74 FIVE STEPS TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN

82 City Focus

HOUSTON

90

CONTENTS

104 SAP

126 City of Aurora

140

174

FireEye Inc

Patelco Credit Union

156 Plaza Construction

188 YMCA of San Diego County

202 Transform Shared Service Organization

12

WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE

PRODUCED BY

MIKE SADR OCTOBER 2019

13

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

US AIR FORCE

NICOLAS M. CHAILLAN, CHIEF SOFTWARE OFFICER AT THE US AIR FORCE, DISCUSSES THE LAUNCH OF THE DEVSECOPS INITIATIVE AMID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN WASHINGTON DC

T 14

he US Air Force needs little introduction.

Operating with the mission: ‘to flight, fight and win… in air, space and cyberspace’,

the organisation affirms that only the best is good enough. With serving the American people at the forefront of decision-making, the US Air Force has established three essential core values to which it adheres: ‘Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.’ Sitting down with Business Chief in the US capital of Washington DC, Nicolas M Chaillan, Chief Software Officer at the US Air Force and Co-Lead of the US Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative, is responsible for overseeing the successful launch of Cloud One, supporting all business and weapon systems in the Air Force and the DoD Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative. Introduced by the Chief Software Officer and Gen. Schmidt in July 2019, a combination of both Microsoft and Amazon Web Services’ cloud OCTOBER 2019

15

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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The 2019 DevSecOps Community Survey, taken by thousands of IT professionals, found that 20% of respondents from government agencies believed they had a breach stemming from the use of vulnerable open source components in the past 12 months. That’s an alarming number when you consider what those attempted breaches may have been trying to uncover.

As government developers and contractors work towards digital modernization goals, they are consuming hundreds of billions of open source components and containerized applications to improve processes and catch up with their commercial counterparts. The good news: they help create efficiencies and enhance innovation within the government. The bad news: many of the components and containers they are using are fraught with defects including critical security vulnerabilities.

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US AIR FORCE

platforms has allowed the Air Force to operate at heightened speeds, providing access to cloud capabilities to airmen within days to enable software development on the cloud or leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). “This is game changing for us,” affirms Chaillan. “The current process takes around six to eight months for someone to be granted

18

access to a cloud to deploy software

set to enable fighters in the field to

there.” With the initiative focusing on

create, deploy and operate software

marrying automated software tools,

applications in a secure and flexible

baked-in cybersecurity, services and

way. “Having started nine years ago,

standards to the DoD program, it is

DevOps has become the evolution of

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘NICOLAS M. CHAILLAN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING DIVERSE PARTNERS WITHIN THE US AIR FORCE

“ DEVSECOPS ENABLES US TO SECURELY DEPLOY SOFTWARE MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY” — Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

19

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“ PROACTIVITY IS THE ONLY WAY, to help bring software into production,” PARTICULARLY explains Chaillan. “By removing the impediments we have in order to build IN TERMS OF software faster and better, DevOps CYBERSECURITY enables us to deploy software on the BECAUSE YOU commercial side multiple times a day.

For us in the DoD, cybersecurity is vital CAN’T AFFORD because of the continuous monitorTO BE REACTIVE” — agile and is now able to use automa-

tion, both in testing and cybersecurity,

ing side of the house. That is why we

call it DevSecOps. It’s important that we’re able to constantly see what’s going on in production in real-time

Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

23

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Nicolas M Chaillan Having begun his role as Chief Software Officer of the US Air Force in May 2019, Chaillan is an experienced Senior C-Level Executive with 19 years of domestic and international experience with strong technical and subject matter expertise in cybersecurity, software development, product innovation, governance, risk management and compliance. He is an expert in numerous technological fields such as cybersecurity, DevSecOps, multi-touch, mobile solutions, IoT, Big Data, Mixed Reality, VR, Cloud Computing and wearables.

Chaillan has successfully launched and managed 12 companies throughout his career.

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

US AIR FORCE

“ KUBERNETES IS CLEARLY WINNING THE BATTLE WHEN IT COMES TO CONTAINER ORCHESTRATION AND SCALE” — Nicolas M Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

24

with a zero-trust model down to the

delivers software capabilities. “Back

container level, with behavior detec-

in 2017, the Air Force was already very

tion and centralized logging so we can innovative and decided to develop obtain the data and get the telemetry

Kessel Run while also building soft-

back to development teams.”

ware and mission capabilities to use

With the task of implementing

the Kessel Run factory,” he says. “The

DevSecOps, the Air Force has begun

goal wasn’t just to build a factory for

implementing software factories such

the sake of having a factory – it’s been

as the Kessel Run Laboratory over the to create mission software and bring past few years. Through Kessel Run, Chaillan believes the Air Force has transformed the way it develops and OCTOBER 2019

tangible value to the warfighters.”

Chaillan began work at an early age in his native France. At 15, he created

25

and developed his first company.

the federal government.” Due to new

“I’ve been on the commercial side

technology such as Big Data, machine

for a long time, I ended up selling 12

learning (ML) and AI becoming

companies and building robust teams

increasingly influential globally, busi-

in cybersecurity and software innova-

nesses worldwide are adopting inno-

tion,” he explains. “I moved to the US

vative, modern processes in order to

around 10 years ago and, after selling

remain current. The case also applies

my companies, I decided I wanted

to the US Air Force, with Chaillan

to make a difference and have a real

understanding the impact that tech-

impact. Building mobile applications

nology has had on the way his organi-

and other cool technologies is fun, but sation conducts operations. “I think it’s not the same impact as we have in

the entire future of war is going to be w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘LEVERAGING DEVSECOPS AND CLOUD ONE AT THE US AIR FORCE’

something that’s driven by embracing

of keeping highly-confidential informa-

these kinds of technologies, whether

tion secure at all times being crucial

it’s AI, ML, Big Data or cybersecurity

to both the DoD and the Air Force, the

offence and defense,” affirms Chaillan.

government must remain proactive

“If you can’t adapt while in production,

rather than reactive to counteract

then you’re stuck in time and there’s

any potential threats. “Proactivity is

nothing worse in software than that. It’s

the only way, particularly in terms

important to bring in new capabilities

of cybersecurity because you can’t

as well as adapting existing capabilities

afford to be reactive,” he says. “If you’re

to make sure you can fix problems as

not being proactive, you’re not doing a

they arise.”

good enough job. You have to combine

Cybersecurity is perhaps the domi-

what’s already stable enough to use

nant factor at the forefront of Chaillan’s

versus something that’s new but just a

decision-making. With the importance

little too early.” Striking a fine balance w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

27

Proud to support the U.S. Air Force Transform government, the open source way

between the risk of embracing disruptive technology to accelerate current processes and sticking to previously successful approaches is challenging. However, Chaillan believes one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is continuously training staff with the latest trends.

or platform,”

“You really have to understand the risk,

says Chaillan.

because technology is accelerating at

“When I started,

an incredible pace at the moment. In

I wanted to ensure

IT, you have the ability to completely

that whatever we

change the way you’re doing business;

built was abstracted

sometimes it’s going to last and some-

so we weren’t reliant on

times it may not.”

a single vendor or product. It

In order to arrange and manage

29

was a key reason why we initially chose

software containers, the Air Force

Kubernetes and decided to abstract our

has deployed Kubernetes, originally

entire stack because, whatever applica-

designed by Google and now main-

tion you use, you want to ensure you

tained by the Cloud Native Computing

understand the costs and the impact of

Foundation (CNCF), as part of its

the lock-in with that specific application.”

DevSecOps platform. “As a govern-

“Kubernetes is clearly winning the

ment, it’s important that we don’t get

battle when it comes to container

locked into a particular cloud provider

orchestration and scale. It’s an open w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

US AIR FORCE

5,328

Number of manned aircraft as of 2018

1947

Year founded

30

327,215

Approximate number of active duty airmen

OCTOBER 2019

31

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE NEED FOR CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY IN THE AIR FORCE’

source product that anyone can use,

The Air Force was the first organisa-

but you have multiple companies like

tion to join CNCF, the vendor-neutral

Pivotal, Red Hat, Amazon, Microsoft

home for many of the fastest-growing

and VMware that can take the

open source projects, outside of com-

Kubernetes solution and make it into

mercial companies and became an

a turnkey product that you know will

influence over how CNCF looked after

be compatible with any environment.

Kubernetes. “When I joined the Air

It’s critical because you’re not getting

Force, I realised we had many teams

locked in; you can take that piece of

building factories to develop their

code and move it to a different cloud or

mission applications. We had seven

disconnect and classified environment

or eight teams and incredible people

and it’ll behave in the same way. This

developing mission software,” explains

is particularly important for our edge

Chaillan. “Originally, we had teams

deployments.”

such as Kessel Run, Space Camp, w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

33

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“ MY JOB IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR STARTUPS TO WORK WITH THE US GOVERNMENT”

35

— Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

Kobayashi Maru, LevelUp, Bespin that were all utilising a very limited set of talent to create the factory, and this then enabled them to build the software. We just decided to decouple development teams from factory teams and now we only have two factory departments — LevelUp and Kessel Run. The development teams can simply use these two factories so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The more development w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

US AIR FORCE

US AI R F O R C E FACT S

36

Along with conducting independent air and space operations, the U.S. Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2017, the service operates more than 5,369 military aircraft, 406 ICBMs and 170 military satellites. It has a $161bn budget and is the second largest service branch, with 327,215 active duty airmen, 141,800 civilian personnel, 69,200 reserve airmen, and 105,700 Air National Guard airmen.

teams we are integrating into our DevSecOps platform and migrating our existing software factories the better, because they can simply piggyback on them and on Cloud One.�

The US government has a process for software approval called an Authority to Operate (ATO) which takes between six months to a year. “Thanks to Dana Deasy, the DoD CIO, Bill Marion the Air Force CIO, Lauren OCTOBER 2019

Knausenberger, the Air Force Chief Transformation Officer, Daniel C. Holtzman, Cyber Security Engineering and Resilience Senior Leader, we implemented the concept of a DoDwide continuous ATO to allow us to push software to production continuously within a software factory,” he explains. “The continuous ATO (cATO) enables us to automatically take software from development to production multiple times a day, without having to reassess the software manually. This becomes an automated process and is a clear, well-defined, step-by-step procedure that takes software from unit, integration, regression and end-to-end testing all the way to cybersecurity scanning and deployment.” Regarding partnerships, Chaillan hopes it will become easier for startups to work with the US government to ensure the Air Force continues to achieve success in the technological space over the next few years. “We’re trying to tap into every company that is interested in working with us,” says Chaillan. “My job is to make it easier for startups to work with the US government. Getting access to technology is critical, if we w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

37

US AIR FORCE

“ THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS DESIGNED HAS TO BE SUSTAINABLE – IT MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST AFTER I’M GONE” 38

— Nicolas M. Chaillan, Chief Software Officer, US Air Force

get behind it’s going to have a major impact on our mission capabilities.

If we don’t have access to the latest technologies because startups find it too hard to work with the US government, then we’re going to fail. The second aspect is the real partnership with the airmen and the DoD programs.

We have to build mission capabilities with the implementation of programs such as AEGIS, JAIC, F16, F22 and F35 because they need to build software and they have to do it now. That’s my partnership — it’s teamwork.”

With the future in mind, Chaillan OCTOBER 2019

39

hopes to create a legacy that will last long-term. “The most important thing is that everything that is designed has to be sustainable – it must be something that will last after I’m gone. You have to ask the question: is it something that can scale? If I don’t do that, I could stay 10 years and I wouldn’t have made a big impact. You need to change the system, not just go around the system.

You have to make that change last,” concludes Chaillan.

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

LEADERSHIP

40

The ethical and economic imperative for women in tech Business Chief sits down with technology leader Helen Knight to take an extended look at why women are underrepresented and underpaid throughout the tech space, and how increased gender parity could add $12trn to the global economy by 2025 WRITTEN BY

OCTOBER 2019

HARRY MENEAR

41

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

LEADERSHIP

L

ast year, tech job platform Honeypot conducted a study of 41 EU and OECD nations focused around gender parity in the technology space.

In addition to revealing that Bulgaria leads the world as an employer of women in tech jobs (with a 30.28%

female workforce), the study placed the United States and Canada firmly in the middle of the pack.

The US tech workforce employs just over six million people and Canada slightly more than 900,000, with both countries paying women in technology jobs about 18% less than their male counterparts.

42

“Gender parity in the workplace is not just an ethical or moral issue, but also an economic one: McKinsey found that $12trn could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality,” explains Emma Tracey, Co-Founder of Honeypot. “With the proportion of female tech workers remaining under 30% across the board, we hope that this study will enrich the conversation concerning equality in this industry and inspire more women to seek out opportunities in tech.”

Today, the gender gap is slowly but surely beginning to close, as cities like Washington DC and Baltimore become havens for vibrant, increasingly genderdiverse startup scenes, and are seeing an increasing number of female executives higher up the pay ladder – although major tech hubs like Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Seattle are conspicuously OCTOBER 2019

43

“ G ender parity in the workplace is not just an ethical or moral issue, but also an economic one” — Emma Tracey, Co-Founder, Honeypot w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

LEADERSHIP

“ I’m not theorising that an all-female board would do better than an all-male one, but diversity has been proven to improve boards in other industries” 44

— Helen Knight, IT Director, Calgary DI

absent from the list. In Canada, Vancouver is starting to emerge as a hub for women in tech.

However, the factors that push women away from jobs in technology still remain in our cultural and educational institutions. “In North America, the influences that work against women becoming interested in technical fields start very young.

It’s like there is an unspoken belief that, if you’re pretty enough, you don’t need to learn math. That is a uniquely Western perspective that I don’t see happening in Asian countries. It’s ridiculously wasteful and it happens to girls at a very young age,” says Helen Wetherley Knight, Canadian CIO of the Year Finalist 2018 and Director of Information Technology at the Calgary Drop-In Centre. We sat with Knight to hear her insight into the current state of women in technology, how a gender diversified approach can lead to better decision making, and how her ongoing work with the Women in Technology (WIT) Network promotes women and girls to pursue careers in technology.

“My grandmother was a mathematician in Australia in the 1940s. When she got married, she could only find work as

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE WIT NETWORK’ 45 a math teacher, and once she had

“It worked out for me though,

children, she could no longer practice

because at the University of Sydney,

her love of mathematics. My mother

Australia, another student was working

was a scientist in Australia in the 1960s

on a bold thesis that the school’s new

and was accepted to study dingoes in the

Super Computer could be used to

outback. However, once they discovered

survey people on their interests,

she was a woman they sent her a letter

encode the data onto punch cards and

that said: ‘We rescind our offer as we

find love matches, creating the world’s

have a male applicant’. Although this was

first computer dating system. I was

devastating for my mother, she returned

lucky that both my mother and father

to school and studied to become a

volunteered to participate in the

science teacher, heeding the advice from

experiment, as that is how they

her mother that the only way she could

became matched, fell in love and

work in the field she loved was as an

eventually had me, a product of

instructor,” recalls Knight.

artificial intelligence.” w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

LEADERSHIP

Knight became interested in computers at a very young age, learning to program when she was nine and falling in love with the world of technology and its potential applications. “In high school, I was startled to be told that computers were for boys. None of my new classmates were interested in computers, so I spent my high school years learning how to dumb down my intellect in an attempt to be datable.” She didn’t rekindle her love for computers until she was 26, enrolling in technical school 46

and quickly accruing certifications and making up for a decade of missed opportunities to learn. After receiving her MBA from Athabasca University, Knight proceeded to hold increasingly senior jobs in the tech space, founding her own IT consulting company in 2008.

Alongside her current role as Director of IT at the Calgary Drop-In, Knight still speaks professionally on IT transformation and diversity in technology at universities and conferences across North America.

“When I go to CIO conferences, I’m often the only woman in the room who’s not in marketing,” she says.

“For the last year, I’ve been talking to OCTOBER 2019

men about women in IT and how, in financial terms and uptime, their teams will be better and more effective if they’re genuinely diverse.”

Pointing to a Credit Suisse survey that tracked the performance of 3,000 companies over a 10-year period, Knight highlights the fact that companies with women in executive roles were more profitable, resilient to market down-turn, innovative, collaborative, and better decision makers. “I’m not theorising that an all-female board would do better than an all-male one, but diversity has been proven to improve boards in other industries. We’re just struggling with it in technology, where women are so often marginalized,” she explains.

The crux of the distinction is neurobiological, Knight argues.

Referencing Dr. Louann Brizendine, author of The Female Brain, she notes that “the female prefrontal cortex is larger, which is what actually governs aggressive impulses, so it aligns with the fact that we do things less impulsively and have more patience.

Women have a larger insula, which gives us an increased ability to read nonverbal cues like facial expressions. w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

47

LEADERSHIP

48

Also, we have a larger Anterior

own drawbacks and inefficiencies, but

Cingulate Cortex, which improves the

if the tech space became more diverse,

ability to weigh options during decision

“We would have better tools, better

making, and a larger and more active

teamwork, less territorialism and better

Hippocampus, which allows us to store

training material, because women still

emotional memory in greater detail.”

remember the emotional pain of

The upshot is that, while the male brain

learning, whereas men’s brains flush

is built to generate clear and distinct

that out a lot faster.”

drives towards singular solutions, the

Knight believes that one key to

female brain excels at brainstorming

championing diversity in the tech

activities, weighing options and

sector is to increase the ability for the

thinking in terms of large, integrated

minority of women working in it to

systems. Knight maintains that either

connect with and support one another.

method of thinking in isolation has its

To that end, she does guest lecturers,

OCTOBER 2019

“ The WIT Network offers us the ability to support, not only our female employees, but also our entire management team, who are focused on diversity and inclusion” — Vicki Thomson, Chief People Officer, New Signature

are focused on diversity and inclusion.

Every current and new female employee will receive a welcome package which includes their WIT Network membership benefits,” comments Vicki Thomson, Chief People Officer at New Signature, a cloud-first, full-service, Microsoft partnered technology solutions company.

Knight plans to continue campaigning for a brighter future for women in technology. As with all people who work to build a better future, a large part of her motivation comes from the desire to improve the lot of future generations. “I hope I am a part of the solution,” she says. “I’m also very eager

mentors’ groups of female students

to see the next generation grow. When

and is a member of the Alberta chapter

my daughter was two, I saw her trying

of the WIT Network, with the aim of

to stretch an image in a book to make it

bringing together women and girls in

bigger. She’s grown up with tech all

the province who are interested, or

around her, today’s children have so

already working in technology. The WIT

much access to easy to use devices.

Network has over 80 chapters

The fact that there’s no gender bias

worldwide, in more than 30 countries,

there – no one is telling little girls today

offering programs, mentorship and

that iPhones are for boys - is

inspiration for all ages and stages in a

something that makes me really

women’s career in tech. “The WIT

excited about the future.”

Network offers us the ability to support, not only our female employees, but also our entire management team, who w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

49

Covering every angle in the digital age The Business Chief platforms offer insight on the trends influencing C and V-level executives, telling the stories that matter

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TECHNOLOGY

52

MAKING A SUCCESS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Nancy Hammervik, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations at IT trade association CompTIA, discusses the work the organisation does to enable digital transformation WRITTEN BY

OCTOBER 2019

MARCUS LAWRENCE

53

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TECHNOLOGY

T

ell us a bit about yourself and your role as Executive Vice President of Industry Relations at CompTIA.

I have been in the tech industry for nearly 35 years, starting on the media side (selling advertising, sponsorships, and staging events around the world that bring vendors, distributors and partners together). Eight and a half years ago, I joined CompTIA as Executive Vice President, Industry Relations. A big part of my role is managing our

54

membership programme, providing value to members to both grow their businesses and have a positive impact on the industry. I am responsible for growing our membership numbers, member engagement and value, and expanding our reach and relevance in the tech ecosystem.

CompTIA has 10 member-led communities (in vertical markets like Managed Services and Security, demographic markets like Advancing Women in Tech and Future Leaders, and geographic markets like the UK and Benelux) and five industry advisory councils that serve as the headlights for our organisation and industry.

The part of my role that I enjoy the most is providing members with the tools and resources they need to stay relevant in a fast paced, evolving industry while harnessing the power of our OCTOBER 2019

“YOUR TEAM SHOULD BE AS DIVERSE AS YOUR CUSTOMER BASE” — Nancy Hammervik, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations, CompTIA

55

membership to be true advocates for the industry and its workforce, driving the adoption of emerging technologies and having a positive, palpable impact on the business of tech.

In your own words, what does CompTIA offer firms around the world with regards to enabling successful digital transformations?

CompTIA’s mission is to advance the adoption of technology and the growth of the tech industry. That’s why we offer an unparalleled selection w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

TECHNOLOGY

of resources related to digital trans-

sharing. We offer industry leading,

formation and other tech topics.

vendor-neutral skills training and skills

The vast majority of these resources

validation. CompTIA is the largest

– greater than 90% – are available at

provider of vendor-neutral skills

no cost, whether you are a dues-pay-

certifications for technology

ing member of the association or not.

professionals around the world.

We have comprehensive, world-

56

When compared to other organisa-

class research reports and staff, how-

tions, what makes CompTIA unique

to guides, whitepapers, and other

is our member communities. As men-

educational materials developed with

tioned, we offer member-led commu-

the collective expertise of thousands

nities across a variety of markets, all in

of IT professionals and executives

the business of influencing and ena-

around the world. We also have webinars,

bling digital environments for them-

podcasts, conference sessions, semi-

selves and their clients. We hear all the

nars and networking forums that offer

time that these communities offer a

peer-to-peer insight and best practice

trusted, safe haven where all players

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘LAUNCH YOUR CAREER WITH COMPTIA CERTIFICATIONS’

in the ecosystem can gather and learn

world do to ensure they can capitalise

from each other.

on the opportunities afforded by

Our UK Channel Community has

upcoming and ascendant solutions?

750 members. They meet face-to-

A great starting point for any organi-

face at least three times a year to

sation – large enterprise, mid-sized

share strategies and best practices,

firm or small business – is to inspire

and members have built such strong

and invest in their employees with

relationships that they can rely on

ongoing skills training. Encourage

each other throughout the year as a

staff to join CompTIA, even at the free,

resource to grow their businesses.

registered user level, to stay close to industry trends and dynamics and

Based on the recent CompTIA Top

make important contacts they that can

10 Emerging Technologies report,

build a solid network from. Attending

what can enterprises around the

industry events, conferences, and w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

57

TECHNOLOGY

other meet-ups in the industry is invaluable when it comes to being in the know and being prepared.

Second, invest in updating infrastructure. All emerging technologies will need sound and secure platforms and systems.

Third, make sure everyone in the organisation is on board with moving forward. Build a culture conducive to change and progress. Articulate the benefits of automating processes, saving dollars, operating more efficiently, and recognise and reward 58

“TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVING ALL BUSINESSES, INDUSTRIES AND GOVERNMENTS” — Nancy Hammervik, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations, CompTIA

efforts. Bring on external partners, business and technology consultants, and leverage their expertise. Make sure to bring line of business managers

you serve, and the short and long-

into the process.

term goals you have for business

Build diversity into your staff. Your

growth. Equipped with these insights,

team should be as diverse as your

a technology provider can make

customer base. Seek new and diverse

informed recommendations on the

perspectives and experiences to

technology options that make the

foster a culture of innovation.

most sense for a business, today

Finally, when it comes to innovation

and into the future.

and new and emerging technologies, consult with your trusted technology

Aside from the tech mentioned in

partners. The best tech partners are

the Top 10 report, what do you view

the ones that truly understand your

as the most influential established

business – the products or services

technologies at present?

you sell, the customers and markets

For me it’s all about IoT and Big Data –

OCTOBER 2019

59

capturing data and building programs

automate your shopping experiences

to analyse the data can have a tre-

and allow home healthcare solutions.

mendous impact on both businesses

Managing fleets of trucks and trains

and consumers. While IoT and Big

more efficiently can allow us to reduce

Data are improving businesses and

our carbon footprint, and smart buildings

lives, they are also solving world

in a city can help to better manage

problems. Having insight on your

renewable resources.

operations, workflow and customers

I met a young lady at a conference

– and doing something with it – can be

last week who invented the world’s

the catalyst for cost savings, improving

first smart white cane for the blind

efficiency, mitigating risk, maximising

and sight impaired, which allows them

sales and driving new revenue.

to have a greater understanding and

For consumers, IoT can monitor and regulate the climate of your environment,

control of their environment. With the cane collecting data on the user’s gait w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

TECHNOLOGY

and centre of balance, the development

global security market for IoT alone

team realised it could also be used by

is a £30bn market. Small and medium

the frail and elderly to help predict and

businesses (SMBs) are still relatively

avoid a traumatic fall three weeks

unaware and unprepared for the level

before it happens. The implications

of security that should be protecting

for healthcare and quality of life are

their – and their customers’ – security.

tremendous.

Working with a professional consultant or service provider is recommended.

In a general sense, what are the

60

We are also dealing with significant

most significant challenges facing

workforce skills gaps. In Q2 2019

a successful digital transformation?

employers across the UK were seeking

Security and the workforce. With mul-

to fill more than 140,000 core IT job

tiple components and “access points”

openings. That represented 9% of all

in every advanced digital solution, the

UK job postings in the quarter.

need for comprehensive and advanced security solutions is imperative. The

OCTOBER 2019

Not only do we have skills gaps, we have a confidence gap where many of

the next generation do not see them-

In general, most small businesses,

selves in a technology role. As we

across all industries, are lagging.

continue to introduce new technologies,

Without the internal skill and talent to

we create new roles – like data scien-

deploy and implement a digital strategy,

tists, drone service providers, AI

they are left to collaborate with external

ethics leads and more. CompTIA is

partners, business and technology

focused on building programs that will

consultants. While there are many

encourage, train and certify the next

solutions and service providers available

generation of the workplace. Digital

to support them, many of them are

transformation is defining the

small businesses themselves and on

business of the future.

the long tail of the learning curve.

We are seeing the greatest advances

Are there any particular industries

at the enterprise level being deployed

that appear to be lagging in terms

by larger system integrators and

of technological implementation/

global consultants. CompTIA is working

innovation?

hard to equip smaller solution providers with the insight, education, tools and resources needed to drive the adoption

“THE BEST TECH PARTNERS ARE THE ONES WHO TRULY UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS” — Nancy Hammervik, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations, CompTIA

of emerging technologies into the SMB. We are also focused on building the tech workforce through education, training and certification so more companies can staff and skill up with relevant talent.

In your view, which industries are leading the charge with the most successful digital transformations?

Digital transformation has taken hold in virtually every industry, but there are clear distinctions in the degrees and w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

61

TECHNOLOGY

pace that different industries are embracing these changes.

The advances in healthcare have been tremendous. The use of electronic health records got off to a relatively slow start, but the pace of adoption has increased in recent years. Digital records help contribute to better care and treatment, especially as patients see multiple doctors or are transferred to different care units or facilities.

Care givers have instant access to the latest patient information, delivered in a way that’s more secure and allows 62

for better data organisation.

Another digital innovation that’s taking hold is wearable technology, from Fitbit and similar devices that allow patients to monitor and record their daily activities to more advanced technologies for realtime monitoring of symptoms and vitals, medication reminders and status reports for medical staff. From hospital mattresses that measure and manage the patient’s vitals, through to robotic surgeries, insightful patient portals and AI-empowered diagnostics, the healthcare industry has been revolutionised by digital transformation.

Retail is also pushing forward quickly with customer-centric data management, OCTOBER 2019

IoT store cameras managing inventory and shopping patterns, and enhanced security solutions managing mobile payments. McKinsey forecasts the retail IoT market will hit ÂŁ28.6bn this year, with healthcare coming in at ÂŁ130bn.

Cloud computing, analytics and robotics are among the most innovative digital tools revamping the core of banking and finance. People have financial management at their fingertips via mobile banking apps, smart ATMs, virtual assistants and chatbots, and internet-based virtual banks.

To whatever extent, technology is driving all businesses, industries and governments. Whether it be hospitality, back office, construction or even agriculture, the use of technology, along with the internal staff and/or external teams to develop and manage it, is quickly becoming the single most compelling factor contributing to an organisation’s ability to compete, provide value, grow and succeed.

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63

PEOPLE

Airswift: 66

AUTOMATION AND HUMAN CENTRICITY IN RECRUITMENT Business Chief talks to Janette Marx, CEO of Airswift, about the effects of digital transformation on recruitment and retention, and what the future holds WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

© Albert Robida / Wikimedia Commons OCTOBER 2019

67

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PEOPLE

I

n 1899, French artist Jean-Marc Côté was among a team of illustrators commissioned to create a series of drawings to commemorate the 1900 world’s fair in Paris. The series,

originally printed as inserts for cigar boxes (and

then later reprinted, but never sold, as postcards – science fiction author Isaac Asimov reportedly owned the only surviving set) took the artists’ best guess at how technology would change our lives by the advent of the 21st century.

The subject matter of En L'An 2000 is, for 68

the most part, spectacularly off the mark.

Firefighters battle flames while flying through the air on bat wings, deep sea divers ride giant seahorses through the ocean and students have the contents of history books transferred directly into their brains via psychic helmets.

Endearingly hopeful and bizarre, Côté and his fellow artists’ work does betray just how hard it is to predict where the next wave of technological developments will take us.

In 1995, renowned astronomer and author Clifford Stoll wrote in an article for Newsweek that “the truth is no online database will replace your daily newspaper, no CD-ROM can take the place of a competent teacher and no computer network will change the way government works.” He also vociferously argued that there OCTOBER 2019

69

© Jean-Marc Côté / Villemard / Wikimedia Commons

was no such thing as a future where people would buy things over the internet, or read books and magazines online. “Discount the fawning technoburble about virtual communities,” he continued. “Computers and networks isolate us from one another. A network chat line is a limp substitute for meeting friends over coffee.” seventeen years after the article’s publication, Newsweek became an exclusively w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

PEOPLE

“ THERE IS A LOT OF AUTOMATION IN SOURCING NOW… THE PIECE THAT’S OFTEN MISSING IS THE PERSONAL TOUCH” — Janette Marx, CEO, Airswift

tion (and digitalisation in general) only highlights the continued need for the human element in business.

“There is a lot of automation in sourcing now, a lot of technology that companies use within their applicant tracking systems to interact with people applying for jobs, and engage with them via automated responses,” says Janette Marx, CEO of Airswift.

70

online publication. Obviously, the future

“The piece that's often missing is the

is not something to be predicted lightly.

personal touch.” Founded in 1979,

However, one or two predictions

Airswift is an international workforce

made by En L'An 2000 came partly

solutions provider within the energy,

true. Several of the illustrations por-

process and infrastructure industries.

tray a world in which a single worker

Headquartered in Houston, Texas,

sits, comfortably pushing buttons, as

the company has operations in 71

automated machinery does the work

countries with 58 office locations, and

of a dozen laborers. In this respect, at

employs 700 staff and 6,800 contractors.

least, Côté was entirely on the money.

“We're specialists in industries where

Automation has completely changed

companies, no matter what country

the way in which people work, reaching

they're in around the world, have the

further and further into aspects of our

challenge of trying to source the right

jobs and changing the culture of work

talent,” Marx explains. “We're not only

forever. While organisations like the

experts in identifying the right talent for

Office for National Statistics predict

our clients, but also experts in mobilis-

that, in the UK, as many as 1.5mn jobs

ing that talent wherever it’s needed.

are at risk of being eliminated by auto-

Whether it's locally, nationally or glob-

mation, a greater number of thought

ally, we do everything from making

leaders believe that increased automa-

sure people have a place to live, feel

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘OPPORTUNITIES WITH AIRSWIFT IN MOZAMBIQUE’ 71 that they are welcomed into a new

interaction between employer and

country and understand the culture,

future employee,” she says. “From a

to helping find schools for their kids.”

sourcing point of view, the medium

Airswift partners with some of the

has changed so much, from ads in the

largest companies around the world to

newspaper to online job boards to the

solve talent sourcing, recruitment and

invention of LinkedIn and so on. There

retention challenges in any number of

are a lot of different ways to attract

new and existing markets. In terms of

candidates to different companies.”

the ability to comment on the effect of

The increased digitalisation of the

digital transformation and innovation

recruitment space, according to Marx,

on the modern workforce, few are

has radically altered the size of the net

in a better position than Marx. “The

that companies can cast. This is where

biggest change in the talent sourcing

automation becomes so important.

world is, if you take a step back, how

“We can use chatbots and other types

digital transformation will change the

of automation to make sure that we're w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

PEOPLE

reaching the right audience. There are companies using chatbots to prescreen candidates to make sure they are qualified before doing an actual interview,” elaborates Marx. “It's really broken down a lot of barriers and globalised our outlook, especially if the skill you’re sourcing is niche, specific or hard to find.”

However, at the heart of recruitment is still the human relationship. “When a person decides to leave a job to go to another job, that's a really big 72

decision. Facilitating and navigating the thought process surrounding that

© Jean-Marc Côté / Wikimedia Commons

change is where real recruiters come in to help connect the dots between the employer and the job seeker,” Marx

especially with where the unemploy-

explains. “The digital world is coming

ment levels sit around the world right

into it, but you still need a human ele-

now,” she says. “There are a lot of

ment in the recruitment process.”

measures companies can take to

Digital transformation is not only

increase their retention and employee

changing the way that companies

engagement, to really train and

attract talent. Marx notes that, as the

develop their people.” More and more,

human capital space is increasingly

Marx finds, career progression is the

reshaped by the accelerating pace of

number one reason people switch

innovation, the strategies and values

jobs, with opportunities for training and

companies use to retain their talent are

development coming a close second.

becoming increasingly people–centric.

The global workforce is as aware of

“Retention is a really important piece,

the pace of change as anyone, and

OCTOBER 2019

“ THE TRUTH IS: NO ONLINE DATABASE WILL REPLACE YOUR DAILY NEWSPAPER, NO CD-ROM CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF A COMPETENT TEACHER AND NO COMPUTER NETWORK WILL CHANGE THE WAY GOVERNMENT WORKS” — Clifford Stoll, (Newsweek, 1995)

73

prioritises personal development in

the technology will support that overall

order to keep up.

experience,” she enthuses. “I can’t wait

In the same way that Côté and

to see where the next five years take us,

Stoll struggled to accurately envision

particularly in terms of communications.

where technology would take human-

It would be nice to have holograms,”

ity, the next five to 10 years are a time

she says, somewhat wistfully.

shrouded in mystery, brimming with the possibility of rapid advancements and new challenges to face. Marx herself is filled with optimism. “The future is going to be really, really interesting with regard to how we balance human interaction with technology and how w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

74

FIVE STEPS TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN John Perry, Managing Director at SCALA, a leading provider of management services for the supply chain and logistics sector, shares the processes businesses should undertake to become more sustainable WRITTEN BY

JOHN PERRY

OCTOBER 2019

75

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

76

S

ustainability is becoming

their supply chains are as sustainable

increasingly crucial to both con-

as possible – the question is, how?

sumers and key stakeholders

alike, with research from Unilever find-

DEVELOPING A BUSINESS CASE

ing that one in three consumers now

The first step towards achieving a

choose brands based on their social

more sustainable supply chain is to

and environmental credentials. This,

build the business case for action.

combined with the UK having recently

This will help to identify the highest

become the first major economy in

priority supply chain issues for the

the world to legally commit to net-zero

company, evaluate opportunities and

emissions by 2050, means that busi-

risks, and build the internal support

nesses are now having to ensure that

needed to move forward.

OCTOBER 2019

77

The business case for a particular

reducing the costs of material inputs,

company depends on a variety of

energy and transportation, increas-

issues, including: industry sector,

ing labour productivity, and fostering

supply chain footprint, stakeholder

growth by meeting evolving customer

expectations, business strategy and

and business partner requirements.

organisational culture. However, in most cases, supply chain sustainability

ESTABLISHING A VISION

offers a number of significant benefits.

Once the business case has been suc-

This can include minimising business

cessfully put forward, it’s important

disruption from environmental, social

to then establish a clear vision for the

and economic impacts, protecting a

company’s sustainable supply chain

company’s reputation and brand value,

programme. Defining the objectives at w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

“ A key element of supply chain sustainability is efficiency” — John Perry, Managing Director, SCALA

the outset of the project will prove invaluable when it comes to devising the strategy. Having a vision in place also makes it easier to evaluate the success of the programme and identify areas for continued improvement.

In order to ensure full support from the business’s senior executives, which will be crucial for success, they should be actively involved throughout the creation of the vision. In addition to the c-suite, representatives from across the business including sales, marketing, finance, IT systems, manufacturing and

78

procurement should be consulted, as each of these functions will have a role to play in the implementation of the sustainable supply chain programme.

STRATEGIC PLANNING A key element of supply chain sustainability is efficiency, which is best achieved through careful planning.

Sophisticated digital modelling tools can provide end-to-end supply chain perspective, enabling businesses to pinpoint inefficiencies and design a more sustainable supply chain and logistics network going forward.

By assessing all potential options OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CATHERINE WEETMAN - FUTURE-FIT LOGISTICS’ 79

and analysing a range of future ‘what

network, and reduce emissions by

if’ scenarios, companies can ensure

directing inventory to serve demand.

not only that their supply chain and logistics networks are resilient to

SOURCING RESPONSIBLY

future changes, but also that they can

While it’s impossible for businesses

benefit both the environment and their

to fully control the practices of every

bottom line by eliminating wastage

third party they deal with in their supply

and overspending.

chain, they should work to ensure that

For example, modelling software can

wherever possible they only partner

help supply chain professionals to min-

with companies that share the same

imise physical space used by identify-

goals, sustainability values, and envi-

ing redundant facilities or opportunities

ronmentally-conscious supply chain

to rebalance storage, avoid empty

processes as themselves.

miles by analysing their transportation

Customers will ultimately hold the w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

businesses they interact with directly accountable for the products or services that are delivered. So, if it is discovered that products contain parts manufactured unsustainably that have come from an external supplier, it won’t be the supplier that faces the backlash and suffers the consequences.

Qualifying the right sourcing partners is a critical piece of the sustainability puzzle, and it requires businesses to enforce the same high sustainability standards to which they hold them80

selves. Establishing and communicating expectations through a supplier code of conduct is an effective way for businesses to involve suppliers in their sustainability efforts.

whether their fleet’s size, type and geographic spread remains optimal,

OPTIMISING DISTRIBUTION

whether their distribution centres are

When looking to improve sustainability,

in the right places, whether customer

logistics is one of the areas where the

order profiles and delivery require-

biggest difference can be made. With

ments have changed since the original

a large number of vehicles moving high

transport operation was designed,

volumes of goods to diverse and dis-

and whether a dedicated transport

persed locations, there is a significant

operation is even still needed, or if

risk of inefficiency when it comes to

it could be more economical and

transport operations.

environmentally-friendly.

In order to optimise their logistics network, businesses should look at OCTOBER 2019

This will not only help to ensure that the supply chain can operate as

“ Businesses are now having to ensure that their supply chains are as sustainable as possible” — John Perry, Managing Director, SCALA

81

smoothly as possible, but also reduce empty miles and carbon emissions, which has a significant positive effect on a business’s environmental impact.

In addition to helping the environment and satisfying public demand for ethical and environmentally sound business practices, sustainability can drive significant business value both now and long into the future.

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CITY FOCUS

HOUS City Focus

82

Business Chief explores Houston, Texas, an energetic and diverse hub of business and innovation, and home to some of the country’s most enterprising space-centric startups

OCTOBER 2019

STON WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR

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83

CITY FOCUS | H CH O IUCSATGOON

T

he most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth most populous in the United States, Houston is home

to over 2.3 million people. Houston is very much a multicultural city: its residents are among the youngest in the country, speak over 90 languages and the metropolitan area lays claim to the thirdlargest hispanic population in the US. ‘H-Town’, 84

as it’s known, is also one of the nation’s leading business hubs. With the exception of New York, Houston is home to the most Fortune 500 companies in America.

Also nicknamed ‘Hustle Town’, the city’s spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation is perhaps most iconically embodied by the moniker ‘Space City’.

Located on Galveston Bay, looking out across the Gulf of Mexico, Houston hosts NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where the organization’s famous Mission Control Center is located. With 2019 marking the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, hailed by many as one of humanity’s crowning achievements, Business Chief takes a look at some of the Houston native companies continuing to uphold the legacy that earned Space City its name, according to a report by InnovationMap. OCTOBER 2019

85

NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon ©WIKI w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

CITY FOCUS | HOUSTON

COGNITIVE SPACE

is working to bring this cutting-edge

“The world is moving towards automa-

technology to the approximately

tion through artificial intelligence – for

2,000 operational satellites currently

good reasons. It can provide consist-

orbiting the Earth’s outer atmosphere.

ent reliability, sustainability and

With the planet rapidly becoming

exceptional performance, often

cloaked in an ever-thickening blanket

surpassing our brightest minds.

of space junk (NASA reported in 2017

Our mission is to render our precious

that there were more than 25,000

orbital machines fully autonomous,

pieces of debris larger than a softball

such that we can fully rely on their

orbiting the Earth) the need for effi-

invaluable services from space – a

cient organization of spacefaring

domain that is becoming increasingly

technology is greater than ever.

crowded and complex.”

86

As AI-driven automation continues

Founded in 2018, Cognitive Space is based in Houston and is currently work-

to permeate almost every aspect of

ing on the production of a prototype

the business landscape, one former

product in preparation for an upcoming

NASA specialist, Guy de Carufel,

seed round, expected by the end of 2019.

“ Our mission is to render our precious orbital machines fully autonomous, such that we can fully rely on their invaluable services from Space” — Cognitive Space

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘CEMVITA FACTORY’S CEMVITA FACTORY MOJI KARIMI AT NASA ITECH’

CEMVITA FACTORY

Utilization platform in order to mimic

In addition to space, one of Houston’s

the photosynthesis process found in

most significant industries is oil and

plants “by simultaneous uptake of

gas. For both, the production of CO2

solar energy, water, and processing

is a major issue. Founded in 2017,

of carbon dioxide to produce nutri-

Cemvita Factory aims to provide

ents, pharmaceuticals, intermediate

“economical solutions for a sustainable

chemicals, and polymers.”

future, on Earth and on Mars”. The

In an interview with Space Bandits,

people behind this biotechnology

Moji Kamiri said: “We fundamentally

startup’s lofty goal are brother and

solve the food problem for deep

sister team Moji and Tara Karimi.

space exploration and survival on

A member of the Capital Factory

Mars. Planning on taking food to

Accelerator Program, Cemvita Factory

space is very risky and astronomically

plans to use its proprietary CO2

expensive ($100k/kg to Mars at a w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

87

CITY FOCUS | HOUSTON

“ There would not have been any better place for us in the country than Houston” — Cemvita Factory

88

minimum). We believe the optimal

Kamiri said: “We’re in Houston, and we

solution is a mix of all but cannot only

have a technology that is from biotech

rely on taking the food with us.” The

and have applications in the space

company has reportedly had success

industry and the energy industry. There

creating glucose from CO2, a huge

would not have been any better place

step in the process of making space

for us in the country than Houston.”

travel a sustainable endeavor. The sustainability implications of harvest-

RE:3D

ing CO2 from Earth’s atmosphere and

Founded in 2013 by ex-NASA

converting it into usable chemicals

colleagues Samantha Snabes and

that no longer damage the environ-

Matthew Fiedler, re:3D is changing

ment speak for themselves.

the digital manufacturing game.

When asked by InnovationMap

The company’s flagship product, the

about Cemvita Factory’s home, Tara

Gigabot, has an eight cubic feet build

OCTOBER 2019

volume and is by far the most compet-

works with other Houston residents to

itively-priced industrial printer on the

support a large number of sustainable

market for its size and price point,

projects, from developing children’s

with a retail price of $9,000.

social skills through Dungeons &

Bootstrapped from the ground up

Dragons (re:3D printed every child an

using crowdfunding sites like Kick-

individual miniature of their character)

starter, re:3D’s crusade to democratize

to 3D printing sustainable energy

the capabilities of industrial 3D printing

solutions after Hurricane Maria.

has captured the imaginations of

The company occupies headquar-

donors across the world. The company’s

ters a few streets away from the

customer base now comprises an

Johnson Space Center and, along

esteemed group of specialty manu-

with the other startups on this list and

facturers, engineers, designers,

scattered across the rest of the city,

universities, and hobbyists in over 50

embodies the pioneering and adventur-

countries around the globe.

ous spirit that, half a century ago, drove

Invested in its local community, re:3D

NASA to put a man on the moon.

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘GIGABOT X: CREATING A PELLET PRINTER TO 3D PRINT USING RECYCLED PLASTIC’ w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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T O P 10

90

OCTOBER 2019

Hotels in North America 91

Business Chief examines the ‘Top 100 Hotels in the World’ according to Travel and Leisure to bring you the top 10 hotels in North America WRITTEN BY

SHANNON LEWIS

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T O P 10

92

10

Montage Kapalua Bay Hawaii

Spanning delete 24 acres, the Montage Kapalua Bay is located in Maui, Hawaii. With a Travel and Leisure score of 95.88, it is rated the 63rd best hotel in the world. Its amenities include over 50 residentialstyle multi-bedroom suites, 24 beachfront acres, five restaurants, four bars, and a complete spa service, according to the hotel’s website.

Overlooking Kapalua Bay, it has received public acclaim, with a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and a 9.3 rating on Booking.com.

OCTOBER 2019

93

09

North Block Hotel California

With a score of 96.00, North Block Hotel is tied for 55th place, according to Travel and Leisure. Situated in Yountville, California, it is the number one Californian hotel in the world. With only 20 rooms, these are well-stocked with private entrances, individual patios, heated floors in the bathrooms, and 300-count linens. North Block hotel boasts a full spa and an Italian-inspired eatery, the Redd Wood Restaurant, headed by Michelin-starred Richard Reddington.

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94

08

Fogo Island Inn Newfoundland

Tied for 55th best hotel in the world, the Fogo Island Inn has a Travel and Leisure score of 96.00. Located in Newfoundland, Canada, National Geographic calls it “a great feat of contemporary architecture.”

Perched on stilts, each of its 29 guest rooms and suites are unique, with floor-to-ceiling windows that open to a spectacular ocean view.

With a focus on sustainability, 100% of the hotel’s operating surpluses are reinvested into the community, according to its website.

OCTOBER 2019

95

07

The Bristol Hotel Virginia

The Bristol Hotel, situated in Bristol, Virginia, is a 65-room boutique hotel with a rooftop bar that offers far-reaching views of the Appalachian Mountains. With a Travel and Leisure Score of 96.09, it is the 53rd best hotel in the world. The building was built in 1925. Originally, it functioned as a hotel before becoming the most prominent office building in the city in the 20th century. Then eventually it reverted back to its original intention as the 65-room, 11-suite hotel.

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T O P 10

96

06

The Row Hotel Massachusetts

The 44th best hotel in the world, The Row Hotel at Assembly Row has a Travel and Leisure score of 96.32. Part of the Autograph Collection of Marriott Hotels, it is located in Somerville, Massachusetts, a seven-minute train ride from Boston. With a heated pool and 24-hour fitness centre, its amenities include a guest pantry and sun terrace. The Row Hotel at Assembly Row has high ratings: 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor and 4.7 stars on Marriott’s own website

OCTOBER 2019

97

05

Hotel Eleven Texas

Situated in Austin, Texas, Hotel Eleven is one of the most recent boutique hotels to open in East Austin. With a 14-room capacity, it provides an intimate space for fans of music and art. Adorned with locally-sourced artwork, its lounge features a rotating cast of local artists. With a Travel and Leisure score of 96.55, it places 36th in the world. Its private roof deck provides guests with views of downtown Austin, the Texas Capitol, and the University of Texas.

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98

04

The Inn of the Five Graces New Mexico

With a Travel and Leisure score of 96.62, The Inn of the Five Graces is the 33rd best hotel in the world. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, each room is adorned handcrafted artisanal art and priceless artefacts dating back to the Silk Road. It was inaugurated in 1996 under the name “Serets’ 1001 Nights”, changing its name in 2004, according to the hotel’s website. With 24 rooms, it has a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and a 9.4 rating on Booking.com.

OCTOBER 2019

99

03

Rabbit Hill Inn Vermont

Located in Lower Waterford, Vermont, the Rabbit Hill Inn is a 19 room bed and breakfast. It places 27th in the world, according to Travel and Leisure, with a score of 96.89. The hotel boasts breathtaking views of the White Mountains, a swimming pool, spa facilities, and awardwinning cuisine. World-class, Rabbit Hill Inn has a five-star rating on TripAdvisor, a 4.5-star rating on Yelp, and a 9.4 rating on Booking.com.

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02

Inn at Willow Grove Virginia

100

Situated in Orange, Virginia, Inn at Willow Grove is right in the middle of Virginia wine country. A restored plantation house from the 1770s, it is rated the 24th best hotel in the world, with a Travel and Leisure score of 97.22. Seeking to capture Southern American charm, the hotel is staffed by butlers and is equipped with a parlour piano. Its room choices include 10 boutique rooms, 10 luxury suites, and five premier suites and cottages.

OCTOBER 2019

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T O P 10

01

Brush Creek Ranch Wyoming

First on our list and second in the world is the Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, with a Travel and Leisure score of 98.67. Situated in Saratoga, Wyoming, the 30,000-acre property provides luxury accommodation and also acts as a working cattle ranch.

Among its 33 available units are 11 log cabin residences, 13 rooms in its Trailhead Lodge, and nine fully furnished cabin suites, giving it a capacity of up to 150 guests, according to the hotel’s website.

102

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘BRUSH CREEK RANCH ADVENTURES’ 103

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104

SAP: Harnessing the power of 5G WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019

105

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SAP

Frank Wilde,Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of Excellence, explains the transformative potential of 5G for enterprise

S

AP is renowned for its enterprise software, providing solutions across finance, supply chain and more. Another side of its business,

however, lies in advising customers on the adoption 106

of innovative technology. Frank Wilde is a Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of Excellence (COE), which serves to provide this advice and expertise. “The Global COE is designed to be an incubator to support the sales motion and create a linkage to our product organization,” he explains.

“We help introduce new innovations and showcase the latest aspects of our portfolio to drive new customer conversations. A core component lies in making it easier for our sales teams to learn about new aspects of our portfolio, and then turn those into customer driven conversations. We’re fundamentally changing the relationship with customers to be much more customer focused and much more agile as a result.”

OCTOBER 2019

107

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© 2019 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.

SAP

“We’re fundamentally changing the relationship with customers to be much more customer focused and much more agile” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence, SAP

110 One of the most potentially transformative technologies of recent times is 5G, and SAP is ensuring companies successfully weather the change with the aid of technology. “5G is a fundamental transition and transformation of the network,” says Wilde. “Moving from hardware driven upgrades and a hardware driven network into a software defined network turns the network into a platform. For example, because you are now able to guarantee a level of connectivity to a robotic arm that’s performing a surgery a hundred miles away, you can wrap OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘REIMAGINE EVERYTHING WITH SAP & DELOITTE’ 111 a new business model around that

to a 5G world, the size and quantity

and charge for that as a service.

of data streams is growing exponen-

You can then expand that to remote

tially. We’re envisioning a six, seven,

equipment diagnostics, or being able

eight-fold increase in data usage over

to engage in a retail experience in novel

the next few years. That is going to be

ways. We see 5G as very much a game

a significant challenge for our custom-

changer as we look at the next three,

ers with regards to data management

four or five years.”

and data strategy.” To successfully

The introduction of 5G brings with

deal with data in such volumes, one

it a host of considerations as well, an

solution SAP offers is its recently

increase in data volume being one of

launched Data Hub, which can link

the most important to address. “One

data regardless of where it is stored.

of the main opportunities that we’re

“Organizations which had been trying

encountering is data management,”

to organize data into data lakes can

says Wilde. “As we move from a 4G

now lean on HANA and our Data Hub w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

Unleashing the power of 5G

How 5G will drive the future of business transformation

The world’s economy is at another pivotal stage as technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual/augmented reality transition from early stage applications to engines of economic growth. A critical catalyst to realize this growth is the fifth generation of wireless technology, or 5G. 5G is not simply an extension of 4G, nor is it merely a faster wireless capability offering more capacity and enhanced performance for smartphones. 5G makes possible the connection and interaction of billions of devices of almost any kind and collection of data from those devices. In addition to connecting people to people through their smartphones, 5G connects an unlimited number of things, which can communicate all day, every day. The business opportunity for 5G technology to influence productivity and automation is anticipated to have a seismic impact to macro economies.

In addition, 5G solutions will also involve an architectural shift where critical analytics and artificial intelligence functions will be executed in close proximity to the connected devices. Edge computing capabilities enabled by 5G will drive higher accuracy, efficiency, and results to the device or devices across secure private or public networks. Further, in typically low connectively locations, such as oil rigs, mining, and agriculture, 5G makes it possible for IoT devices with minimal computing power and low-speed connectivity to “behave” like powerful computers using a similar 5G/edge computing architecture.

Enabled by 5G, the volume and variety of connected device types and the data they generate and consume are expected to dramatically increase within and across enterprises. This networking technology now provides a range of customizable capabilities that can be “fit for purpose” to specific solution requirements, resulting in game changing opportunities to drive new revenue streams and unprecedented operating efficiencies.

For example, in retail, next generation personalized customer experience is now possible with on-site intelligent analytics that combines location based, realtime customer data with accurate pricing, inventory and competitive information across stores and regions. In manufacturing, high performance campus 5G networks can simultaneously raise the quality of precision manufacturing with real time sensors, while untethered factory robots bring new levels of flexibility.

The low latency property of 5G also provides numerous opportunities to realize the potential of the examples provided above.

5G will likely create numerous business opportunities across all industries. To be able to realize the benefits, many business processes and solution architectures will need to be overhauled. Deloitte recognizes that unlocking 5G’s potential at enterprises requires both technical and industry expertise combined with multiple functional disciplines, including next gen networking, cloud, and AI. In collaboration with SAP, we are taking an industry vertical, multi-disciplinary approach to assist enterprise clients to envision and develop 5G enabled transformational solutions.

Deloitte’s 5G Center of Excellence brings the breadth, depth, and scale of our practice to create practical solutions and opportunities for our clients to utilize the capabilities of 5G to transform their business and market.

Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of Deloitte's legal structure.

n

m

Deloitte’s 5G Center of Excellence Delivering key solutions and technology necessary to help unlock 5G’s enterprise potential: Industry solutions Deloitte’s leading industry practices are developing 5G-enabled solutions specific to each individual industry and sector such as Retail, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Health Care, Financial Services, and Government/Smart Cities.

5G technical expertise Deloitte’s solutions leverage our deep experience in telecommunications, bringing together all capabilities ranging from network infrastructure, distributed application and mobile edge computing necessary to enable 5G solution.

Deloitte Catalyst Deloitte Catalyst accelerates innovation and growth as we help enterprises, governments and startups–from early stage to high growth–innovate, scale, and deliver transformative value by connecting and co-developing solutions with key ecosystem partners.

Design thinking Utilizing our Doblin and Deloitte Digital capabilities, our 5G COE intersects human-centered design, research and business strategy, with core 5G capabilities and industry specialization to help organizations imagine and build new business and operating models.

Enterprise technology Deloitte’s Technology Strategy and System Implementation practices lead the transformation of the underlying enterprise technologies required to support 5G capabilities. From digital, to cloud, and to ERP.

To learn more about Deloitte’s 5G capabilities, contact us at deloitte5g@deloitte.com or www.deloitte.com/us/en/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications.html © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

SAP

114

platform to stitch together a hybrid

identifies the potential of the technology

data environment. Knowing that a

when deployed together with new tech-

central depository or even one data

nologies such as AI, machine learning and

lake is not going to be able to serve the

edge computing. “We’re embedding AI

enterprise needs of a given customer,

and machine learning across our entire

we’ve put in place a framework and

portfolio,” he explains. “Everything from

a data strategy that relies on a hybrid

being able to automate the selection

approach. You need to take into account

of resumes to embedding it within

that federated model rather than try

analytics to help streamline and drive

to centralize it.”

decision making. We see it as very

Aside from 5G opening up new business possibilities, Wilde also OCTOBER 2019

much a fundamental component of how we handle design and development,

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Frank Wilde Wilde leads data and data science innovation focused on telecom and high tech as a Vice President for SAP’s Global Center of excellence.

In this role, Frank’s teams of data scientists and platform architects spark innovative thinking with SAP’s customers through a combination of data science and design thinking.

Frank is a seasoned executive with a track record of success in product innovation, sales and sales operations. Before joining SAP, Frank led a software development group at Apple which supported Apple’s strategic partnerships with IBM, Cisco and AT&T. Prior to Apple, Frank led a corporate strategy organization and a sales innovation organization at Dell. At Dell, his teams designed and built Dell’s first consumer loyalty platform and created a competitive version of iTunes. In addition, Frank spent 9 years with Deloitte Consulting leading digital transformations with high tech, telecom, and public sector clients. He began his career as a software engineer building CRM and supply chain applications before transitioning into management consulting.

Frank attended University of California, Los Angeles, for college, earned an MBA of Business Administration at Duke University and served as an officer in the Navy.

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115

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

ASSEMBLY LINE ROBOTICS

REAL-TIME INSPECTION & ANALYTICS

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

MASSIVE IOT TRACKING

REMOTE EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION

5G SMART MANUFACTURING KEY APPLICATIONS

“5G has the potential to add new smart manufacturing capabilities in electronics manufacturing — both for manufacturers focused on extremely high yield levels and equipment suppliers looking to do more remote diagnostics.”

Tom Salmon, Vice President for Collaborative Technology Platforms at SEMI and the Executive Director of the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA)

5G – Its Potential Impact in SMART Manufacturing

5G technology will create an unprecedented fabric of connected devices, pushing the wireless revolution well beyond handsets, enabling widespread connectivity of just about everything, including laptops, vehicles, IoT devices, manufacturing plants, and city infrastructure.

Businesses, governments and consumers will reap the benefits of multi-gigabit speeds, ultra-low latency, simplistic scalability, and virtually unlimited capacity. While the full benefits of the 5G rollout is on the near horizon, one of the earliest beneficiaries is expected to be manufacturing.

In the semiconductor industry, 5G is being hailed as an enabling technology for “smart manufacturing” that uses production and sensor data to improve manufacturing efficiencies and adaptability.

With greater reliability and peak data speeds that will be at least 20 times that of 4G networks, 5G will enable wafer fabs to use wireless technology for many quality control and predictive maintenance applications that existing networks cannot.

For example, 5G speeds makes it possible to apply edge or cloud-based AI technologies to packaging and inspection steps, improving quality and yield.

5G will also help maximize the uptime of manufacturing equipment, enabling technicians to perform maintenance and repair operations remotely. The streaming of sensor data over 5G networks will not only enable fabs to build chips more efficiently and reduce waste, they will also provide real-time data on the environmental conditions within a fab, delivering immediate warnings in the cases of chemical-related worker safety hazards.

Currently, chip makers and equipment vendors are showcasing real-use examples for 5G. In the case of brand-new “greenfield” chip fabs, investing in 5G infrastructure is a no-brainer, as the high-speed wireless connectivity will reduce the amount of hardwired infrastructure required.

In the case of existing fabs, SEMI members are weighing the return on investment associated with replacing existing networks with 5G. The future ahead and potential impact for 5G is bright indeed.

Learn about SEMI SMART Manufacturing at: semi.org/semiismore

SEMI is the global industry association representing the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, connecting over 2,100 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide.

SAP

118

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• SAP is envisioning up to eight-fold increase in data usage over the next few years due to 5G. • SAP has a history of business process expertise in 26 industries

OCTOBER 2019

and when it comes to innovation, that’s where we’re helping customers on the ground think differently. How they can use 5G coupled with AI and machine learning, with conversational AI, to bring new processes to life and streamline their approach, for example.”

This combined approach is emblematic of the solutions SAP provides.

Wilde identifies two guiding principles informing the company’s operations: customer driven innovation and an ecosystem approach. The company’s work with key telecommunications firms serves as an example of this mindset in practice. “It’s very much a strategic partnership as well as a customer relationship that we’ve nurtured over the course of the last couple of years,” says Wilde. “We’ve helped them put in place a core data backbone and the ability to lean on the core functions around finance and supply chain that they need to be able to succeed and grow going forward. We realize that SAP is uniquely positioned to be able to help telecom organizations digitally transform, consolidate their environments and land on one enterprise data platform, w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

119

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“We see 5G as very much a game changer as we look at the next three, four or five years” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence SAP

not only for their own internal use but

is, understand what the use cases are

also for how they go to market. Where

and develop solutions together,” says

telcos bring the connectivity, SAP brings

Wilde. To accomplish this, SAP employs

an enterprise data platform and the

concrete demonstrations. “We’ve started

two solutions very much are tied at the

5G proofs of concept to showcase the

hip, particularly as we look to innovate around 5G.” The process by which SAP’s Center of Excellence brings customers on board is comprehensive, aiming to understand the customer’s needs and in turn inform them of the possibilities SAP offer. “We’ve put together and created a co-innovation playbook that’s specific to 5G through our partnership with Deloitte, for example. We’re helping customers look holistically at what 5G w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

121

$24.7bn Approximate revenue

1972

Year founded

96,498

Approximate number of employees

123

art of the possible and bring 5G to life.

modeling or AI or machine learning,

We want to be able to use these engage-

we bake that into a point of view to

ments as a lighthouse to say, ‘this is

showcase the art of the possible for

one example of the smart manufactur-

each one of the industries we operate

ing of the future,’ for example. Or,

in. Having that baseline with tangible

‘these are the use cases that we’ve

outcomes is one of the core compo-

identified and brought to life in a retail

nents that helps us drive customer

environment.’ We’re doing that across

conversations, because we’re able

targeted industries and then flowing

to point to work that we’ve performed.”

into all 26 verticals that we have business process expertise in.

“Based on the proofs of concept that

Going into the future, SAP has assembled a 5G Council, pulling together hardware manufacturers,

we run, we create points of view to

telecommunications companies,

identify the top 12 or 15 innovations in

equipment providers and customers

a given industry. Whether it’s predictive

to further innovate in the 5G space, w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

SAP

124

“We’ve started 5G proofs of concept to showcase the art of the possible and bring 5G to life” — Frank Wilde, Vice President, Global Center of Excellence SAP

OCTOBER 2019

125

and Wilde is clear that such innova-

business models. We want to be able

tions do not represent business-as-

to give our customers that same

usual incremental upgrades, but

platform, so they can incubate new

instead a transformative tsunami.

ideas and land on new monetization

“5G adoption is not just for the sake

strategies as they go to market

of new technology but represents a

in new ways.”

fundamental shift in thinking, moving from a hardware driven network into a software defined one,” says Wilde.

“Look at how fast Tesla, Uber and Airbnb came to life. We’re seeing an ever increasing speed of testing new w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

126

CITY OF AURORA: GROWING INTO A SMART CITY WRITTEN BY

WILLIAM SMITH PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019

127

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CITY OF AURORA

ALETA JEFFRESS, CHIEF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL OFFICER AT THE CITY OF AURORA, COLORADO, DETAILS THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND SMART CITY MEASURES BEING PUT INTO PLACE

A 128

leta Jeffress is Chief Information and Digital Officer at the City of Aurora, Colorado.

“There’s a lot of growth in Aurora, and we

happen to be in the fortunate position of having land, so our footprint can continue to expand,” says Jeffress. “There’s a lot of development east of the city, and with that comes a lot of different challenges.

Infrastructure for instance – how do we ensure access to water? How do we ensure that public safety is covered as the city continues to grow, and then what do we need to do internally to ensure everything is working well?”

Jeffress, and the IT department which she heads, have embarked on a program of digital transformation in order to better meet the challenges that growth presents. When Jeffress joined five years ago, she began to implement a series of structural changes. “One of the first steps in ensuring that what we did and how we did it was repeatable was the creation of a project management office in the OCTOBER 2019

129

$800mn Budget for all funds

1891

Year founded

4,000

Approximate number of employees w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

CITY OF AURORA

“ AS WE LOOK AT SMART CITIES AND, IN AURORA’S CASE, THE PHYSICAL GROWTH THAT WE HAVE, THERE’S JUST SO MUCH 130 OPPORTUNITY” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer

IT department,” she says. “We’re on our third iteration now, and there’s a good process in place. Our customers know what to expect, we can utilize our resources and share updates and move projects along in a timely manner, considering resources and budget.”

It was also a matter of systemic upgrades, modernizing legacy systems and moving to the cloud. “We have a solution rationalization modernization effort – an SRM for short. When I got here, we took inventory of all the products we had, really ensuring that we were looking at the entire picture and not just the biggest applications.”

Beneficiaries of this approach include the upcoming modernization of computer aided dispatch and ERP systems, and Jeffress is also “working on a workflow implementation that would update how we do our land management, and how we work with developers and permits.” The city also examines its systems in order to determine if they would benefit from cloud transformation. “If the platform is such that we could move to a cloud model, and it makes sense from a cost

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘AURORA TV – AURORA NOW’ 131 and functionality perspective, then

that we have, the data sources, who

that’s likely our first choice. We went

has access to what, and putting all

to a cloud-based solution for sales tax

of that together so that we can more

management in the past year or two,

efficiently manage what we have.”

and that’s been very successful.”

This focus on data will serve the city

Throughout this systems change,

well as it embarks on a new smart city

Jeffress has maintained a focus on

initiative, bringing a new influx of data.

security for the data contained within.

“Aurora was one of the founding cities

“We’ve built a lot more rigor into the

of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance,”

security side as well as more knowl-

says Jeffress. “We had done a few

edge, both with staff very specific to

independent smart city projects and

security, as well as education across

then realized that we needed to have a

the organization. Looking at it from

bigger strategy. We made a request for

a data perspective, it’s a question of

proposal earlier this year and engaged

understanding the data classifications

with a firm who are putting together w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

City of Aurora's Security Posture Starts with its People Proofpoint email solutions empower and engage city employees in the fight against cyber threats The City Known as the Gateway to the Rockies, Aurora, Colorado, boasts spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains. Aurora is the third-largest city in Colorado with more than 381,000 residents.

When Tim McCain was hired as the City's CISO, he and his team found themselves besieged by phishing attacks. Before they could focus on implementing risk-based governance and building security operations, they had to reclaim hours of time being spent on email attacks and cleanup.

The Challenge The existing infrastructure lacked an email gateway. The City had added Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection to its Office 365 deployment, but attacks still occurred regularly, and internally generated spam was still overwhelming. Worse, the team had no visibility and no incident data for improving defenses. For each incident, investigation through the vendor portal could take several days and still not deliver meaningful answers.

“Low security efficacy and visibility are bad for any organization,” said McCain. “But the real problem is how attacks affected our people. We needed to defend City employees and services for the community, as well as empower and energize our team.”

“Proofpoint enables us to successfully address the issues at the very heart of risk—people and email.”

—Tim McCain, Chief Information Security Officer, City of Aurora

The Solution

Empowered and Engaged

Picking a Pro

McCain’s team is taking on a security operations role with the help of the Proofpoint dashboard and support. They're proactively preventing spam flare-ups. The SecOps team historically would see a 72-hour turn-around from the point of attack to exploitation that in certain cases would result in thousands of emails being sent to City employees. It took hours to remove these from mailboxes. The team has reduced spam flare-ups to zero.

The security and infrastructure teams evaluated solutions, including numerous Proofpoint competitors and Proofpoint. When it came to conducting a POC, the choice was clear.

“Proofpoint's level of professionalism, technical ability, and understanding of our needs was way above other vendors,” said McCain. “They made the POC easy and answered every question we asked. They even answered questions we didn't think to ask.”

The City of Aurora chose a comprehensive Proofpoint solution. Email Protection protects users against malware, impostor emails, and stopped the flood of spam that was generated from infected systems. If emails are become malicious after delivery or use evasion tactics, Threat Response Auto-Pull (TRAP) enables McCain's team to automatically pull them out of users' mailboxes. Targeted Attack Protection (TAP) proactively stops advanced threats before they reach users’ inboxes, including zero-day attacks and emerging threats. In addition, the TAP Attack Index identifies the City's most attacked people and surfaces targeted ransomware attacks. With Email Encryption, users can now encrypt email messages with a click, enabling the City to more easily meet a wide range of compliance requirements. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training provides phishing reports that enable the team to analyze the City's phishing risks and know where to target additional training.

The Results “Proofpoint's ability to make security real enables us to engage everyone — from City leadership on down,” said McCain. “My team's confidence has grown, and now they feel like ‘CyberCSI Aurora,’ which is great.”

McCain said he can't overstate the value of Proofpoint solutions and regular business reviews with his Proofpoint account team.

Proofpoint is always available as the team gains leading-edge security knowledge and experience, giving them confidence. In fact, deployment of the Proofpoint platform has been accomplished faster than planned, which has enabled Tim to shift focus to roadmap projects almost a year ahead of time.

“Proofpoint enables us to successfully address the issues at the very heart of risk—people and email,” said McCain. “Their support is amazing.

I can say without hesitation that Proofpoint is an unqualified success.”

For more information, visit www.proofpoint.com

CITY OF AURORA

134 and helping us drive a smart city strategy. That’s helped us to refine our mission and our vision for what smart cities should be for Aurora. For instance, we’re in the process of finalizing a purchase of our streetlights, which would then allow us to expand on how we use them for our various smart city initiatives.”

Facilitating change is not just about putting different technological initiatives in place and hoping for the best, however. “Culture is a big part,” says Jeffress. “Whenever you do change management, you have to OCTOBER 2019

“ THERE’S A LOT OF GROWTH IN AURORA, AND WE HAPPEN TO BE IN THE FORTUNATE POSITION OF HAVING LAND, SO OUR FOOTPRINT CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer

make sure that the culture is ready

remains important is making sure

and accepting, because otherwise it

that you hire the right people. That’s

just creates resistance. We sometimes

especially true in technology where

think of innovation as these big-ticket

it’s a continuing challenge due to the

items, but it’s important to figure out

low unemployment rate and number

a way to allow people to innovate

of open positions.”

themselves, to be comfortable with

The IT department itself can act as

change and to be able to make

a harbinger of change for surrounding

suggestions on how things could be

organizations, as Jeffress explains.

different.” For Jeffress, it’s crucial to

“The City of Aurora has about 21

remember the role of people amidst

different departments. The IT organi-

the technology transformation.

zation here supports all of them, so we

“Although we’re implementing a lot of

have to be very aware of what’s going

technology and a lot of digital transfor-

on in each to ensure we’re in a place

mation, one of the things that really

where we can help them to succeed.

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Aleta Jeffress Aleta Jeffress is the Chief Information and Digital Officer for the City of Aurora. She has over 20 years’ experience as a successful executive business leader and technologist building relationships between business and technology to enable digital transformation and market growth. She drives innovative strategies for business and IT leadership, and has developed teams for Cybersecurity and Project Management Offices from the ground up. Her career began in startup software companies where she started in a call center environment and moved through private and public sector organizations in the areas of software quality, development, product management, security, and ultimately leadership.

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135

CITY OF AURORA

136

“ WHENEVER YOU DO CHANGE MANAGEMENT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CULTURE IS READY AND ACCEPTING, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT JUST CREATES RESISTANCE” — Aleta Jeffress, Chief Information and Digital Officer

OCTOBER 2019

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CITY OF AURORA

C O M PA N Y FACT S

• City of Aurora has 21 different departments • City of Aurora was a founding member of the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance in 2017

138

OCTOBER 2019

We need to understand what the solutions are. It’s not just ‘here’s your phone and here’s your computer’, it’s ‘how are you trying to meet the goals?’

Whether it’s the animal shelter or public safety or the water department or the library, the question is: ‘are your constituents being served and how can we help you to enable that?’”

Ultimately, as Aurora continues its transformation journey with the likes of the smart city initiative, Jeffress considers it vital to embrace rather than fear change. “Growth is just very positive. Some people might be intimidated by that, but really nothing stays the same. As we look at smart cities and, in Aurora’s case, the physical growth that we have, there’s just so much opportunity. We have to make sure that we take a step back and really look at the opportunity and leverage the opportunities that are in front of us. Whether that’s through process change or digital transformation, it is what’s needed to propel us into the next era.”

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140

HOW INTELLIGENCE LED SECURITY FIRM FIREEYE IS FIGHTING CYBER THREATS ON THE FRONT LINES WRITTEN BY

HARRY MENEAR PRODUCED BY

CRAIG DANIELS

OCTOBER 2019

141

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FIREEYE INC

FIREEYE CIO COLIN CARMICHAEL SHARES HIS INSIGHT INTO THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF CYBERSECURITY, AND HOW THE COMPANY USES CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN EXPERTISE TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST CYBER THREATS

T

he first two decades of the 21st century have borne witness to dramatic and unilateral change of a scope and scale

seldom seen before. Ubiquitous mobile devices, the rise of artificial intelligence and the sweeping 142

digitalization of the global landscape have, even in the last decade, brought about dramatic and constant reinvention of the way businesses operate. In few places is this transformation more pronounced than the field of cybersecurity.

From sophisticated phishing attacks and ransomware to high-profile data breaches, perpetrated by nation-state funded groups of cyber criminals, and direct interference in democratic elections, the war against digital crime has never been waged more fiercely. Colin Carmichael, CIO of leading cybersecurity firm FireEye, lives and works in the heart of this conflict. “We live and breathe on the front lines of cybersecurity every day here at FireEye,” he says. “FireEye is called into the biggest breaches all over the world. We see, first hand, what’s going on and what the bad guys are up to.”

OCTOBER 2019

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FIREEYE INC

“ SECURITY CERTAINLY HAS CHANGED A LOT. BACK IN THE DAY, IT WAS SIMPLY A CASE OF MAKING SURE YOU HAD THE BEST PERIMETER SECURITY OUT THERE. TODAY, NO ONE’S SAFE” 144

— Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye

OCTOBER 2019

For the past 15 years, FireEye has fought tooth and nail against the machinations of cyber criminals, relentlessly protecting its customers from the impact and consequences of cyber attacks. Carmichael himself came to the firm in 2016, having previously worked in “every function of IT you can think of: hands on coding, managing people, building data centers, building applications.

You name it, I’ve done it,” he laughs.

Carmichael cut his teeth at Californian technology giant Sun Microsystems, and later held senior roles at Amazon

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘KEVIN MANDIA: WHO IS FIREEYE?’ 145 and Polycom. “The one role I avoided for most of my career was security, because back in the day it didn’t excite me.” We sat down with Carmichael to find out what changed his mind, get his insight into the complex and dangerous world of cybersecurity, and discover how FireEye is fighting the war against increasingly sophisticated and capable bad guys.

“Security certainly has changed a lot,” recalls Carmichael. “Back in the day, it was simply a case of making sure you had the best firewall and DMZ structure out there to secure the perimeter. Then, w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

FIREEYE INC

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘FIREEYE: LEADING FROM THE FRONT LINES’ 146

if that perimeter was totally secure, you

“ FIREEYE’S MAJOR DIFFERENTIATOR IS WHAT WE CALL INTELLIGENCELED SECURITY” — Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye

just got on with your life.” In previous decades, the motivations behind cybersecurity breaches weren’t as clearly understood, and even major technology firms like Sun Microsystems saw competitors looking to steal intellectual property (IP) as the primary risk when it came to cyber espionage.

“Today, no one’s safe. Every industry is at risk of being attacked for multiple different reasons,” says Carmichael.

“There are obviously still attempts to steal IP, but there are also financial

OCTOBER 2019

attacks, people who want to ‘bring you to your knees’, ransomware and

groups out there. It’s a war.”

Carmichael and FireEye are as close

phishing are off the charts – there’s a

to winning that war as anyone, but the

whole industry of adversaries out there,

process is a constant battle to stay one

and they are very, very sophisticated.”

step ahead of the bad guys. “You have

This increase in sophistication,

to continuously innovate. When you

Carmichael maintains, is the leading

identify a new vulnerability – a new

driver behind the unending innovation

attack vector for those bad guys –

cycle at FireEye. “The bad guy used

you’ve got to be able to respond

to be thought of as a teenager in dark

immediately,” he says. As technological

glasses and a hoodie,” he chuckles.

security measures become increas-

“Today, that’s not the case. There are

ingly airtight, users are being targeted

organized Advanced Persistent Threat

more and more as weak points in

groups – that are typically nation state

security systems. According to

driven – as well as organized crime

Carmichael, ransomware attacks are

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Colin Carmichael As Chief Information Officer, Colin Carmichael is responsible for leading the Information Systems & Services organization as they seek to deliver highly secure, modern and frictionless IT architecture and services to FireEye. Prior to FireEye, Colin held senior IT executive positions at Coopervision, Amazon and Sun Microsystems. At Sun, he was handpicked to run one of the world’s largest ERP implementations for the office of the CFO for 2 years, which led to the eventual integration into Oracle Corp after the acquisition of Sun. Colin has a Masters, IT in Commerce and Industry from The Open University in the UK.

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147

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The Institute’s IT team had been taking a fragmented approach to capturing requests from its 600 users. One site used a SharePoint solution, another a service automation solution. But neither solution really met the Institute’s service demands. “We didn’t have a single place for all staff to submit their requests,” said Ben Watt, end user computing manager at The James Hutton Institute. “This made it hard for the end users, but also for the team of 14 working on the requests.”

Lack of full visibility was one of the team’s biggest challenges. “Without visibility across the process we could not easily allocate resources and deliver an effective service,” Watt said. “We wanted to provide a better experience for everyone, and create a service portal that would not just be used for IT requests, but for our estates, communications, and finance departments as well.”

The Institute selected Micro Focus Service Management Automation X (SMAX) to provide a digital self-service experience for IT and non-IT users. Today, the SMAX-driven service desk manages about 500 IT requests and 300 non-IT requests a month. Users leverage smart virtual agents to receive automated assistance, 24x7, along with email. A fully integrated self-service portal makes it easy for users to raise requests, check the status of existing requests, and leave comments or questions for IT.

Issue resolution is easier too. Now the IT team can see all open tickets and use knowledge articles to reduce ticket volumes. Written by IT, knowledge articles are short answers to specific questions. For more details, users can link to the complete article in the SMAX knowledge management module. “Our views across all knowledge articles are now in the thousands, compared to the tens of views we had in the past,” Watt said. “In addition, SMAX Hot Topic Analytics, using advanced search and analytics capabilities to recognize request patterns, has helped us create knowledge articles or problem records to address common issues.”

After every request, SMAX sends a survey to the user. According to Watt, the SMAX survey platform has streamlined the survey process and boosted the response rate from 10 percent to an impressive 50 percent. The team also uses SMAX Hot Topic Analytics to highlight keywords in the surveys and determine if extra services or knowledge articles are needed.

With SMAX, the Institute has successfully delivered self-service for all. “Our SMAX service portal is well liked by staff, and we regularly receive requests for other departments to be included,” Watt said. “Users are very comfortable doing their own research through the various channels at their disposal, which helps us focus our resources where we can add the most value.”

Learn More

FIREEYE INC

on the rise. “It’s not unheard of nowadays for CEOs to get emails that look very much like a normal communication from inside their network.

It looks like it’s come from a legitimate source, and they’re moving so fast that they just click on a link or respond saying ‘yeah, I approve this.’ Then, that email launches some bad stuff in the background,” he explains. “Ransomware is the biggest growth area right now. Humans are humans, and sometimes you need to repeat that message several times before it sinks in.”

150

Both in its relationships with clients and

OCTOBER 2019

“ THE WORLD IS A SCARY PLACE, BUT AN INTERESTING ONE NONETHELESS” — Colin Carmichael, CIO, FireEye

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE FIREEYE INNOVATION CYCLE’ 151 internally, FireEye promotes a continuous education cycle in order to keep security awareness at the highest possible level and constantly strengthen “one of the weakest links in the chain”.

While humans are increasingly the weakest point in a company’s cybersecurity armor, FireEye uses people as its most effective defensive asset.

“FireEye’s major differentiator is what we call intelligence-led security,” says Carmichael. It is the company’s view that technology alone isn’t enough to combat cyber attacks, and that ‘hands-on front-line expertise, combined w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

FIREEYE INC

152

CYBE R S E C U R I T Y S TAT S

• 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide • $600bn: estimated annual cost of cybercrime globally

OCTOBER 2019

with innovative technology,’ is the most effective defense. Top level cybersecurity professionals are essential to FireEye’s business model, making the process of attracting and retaining the best possible talent a critical objective for the company. “There are 3.5mn open positions in the cybersecurity world today. That’s an absolute dearth of talent and everyone’s scrambling for it,” Carmichael says. “There are a lot of experts in the cybersecurity world who would love to come and work at places like FireEye, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re constantly working to figure out how to educate our people and how to partner better with universities that have curriculums focused on cybersecurity, so we can get new blood and a new generation of graduates coming out into this field, who are prepared to walk into a job on day one.”

One way in which FireEye is helping its clients compensate for a shortage of cybersecurity talent is its new Expertise On Demand service. Given that “insufficient and under-skilled staff increases team workload, leading to burnout and attrition as well as increased business risk,” according to the company, Expertise On Demand w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

153

FIREEYE INC

$831mn Approximate revenue

2004

Year founded

3,200

Approximate number of employees 154

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘APT41: A DUAL ESPIONAGE AND CYBER CRIME OPERATION’

OCTOBER 2019

anything in terms of their network.

They would rather have their cloud on AWS or Azure or just want a SaaS application,” says Carmichael.

Looking to the future, the war against cyber threats is only going to escalate, and FireEye will escalate along with it.

“We’ll continue to evolve our products and our business, whether that’s through organic growth or acquisitions,” predicts Carmichael. “We know we’ve still got areas we want to offer capabilities in and, internally, my drive is to develop systems that actually get IT out of the way of the business and allow the business to go at the speed allows companies to utilise FireEye’s

of business.” As a veteran of IT and

vast expertise as a remote service, in

cybersecurity fighting on a daily basis

exchange for prepaid units including

against sophisticated and organized

training, capability development, and

threats, Carmichael admits the world

custom intelligence. The progression

“is a scary place, but an interesting one

towards service-based products is

nonetheless, and one that FireEye will

something FireEye has been embrac-

continue in its mission to relentlessly

ing for several years, moving from

protect our customers.”

hardware appliances to a servicebased cloud model. “We still have customers that prefer the old appliance, we have customers that are now much more software driven, and we’ve got a lot of customers who are migrating fully to the cloud and don’t want to manage w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

155

156

It’s a big world.

Plaza is building it.

WRITTEN BY

DANIEL BRIGHTMORE PRODUCED BY

TOM VENTURO

OCTOBER 2019

Sky Rise Miami

157

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PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

The global contractor is delivering prestigious and award-winning hospitality, commercial, corporate, and residential projects by leveraging new technologies with a forward-thinking approach

F

ounded in 1986, Plaza Construction strives to be an outstanding builder and trusted partner, creating value for its clients

and their communities, through a commitment to excellence and integrity. The company started 158

to expand significantly in 2004 with operations in Miami. Subsequently, Plaza established a presence in Washington DC and in the past 18 months has set up shop in central Florida, specifically in Tampa and Orlando. “We’ve also opened up an office in Los Angeles working on a large mixed-use project,” adds President, Brad Meltzer. Recently awarded another sizeable project in San Jose, California – a large data center for CMI, China Mobile – Plaza is aiming to focus on markets like these, with a strong outlook and working in partnership with like-minded clients.

Technology plays a big part in Plaza’s approach.

“We have a group within our operation specifically focused on innovation. For example, in order to make sure our staff is trained effectively on the systems and software we currently use, such as OCTOBER 2019

159

Plaza project at 99 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ Rich Wood CEO company address at Town Hall meeting

Ritz Carlton Residences

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PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

“ Sometimes technology is like the human brain and we’re only using 10% of our capacity […] so it’s important our technology team reaches out to all of our staff, so they appreciate the true power of the tools they have at their disposal” 160

— Brad Meltzer, President, Plaza Construction

BIM360, our technology group, along with support from the manufacturer, holds live training sessions in our various regional offices. This allows staff to ask real-world questions to trainers and get immediate feedback and, ultimately, real-world results,” reveals Meltzer. He explains that Plaza beta tests new software on specific projects to carry out a cost benefit analysis to ensure that upgrades will make the company more effective and efficient in the long run. “Sometimes it might be as simple as selecting a new project and testing that tech over

OTM and Marquis

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘PLAZA CONSTRUCTION SOUTHEAST – CHANGING MIAMI’S SKYLINE’ 161 a six-month period to make sure it’s

a challenge for the industry as a whole

working effectively for us, before we

believes Meltzer. “The biggest issue we

then roll it out company-wide.”

face is with training,” he says. “Some-

Meltzer notes that technology is

times technology is like the human

advancing so rapidly, it’s important to

brain and we’re only using 10% of

avoid a “knee-jerk” reaction to buying

our capacity […] so it’s important our

every shiny new toy available. “When

technology training team reaches all

you’re investing hundreds of thousands

of our staff so they appreciate the true

of dollars in new solutions, it’s important

power of the tools they have at their

to make sure these advancements can

disposal. Plaza’s CEO Richard Wood

help your business today. And have the

is a builder first, a former superinten-

patience to wait for the right technology

dent, who believes in empowering

that works for your organization.”

people through workshops and

While technology can provide opportunities, it also represents

mentoring – it’s part of Plaza’s forwardthinking philosophy.” w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

Plaza uses software solutions such

phone and speak to the architect or a

as PlanGrid (part of the BIM 360 suite

subcontractor/vendor at their fabrication

from Autodesk) to enhance efficiencies

facility and know they are collaborating

on site. “Five years ago, our superin-

in real time. They can take a picture of

tendents would be walking the job site,

a job site condition, tag it to their iPad,

with a set of plans,” explains Meltzer,

to that location, and then are able to

“but there was almost no way to

discuss and solve that issue.” Innova-

confirm if that was the latest set of

tion is a core value at Plaza and one

drawings. They would need to ask if

Meltzer believes makes its staff feel

the drywall and electrical foremen have

part of a forward-thinking group. “It’s

the latest set? But now, we hand out

also really helping with recruitment of

iPads to all key individuals on site and

some of the best and brightest young

we’re able to know with certainty

people in the industry.”

they’re working with the latest set of

Meltzer believes that Plaza’s

plans. They can now just pick up the

collaborative approach, involving

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Brad Meltzer A master of architecture with more than three decades of experience, when Brad Meltzer began working at Plaza in 1989, he was among members of the current senior leadership team who cut their teeth as in-house contractors for larger developers. “We had no computers,” recalls Meltzer. “We did our own estimating, purchasing, project management and teams were smaller. I think having the opportunity to have performed in those roles, and as a superintendent, has given me a greater perspective on the challenges that all our staff face. It allows me to be a better leader and to mentor members of our team. I think that’s the most important thing, being able to lead by example.”

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PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

“ We’re fully engaged with our sub-contractor partnerships, what we like to call our best in the group, as they are an integral part of our process” 164

— Brad Meltzer, President, Plaza Construction

OCTOBER 2019

Resorts World New York Casino

165

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PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

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OUR WEBSITE

565 Broome St, NY 167

“ They are collaborating in real time. They can take a picture of a job site condition, tag it to their iPad, to that location, and then are able to discuss and solve that issue” — Brad Meltzer, President, Plaza Construction

key-subcontractors during pre-construction and utilizing their services in design-assist roles, allows the process to be the most successful. “This approach between client, architect and contractor has proved successful on numerous projects. For example, we’re currently finishing One Thousand Museum Tower, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (awarded its TCO in June), arguably the most complicated concrete project in America,” says Meltzer. “If Capform Inc. had not been part of the pre-construction effort with us for such a long time, it would’ve w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

“ The mindset in America has transformed and I think with Plaza’s strengths and the great story we have to tell, we can take our philosophy to wider markets” — Brad Meltzer, President, Plaza Construction

168 been much more difficult to have executed that project in such a timely fashion. Power Design did all of the electrical and low voltage work – again it was critical to have them on board early in the process.”

Safety is paramount on all these projects. Corporate Safety Director Tomasz Dering leads safety operations for Plaza, regularly meeting with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) to make sure the company is on track with the latest regulations. “We have safety initiatives to reward the subcontractor workforce for a safe job environment,” adds Meltzer.

OCTOBER 2019

One Thousand Museum, Miami, FL “We have an incredible safety track record. Our EMR (Experience Modification Rate) is among the lowest in the industry for a company of our size.”

Plaza is committed to building projects of lasting value that not only enhance surroundings but respect the planet. “We work with our clients to make sure that initiatives with regard to sustainability are available through our combined research and efforts with the design team,” confirms Meltzer.

“We try to provide these opportunities to our clients at the most reasonable price. There was a time when people thought building green was more expensive but with more products on the market, the cost of achieving a sustainable outcome has become more competitive.” As a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), Plaza has built roughly $5bn worth of LEED certified projects across America; it’s a strategy at the core of the company’s offering. “One of our most interesting projects in this field was the 1 Hotel & Homes development on Miami Beach,” reveals Meltzer. “As an adaptive reuse project, it was a gut renovation of an older hotel complex transformed into a sustainable hotel w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

169

PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

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and condominium through the strategic use of reclaimed materials, recycling and effective design solutions. I’m very proud of our team, as

$1bn

Approximate revenue

well as the collaboration with the owner and design professionals, in achieving that LEED certification.”

Across all sectors Meltzer sees a positive, growing trend for developers to think more strategically. “They’re not viewing their contractor as a commodity any longer,” he says. “We’re finding the more experienced and savvy developers engaging with us earlier, bringing us on as part of their team, at the same

1986

Year founded

600

Approximate number of employees Century City Plaza development

w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

171

PLAZA CONSTRUCTION

Building tomorrow

172

Plaza Construction’s President Brad Meltzer is excited for the company to be leading the 500,000 sq ft second phase of the $400mn expansion of the Resorts World New York casino complex, scheduled for completion by the end of 2020.

The Queens venue attracts 10 million visitors a year where, in addition to expanding gaming space, the firm will manage construction of a 10-story, fourstar hotel with conference and meeting rooms. Plaza has also

China Mobile Data Centre, San Jose, CA

OCTOBER 2019

been chosen by Berkowitz Development Group to build SkyRise Miami; the $540mn 1000-foot tall entertainment and observation tower will be the tallest building in Florida.

The Arquitectonica-designed downtown Miami building will overlook Biscayne Bay and include a 55mph base jumping experience, an indoor drop tower ride with a 95mph descent speed and a skywalk at 908ft.

Ritz Carlton Residences, Miami 173 time they’re selecting designers to

operates. “We will steadily and thought-

promote a more collaborative process.

fully expand into markets we believe are

More than 90% of what we do is

growing,” he adds. “For a long time,

negotiated work. We’re working with

construction was a very territorial

like-minded clients and their teams all

business, but I think that’s changing

at the same table from inception to

and regions are expanding. The

completion. That’s allowing us to help

mindset in America has transformed,

our clients with regards to schedule

and I think with Plaza’s strengths and

and cost early on. If they allow a design

the great story we have to tell we can

team to take a job too far before

take our philosophy to new markets.”

engaging with a construction manager, it’s harder to keep a project on track with respect to time and money.”

Ultimately, Meltzer is keen for Plaza to continue to be known as the go-to contractor in the markets in which it w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

174

Patelco Credit Union: creating a culture of innovation WRITTEN BY

SHANNON LEWIS PRODUCED BY

SHIRIN SADR

OCTOBER 2019

175

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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

We speak to Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy at Patelco Credit Union, to discuss how collaboration between business and technology teams is the key to creating a culture of innovation

A

not-for-profit organisation, Patelco Credit Union’s focus is on community. Started in 1939, it was originally the Pacific Telephone

Company’s credit union, where employees could collect deposits and fund loans. Rooted in that 176

cooperative nature, Patelco has grown to a US$7bn company with more than 350,000 members.

Landel says, “we truly believe we’re here to help our members”. Patelco has multiple community outreach and support programmes, from connections to the Children’s Miracle Network to its loan programme that offers an upfront 0% interest $500 cash loan to disaster-stricken customers.

Kevin Landel started at Patelco six years ago as Chief Information Officer. “At the time,” he says, “virtually all of our technology was home grown.”

While this has the upside of flexibility, it meant the company was spending most of its resources on support rather than strategic building. Landel shifted to a platform strategy, sourcing out Patelco’s technology. CU Direct took on its loan origination system; Alkami made its system for online banking.

OCTOBER 2019

177

$7bn In assets

1939

Year founded

1,100

Approximate number of employees w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

“ There’s no reason for us to reinvent the wheel, so we partner with providers that offer a great foundation that does all the basics but is an open platform that allows us to build strategically on top of it”

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— Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

OCTOBER 2019

Now, when Patelco wants to add a widget to simplify customer donations to its community outreach programmes, it can do so easily without having to develop the technology for an entire web platform. “I’m happy to say we are out of fix mode and into the build mode,” says Landel. His role has since shifted as Patelco brings on a new CTO, as well as marketing and credit analysists with strong data science backgrounds. Now, Landel focuses on developing other areas of innovation where the company can flourish: robotic process automation,

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘MEET PATELCO ONLINE’ 179 virtual agents, and bringing in AI for

asked a room of potential providers

data analysis.

if they were willing to update its mobile

“There’s typically this build or buy

site first and online site second. “It was

decision that technology leaders

an innovation in the industry, but it’s not

make,” Landel says, “and we take a

a big leap in technology,” says Landel.

middle ground. There’s no reason for

Because mobile users are more

us to reinvent the wheel, so we partner

flexible and accustomed to change,

with providers that offer a great

this strategy allowed Patelco to

foundation that does all the basics but

“concentrate on what’s important and

is an open platform that allows us to

limit the risk”. Patelco launched the

build strategically on top of it”. Patelco

new system without removing the old,

chooses providers based on their

incentivising customers to change over

“flexibility and willingness to work in an

with additional functionality rather than

unusual way.” When updating its online

forcing them. 85% of members

banking system, for instance, Patelco

switched systems of their own accord. w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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“ The culture of innovation here starts at the top.

It falls into three areas: learning, doing, and refining” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

This, in conjunction with a virtual advisory team that asked for feedback from the mobile users, allowed Patelco to limit the usual dip in customer satisfaction when making the platform conversion and to come out of it in only three quarters. “It isn’t using unusual technology,” Landel says, “it’s just a different way of thinking.

“The culture of innovation here starts at the top. It falls into three areas: learning, doing, and refining,” he adds. From sending executives to the Credit Union Executive Society (CUES) Innovation Institute at MIT and Stanford, to putting

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Kevin Landel Kevin has held executive positions, been a principal in two startups, and as an alumnus of the MIT Media Lab and subsequently at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, Kevin has designed systems, taught courses, and consulted for many companies in the US and abroad, has been awarded a variety of grants and awards, and holds a patent for computer video display technology. Kevin is a sought-after voice in financial services technology and innovation, and has served on advisory boards for Fiserv, CO-OP, Alkami, CUISPA and others.

An avid surfer and outdoorsman, Kevin lives in Pleasanton with his family.

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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

“ It was an innovation in the industry, but it’s not a big leap in technology” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

the full leadership team through the Harvard Business School online course 182

about disruptive strategy, Patelco ensures its heads of teams all speak the same language. “Filene Institute has an innovation immersion that we’ve done with our executives, and we had them come out to do a follow-up presentation with our whole team.”

One of the ways in which Patelco instils collaboration into its culture of innovation is through the use of the SAFe framework, a scaled AGILE system that “goes higher than just a team level with scrums and sprints.

It really works at the company and portfolio level.” According to Landel, “it allows us to understand what the dependencies and risks are in any OCTOBER 2019

project that we’re working on.” During the planning sprint, business leaders and technology teams get together to discuss solutions to projects.

“It dramatically increases the transparency and flexibility of the teams by creating a higher level of collaboration between the business and technology teams,” says Landel. This has allowed Patelco to go from taking 90 days to roll out a product to going from ideation to rollout in three weeks.

Patelco leverages the collaborative aspect of credit unions. “We don’t have the budget like big banks,” says Landel, “but we do have the collective strength of credit unions working together.” Landel serves on several industry advisory boards and is active in credit union collaborative initiatives, including big data and financial health research initiatives with Callahan Credit Union Financial Services Limited Partnership, and as a member of the strategy council of CO-OP Financial Services, a credit unionowned service organization that provides payment card services, shared branching, contact center, and other services to Patelco and the CU industry. “We leverage the collaboraw w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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tive nature of credit unions to multiply our energy to provide the best tech we can for our members.”

Being located close to Silicon Valley, Patelco has access to all of the very latest technology and innovative ideas.

“There’s a real synergy,” says Landel.

“We have knowledge, data, and an understanding of our business that an entrepreneur may not, while an entrepreneur has the technology, skillsets, ideas, and capacities to build things that we may not. Considering this, it’s natural to get together and do a partnership.” This synergy gave Patelco an AI chatbot that it now uses

“ We have knowledge, data, understanding of our business that an entrepreneur may not while an entrepreneur has the technology, skillsets, ideas, and capacities to build things that might not.

It’s natural to get together and do a partnership” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

as the primary knowledge database for w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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PAT E L C O C R E D I T U N I O N

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“ It isn’t using unusual technology, it’s just a different way of thinking” — Kevin Landel, SVP of Innovation and Payments Strategy, Patelco Credit Union

the entire organization. Actionable Science approached Patelco with background data machine learning technology; Patelco was looking for a way to help members understand its new credit cards. The pilot was so successful as an in-house training tool that Patelco “took it and expanded it across all knowledge areas […] our entrepreneur was able to take these learnings and develop products from them,” Landel notes. “We’ve launched a startup and we have a solution that’s meeting our needs.”

OCTOBER 2019

187

In the next two to three years,

digital changes are underway, Patelco

Patelco will cross the $10bn threshold,

still strongly believes in its physical

a major milestone for US financial

branches, although these have been

groups that would trigger several

shifting from transactional locations to

compliance regulations. “Our work for

places of advice and financial health.

the next few years is to get prepared

True to Patelco’s core values, Landel

for that and cross the threshold with

concludes, “we strongly believe in

momentum. We’re growing at a

people helping people.”

tremendous rate,” explains Landel.

Patelco is looking at improving its payment system with AI, investing in a blockchain group exploring digital identity, and in a group focused on natural language processing. While w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

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MAINTAINING A SUSTAINABILITY DRIVE AT THE YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY WRITTEN BY

SEAN GALEA-PACE PRODUCED BY

CRAIG KILLINGBACK

OCTOBER 2019

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YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

LUIS D’CARPIO, VICE PRESIDENT OF ASSET MANAGEMENT, ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINABILITY, DISCUSSES THE INFLUENCE SUSTAINABILITY IS HAVING ON HIS ORGANISATION’S OPERATIONS

D

edicated to helping people improve their quality of life and achieve their fullest potential, the YMCA of San Diego County is

a key component to the lives of thousands of people.

Focusing on three core areas – youth development, 190

healthy living and social responsibility, the YMCA serves more than 435,000 San Diego residents, employs over 5,500 people, and covers 1.2 million of real estate assets (18 branches and three overnight camps). Having been founded in 1882, the YMCA of San Diego County has become the largest YMCA association in the United States. Luis D’Carpio, Vice President of Asset Management, Enterprise Risk Management & Sustainability, discusses how important the ‘Y’s’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy is. “Environmental stewardship is rooted in our commitment to social responsibility.

It’s vital to us and is a significant area of the service that we provide to the community,” affirms D’Carpio.

“For us, it’s important we provide facilities that improve the quality of human life through health and wellness, be a great place to work or volunteer, OCTOBER 2019

191

1882

Year founded

5,500

Approximate number of employees

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YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

“ ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES HAS BEEN HELPING TO SHIFT THE YMCA AWAY FROM BEING A DECENTRALISED ENTITY BECAUSE BRANCHES OPERATED AS INDEPENDENT BUSINESS UNITS” 192

— Luis D’Carpio, Vice President of Asset Management, Enterprise Risk Management & Sustainability

and give back to the community by reinvesting the savings generated by our sustainability efforts.”

Having joined the YMCA of San Diego in 2017, D’Carpio has over 20 years of experience working for a diverse range of entities, in addition to spending a considerable amount of time on a range of project types with a particular emphasis on sustainable design, construction and operational measures. Holding such a varied background, D’Carpio believes his experience has laid the groundwork for him to succeed in his current role.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career to have worked across three areas: owner-developer, general contractor and specialty contractor. As a result, it has given me a different perspective on what needs to be accomplished to achieve the desired end result,” he explains. “One of our biggest challenges has been helping to shift the YMCA away from being a decentralised entity because branches operated as independent business units. This centralisation allows us to focus on standardising our asset management approach and process to help establish and achieve our sustainability goals.”

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘YMCA FOR ALL OF LIFE’S HEALTHIEST MOMENTS’ 193 In a bid to accelerate its sustainability

(SDGE) 2018 Excellence in Energy

efforts, the YMCA more recently

Leadership Award because of the work

completed two major capital projects;

that was done in collaboration with

Dan McKinney Family YMCA and the

vendors and the utility company to

Jackie Robinson Family YMCA, to

implement sustainability features,”

create a lasting impact on its facilities

explains D’Carpio. “Both projects

and the community, in combination

consist of over 45,000 sq.ft each and

with its capital efforts. Having opened

have the amenities that our communities

in 2017, the $25mn Jackie Robinson

needed. The Y’s first LEED Gold facility

YMCA building was developed to meet

was the Copley-Price Family YMCA,

the YMCA’s vision to serve the

which opened in January 2015.”

community and is also recognised with

In 2015, the YMCA created a 2025

a LEED Gold certification. “The Jackie

plan for the next decade and set out

Robinson facility was also acknowledged

clear targets of the projected place

with San Diego Gas and Electric’s

the organisation hopes to be within the w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

194

next 10 years. “We’re looking at

and Dan McKinney YMCA buildings,

building three to five new YMCAs,

work is well underway. However, D’Carpio

renovating our existing facilities to get

affirms there is still more to be done

them all to a comparable standard,

over the upcoming six years. “There’s

and ensuring we provide a safe and

definitely a lot of work to get finished.

clean environment that is good for our

Our current efforts continue to focus

community,” says D’Carpio. “Our goal

on energy and water management,

is to double our impact in order to

implementing key certifications, such

positively benefit the communities we

as LEED or WELL and incorporating

serve.” Four years in, and following the

additional renewable energy projects,”

construction of the Jackie Robinson

he says. “We’re also looking at how we

OCTOBER 2019

195

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Luis D’Carpio A hands-on and collaborative professional with experience helping design/build $500mn+ in civil, commercial, industrial, and renewable energy projects.

His background includes providing strategic leadership for a non-profit organisation, owner representation/ construction management to a real estate ownerdeveloper (residential, commercial, industrial), and project management/engineering to self-perform contractors (GC’s & concrete subcontractors).

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YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

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OCTOBER 2019

“ OUR GOAL IS TO DOUBLE OUR IMPACT IN ORDER TO POSITIVELY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE” — Luis D’Carpio, Vice President of Asset Management, Enterprise Risk Management & Sustainability

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OCTOBER 2019

manage our solar projects. We’ve completed six installations so far (2.5MW) out of 18 branches and three overnight camps. It’s important that we continue to look at where the benefits come from and how these projects tie into the return of the community.”

D’Carpio added that current efforts also continue to focus on partnerships.

“We believe that long-term sustainability

“ WE’RE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SUSTAINABILITY, BUT OPEN COMMUNICATION IS PART OF OUR CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS” — Luis D’Carpio, Vice President of Asset Management, Enterprise Risk Management & Sustainability

comes from key partnerships with vendors, regulatory agencies, and our local utility.”

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YMCA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY

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OCTOBER 2019

With the future in mind, the importance of remaining versatile and adaptable to the latest trends is essential to long-term success. To achieve this, D’Carpio believes observing change management is key and is continuously monitoring the ways in which his organisation can grow. “We’re in the early stages of sustainability, but open communication is part of our change management process so there are many opportunities for us to grow as we continue our transformation towards our strategic goals,” he explains. “We’ve still got a long way to go and we believe that continued success will be based on establishing high performing teams, implementing technology to effectively manage our work, and further developing collaborative partnerships.”

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WRITTEN BY

MATT HIGH PRODUCED BY

JUSTIN BRAND

OCTOBER 2019

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T R A N S F O R M S H A R E D S E R V I C E O R G A N I Z AT I O N

TransForm SSO is taking a pioneering approach to healthcare supply chain innovation, driven by the desire to offer exceptional patient care across Ontario

T

ransForm Shared Service Organization (TransForm SSO) provides an innovative, end-to-end supply chain service driven

by one vital goal: offering healthcare employees the support they need in order to provide exceptional patient care across Ontario. TransForm SSO was 204

established in 2013, following the amalgamation of two shared service organisations and, since then, has embarked on a journey of consolidation and digital innovation that has seen its approach to managing healthcare supply chains evolve.

Director of Supply Chain, Renée McIntyre, has been instrumental in this journey. Today, she is responsible for overseeing all day to day operations of TransForm SSO’s supply chain division, as she explains: “We provide a true end-to-end service covering everything from market research and procurement, through to strategic sourcing, contract and vendor management, capital procurement, and value analysis. We support five multi-site hospital organisations across the Erie-St. Clair region in southwest Ontario, as well as third party customers such as the Local Health Integration OCTOBER 2019

205

2013

Year founded

190

Approximate number of employees

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T R A N S F O R M S H A R E D S E R V I C E O R G A N I Z AT I O N

“ We provide a true end-to-end service covering everything from market research and procurement, through to strategic sourcing, contract and vendor management, capital procurement, and value analysis” 206

— Renée McIntyre, Director of Supply Chain, TransForm SSO

Network Home and Community Care.

Alongside those services listed, we also support the hospitals’ internal logistics and provide value by maximising savings and coordinating product conversions and recalls.”

Since its establishment, TransForm SSO has implemented innovative and digitally-driven methods of improving its services, in line with the wider digitalisation of the supply chain sector.

“With our organisation and the structure that we have in place, we’ve been able to take great steps to automate our supply chain operations, to implement

Derek Robertson, Vice President, Business Development speaks to TransForm staff during one of the organisation’s Town Hall events.

OCTOBER 2019

CLICK TO WATCH : ‘TRANSFORM SSO – 2019 CEO AWARD NOMINATIONS’ 207 new data analytics systems and

entity working in an industry primarily

provide significantly more value for

focused on providing the best value

money in healthcare – which is an

services – operates. “I would say that

absolutely key goal,” says McIntyre.

healthcare lags behind other industries

“For example, we’ve migrated all our

when it comes to supply chain,”

hospitals onto a single ERP platform

McIntyre states. “Historically, processes

with a single item master file that we

like barcoding scanning and the

manage for them; while that alone may

appropriate and direct supply chain

not be new to the supply chain industry,

principles that you would apply to the

it has established the foundation to

private or retail sectors have taken a

achieve significant savings and create

back seat when it comes to healthcare.

efficiencies for our members.”

In Ontario, the health sector represents

This evolution has occurred despite

41% of overall programme spending,

the more challenging conditions in

with ever increasing pressures to

which TransForm SSO – a public sector

reduce costs and find efficiencies. w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

T R A N S F O R M S H A R E D S E R V I C E O R G A N I Z AT I O N

208

However, we’ve seen significant

sector. This really epitomises our vision

movement more recently as these

of expanding our services to cover the

supply chain principles take more

entire patient care continuum. For that

of a precedent in healthcare.”

reason, we are leaders in defining the

TransForm SSO has become a

direction that public procurement can

frontrunner in implementing some

go in Ontario, and we’re providing the

of those changes, particularly, says

game plan to other shared service

McIntyre, with regards to expanding

organisations in the province.”

beyond acute care and hospitals.

While technology has facilitated

“We’re the only shared service organi-

TransForm SSO’s development, McIntyre

sation in Ontario that has integrated

is also keen to highlight the importance

the Home and Community Care supply

of the collaborative approach to

chains into what we do, whereas most

providing healthcare supply chain in

others focus solely on the hospital

Ontario. On a broader level, legislative

OCTOBER 2019

changes in the province have led to

and operational perspective, it’s a huge

a more coordinated healthcare offering,

benefit to the way we work.”

but TransForm SSO has also worked

TransForm SSO places a strong focus

closely with its member hospitals and

on collaboration and partnerships to

other shared service organisations to

continuously improve its operations.

drive efficiencies. “The strategic

“The ability to work closely with our

direction in the early stages really did

vendor partners and leverage our

come from the hospitals with which we

relationships to help achieve value for

work,” she says. “Our member hospi-

the healthcare system is a team priority.

tals comprise our board of directors,

One such example is a partnership

and so we had that leadership buy-in

with Scotiabank, which has been able

very early on. This led to, in my opinion,

to directly reduce our costs of delivery

one of our biggest differentiators – that

and enable reinvestment to further

all our hospitals share information

improve our digitisation goals.

across a single platform. From a data

“Our ERP system is a multi-solutions

E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE

Renée McIntyre Renée McIntyre is the Director of Supply Chain for TransForm Shared Service Organization, responsible for the operations of the supply chain division including strategic sourcing, procurement, value analysis, logistics and innovation procurement for the hospitals and customers in the Erie St. Clair LHIN. Renée has been with TransForm since 2009, and played an integral role in the development and implementation of the shared service organization. Prior to TransForm’s inception, Reneé has provided supply chain leadership to the region’s hospitals since 2003; she has achieved millions of dollars in savings through operational and performance efficiencies for Erie St. Clair’s hospitals.

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platform that is backed by GHX’s

order being sent, through to being

robust ecommerce platform. This is

digitally acknowledged by the vendor,

the centrepiece of our supply chain

matched and then paid, with no human

operation: it validates transactions

intervention. Having a talented and

against our contracts and validates

dedicated team and leveraging our

orders in real time against vendor

technology has allowed us to offer

catalogue and description data to

a very strong supply chain operation

minimise order exceptions and is

that, in turn, allows everyone to focus

layered upon a BI tool to support our

on how we can achieve the best value

data analysis in a seamless manner.

for hospitals so they can save lives.�

We’ve put significant focus on automa-

Despite these achievements,

tion into the supply chain. A large

McIntyre is keen that the strategic

portion of our business is fully auto-

focus of the business continues. She

mated from the point of the purchase

cites two key areas for the foreseeable w w w.busi ne ssc hief. com

T R A N S F O R M S H A R E D S E R V I C E O R G A N I Z AT I O N

212

“ We’re the only shared service organisation in Ontario that has integrated the Home and Community Care supply chains into what we do” — Renée McIntyre, Director of Supply Chain, TransForm SSO

OCTOBER 2019

future: growing TransForm SSO’s Home and Community care business, including closer collaboration and sharing with other health service providers, as well as continuing to implement technology to tie in supply chain data to clinical outcomes. The latter, she says, “is a growing need in healthcare: the ability for us to evaluate how we can tie in clinical patient outcomes and utilisation data to our own supply chain in an automated way to bring even greater value to our organisation. Looking further ahead, I see the ability to implement our supply chain model across the broader public sector as a significant focus moving forward.

Ideally, that would involve finding all those other public sector entities within our region and collaborating to develop a sustainable model that allows us to scale it right across the province. I think that could bring tremendous value to the public sector in the whole of Ontario, and it would be great to lead that drive.�

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