Tech-Exec Issue 18 by Magazines

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS LEADERSHIP INNOVATION

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “The ability to be resilient, and adapt in your career and personal life underpins a lot of these traditionally hard and soft skills,” says NatWest’s Head of Strategy, Transformation & Risk, Kari-Anne Clayton, who graces this issue’s cover, alongside colleague and CDIO Wendy Redshaw. With this issue, we were fortunate enough to interview the duo for a second time and discuss NatWest’s huge transformation in recent years, dealing with an ever-changing digital landscape, and championing diversity across the organisation. Whilst every technology leader we interviewed has utilised their intelligence, leadership skills, and business acumen to earn their positions, something that connects them all is their adaptability, their hunger for growing alongside their colleagues, and their wish to create inclusive, representative working environments that give voices to those of any and all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds. You are spoilt for choice in this issue, as we speak with The Ivy Collection’s Jon Davis about using technology to enhance customer experience and human connection in the hospitality industry, Tia Cheang discusses the importance of bridging the gap between the world of data and the broader business community through communication, and Old National Bank’s Jason Berkowitz explains how collaboration and empowerment are important aspects of his leadership style. We also delve into the technology and innovation behind the newest addition to the Las Vegas skyline, The Sphere, take a look at some pioneering technology to improve access to clean water with Vitaloop, and explore how Pink Floyd has changed the music industry through utilising technology. In this, the final Tech-Exec of 2023, it is clear that in the world of technology leadership, there is nothing more important than balancing the use of technology with the human side and personal relationships within an organisation. We hope this issue offers something for everyone. Thanks for reading Tech-Exec.

FOUNDER & CEO

FOUNDER & COO

JAMES PEPPER

CHARLOTTE CLARKE

FOUNDER & CRO JACK PASCALL

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PROJECT MANAGER

TOM CAMP

BECKY NORTHFIELD

HENRY ALLTON-JONES

ALEX NEAGU

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CONTENT MANAGER TARA QUINN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER HANNAH LEWIS

Stroud & Clarke is a cutting-edge multichannel digital media company that produces exceptional technology, business and lifestyle content via our portfolio of digital magazines, websites and social media platforms. © Stroud and Clarke Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that information is correct upon publishing, Stroud and Clarke Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy,timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. This magazine may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

6. INSIGHT EXEC SUMMARY News, views and insight.

12. INTERVIEW WENDY REDSHAW & KARI-ANNE CLAYTON - NATWEST On the need for resilience, adaptability, and championing diversity in the ever-changing digital landscape.

34. INTERVIEW JON DAVIS - IVY COLLECTION On the emerging digital trends of hospitality, and how to become the best in the world.

46. PORTFOLIO TECH YOU NEED Innovations for work, leisure and the environmentally conscious.

56. INTERVIEW TIA CHEANG - GALLAGHER Tech-Exec’s Data Leader of the Year, Tia Cheang, discusses Gallagher’s data evolution, and how you can navigate a path to success.

70. INTERVIEW GREG WILSON - MICROSOFT On the leadership of transformation success and how AI is helping and empowering leaders.

86. TECHNOLOGY SPHERE TO STAY Innovation and technology inside The Sphere.

88. INTERVIEW RORY BATT - MEDIQ On leveraging digital transformation.

100. INTERVIEW JASON BERKOWITZ OLD NATIONAL BANK On strategic vision and digital transformation.

110. INNOVATOR VITALOOP Clean water, clean world.

112. INTERVIEW CRAIG NAPIER UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDENT On his approach to a data-enriched future.

122. INTERVIEW BRENT WILKE FIRST BANK On the potential for technological change.

132. 5 WAYS PINK FLOYD Revolutionising the music industry.

136. INTERVIEW THIBAUD FIGUEROA AVIATION FRANCE On transforming the French aviation industry.

148. INTERVIEW DEREK SMITH MORNING STAR On his passion to challenge and innovate. 162. EVENTS The best events for 2023 and 2024.

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A bitesize collection of news, content, ideas, thoughts and papers from around the industry.

U M M A RY Toyota

At the 2023 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, Toyota presented a range of bold, innovative vehicle and mobility concepts.

NEWSROOM.TOYOTA.EU

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These innovative, pioneering concept vehicles are a huge step beyond what many of us have seen from both Toyota and electric vehicles in general, and really push the boundaries of the EV industry, mobility, and accessibility.

Moving away from cars, Toyota also presented the Land Hopper, a three-wheel mobility concept which is designed for easy transportation and simple use, due to its compact design. The JUU, a new electric wheelchair concept, aims to offer unassisted travel beyond the capabilities

A slight wildcard comes in the form of the Space Mobility prototype, a vehicle created to be used in extra-terrestrial environments. The buggy is specially equipped to tackle harsh terrain, with each wheel, powered by its own motor, able to climb intense slopes and travel across boulders up to 500mm tall.

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The concepts included the Land Cruise SE, a stylish battery electric vehicle which champions quietness, comfort, and responsive handling when driving on-road and the EPU, a durable, practical mid-sized pick-up truck which aims to cater to a range of outdoor activities.

of a standard wheelchair, helping users traverse steps of up to 160mm in height.

OUTERSPACE SOLAR FARMS A study conducted by the University of Surrey and the University of Swansea has found that it would be possible to create lightweight solar panels that can generate electricity in space. Over a period of six years, researchers monitored a satellite, built at the Surrey Space Centre, and observed how its solar panels performed and dealt with solar radiation over 30,000 orbits.

The University of Swansea’s Centre for Solar Energy Research created new solar cells by utilising cadmium telluride, for the satellite’s panels. These cover a greater surface area and provide great amounts of power. Whilst researchers observed that their efficiency did decrease over time, they were relatively cheap to manufacture and prove that solar power satellites do work. This study could lead to genuinely viable solar farms, in space, in the near future. WWW.SURREY.AC.UK

P H O T O: D A N I EL OL A H

3D PRINTING ORGANS There are currently 7,000 people on the UK transplant waiting list, with 4,600 transplants being facilitated each year. In the US, however, there are 90,000 people on the waiting list for kidney transplants alone, with just 25,000 transplants being carried out.

VITAL3D.EU

Whilst AI has been revolutionising a multitude of industries and proving to be of huge assistance to many, especially in tech and business, those of different professions have been seeking protection from AI that might affect their job prospects.

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Therefore, any company with the ability to revolutionise this process deserves some attention. The Lithuanian startup Vital3D uses ultra-precise and reliable Vital3D bioprinting technology that is safe for living tissues to create biocompatible scaffolds. These are then used to produce replacement tissues, which mimic natural tissue and can be used to create synthetic organs and help with faster skin and tissue healing.

The Screen Actors Guild decided to strike in July, citing multiple reasons, one of the main being protection against new technologies, such as AI and digital recreation. Thankfully, after 118 days, the strike came to an end with SAG-AFTRA and the studios reaching a deal. The deal included protections against AI, including actors having to consent to, and being compensated for, having their likeness reused or being digitally recreated. WWW.SAGAFTRA.ORG 9

CLEAN ENERGY PIONEERS These installations join their 400+ already-announced renewable energy projects across the globe, which are helping the company remain well ahead of its goal to have 100% of its electricity consumption come from renewable sources by the year 2030. SUSTAINABILITY.ABOUTAMAZON.COM

P H O T O: T H O M A S R I T C H E R

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Retail giant Amazon has become the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable power. Since the beginning of 2023, the company has installed 39 renewable energy projects, comprised of solar installation and utility-scale wind projects, at its facilities in the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, and more.

CYBERSECURITY STATS The older generation is often mocked for their adversity, or simple lack of knowledge, when it comes to using technology in dayto-day life. However, a study by Yubico has found that, in a multitude of ways, ‘boomers’, or those born from the mid1940s to mid-1960s, come out on top when it comes to cybersecurity.

VITAL3D.EU

•

Amazon says profit has tripled from July to September 2023.

YouTube has imposed restrictions on repeat video recommendations related to sensitive content to protect the mental health and well-being of young people. •

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Out of a group of 2,000 people, Yubico found that boomers were the least likely generation to repeat passwords for multiple websites or save their credit card information online. Whilst they expressed uncertainty when dealing with online scams, boomers are also 5% more likely to utilise two-factor authentication than millennials.

• The UK Government has launched a £100 million AI fund to tackle this generation’s biggest health challenges. • •

The UK Space Agency has signed a deal for future astronaut missions.

Apple introduces new adaptive audio feature for AirPods, ‘Conversation Awareness’ to allow the wearer to hear conversation.

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

W E N D Y REDSHAW & KARI-ANNE C L AY T O N GENERATION OF CHANGE IN OUR SECOND INTERVIEW WITH NATWEST GROUP’S WENDY REDSHAW AND KARI-ANNE CLAYTON, THEY DISCUSS THE NEED FOR RESILIENCE, ADAPTABILITY, AND CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY AMONGST THE EVER-CHANGING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE.

Redshaw’s role as CDIO is to evolve digital and technology experiences for NatWest Group’s Retail customers, whether that be through new propositional enhancements aligned to its purpose of supporting customers, colleagues, and communities, or delivering the latest technologies like responsible and ethical AI to help customers manage their financial wellbeing by providing personalised support.

Redshaw continues to hold several Board positions, including RoosterMoney, a FinTech acquired by NatWest, a NED position for the NatWest Trustee & Depository Services entity, and she is on the Board of Trustees of Tech She Can (a charity committed to changing the ratio of women in technology and providing free learning resources to inspire children about a career in technology). She has also recently been appointed as Chair of the Board of NatWest Services (Switzerland) Ltd.

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Clayton, Head of Strategy, Transformation & Risk, Retail CDIO, and Redshaw, Chief Digital Information Officer, Retail are widely experienced, highly respected, and incredibly passionate about the substantial development in the last 18 months within the NatWest Group. And it is difficult not to feel inspired by them.

With the advent of new technology like Gen AI, Redshaw’s role as CDIO also involves understanding what is required to prepare NatWest to leverage these technologies safely and ethically for customer benefit.

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Real leaders are those who people will confidently follow. And with the passion, intelligence and drive NatWest Group’s Wendy Redshaw and Kari-Anne Clayton have for their craft, it is clear to see why they have been so successful.

Since our last interview 18 months ago, what’s changed for the role of the CDIO? “While the triumvirate between business, technology and people leadership is still critical, we see an even greater shift to unlocking the digital value within our customer journeys, combined with a real focus on driving digitalisation, re-use, innovation, and data through experimentation,” Redshaw says. 13

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“The culture of safe and secure experimentation is vitally important to transforming the organisation to enable simplification and multi-modal delivery patterns across the digital and technology estate”, she adds. Redshaw says NatWest has recognised the need for a changed mindset, which prompted the recent re-branding of the collective Technology Service offering to ‘Digital X’. This is essentially “a statement about how we want to work across the bank, how we want to focus our energy, and how we want to partner to enable and support a digital engagement business, powered by personalisation.” And since our last interview, Clayton’s role has expanded to cover the breadth of Risk, Resiliency and Service Management for the Retail Digital and Technology estate, in addition to Strategy and Transformation. Previously, she touched on several key transformation elements like Customer Delivery, Risk & Resiliency, Performance, People, Culture, Communications, Leadership and NatWest’s Horizon Technology strategies. “In response to how technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and how regulation and legislation is working to keep pace, the inclusion of the Risk, Resiliency and Service elements was a natural evolution.” And from a digital technology perspective, Clayton highlights two regulations the team have focused on: “The first is Consumer Duty, where all firms are expected to raise standards of how we ensure customers receive ‘fair value’ and support. Digital technology has a role to play alongside our people and processes in ensuring customers understand banking products and services. “The second is the EU AI Act; the world’s first comprehensive AI law. Whilst the EU AI Act doesn’t have direct implications for UK businesses, there is a collective move towards international collaboration and a global convergence for harmonising policy, on a topic which is fundamentally shifting 14

how we think about data, content, and intellectual property in a digital age.” Redshaw concurs, saying the evolution of AI and Generative AI provides a lot of opportunity for industries across the globe to experiment and find productivity and efficiency from this. She mentions NatWest’s Digital AI assistant, Cora, which has been continually evolving over the past five years. The AI, which is ranked in the global top 10 of Digital AI assistants, supports customers, and is integrated into the organisation’s awardwinning Mobile App, Online eBanking platform, Websites and Telephony systems. Cora is available to ‘talk with customers’ 24/7, holding over 10 million conversations per year. “However, with today’s Large Language Models, deep learning, and Gen AI models, NatWest has moved beyond binary inputs and outputs, and has started to see where the models can facilitate and generate new content based off patterns and structures provided from training and data,” Redshaw says.

“We see an even greater shift to unlocking the digital value within our customer journeys, combined with a real focus on driving digitalisation, re-use, innovation, and data through experimentation.” WENDY REDSHAW

“Our lives are busier, faster, we are always on, always connected, and anything that can help make life easier and simpler is welcomed – as evidenced by the uptake in interest in these new technologies,” she comments “ChatGPT achieved 1.6 billion site visits in June 2023”. Generative AI is now supercharging NatWest’s efforts to improve customer experience through personalisation. “We are experimenting in several areas, including call summarisation and sentiment analysis, which supports adviser productivity and data gathering, but also identifies client

She also believes the second biggest use case is leveraging AI to keep customers safe. One tool NatWest has implemented is Featurespace AI, which runs adaptive algorithms to combat payment fraud. “Having the ability of AI, with its speed and detection mechanisms that are in many cases more refined and can keep up with the pace of data flows, augmenting a human we can provide additional protection for customers,” she says.

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SUPERCHARGED EFFORTS

sentiment and enables further development of data-driven client insights to better support client needs,” Redshaw comments.

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“There is a consensus that Personal Productivity is probably the number one-use case for Generative AI, whether it is individuals in their day-to-day lives, or whether it is organisations supporting their colleagues.

Coming full circle back to the idea of productivity, Redshaw says NatWest is running several experiments to understand how Gen AI tools can act as ‘co-pilots’ for engineers, helping to write better code faster, and in an efficient and sustainable way.

A new era of generative AI for everyone

Learn how to apply generative AI to maximize efficiency and drive competitive advantage.

How Generative AI will transform Customer Digital Experiences Retail Banking customer expectations have changed dramatically. Customers have become accustomed to simple, slick, and personalised interactions in their digital lives and their Bank is no exception. NatWest and Accenture have partnered for over a decade to constantly respond to changing customer needs. Today, 95% of customers onboard to new products online and 65% of customers opt to engage with their bank completely through digital channels. This experience simplification has been paired with a reinvention that supports customers to see and understand their financial lives in completely new ways.

As we look ahead, we see transformational opportunities that compound the banks existing capability development agenda, particularly when it comes to the impact and use of Generative AI. Like NatWest, we know Generative AI will fast become mission critical for banks to achieve the right balance between the digital and the human side of banking and servicing customers seamlessly from start to finish. In order to drive engagement and revenues Banks require more contextual interactions, pricing, and personalised insights. Two priority areas for innovation and differentiation include: •

Transforming operations: integrating Generative AI into middle and back-office operations to drive efficiency and effectiveness, focused on customer.

•

Adopting Generative AI features into colleague’s ways of working with tools to supercharge productivity & unlock their creativity.

The power of Generative AI will extend the capabilities and investments that banks have made in improving digital experiences for their customers and evolve how they can build a better understanding of their customers’ needs and forge deeper, more personalised, relationships. Accenture have accelerated this transformation with NatWest through: •

A simplified, cloud-first, web capability that has enhanced experience and content orchestration across the business. Colleagues, closest to the customer need, now self-serve and optimise journeys hundreds of times per day, fuelled by data.

•

Interactive experiences that allow customers to truly engage and understand their financial lives, whether they are in the fragmented process of buying a home or, navigating the opportunity of more sustainable and energy efficient lifestyle choices.

•

Leveraging an existing ecosystem of technology to engage 19 million customers with the right content, in right place, at the right moments.

Nina Raphael NatWest Global Client Lead, Accenture

Stewart O’Bee Digital Senior Manager, Accenture

Disclaimer : This content is provided for general information purposes and is not intended to be used in place of consultation with our professional advisors. Copyright © 2023 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are registered trademarks of Accenture.

In all these use cases, Redshaw highlights that humans are kept in the loop, or that AI is providing augmentation, versus relying

“So, which use cases is that acceptable for, and how do we fine tune and train these models in the future? Everyone would agree that when providing financial advice, or determining credit worthiness, that this accuracy rate is not nearly high enough yet, so we have a long way to go to mature the technology,” she adds.

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“That segways into the second aspect: AI Risk and Ethics. The future will depend on how a banking organisation can enhance the risk framework for AI. This includes considerations around emerging regulation and using Gen AI through a pragmatic risk assessment process; that is to deal with present use cases based on the current risk and control framework, while leaving flexibility for use cases of tomorrow,” she says.

solely on AI. “This is an important distinction as many AI models are only able to yield between 80-90% accuracy.

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Regarding the engineering aspect, Clayton says the future of AI in Banking is about enabling the right blend of EQ/AQ in combination with hard coding skills, “so we can be prepared to train models without bias and challenge each other, particularly on any subconscious bias that may not be consciously acknowledged.

THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE Clayton also highlights a larger question that organisations across the globe are facing: how might we transform our banking workforce so that they are comfortable, prepared, and ready to live side-by-side with AI? “In the world of AI, deepfakes, voice replication and where content can be created 19

to look authentic, like its coming from the bank, our customers will need support to remain vigilant, safe, and secure. “Our front-line colleagues will also need to be ready to handle these kinds of situations and potential threats, with a different set of tools, skills and detection mechanisms that evolve at AI’s pace,” she says.

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Clayton adds that while the standard risk considerations still exist (data privacy, cyber, transparency etcetera), AI introduces unique risk considerations, such as confidentiality concerns, copyright and replication, and hallucinations. And with the rapidly evolving technological landscape, the human experience has never been more important. As CDIO, Redshaw perceives this through two very distinct lenses – customer and colleague experience. She says NatWest is a partner throughout all of life’s important moments – it is a relationship bank in a digital world, building relationships through engagement over time.

KARI-ANNE CLAYTON

“For example, where we can provide human or digital interactions combined with contextual data, we can deliver a tailored personalised experience, regardless of channel (e.g., branch, telephone, mobile). Where customers are empowered with knowledge and data about their own finances, and tangibly see rewards for making positive financial decisions, we are building trust and unlocking value for them.”

However, she comments on one of the best strategies to tackle this: ever-greening, “which is tightly integrated into the DevOps model. Capacity is ‘protected’ sprint-on-sprint. This can be tricky to implement, as competing priorities and incremental value may ‘appear’ to decrease in the short term, and an evergreening strategy is about long-term value over 2-3 years or more,” she says.

Redshaw adds they have an equal duty of care to colleagues, to ensure their experiences are as rich and robust, especially with the rapid advancement of technology, which often means what is implemented today is often obsolete in a shorter amount of time. “So, it is about ensuring we have the right balance of adaptability, agility and resilience developed to flex to the continual pace of change,” she says. Clayton adds that as technology ages and becomes legacy, how organisations balance 20

“There is a collective move towards international collaboration and a global convergence for harmonising policy, on a topic which is fundamentally shifting how we think about data, content, and intellectual property in a digital age.” legacy remediation and decommissioning with investment in new technologies isn’t straightforward.

When executed properly, Clayton says it becomes an unrealised cost avoidance, versus something that hits a run cost line to retrospectively ‘address’. “To stay ahead, it’s not just about innovation and keeping up with technology trends but is also a collective agreement from cross-disciplinary teams within the organisation to operate in such a way that addresses this collective challenge,” she adds. Rounding out the conversation on AI, Redshaw assures that they do not see AI as a threat, and know effective management is necessary to mitigate key risks like the loss

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of human participation in decision making, underlying bias in Large Language Models, an increasingly complex data security environment, and potential loss of human interactions at the right points for clients. EXPERIMENTAL FREEDOM “There is hype around AI being a negative force, with headlines stating: ‘AI is going to steal jobs’ or ‘AI is going to take over the world’. These sentiments are sensationalist headlines meant to grab people’s attention and elicit an emotional reaction – a very human trait,” she quips. Another human trait is curiosity, a core value at NatWest. Clayton says most technologists she has worked with share this attribute, which often manifests itself as life-long learning, and is what sets organisations apart to help them stay ahead.

“There is also a culture of experimentation and innovation, which is accessible to everyone, not just to a specific group,” Clayton adds. “This experimental freedom creates psychological safety within the wider organisation, unlocking colleague creativity and value. “This yields amazing ideas that our organisation and customers benefit from and helps the collective stay updated on the latest and greatest cutting-edge technologies,” she says. Another core value at NatWest is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), which Redshaw and Clayton are fiercely passionate about. According to Redshaw, NatWest’s target is to have full gender balance in its CEO-3 and above global roles by 2030. NatWest’s ESG disclosure states that at 31 December

An aspect Redshaw is particularly proud of is Natwest’s Employee Led Networks (ELNs), which help provide safe spaces for

Clayton agrees, saying it is also important to be a visible role model as a minority or ally. Her daughter is LGBTQIA+, and she is an ally and advocate for NatWest’s LGBTQIA+ colleagues. “I am incredibly inspired and supportive of our organisation and others who are openly advocating for safe workplaces where we can all bring our whole selves.

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“There are many aspects of inclusivity to consider, and we should bring just as much discussion and focus to our LGBTQ+ colleagues, as well as those who may have a different ability, or represent different generations,” she adds.

colleagues and promote conversation and learning. She says as a senior leader, one of the most powerful roles she can play is not only choosing to challenge when something isn’t right, but choosing to champion, and the impact this can have.

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2022, there were 40% women in the CEO3 and above global roles, an increase of 2% since 31 December 2021 and is reflective of a 11% increase since the targets were introduced in 2015. Additionally, the group is aiming to have 14% of colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds in CEO-4 and above positions, and 3% Black colleagues in CEO-5 and above positions in the UK by 2025.

“And when you do choose to champion in the light of DE&I, it’s a very different approach and has a completely different outcome,” she declares. 23

The technologies shaping the future of financial services Next-gen technology adoption and a reliance on cloud have always been at the forefront of modern financial services, helping the industry overcome global challenges, deliver exceptional customer service and release innovative products Financial services organizations are early technology adopters. They recognize that technology is a strategic imperative in the modern business landscape. To drive innovation and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape, many forward-thinking financial services leaders are already leveraging new and notable technologies to transform the drivers of profitability, agility and resilience within their organizations. They are weighing in on the transformative capabilities of the cloud to orchestrate new products and processes and to respond to disruption at global and business levels. In HCLTech’s recent cloud research, which surveyed 500 business and IT leaders, 91% of senior executives in financial services identified cloud as a critical success factor, and 87% of respondents confirmed that there is a strong appetite to invest more in cloud. The growing adoption of the cloud is itself an indicator of the changing financial services ecosystem with the advent of new business models and rising consumer expectations. Since cloud is the enabler of technological innovations in business, a trend of financial

services firms shifting from traditional silos to cloud platforms is pervasive. Cloud is the business platform for innovation and enables (AI), machine learning, ChatGPT models and big data analytics to increase business resilience

services firms are deploying this technology for KYC, customer onboarding, risk management, customer interactions. At the same time, there is a heavy use of intelligent automation to speed up operations across all the functions of financial services. In addition, banks and other financial institutions are exploring the potential of data in a risk-controlled environment. Sustainable finance has also been a prominent area of focus for financial services organizations, where they are utilizing technology to achieve their net zero goals.

Overcoming global challenges By embracing cloud and various technologies, financial services organizations can overcome global challenges and rapidly pivot their business strategies to meet market needs. The simple truth in business today is that the world is changing. The past frameworks of compliance, security, talent and culture need massive overhauling from the lens of the changing face of financial services, especially when there is a wide variety of stakeholders, including fintech, incumbent institutions, government and regulatory bodies, and a diverse customer base. Global financial systems are regularly tested and in recent times, higher inflation and recession are providing a firm challenge. The current situation is impacting business reassess their priorities in view of customer concerns and rising costs. In response to these challenges, financial services leaders are leveraging technologies to adjust their risk management procedures and keep their focus intact on improving costs. For instance, advancements in AI and data analytics enable financial services firms to be clear-eyed about their liquidity positions, which is critical to resource allocation and managing costs. By utilizing technologies such as cloud other financial institutions are now capable of rapidly pivoting to new strategies and engaging in continuous innovation to drive new business initiatives and outcomes.

Transforming operations with an industry cloud Financial services organizations are prioritizing continuous modernization with a robust cloud strategy to thrive in an experience-centric that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for cloud maturity levels. As a result, financial services firms are turning to industry cloud platforms that are specifically tailored, considering the business needs and compliance requirements of the financial services sector. Industry cloud platforms provide a “plug and play” flexibility that goes beyond the “lift and shift” approach to achieve competitive

industry cloud platforms in financial services enable the development of new experiences and infuse agility and transparency into business operations.

The rise of generative AI The advent of generative AI provides enormous possibilities reimagining productivity, across all industries. Beyond image or text generation, generative AI technology gives more power to business teams in financial services to use technology to achieve new business outcomes. A modern AI ecosystem includes a combination of traditional AI and generative AI models, which are used to develop a myriad of AI applications to deliver AI-driven customer experience, AI-driven employee experience and AI-driven business operations. Financial services firms are unifying the big data analytics to automate repetitive tasks, enable quick research, improve creativity and optimize the decision-making process. Firms are also using generative AI to foster a culture of sustainability within the organization management systems and monitoring, tracking, benchmarking and optimization of the carbon footprints of the workplace.

Looking ahead: A sustainable future As technology trends continue to evolve, financial services organizations will increasingly lean toward adopting them for a more sustainable future. The outlook covers leveraging technology to enable the decarbonization of lending regulations like the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), Corporate taxonomy alignment to drive growth in sustainable lending. There will be a continued focus on the use of technologies such as cloud, AI, machine learning and big data analytics to catalyze product innovation, transform customer interactions and operations and get deeper insights into routine tasks.

Sudip Lahiri Executive Vice President & Head – Europe, Financial Services HCLTech

POTENTIAL TO FULFILMENT Redshaw admits she doesn’t see championing as being fundamentally different to sponsorship, as it’s more about seeing and growing someone’s potential to fulfilment, adding that you should champion active involvement in the DE&I space that is strong, not soft and woolly. “For example, five years ago when I came in, there were many teams that lacked gender diversity and I didn’t want that to happen in my part of the organisation – but I also didn’t want to be inadvertently biased the other way.

WENDY REDSHAW and performance or task driven; you tend to target predefined results. Mentoring is softer and more relationship-focused guidance, offering encouragement and support through one’s own mentoring or work experience. “Sponsorship goes beyond giving advice and guidance ... It includes ‘iron sharpening’. Your task is to help this person be the best they can be, and that can include constructive critical help. It’s a ‘we’ topic and is much more active.”

In terms of choosing to challenge and champion, Redshaw says it is only about encouraging people to think about what is fair and right, and to be as open as possible - “we have an official ‘Recruitment checklist’ that helps emphasise this. Boldness in this case is not only about DE&I, as taking a stand helps the business because diversity helps our business to thrive in multiple ways,” she adds.

Redshaw adds that it means becoming someone’s advocate, in public and behind closed doors, with no ambiguity. With her sponsorship experiences, she has seen measurable progress and growth, but she says she couldn’t have done that for everybody.

And to thrive, it helps to have guidance. Redshaw has sponsored and mentored many people over the years, and the one question she is frequently asked is “what is the difference between these roles?” “Sponsorship versus mentoring versus coaching (usually the third thing that people talk about),” she says. “Despite morphing into each other in any particular session, are actually distinct. Coaching is more structured,

Clayton was sponsored by Redshaw, who says that there was “no way I did any spoon-feeding. Kari-Anne had to endure iron-sharpening”.

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“Being ready to give full transparency on how this process worked, and to showcase how it produced this diverse result, helps to pose a challenge to others as to how they themselves might be actively mindful of diversity in their teams”.

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“So, when I created my organisation, I took a purposeful approach. I sat down with my HR business partner, and for each job application, folded over the name, gender, location, and only reviewed the skillset when producing our shortlist for interviews. Totally randomly, I ended up with a 50/50 split, male and female.

“Our lives are busier, faster, we are always on, always connected, and anything that can help make life easier and simpler is welcomed.”

“If you’re going to stand up and say, ‘I will help this person to be the best version of themselves at work, and I will champion their potential and advocate for them,’ you must really believe that, because any fakeness, any disbelief in that, will come through and harm both parties.

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Clayton says role models and leaders come in all different shapes and sizes at all levels of an organisation. “The most junior individual can be a leader, and when trying to coach next-generational leadership, it’s being able to put that fact in a different light, empower individuals as far as how leadership works and grows in a career, versus it being more of a positional topic,” she says. “When coaching early careers, often individuals believe career paths have to be linear, but they often aren’t,” she says, with Redshaw chipping in that they are known as ‘squiggly careers’. In the early stages, Clayton tries to challenge her mentees to define what being a leader means, and “how might you become

Redshaw concurs, using the example of ‘skip sessions’ and ‘build your strength circles’, where often the topic arose from participants as to how they might get up the corporate ladder. As a matter of fact, Redshaw says it’s a triangle: “there’s a very small amount of space at the top. “So, it can be helpful to keep more of an open mind on success in a career, and to judge yourself not only on whether you get to be CEO, or the equivalent of this in a technology function,” she comments.

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“Humility and openness are important,” she adds. “If you’ve made a mistake, just learn from it, share it, encourage people to be connected, open, and recognise that all of us have flaws,” she comments.

a leader without necessarily having traditional positional power, but instead having collaborative expertise, openness and leading people without necessarily being the ‘boss’.”

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SQUIGGLY CAREERS

Redshaw advises that instead of pushing to go up in a career, you should wait and gain skills at your current level: “you never get to go back so this is a great time to develop breadth in your experience and improve your network. You get pulled up because you are well connected, doing your very best, and showcasing what you can do for yourself, 29

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customers, and others - rather than clamouring your way up,” she says. When it comes to future skillsets, Redshaw says that previously, especially in technology, the sought-after skills would be systematised in nature. “Those things are great, but it tends to traditionally be seen more in males. Thus, in the 70s, to perhaps the 2000s, that’s how technology careers looked. “What would be traditionally female would be a much more connected, empathetic, holistic, and emotionally intelligent skill set, which during that time was valued less highly. “Whereas if we look at the World Economics Forum Top 10 skillsets for the future, which is regularly revised,” she explains “although they’re still looking for analytical thinking, technological literacy, dependability and attention to detail – alongside these traits there are traditionally softer skills such as creative thinking, self-awareness, empathy, active listening, and social influence.

“Suddenly, you see this blended hybrid skillset being required for the future, which both boys and girls can learn. This is exciting. Our job is to richly encourage those who are working for us so that whatever the future throws at them, they’ll be able to accommodate it.” Clayton agrees, adding that “when we think about the pace of change and the world landscape – social, financial, geopolitical or health wise – there’s a lot happening, elements that will impact us globally in the coming years. “So, the ability to be resilient, adapt in your career and personal life, that underpins a lot of these traditionally hard and soft skills. Skills needed to thrive as an individual must be reinforced by some adaptability and resiliency because at any point in time, circumstances can change,” she says. WWW.NATWEST.COM

REVOLUTIONIZING CUSTOMER INTERACTION THROUGH TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION: INFOSYS, NATWEST AND AMAZON CONNECT. As a premier transformation partner for our financial services customers, Infosys prides itself on bringing innovative and industry leading technological capability to the table. Perhaps even more important however, is our ability to help our clients better serve their customers, and build long-term, trusted partnership in the process. This year, we celebrated one such partnership, marking the 20-year anniversary between Infosys and NatWest. For Infosys, this milestone embodies our resilience, shared values, and the growth we’ve fostered together. It propels us towards digital innovation, a testament to our journey that goes far beyond traditional collaboration, driven by our collective aspirations and it is through this incredible relationship that together NatWest and Infosys have partnered to redefine and revolutionise remote customer contact, through the Contact Centre Transformation Programme. This joint initiative aims to establish a unified, AWS cloud-based solution for telephony operations while enriching and enhancing customer interactions. Visionary Approach: At the core of the Contact Centre Transformation Programme is NatWest’s commitment to delivering exceptional human support precisely when it matters. The programme prioritises seamless routing to multi-skilled colleagues for swift issue resolution at the first point of contact (FPOC) and leverages cloud-based architecture, enabling rapid deployment to meet an ever changing and dynamic landscape for customers. This approach not only empowers colleagues with advanced tools but also fosters trust through quick resolutions and encourages customer advocacy. Simplifying Complexity: The programme envisions a future where Amazon Connect facilitates fast integration, operates seamlessly across channels, and simplifies the technology landscape from a multi-vendor/ multi-product construct to a predominantly single vendor using native amazon solutions. This transformative journey includes transcription and analytics capabilities, alongside sentiment analysis, resulting in a higher quality customer and colleague experience, with additional data points to help better serve customers. Execution Excellence: In 2023, the programme outlined a well-crafted plan for incremental adoption of the transformed contact centre platform with ~65% of contact centre colleagues online in 2023, culminating in a complete transition by 2024. Most importantly, this transformation has been seamless for customers, ensuring no disruption in the telephone service they experience today.

Infosys’s Pivotal Role: As a trusted delivery partner, Infosys plays a pivotal role in the Contact Centre Transformation programme, contributing extensively to development, testing, and management across all business units with a key highlight being the integration of Nuance technology with Amazon Connect. Facilitated by Infosys, Nuance further enriches the customer interaction landscape through voice biometrics, enabling customers to authenticate using their voice print, keeping customers safe and secure. Operational Paradigm Shift: By the programme’s conclusion, a new operating model will be firmly in place, facilitating multi-skilled agents, a proactive customer contact strategy, and simplified operations. This marks a monumental departure from the complex and reactive approach of the past. In essence, the Contact Centre Transformation Programme led by NatWest, with the instrumental involvement of Infosys, and building upon the innovative Amazon Connect offering, is poised to redefine the landscape of remote customer contact. This concise and impactful framework introduces an era of efficiency, personalisation, and proactive engagement, reflecting a joint commitment to delivering transformative experiences for every customer. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: Technology Simplification: •

Multi-vendor/multi-product construct transformed to a predominantly single vendor using native amazon solutions leveraging advanced analytics.

Seamless Execution: •

Incremental adoption of the transformed contact centre platform with 65% of agents complete in 2023 with zero disruption for customers.

Strategic Partnership Impact: •

Nuance voice biometric technology integration by Infosys enhances the customer interaction landscape.

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Infosys Topaz is an AI-first set of services, solutions and platforms using generative AI technologies. It helps amplify the potential of humans, enterprises and communities to create value from unprecedented innovations, pervasive efficiencies and connected ecosystems. It brings the advantage of 12,000+ AI assets, 150+ pre-trained AI models, 10+ AI platforms steered by AI-first specialists and data strategists, and a ‘responsible by design’ approach that is uncompromising on ethics, trust, privacy, security, and regulatory compliance. Leveraging Infosys applied AI framework to build an AI-first core that empowers people to deliver cognitive solutions, Infosys Topaz help enterprises:

Accelerate growth Build connected ecosystems Unlock efficiencies at scale

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J O N D A V I S HUNGER FOR HOSPITALITY

THE IVY COLLECTION’S CTO JON DAVIS DISCUSSES THE EMERGING DIGITAL TRENDS OF HOSPITALITY, AND HOW TO BECOME THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

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Davis’s team has been building the digital infrastructure from the ground up, “our digital platforms dictate how we interact with our customers, and each other. We have to leverage emerging technologies so we can scale as the business grows. Everything from data analytics to cloud migration to AI. Our objective is to optimise our operation and enhance our customer experience.” And for the role of the CTO today,

“There are challenges, as there’s a lot of varied work and difficult conversations,” Davis reckons. Traditionally, a CTO had quite a narrow focus in business. “Now it’s an incredibly varied role, with managing many different change processes across multiple teams.

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The Ivy Collection, Caprice Holdings (individually branded restaurant groups), Bill’s Restaurants, and the Birley Clubs – a private members’ club in the heart of London, are all under the experienced care of Davis, who works very closely with the executive team to align technology initiatives with business goals. “This ensures the technology infrastructure and solutions are robust, scalable and aligned to best practices, helping us drive the business forward in the marketplace,” he says.

Davis believes you can interchange and merge the CTO, CIO, and CDO. “It’s a challenge as you need to wear many hats – development, digital and IT” he says. “You must be able to talk strategically about digital, IT environments, networking, security, and compliance. It’s a great place to be.

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It is said that true hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests. And that seems to be the mantra for Jon Davis, who has been Chief Technology Officer for a group of restaurants and private members clubs for over two and a half years.

“You must also be able to drive innovation and transformation, look at business as usual, while also observing security and compliance. It’s an interesting but difficult place, we are seeing increases in costs across all areas, so the balance is innovation against budget,” he reflects. Costs of technology and platform changes has always been high, whether that’s through people, switching software, or development. Yet Davis says we are seeing how you can do more with less, “but that brings its own challenges. 35

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“However, I talk to many different CTOs, and see that people are doing amazing things with limited resources, and it’s inspiring – we can take advice from each other and keep trying to drive innovation,” he adds. And driving innovation is a fundamental part of Davis’s team culture, by encouraging and exploring new ideas. “We want to experiment with emerging technologies, but we also want to collaborate and solve business challenges.” Davis has a passion for developing and nurturing talent and attracting people to his industry. “I’ve worked in hospitality for 20-plus years, and I think some people forget there are many different paths to take as a career. “In hospitality, you can still do technology, finance, HR. It’s not just chefs and the front end of the operation. I think it’s quite varied vertical to work in, but it’s one that’s hard to attract talent.

“It’s about bringing in young, hungry people that want to take the opportunity,” 36

As a business, Davis and his team promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. “Our people are our strongest asset, so we must ensure their growth and well-being is at the forefront of what we do,” he adds. Davis states that cultural change is “massive” internally and for customers. “Having a clear and strategic vision for our business is massive. Creating an environment where people can be innovative, make decisions, and drive forward with things they believe in, is vital,” he adds. Davis is a big believer in giving people in his team the space to grow, “not put them in a box and let them struggle to push out of that. “We’re using data to push the boundaries of what we can do, driving a lot of initiatives forward – not just collecting data and sending out sales support as you traditionally would. In his experience, there has been a broad adoption of digital technology in the enterprise. “It’s provided valuable insights into the ever-evolving tech landscape, and over the

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In technology, it’s getting very difficult to stay on the cutting edge; to continuously take advantage of what’s happening on the precipice of technology. “The quicker it goes, the harder it is to keep up,” Davis quips. INVOLVED AND EVOLVING “Digital technology is something that if you’re not doing it, you’re not falling behind – you’re almost at a standstill. Organisations that fail to embrace that technology have less opportunity for growth and efficiency. In the world we live in, with costs only going one way, it’s important to leverage technology to help efficiency,” he says, highlighting the importance of educating people that don’t work in the technology world, especially in the hospitality industry. “Keeping people up to date, involved and evolving, making sure that they know what’s next. What you do see in

“We want to experiment with emerging technologies, but we also want to collaborate and solve business challenges.”

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years I’ve learned a few good lessons, like the pace of change.

enterprise is business imperative. So, it’s not a choice anymore, you must do it.” As Davis is part of a B2C business, he says they must prioritise and drive forward technologies that enhance customer experience, whether that’s in marketing or the digital landscape – websites, booking 37

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journeys, apps, and loyalty programmes. For example, data-driven insights in decisionmaking (a now-vital part of every industry), which improves operations, new market opportunities, and for Davis’s industry, where they should and shouldn’t open restaurants. “The more you adopt new technology, the more agility and flexibility to make decisions to shift your strategic vision, to be able to get over any sort of hurdles you see and flex your business one way or another to help when these road bumps do come,” he says. And when adopting these technologies, people’s data and company systems must be protected from cyber threats, especially with the ever-growing impact of tech on businesses. Davis says it must be at the forefront when the team discusses what they would like to implement. “And you can’t have one without the other.” He says technology has evolved our personal lives, so drivers for change from a business level have been paramount. Consumer expectations have elevated, so Davis says the business wants to ensure they can transact with it like almost everything else: on your smartphone in a matter of clicks.

“It’s about bringing in young, hungry people that want to take the opportunity.” This puts emphasis on the technology team to deliver those solutions. “We’ve recently launched The Ivy Premier Rewards app, so to see some offers that are working against some that aren’t, understanding where our customers are coming from, how many times they transact with us a year. So, anything happening from a strategic and exec level, and any decisions being made, we must be there to support and drive them forward,” Davis says, recalling that COVID-19 was a real accelerator to enhance the technology teams’ role, whether that was traditional IT, digital, or for the customer. CUSTOMER JOURNEY And as hospitality is about people, service, and ensuring person-to-person communication

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THE IVY MONTPELLIER BRASSERIE, CHELTENHAM

THE IVY OXFORD BRASSERIE

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“That’s how we become more strategic, how we adapt and deliver what our customers need,” he states, adding that the team will implement more project-based proof of concepts, agile development, ensuring the UX works, testing, and getting customer feedback. From this, the team could see the gaps in the end-to-end customer journey, but just fixing it wasn’t enough. “It was about becoming the best, not just better,” Davis says.

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Davis says technology will increase customer loyalty, like when they use smartphones – giving them the best booking journey they could possibly have by reducing the number of clicks, and using data to make key decisions on how that works.

The team changed all their digital platforms and anything that included ‘customer experience’ websites, call centre platforms, the loyalty-based app, and booking journeys. “That’s been a big piece of work over the last two years”, Davis remarks. “Now we are almost at the end of phase one, and phase two we’ll look at driving next-level customer interaction and elevating guest experience. I’m very much looking forward to it.”

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is as good as it can be, using technology to enhance those conversations and interactions is where Davis and his team will find new revenue streams and “we can make sure that when you’re in the restaurants, you can focus on having a great time. Everything that sits around that customer journey that we can enhance, pre-or-post-visit, we can use data and technology to smarten up those processes.”

“Creating an environment where people can be innovative, make decisions, that they can drive forward with things they believe in, is vital.” 41

THE IVY BRASSERIE, NORWICH, NORFOLK.

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“Especially in the hospitality world, you get periods of intense work, and then you’ll see a massive dip where you go below a line, but it’s not acceptable in terms of effort and deliverables,” he says. The high period of intensity and proceeding drop means it’s difficult then to get back up to that level.

On the backend, the enterprise now has improved networking IT infrastructure with many resiliencies added, “so we’ve got confidence that our network and infrastructures can take anything we throw at them,” Davis explains. “We’ve done lots of work on staff cybersecurity training and building-in mechanisms where all core platforms are protected. Currently, we’re in the process of changing what we do on a CRM level and end-to-end, so moving to a Salesforce environment. It’s been incredibly busy over the last couple of years, but we keep pushing on,” he adds.

CONSISTENCY OVER INTENSITY

And Davis keeps pushing on, especially with his teams’ consistency. “I always drive that it’s much more important to be consistent every day and set expectations of what everyone can expect from you, because that gives us a much clearer understanding of where we are and can get to.

But Davis gives clear direction of what is expected of the teams. “We do what we call our annual IT away days once or twice a year, and in that, we commit to each other and build a mission statement together,” he says. “Once you’ve got that direction, having consistency over intensity is important.” However, when Davis began his role in 2021, there was only one other person in the IT ‘team’. “Everything was outsourced, so my role was to come in and build a team. The ultimate objective was to completely

The Ivy Premier Rewards. A bespoke app designed by TheLoyaltyCo. How loyal are your clients? Scan QR to find out more

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redo the whole digital landscape of the business for all brands. “It was a daunting task because you walk in on day one, and there’s no team, it’s just you and one other guy. And it’s not just, ‘Right, let’s build a new digital infrastructure.’ It’s, ‘We’ve also got to do business as usual. We’ve got 120 venues that need to be managed and supported’,” he says. So, the team relies on third parties and partners for internal development. “We call them suppliers, but they’re part of the team. If you pick a great partner, you include them in the strategic vision because they need to feel part of the process, not just someone providing a service. “With our online platforms and Premier Rewards app, we have TLC as a partner. The team there has been an absolute joy to work with, and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. “We also need day-to-day, first-line, secondline support, as we have 120 venues.

“ Having consistency over intensity is important.” This is where our amazing partner Micronet comes in. At every level, there is someone from a partner perspective helping us along the journey, and that is always going to be a massive part of what we do.” “And we are very good at it,” Davis says. “But how do we become the absolute best in the world? How do we elevate that customer experience in any of the touch points that we have with them to make us the best in the business? “And that’s what we’ll continue to strive to do, and we’ll use data to get us there.” WWW.IVYCOLLECTION.COM

PORTFOLIO

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Innovative and inspired items for work, leisure and sustainable living

DJI OSMO POCKET 3

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Possibly the most obvious and impressive improvement on the Pocket 2 is the 2-inch, rotatable, touch screen, helping you to easily shoot in both portrait and landscape, without having to rotate the actual camera. The camera comes equipped with a 1-inch CMOS sensor, and an advanced microphone system, allowing you to record video and audio in any situation, from the brilliant sunshine of an outdoor adventure to the low light of a concert venue.

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Three years since the release of the previous model, DJI has dropped the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, their new pocketsized gimbal camera, perfect for bringing all your creative visions to life.

With an additional battery handle, and the ability to charge to 80% in just 16 minutes, the Pocket 3 is ready to grab and go during all your bursts of creativity. With the Pocket 3, DJI champions stability and powerful imagery. WWW.DJI.COM

GARMIN VENU 3 Garmin’s new smartwatch, the Venu 3, aims to help you, the wearer, ‘know the real you’, providing a complete picture of your health and fitness. The Venu 3 comes equipped with appreciated features from the previous version, but also new, upgraded features such as the Sleep Coach, which tracks sleep stages and coaches you through steps to getting the perfect night’s sleep, based on your personal needs.

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Other features include body battery energy monitoring, to safely monitor your energy

and stress levels, 30 preloaded sports apps, a built-in speaker and microphone to make calls and answer texts, a jetlag adviser, menstrual cycle tracking, breathwork activities, and so much more. The Venu 3 is built for you, however and wherever you move, tracking your steps during a hike or run, your distance in the swimming pool, or your pushes during built-in exercises for wheelchair users. WWW.GARMIN.COM

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SAMSUNG ODYSSEY NEO G9

Introducing the world’s first Dual UHD monitor, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9. The new curved gaming monitor features a 57” screen powered by Quantum mini LEDs that provide astounding visuals and highlight powerful detail.

Equipped with DisplayHDR 1000 with 1,000 nit peak brightness and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio for enhanced colour expression and depth, the Neo G9 displays in-game design and colour that is bold and accurate.

The monitor allows you to display content from up to four inputs on screen simultaneously, or utilise the size for ultra-wide gaming, if playing video games in an aspect ratio of 32:9 appeals to you.

Whilst the Odyssey Neo G9 is by no means cheap, coming in at almost $2,500, it is bound to be a small price to pay to achieve the experience many gamers desire. WWW.SAMSUNG.COM

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EUFY SOLOCAM S340 Ease, security, and sustainability are all desired when it comes to technology today, and that is exactly what you find with Eufy’s SoloCam S340. Eufy’s new security camera is solarpowered and easily installed, meaning that one installation process is all that is needed for the camera to run 24 hours a day for as long as is required.

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UK.EUFY.COM

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Equipped with Enhanced Dual-Camera Clarity at 50 Feet, the SoloCam S340 allows the user to capture anything around their property in 3K resolution. 360 degree surveillance and dual views means no blind spots or missed occurrences, and 8x hybrid zoom allows you to pick up on the tiniest details. The SoloCam S340 is maximum security with maximum ease.

MOSS AIR MOSSLAB believes it is essential to find ways to improve air quality in an increasingly polluted world, and we agree! That is where their innovative new product, Moss Air, comes in.

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The Moss Air is a desktop-sized terrarium, perfect for the office, that is not only a sleek conversation piece, but also functions as a humidifier and purifier. The moss within the Moss Air acts as a purifier, absorbing up to 20x its own weight and metabolising fine dust whilst synthesising

CO2 into oxygen. Now you, colleagues at work, and those in your own home can breathe cleaner air. Whilst this product is still in the early stages of development, it is clear that a drive towards finding innovative and sustainable ways to tackle pollution will push products like the Moss Air into the mainstream. MOSSLAB-AIR.COM

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

T I A CHEANG PROPEL THE POTENTIAL

WINNER OF 2023’S TECH-EXEC DATA LEADER OF THE YEAR, TIA CHEANG, DISCUSSES THE COMPANY’S DATA EVOLUTION, AND HOW YOU CAN NAVIGATE A PATH TO SUCCESS.

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Cheang has been working in data for nearly 20 years across the public and private sectors. “My experience is predominately in the strategy and transformation space although I have worked in almost all roles and industries during my career,” she says. In Cheang’s current role, which she started earlier this year, the mandate is to drive the vision for the data landscape across the UK and EMEA, “ensuring that we are not just in step with current industry standards, but also poised to leverage future technological advancements. “This involves a holistic view of our data architecture, understanding the nuances of our business model, and predicting where the industry is heading,” she explains.

A significant part of her role is centred on enhancing and evolving data capabilities of Gallagher, ensuring they harness the full potential of the company’s assets. “Through implementing advanced analytical tools and robust methodologies, we’re working to make data more accessible and actionable for decision-makers throughout Gallagher,” Cheang says. In addition to technology, she is also focused on people and processes: “It is fundamental to cultivate a workforce and culture that values data-driven insights and encourages continuous upskilling,” she adds.

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“Treat your career like a project,” advises Tia Cheang, Director of IT Data and Information Services at Gallagher, one of the world’s largest insurance brokers. And what a project it has been for her.

As data use and adoption across all industries has evolved rapidly, enterprises now use data more proactively, employing predictive analytics and real-time insights to anticipate customer demands. “It is now easier than ever to manipulate data, and as such it has gone from being purely informational to actionable, and we are seeing a growing demand for that in our organisation” Cheang says.

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“Data and analytics are central to our technology and business strategy, and broader transformation objectives. We want to harness untapped potential of data to propel growth and uncover new opportunities.” According to Cheang, Gallagher recognises that moving towards a modern data stack isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. “The power of modern data platforms like Snowflake, coupled with our organisational commitment to place data at the heart of our technological strategy, enables us to navigate today’s landscape but also to be leaders in the insurance sector,” she says.

And the company knows technical innovations alone cannot drive success in data democratisation. “Cultural change, shaping behaviours, and nurturing a valuedriven journey are foundational to achieving our goals,” Cheang says. BROADER MISSION

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Evolution of data use and adoption at Gallagher has been driven by a combination of factors. “Firstly, in an industry that’s highly regulated, there’s an ever-present need for a strong data strategy – it’s not just about maximising opportunities but also ensuring robust compliance and risk management,” she explains. “This dual perspective makes good data strategy not only strategic, but also fundamental to our operations.

“Data literacy is at the centre of strategic technology plans. Recognising that technology’s true potential can only be harnessed when using data wisely, we are embarking on substantial efforts to foster this literacy. “Gallagher has well-established comprehensive graduate and apprenticeship schemes, focusing specifically on technology and data. Our plan is to ensure our workforce can consume and use our data in a safe and effective manner. “Moreover, our approach extends to linking data back to our value chain, ensuring every data touchpoint has purpose and resonates with our wider organisational values and our broader mission.

“The success of our data strategy is part of the continuous evolution of our organisational culture, embedded behaviours, governance and values,” she declares. When it comes to embedded behaviours, Cheang has championed innovative thinking across various sectors, especially in the realm of predictive and real-time analytics. “During my tenure with the NHS Ambulance Trusts, I knew of the vital importance of realtime analytics,” she explains. “In emergency services, the ability to leverage real-time data and predictive analytics can literally mean the difference between life and death. I honed my skills in ensuring timely and accurate data flow, which has direct implications for patient outcomes.

“It is fundamental to cultivate a workforce and culture that values data-driven insights and encourages continuous upskilling.” “While at NHS Digital, my focus shifted towards service planning, where I was tasked with ensuring digital healthcare services were scalable, secure and user centric. Navigating complexities of healthcare data at such a large scale taught me the importance of precision and meticulous planning in data management,” Cheang adds. By bringing these experiences to Gallagher, she has been able to provide a fresh perspective into the company’s approach to data. “My background ensures our approach is grounded in practical realities. All these experiences have given me insight into the evolving role of data in our industry, but also 60

to tactically implement strategies that drive tangible results,” she says. Cheang’s industry is highly regulated across the UK, EMEA, and Asia. “Each region has its own financial regulator (FCA in the UK), and has specific, varying standards we must adhere to. “And while the UK has the ICO overseeing data privacy, all other countries have their own set of data and cybersecurity regulations. So, as we implement data solutions across continents, we must consider the complex and diverse regulatory landscape. ESSENTIAL ENGAGEMENT “It can impact our potential solutions, particularly as we have adopted cloud first principles. To achieve this, careful planning, design, and engagement with stakeholders is essential,” Cheang explains. To accomplish all this takes an effective leader, and Cheang believes a modern CDO must be more than just technically proficient: “They should excel in communication, and act as a bridge between the world of data and the broader business community,” she says. “Persuasion skills are integral to the role – CDOs often find themselves in positions where they need to convey the value of datadriven strategies to different stakeholders, and these are often complex programmes a CDO needs to sell to gain buy-in from different audiences,” Cheang adds. She reckons a sense of commercial insight is important, and leaders must understand today’s business strategies are intertwined with data: “every process within a business collects data, and we must provide the necessary leadership to ensure alignment. Technological changes and the task of driving organisation-wide data adoption demands personal resilience and adaptability. “Additionally, ensuring teams are both data-literate and aligned with overarching objectives is crucial, as transformation can be a lengthy process, so patience and tenacity are qualities often overlooked,” she reflects.

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“All these experiences have given me insight into the evolving role of data in our industry, but also to tactically implement strategies that drive tangible results.”

When it comes to leadership styles, Cheang leans heavily towards a servant leadership approach. “I believe that by serving my team – providing them with the necessary tools, knowledge, and environment – means they’re empowered to perform at their best,” she explains. This style emphasises collaboration, transparency, and alignment with business goals. “By fostering an environment where open dialogue is encouraged, and by linking initiatives to tangible business outcomes, I’ve found that it leads to a greater level of success,” she adds. And Cheang’s journey into the technology and data sector has certainly been successful, beginning with an early introduction to STEM, thanks to a Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) initiative during her school days. She remains an active contributor to the women in tech debate. “I believe these kinds of programmes are invaluable,

and I genuinely feel they play a pivotal role in guiding more young women into STEM careers. “It is true, though, that lack of representation in our industry can sometimes lead to limiting beliefs for many girls. It’s not always about overt barriers but the subtle, underlying notion that perhaps this isn’t a space for them,” she says. EXPANDING HORIZONS For young women looking to break into leadership or any role in STEM, Cheang says every opportunity is a door to growth. “I’ve taken part in a myriad of experiences, from Parliamentary engagement to supporting charities and fixing aeroplanes, all of which have led to further opportunities down the line and helped me expand my horizons beyond the traditional tech landscape and develop in other areas.

When Cheang began her role earlier this year, Gallagher was in a state of transition from a data and analytics perspective. “We could be described as a typical insurer, as we had adequate technology in place, but we weren’t fully leveraging its potential, and we lacked a vibrant data culture,” Cheang says. “While there were pockets of enthusiasm for data within the organisation, we hadn’t yet embarked on a journey towards becoming data led. “Since taking on this role, we’ve already begun to see a shift in the organisation’s

mindset and its appetite to leverage more from its data assets. We’re excited about changes already happening in the data space and, more importantly, the journey that lies ahead,” she adds. The team is investing in its data and analytics capability, which should drive innovation. “This will include the continued launch of new initiatives in the realm of analytics, in addition to proving use cases for AI, which is testament to our dedication to being at the forefront of technological advancements in the insurance industry,” Cheang says.

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“My advice would be to treat your career like a project. Consider your roadmap, set milestones, invest in your professional growth ahead of time, and manage your stakeholders effectively. This proactive approach has been instrumental in my career, and I believe it can help other women navigate their path to success effectively,” she explains.

She highlights the Data and Digital strategy for Gallagher, which focuses on business operations from the top down. “From a practical standpoint, this approach means data and digital initiatives are tightly integrated with our overall business strategy. To achieve this, we are building out a new engagement operating model with each of our divisional business units. 63

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P H O T O: R O D E O P R O J EC T M A N A G E M E N T S OF T W A R E

“This ensures closer alignment with the business and allows us to support them to identify a greater number of opportunities for data and technology,” Cheang explains. Through this, Gallagher’s data considerations are embedded in decision-making processes at all levels, from strategic planning to daily operations. “We also go beyond this to ensure our data engineering gives us efficiencies of automation and streamlined processes.” she adds. A part of Cheang’s strategy is to foster a culture of data literacy and empowerment, where employees across departments understand data value and how to use it effectively in their roles. “At the core of this strategy is the understanding that data is an asset that should be leveraged across the wider

“By fostering an environment where open dialogue is encouraged, and by linking initiatives to tangible business outcomes, I’ve found that it leads to a greater level of success.”

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“In essence, the data and digital strategy at Gallagher is a global approach that embraces data as a strategic enabler. Our objective is to ensure these approaches are fully embedded into our operations and decision-making processes, from Board to broker. “We’ve witnessed noticeable improvements in our data quality, data lineage, and master data management (MDM) thanks to the tooling implementation we undertook as part of our data management program. These enhancements are crucial for ensuring data accuracy, reliability, and consistency across the organisation,” she adds. Through data management work Gallagher completed with its partners Elait, Datactics and Collibra, it is seeing positive impacts for customers, and greater operational efficiency and data transparency. “Looking ahead, our focus for the next year is to expand these efforts by migrating all business units onto

the new data platform, ensuring broader access to data and analytics capabilities across the organisation, and we will be carefully monitoring and tracking progress and benefits,” Cheang says. She adds that partners are pivotal in a data and digital transformation journey. “We have forged strong alliances with leading technology providers. We also receive high-quality support from our consultancy partners and integrators.

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organisation,” she says. “This means data and digital considerations are not confined to the IT department or a select group of data professionals. Instead, it starts at the executive level, with leadership actively championing and driving the data agenda.” Cheang says this approach means they are attuned to industry trend and emerging technologies to remain competitive and agile.

“These partnerships are essential as we migrate from our traditional BI-stack to a bestof-breed Snowflake solution for our complex landscape. Our technology partners provide invaluable expertise – their insights and experience are crucial in guiding us toward successful transformation outcomes. “They enable us to deliver cutting-edge solutions, enhance data capabilities, and drive innovation throughout our organisation whilst avoiding common implementation pitfalls. “These partnerships empower us to deliver tangible results, improve data quality, enhance data lineage, and master data management, and ultimately drive our business forward,” Cheang concludes. WWW.AJG.COM 67

Elevate Your Data Management and Empower Your Business Augmented Data Quality from Datactics delivers trust in the data that matters to your business Seamlessly combine data quality with AI and automation to save time, reduce risk and increase business revenue

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The Data & Culture People

HARNESSING THE POWER OF DATA TURNING STRATEGY INTO REALITY Combining Data Technology and Behavioural Change to Maximise Impact and Adoption Let us show you how

CONTACT Matt Stockhill

matt.stockhill@elait.com

+44 7739 456 802

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D & TA R A Q U I N N

G R E G WILSON

TRUST IN TRANSFORMATION.

GREG WILSON DISCUSSES THE LEADERSHIP OF TRANSFORMATION SUCCESS, HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HELPING AND EMPOWERING LEADERS, AND TRANSITIONING FROM A CAREER IN THE MILITARY TO BECOMING WORLD WIDE PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNMENT CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER AT MICROSOFT.

P H O T O: T U R A G P H O T O G R A P H Y

My role covers an expansive portfolio of global public sector segments. They include public safety and justice clients, public finance organisations, as well as vital public health and social services organisations. Underpinning these segments are also the dayto-day government operations and a diverse array of national critical infrastructure. My scope of work is significant and each day I’m impressed by the dedication of public service employees around the world. It is my responsibility to help them use our Microsoft technology to succeed in addressing many of the challenges governments face through leveraging the power of our leading, worldclass technologies as they undergo digital and AI transformation journeys. This improves

Digital transformation is no longer an “if,” but more simply a “when” and “must.” The focus now is on how to deliver on the execution of many cloud-first strategies. Speaking with government officials, everyone is excited about the endless possibilities that innovative technologies can bring, especially with AI. One thing is for certain, to fully harness the power of all the wonderful benefits technology can provide, the first step is to migrate Government workloads and services to the cloud. That is where Microsoft can help. With Azure, you unlock the vast benefits of services through AI, analytics, and innovation at pace.

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I have the huge privilege of working at Microsoft in the World Wide Sales team, supporting the public sector and governments around the world, as well as collaborating with some great partners too.

both employee and people experiences, whilst increasing productivity and innovation across public sector organisations.

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Q: By way of an introduction, could you give a brief overview of your current work? Tell me about your previous experiences in AI and leadership across your career and how they influenced you.

It is my role to be that ‘technical copilot’ to our customers, partners, and internal teams. Helping AI leaders not just follow AI but take the lead in AI adoption. My military experiences influence my work with modern technology, enable me to take calculated risks, and adopt a growth mindset approach. A lot of the roles that I held in the military are remarkably similar to what I am doing at Microsoft - delivering change collaboratively, 71

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solving problems, and producing innovations by leveraging the right tools and the right technologies, with the right skilled team to support. Both within the military and now at Microsoft, the right culture and teamwork are critical to success. Q: Looking broadly at your experience to date, how would you say AI and its role in the organisation have evolved over that time, and what do you think have been the key drivers or trends behind it? It is an exciting time to be at Microsoft, and I am proud of the fact that we are leading the AI era. For me, AI is one of the most defining technologies of the modern era. Its impact is everywhere. With tools like Microsoft Copilot and MS Fabric, everyone is now able to access this technology. I also think it can help drive inclusivity by helping people harness insights from massive lakes of data. For those who can accelerate innovation and embrace their data as a strategic asset, they are faring much better.

They have established the culture, and the capabilities needed to be more agile, and can anticipate and predict disruptions and thereby pivot as needed with recent technologies and opportunities to better serve their customers. I think one of the key drivers behind the evolution of AI in organisations is beginning to use AI technologies like Azure OpenAI Service and our Copilots, as it generates a real desire for data-driven decision-making to drive new offerings and business models. The work between people and machines has gotten closer. As with our Copilots and the implementation of generative AI, it increases efficiency in productivity and enhances public sector decision-making, which is really helping governments use technology to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges. There are multiple areas where we see this happening, including, delivering innovation through programs and experiences, using AI to empower the government workforce, and transforming the government operations and services for employees and the public.

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When an organisation pivots the business significantly and there’s widespread change, such as introducing AI technologies, that also requires stakeholder endorsement if it is going to succeed. Navigating through internal political difficulties, whether it is in government or an organisation, is critical to landing digital transformation. The leadership of transformation success is not just about a sharp vision, detailed strategy, and well-thought-through implementations, it is also grounded in clear governance and accountability at all levels.

that you get the right solution. Normally internally selected people would invariably come from high profile in-demand positions, which have an impact on the business. Therefore, no one wants to lose them to other teams, especially whilst momentous change is in train. However, it sends a clear message across organisations on the importance of change if you resource it with some of your best team members. I have found that it delivers a more perceptive, practical, sustainable, and innovative design, as well as stronger implementation across all departments they have representation in the execution plan. The ability to form, incentivise, and lead high-performing transformation teams undoubtedly reaps rewards and makes organisations more competitive and productive.

In terms of implementing transformation, you need to be able to start the transformation journey with an inclusive internal team, possibly augmented with external consultancies. It is important to represent a mix of genders, functions, and ages, to ensure

It is an exciting time, but underpinning successful transformation is also the need for a durable foundation in talent management, security, and trust. The need to have trust in leaders and trust in technology is required to make transformations happen.

Q: What about transformation itself? Why is AI transformation necessary, and what are the fundamental steps to doing it successfully from a leadership and organisational perspective?

Q: Why does AI in business appeal to you as a professional, and then in the wider sense, what does it look like from a leadership perspective when compared to other industries? AI is amazing and offers so many opportunities to be creative, improve productivity, and offer government services to people. Throughout my career, I have been inspired by innovative technologies, solving thorny problems, being entrepreneurial, and delivering change for the better. Personally, I like to improve processes and take pride in creating a purpose with technology at the helm. Especially in the public sector, I like to enhance the system to make things more innovative, agile, and better for people.

I think those strategic drivers across all industries are pretty much the same. What is the purpose and outcome? What is the differentiation AI can unlock? How does it change things for the better, and ideally how can I measure it? I think if you can answer these positively and then plan and execute it, then AI will have a massive impact on your industry. Irrespective of the industry, moving to the cloud, is not something to be ignored and put on the back burner. If you do not want to be left behind, or worse become obsolete, then leaders need to get to grips with how to drive forward the AI. Q: Can you give me some examples of some of the change programs you’ve worked on, and explain how and why they benefited the organisation you were in at the time? My career has been all about using technology and implementing organisational change. Many of the initial change programs that I participated in were about how we reorganise military units to address new threats, integrate modern technologies,

or even enhance combat effectiveness. I think this has been equally applicable to business in addressing how we help our customers pivot to retain competitive advantage and deliver value. When I look back to the first substantial change program I ran, it was when I was about to deploy with my Regiment (800+ personnel), providing combat communications in Afghanistan and supporting major operations there. We had to restructure the regiment and retrain it because the role that was asked of us, required a new organisational design, skills, and technologies from what we originally routinely possessed. After that tour, I returned to a role in the Army headquarters, leading the team to redesign the Communications, Electronic, Cyber and Intelligence forces model out to 2025. During this time, there were numerous important questions to consider. What did it look like with the modern technology? How would it address some of the threats? How would it support the future of the Army going forward? How do we implement whilst still meeting our current tempo of demand?

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The work we are doing at Microsoft in AI, especially our Copilot services, gives me a terrific opportunity to help lead the next technology evolution and help tackle many of the greatest challenges governments face, particularly in their day-to-day operations.

“Both within the military and now at Microsoft, culture and teamwork are critical to success.”

When we produced the plan, the answer to all that risk was that the Army told me to execute the plan we devised, so they put me in charge of the Brigade that was to amalgamate with two other Brigades. The expectation was to execute the plan in 2.5 years. However, once in command, I made the case to execute it a lot quicker and it was completed in eight months. We re-rolled, we got the specialist 75

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teams up, and it was driven forward. The difficult decision to accelerate the plan in the end reaped benefits for the business and gave much-needed clarity to people and their families on the personal impacts. It reinforces that as a leader you should not be afraid to make a tough decision. I actually believe they are not tough decisions if you genuinely believe it is the right decision to make for the business and team. I was then truly fortunate to go on to a Fellowship at the Harvard Business School before returning as the Head of Capability in the Army, leading a circa £7Bn portfolio to improve technologies in command and control and intelligence. That plan was put into place for the portfolio before I was pulled out by the Ministry of Defence and asked to go and lead the transformation into Defence Intelligence. 76

“Those who can accelerate innovation and embrace their data as a strategic asset are fairing better.” After a short stint back in the Field Army – again within transformation roles while waiting on my next formal promotion appointment, Microsoft reached out and I left the service after an immensely enjoyable military career. My role at Microsoft has been doing the same

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sort of things: discovering how we integrate change, helping customers go forward in their transformations, and applying what I learned to public health, public safety, public finance, and critical infrastructure sectors. Q: Microsoft is a verified partner to global government supporting with implementation of AI in the cloud. Can you tell me more about that and what kind of impact you think it will have on business as a whole? With such cutting-edge technology, the digital tech industry is moving at a rapid pace and organisations must not get left behind – this requires leadership and execution. Therefore, for governments and industries to keep up with what’s happening with AI, strategic partnerships with the tech industry

are vital in helping to adopt new technologies. Partnerships between Governments, Industry and Academia are fundamental to unlocking the power of technology collectively and collegiately. What we’re doing is helping Governments understand what the AI does, how it works, and how it can optimise value and drive benefits. Also, it’s equally important to assist Governments in understanding what their risks are and how to potentially mitigate them, govern them and establish appropriate guardrails. Because Hyperscale Cloud is where all happens most effectively. This is where the data and the large language models that you had heard about go together. Hyperscale Cloud and AI will have the biggest technological impact globally. It will touch 77

everyone, everywhere. As a result, people expect governments to use these technologies because they will transform, and are transforming, the way we work and live. We’re seeing it drive immense innovation as it goes forward.

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What we are talking to governments about, particularly in our partnerships, is the policy aspects of governance and what it means for data security, privacy, cybersecurity, and how you should think about governing AI going forward. Concurrently, we are looking at how AI can be used -the various use cases, the impact on productivity, and how it can make things better for people, whether that is in the government administration area, HR, or finance. What I find at Microsoft is that the breadth of what we bring and the impact that Microsoft has as a global company means there is an ingrained responsibility on us to help our customers and governments understand the technology and get the best out of it. Q: On leadership and teams, what’s your approach to these subjects? What do you think makes an effective modern AI leader, and how do you approach developing a formidable team and culture? Vision and Passion! Whether it is related to AI or anything else, leadership is different to management. Particularly in AI, my approach to leadership stems from having situational awareness and understanding the capabilities on which to base decisions and drive solutions. If a leader has that situational awareness, a growth mindset, the ability to learn, to seek advice, and to intelligently question the advice and facts given to them, then it helps create their vision. Leaders create visions. Once that vision is created, they then need the passion, enthusiasm, and drive to take people on the journey and be inspired and trusted. The next thing to consider is how, as a leader, you address failures. Continual learning and being accountable for failure requires selfreflection and adaptability from leaders and 78

“The leadership of transformation success is not just about a clear vision, detailed strategy, and wellthought-through implementations, it’s about governance and accountability at all levels.” to model authenticity. Authenticity links to trust, and I think if you have authenticity combined with empathy, vision, and clarity, this helps you be a respected and trusted leader, especially during hard times. In addition, a leader needs to take time to listen, support, and incentivise. At Microsoft, as leaders, we try to focus on how we create clarity, generate energy, and deliver success for our teams. When I personally approach building a highperforming team two things stand out for me as key – creating a common purpose and having the right culture. Members of the team need to believe in the purpose of what they are doing and to do so will help them to produce a stronger performance. At the same time, they need to believe in the values, standards, fairness, and behaviours required of the team. Having the right culture makes people happier, more productive and empowered. Establishing a strong culture and purpose does take time and needs clarity for the team to understand. Continual communication and involving the team

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throughout the transformation decisions, so they feel they are involved and not just having something done to them, is paramount to a smooth transition. This requires empathy and taking time to listen to, and address, an individual’s concerns. Finally, as a leader, modelling the standards expected helps set the right tone. At the same time, it is equally important to hold people accountable, irrespective of level, for those standards and behaviours to help reinforce the culture.

about cloud hosting. It was not just about applications. It was about everything – IAAS, PAAS and SAAS. The opportunity to help influence our future products and implementation plans ranging from our Microsoft 365 products, all the way through to our massive data centres, what we do in research, and what we do regarding sustainability, to make a tangible difference for our customers is what genuinely excites me.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit more about Microsoft? When you joined the team, what was your assessment of the organisation from an AI and business perspective, and what did you set out as your key objectives and goals?

That is how the technology inspired me, but it is also about the people. The people at Microsoft suited my passion by having the same growth mindset. They want to make a difference. They are people who relate to an organisation that I relate to. It is that culture that fundamentally makes a difference and makes it such a wonderful place to work.

For me, the opportunity to come and work for a company with the brand and reputation of Microsoft was amazing. The breadth of technology that Microsoft brings and what we can do for industries, customers, and partner ecosystems is just immense. Microsoft appealed to me because it was not just 80

Initially, my goal was to support the national security sector, using and understanding our technologies, to modernise and ask questions. I understood the gaps and where the threats were, so working in national security to begin

with was awesome. However, after about a year, Microsoft was keen to expand my reach into the global team and across government. In the global government team, this role has been about helping Governments understand the cloud and helping them modernise and migrate to the hyperscale cloud to be able to optimise the use of technologies like AI. Governments and the military are superb at setting out concepts, policies, thinking, and papers. The burning question is always - how do you take that and turn it into action? That is where I have been trying to help governments see the way through, to solving their challenges and modernising. Q: What are the key initiatives?

This is not just about tech though. This is also about how we are training people, listening to the partners and customers, and adapting how we help them. That is really how we are evolving. We are not standing still. You have seen the number of products and opportunities and restructuring that we have done lately because, if we stood still, we would be failing our customers and partners. Microsoft is keen to evolve how AI is learned, help people understand how to implement it, and share the best practices to empower people to get the benefits of AI in the cloud. Q. Microsoft recently partnered with Thomson Reuters to develop a contract drafting solution powered by Microsoft Copilot for Word and Thomson Reuters’ generative AI capabilities. Could you provide some more details about the solution itself? Microsoft 365 Copilot is reinventing productivity for people and organisations, and we collaborated with Thomson

Reuters to extend Copilot with new AIpowered experiences that will support legal professionals by saving them time and helping them drive value for the clients and the businesses they serve. Together, we developed a contract drafting solution, powered by its legal products and content, and our Copilot for Word. Delivering users with a draft working document and access to trusted content right where work happens – in Microsoft Word, professionals can use their expertise to edit, validate, and build the final document with integrated access to Thomson Reuters knowledge, content, and AI technology. This is a clear case where productivity increases through creativity and AI.

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Our key Microsoft initiatives currently revolve around AI deployment and adoption. The focus is on how we can help people in an organisation and use AI to augment people’s day-to-day experiences. To unlock that we are assisting on helping organisations to transition to the cloud, and supporting their digital transformation use cases.

“The ability to form, incentivise, and lead high performing transformation teams undoubtedly reaps rewards and makes organisations more competitive.”

Q. As organisations that both strive to consistently innovate, what is the process of collaboration like, why does the partnership work well, and how have your products and services assisted each other in achieving this innovation? We continually strive to unlock limitless innovation and drive business transformation for customers around the world. Through partnering together, Thomson Reuters and Microsoft help customers harness the value of AI, drive the value of solutions, and shape the future. This common purpose, and our collaboration, work incredibly well to help provide opportunities to innovate, scale, and differentiate our customers’ businesses. By using the power of our technologies and 81

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innovating on a trusted, connected ecosystem we are modernising applications and tools to enable new customer experiences as demonstrated in the recent work supporting legal professionals. Q: Looking ahead, how do you think AI in the business sector will evolve over the coming years and why? I think what we are going to see is that leadership and the impact of AI algorithms will change over time. We are going to see disruption, and those who need to succeed or want to succeed, need to understand AI, its roadmap, and its potential benefits and risks. The pace of AI adoption has never been as fast as it is today and will never be as slow as it is today, so naturally, it is testing for businesses to keep up. But they must think through how they can keep pace. In the business and government sectors, the Copilot products that are coming out, the data insights, and the impact of 5G, 6G, and quantum evolution, are going to drive

how AI is adopted. One of the biggest impacts will be the move to smart cities. If you have got 5G, 6G, and quantum computing, understanding the environment, the impact on public services, and the demand for resilience is going to be important. I think we will see a lot more in the metaverse, and by that, I also mean digital twins. How do we design? How do we improve productivity, and industrialise? One thing I always say is the most valuable racing car in Formula 1 is the digital twin because it saves you so much money in testing going forward. I think that same approach will drive deeper into the government sector as we use digital twins increasingly to model and think through how things will impact businesses and services. AI will generate a real process change and there is a real skill change as well. Fundamentally, AI technology will impact everyone’s lives. WWW.MICROSOFT.COM

Thomson Reuters Case Center

High volume administrative court accelerates with Case Center How does a 30-person staff handle 250 cases a year — some with up to 9,000 pages of evidence and a statutory requirement to rule within 30 days?

For the New York Education Department’s Office of State Review, the answer includes a mix of great people and an important assist from technology like Thomson Reuters® Case Center. The administrative court is led by a Chief State Review Officer, and includes three other judges, legal and education experts, and administrative staff. They rule on appeals for parents and school districts who challenge a hearing officer’s ruling. The 2021 caseload was double what they handled in 2010.

Remote work wreaks havoc on a paper-based review process The uptick in cases started when people were working in the office, and they could get by with paper files. It wasn’t a great system, though, and the team started adding technology to streamline their work. Remote work in the early days of the pandemic made managing paper files impossible. Emailing documents was also untenable due to the need to limit access. They began storing documents in encrypted file sharing platforms so people could at least access the materials they were authorized to see. The office added Thomson Reuters Case Center to the toolkit in 2022. This new approach to evidence review simplifies administration, review, and collaboration.

Case Center enables better teamwork — from anywhere All case materials are uploaded to Case Center for the internal team. Powerful features include: Work from anywhere: paper filings can’t leave the office. Now the team can work from anywhere. That includes hybrid work or the times when they need to work overtime to meet a deadline. Plus, the interface is the same no matter where you are or if you’re using VPN or not. Notes and highlights: reviewers can make notes for themselves or their colleagues. The system stores these notes without adding them to the original record. © 2023 Thomson Reuters TR3927516/11-23

Case Center templates: “It’s very easy to upload and organize evidence,” says the office’s Chief State Review Officer. He’s no longer flipping through manila folders to find or organize the documents he needs. “It used to take me 10 minutes to get to the right document, and now I can get there in 30 seconds without breaking my train of thought.” Sharing bundles with the federal courts: the department used to have people photocopy the original record for cases that were appealed into the federal courts, and they were often lagging on deadlines. “Now we can quickly produce a bundle that automatically gives the record and materials to as many people as are entitled to it and want it,” says the office’s Chief State Review Officer.

Easy to use, out of the box The Chief State Review Officer thought his team would take two months to get comfortable with Case Center, but he found that they were using it like experts in two weeks. He says that being able to upload bookmarked files really helped with navigating through the different elements of the file. The team appreciated being able to print documents when they preferred to make their notes in writing, though with time they also got used to the notes and highlighting tools. “Using Case Center has been easy and fast,” says the office’s Chief State Review Officer. Being able to manage the system without relying on developers and other IT staff also simplified their use of the tool significantly. “We love that it was ready to go out of the box,” he says. “People are really happy with it.” Be confident you can rely on a solution partner you can trust. At Thomson Reuters, we have teams and processes dedicated to ensuring cloud security and accessibility. Please contact us if you need more information:

tr.com/casecenter

Strategies for advancing technology within the courtroom

Case Center and Westlaw® Precision are a powerful combination that enables judges and court professionals to move cases faster through the judicial system, manage evidence more effectively, and conduct more thorough research quickly. Thomson Reuters Case Center Move cases faster, improve evidence sharing with the court, and support paperless hearings.

Westlaw Precision Innovative tools deliver advanced speed and accuracy, providing you with greater confidence in your legal research.

tr.com/moderncourts

TECHNOLOGY

SPHERE IS HERE TO STAY After many years of construction on a reported budget of over $2 billion, The Sphere in Las Vegas welcomed its first visitors in September. Whilst most of us have heard of the incredible innovation and immersive atmosphere created inside The Sphere, it is also a marvel of technology, now dominating the Las Vegas skyline, with many pieces being produced on a huge scale, specifically for the venue.

Many of us have spent our fair share of time in music and entertainment venues. Therefore, it is safe to say that we can also appreciate how technology can enhance that experience. From impressive and immersive surround sound, to lasers and pyrotechnics, to simply screens that bring us a little closer to the action, technology plays a huge role in the modern-day concertgoing and entertainment experience.

Visuals for The Sphere are shot at an angle, tilting upwards, allowing for a greater field of vision and lining up with the horizon. This means that, when the visuals are screened in The Sphere,

Going forward, The Sphere is sure to play host to a multitude of other music artists and movies, with creatives hoping to get a chance to showcase their work in a venue like no other and deliver a completely unique experience. However, plans are in place to expand globally, with the UK potentially becoming home to another Sphere venue, meaning that those across the pond could soon be adding a 300-foot dome to the London skyline.

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When it comes to the technology behind the Sphere, it is truly groundbreaking. Not only does it hold the largest HD screen in the world, coming in at 160,000 square feet, but filming visuals to display in the venue required an entirely new camera setup, known as the Big Sky Camera System. Legendary director Darren Aronofsky and camera architect Deanan DaSilva worked together to create Postcard from Earth, a film which is shown exclusively at The Sphere, and was shot using the Big Sky System’s wide-angle and incredibly high resolution, utilising a giant fisheye lens.

Whilst housing ‘The Sphere Experience’, an exploration of the evolution of technology, which is hosted by a reallife humanoid robot named Aura, The Sphere will also continue to be the home of exciting concert experiences. Opening in September, the legendary band U2 began their residency at The Sphere, playing their first live shows in over 4 years, and will continue to impress audiences into the New Year.

T H E I N N O VAT O R

However, The Sphere is an entirely different ball game. Not only is the venue incredibly impressive from an architectural perspective, but it is a technological feat. Living up to its name, Sphere is a 366-foot dome venue, with a capacity of up to 18,600 guests.

audiences are seated at a natural angle to the image that is directly in front of them. The Sphere also utilises physical effects, creating a multisensory experience, and boasting ‘its own weather’ by changing temperature, humidity, and scents. The seats can also move and vibrate, in response to movie scenes, making audiences feel like they are part of the action.

WWW.THESPHEREVEGAS.COM

W O R D S: J O N AT H A N DY BL E

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UNLOCKING INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE

FROM THE JUNGLES OF BORNEO TO BREWING AND NOW HEALTHCARE, RORY BATT HAS RELIED UPON ONE KEY TOOL TO DELIVER CONSISTENT SUCCESS FOR COMPANIES GLOBALLY THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER – DAVID MILLER, CDO AT MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY, TECHNOLOGY. HE DISCUSSES TALKS ABOUT HERE, THE TRANSFORMATION AND RECENT EFFORTS TO LEVERAGE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY BEHIND ONE OF THE MOST TO TRANSFORM THE SERVICES AND PRESTIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS IN AUSTRALIA. SOLUTIONS OF EUROPEAN GIANT MEDIQ.

PASSION IN THE MISSION

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Moving from brewing to healthcare is not a typical change in career. Back in 2012 Rory Batt joined the European operations of AB InBev, the world’s largest brewery on their prestigious global management trainee program. Fast forward to today, and he is now Chief Digital Officer of Mediq – a billion-dollar enterprise supporting healthcare professionals and patients with critical medical devices, healthcare products, services and innovative solutions. So, how does such a stark operational and industry switch come about? For Rory, it’s been something of a natural transition. “I’ve always had a habit of taking very large leaps into the unknown throughout my career,” he explains.

“I’ve worked in the jungles of Borneo for Raleigh International. I’ve been on the brewery shop-floor, led logistics operations, HR integrations, and commercial operations including managing director of UK’s premier craft brewery, Camden Town Brewery. But down each and every one of these corridors, technology has always remained front and centre.” While Rory has always had an understanding and appreciation of the value that technology can bring to a business, the most significant turning point in this journey was perhaps his promotion mid-career to a team that ultimately formed the foundations for the digital transformation within AB InBev in European operation.

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“At that time, AB InBev had a very traditional B2B business model,” he explains. “Our representatives went to pubs, built relationships, and took orders in person – a way of working that hadn’t really changed for 30 years. “We initially focused on moving that manual process online, a project that marked the start of a wholesale digital transformation which ultimately culminated in AB InBev becoming one a digital leader consumer goods businesses five years later” SURVIVING THE INDUSTRY With a proven track record in spearheading digital transformations, Rory’s credentials and 90

skillset for the Mediq position were clear. However, it was not just the functional aspects of the role that drew him to this latest venture, but equally the industry context and business itself. “I was prepared to take a new risk and step into a new industry for a number of reasons,” Rory affirms. “Firstly, the purpose of Mediq and of the healthcare industry itself. Mediq’s mission is focusing on driving the efficiencies of healthcare outcomes in Europe through its products, services, and solutions. Every day, millions of patients and healthcare professionals count on us to supply them

R O R Y B AT T | I S S U E E IG H T E E N

with devices and innovative healthcare solutions. I was immediately attracted by the opportunity to directly impact this from an emotional perspective”

Thirdly, Rory saw in Mediq, with its wide European platform both the scale & leadership team to lead that charge along with the cultural willingness to take bold steps forward.

In addition, Rory saw similarities between the challenges facing the brewing industry with those facing the healthcare industry today.

LAYING FOUNDATIONS

He reveals: “I saw parallels in the healthcare industry with what I had encountered at AB InBev 10 years ago – a traditional industry that needed to take a proactive leap into the 21st century. Yes, the content is very different, but the digitalisation journey required is incredibly similar.”

So, how exactly has Mediq progressed on its own digital transformation journey in the 15 months since Rory joined the team? By the CDO’s own admission, much of the initial period following his appointment was spent getting the right talent in place, building out what he refers to as the organisation’s “digital muscle” to ensure it had strong foundations from which digital platforms may 91

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grow, evolve and scale across the entire group. “Our ultimate goal is to support and enable our patients and professionals with relevant digital products, services and solutions,” Rory states. “For this to work, we need to have digital leaders who not only understand customer pain points but can also translate that into clear requirements for technical teams to follow and drive the digitalisation of the wider business.” Rory also looked at a shortlist of inherited projects in the immediate term, making some hard decisions while doubling down on which would both have the most significant impact, and be able to scale across the entire group. Once these immediate priorities had been addressed, Mediq began to deliver transformative outcomes for customers in a range of verticals and capacities. “If you look at the healthcare industry today, it’s struggling against multiple headwinds,” Rory muses. “Inflation is a huge driver of

“I’ve always had a habit of taking very large leaps into the unknown throughout my career.” labour costs, staff shortages are common and the professionals on the front line often waste too much time on tasks that don’t improve patient outcomes. I think at Mediq, we have both the capabilities and moral purpose to support these challenges. “For that reason, our digital strategy is largely focused on enabling seamless customer experience of our product offering whether a patient, a professional in a GP (general practitioner), care home, hospital in any of our markets, while offering services that reduce their operational burden and solutions that ultimately improve patient outcomes.

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“I had a great boss in the past who used to say, ‘if we only have opinions, I take mine. If we have data, let’s discuss”

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Over 100K direct patients and 50K professions are regularly ordering and interacting on Mediq’s digital platform which has a strong foundation and expanding digital services offering across multiple markets. For example, their care home resident service enables care workers to spend more time focusing on looking after patients by simplifying and streamline stock management processes. In the Netherlands, for example, care home staff can place and have orders placed, packaged and in specific residents rooms – a simple solution, but one that makes a massive time saving difference to our customers and their teams. Or in Finland, with their AITTA service, Mediq either manages order management for the customer on the customers behalf or enables high efficiency with their self-service scan solution. “People working in this environment are amazing individuals who care most about helping their patients or residents,” Rory affirms. “With this service, we’re helping them by reducing administrative burdens and putting their time where it is needed most, the people they care for.” Elsewhere in the group, Mediq leverages advanced, automated prescription services and decision to help prescribers set-up and order for their patients or help patients then choose the relevant product themselves. “If you’re a healthcare professional and you’re prescribing goods, you need to have a very simple and seamless process to go from patient onboarding to product provision that’s

highly precise and efficient, making sure that the right product is provided to the right patient, at speed,” Batt affirms. A NEW ERA Alongside its product and service agenda, Mediq is also enhancing its solution strategy through advances such as Mediq Connect – the firm’s unique remote patient monitoring solution. “If we look into the future of healthcare, we see this is a key area in which current healthcare challenges can be combated by relieving pressure on healthcare nurses while improving patient outcomes,” Batt explains. “If you look across Europe, we do not have enough doctors or nurses. Therefore, by deploying remote patient monitoring, we can reduce demands on hospitals by using technology to care for patients at home, all while ensuring that professionals have all relevant data around each patient with alerts to be able to intervene when and where necessary.”

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These capabilities are underpinned by Mediq’s wide-ranging medical device portfolio, integrated logistics model, relevant medical compliance accreditations, and high scale across multiple markets. Rory adds: “This, combined with our digital muscle, makes us uniquely placed to develop, test and launch innovative solutions such as Mediq connect, which we piloted with a major Finnish private hospital this year.”

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“Just as we’ve seen a major change in the way consumers interact online for everything from shopping to banking to getting taxis, I foresee a future in which healthcare follows and becomes much more consumer-centric, more efficient and delivers better outcomes.”

For the CDO, data-led solutions such as these are at the very heart of what’s needed to enhance Mediq’s offering as it strives to provide patients and healthcare professionals with improved solutions. “I had a great boss in the past who used to say, ‘if we only have opinions, I take mine. If we have data, let’s discuss’,” Rory states. “I try to live by that motto – if you don’t have detailed visibility of the problem you’re trying to solve, and the ability to measure success, you will likely spend a lot of money and still land very far from where you want to be.” Alongside good quality data, Batt also highlights people and processes, a shared 97

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vision for the future of an organisation, the culture and willingness to embrace change, and an ability to maintain momentum as key ingredients of a successful digital transformation. Indeed, it’s a complex puzzle comprising a variety of spinning plates. Yet in the eyes of Rory, each must be firmly understood, planned and delivered alongside a successful digitisation journey – such as those seen at AB InBev, and now underway at Mediq – can be realised. “The way in which health services are provisioned has not significantly changed over the last decades, and we know that the care level has to improve and become more cost-effective,” he iterates as our conversation comes to a close. “Technology will play a key role in helping to realise that transition. Just as we’ve seen

a major change in the way consumers interact online for everything from shopping to banking to getting taxis, I foresee a future in which healthcare follows and becomes much more consumer-centric, more efficient and delivers better outcomes. “It’s likely that artificial intelligence will further accelerate this. We are 11 months into generative AI, and already we’re seeing the huge potential of it, driving huge strides forward in everything from diagnosis to treatment to more accurate and personalised healthcare. “It will bring lots of risks and lots of benefits, and we’ll have to see how it pans out. But in the end, AI can be an incredibly powerful tool, if used well.” WWW.MEDIQ.COM

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

J A S O N BERKOWITZ

BANKING ON SUCCESS

OLD NATIONAL BANK’S CTO JASON BERKOWITZ DISCUSSES THE STRATEGIC VISION AND THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF ONE OF THE TOP 30 BANKS IN THE USA.

P H O T O: Y U K AT O J A S O N B E R KO W I T Z | I S S U E E IG H T E E N

Q: Can you tell us about your role? In modern banking, technology plays a pivotal role that transcends mere technical stewardship. As leaders of technology at Old National Bank, my team and I have embarked on a journey characterised by the pursuit of excellence in several vital dimensions. These include our roles and experiences (particularly in the context of digital transformation and innovation), fostering remarkable teams, streamlining processes, fortifying technology, and delivering exceptional customer service. Q: What has your experience taught you about digital technology use and adoption? Steering the technology ship at Old

National Bank encompasses overseeing an array of domains, from digital solutions to cybersecurity. My main job is aligning with the strategic vision of the bank. Through my experience, I’ve learned that shaping a culture that not only adapts to change, but welcomes it with open arms, is a defining aspect of my role. Fostering innovation and a commitment to putting the customer at the centre of everything we do have become pillars of our journey. Q: What have been the key drivers of this evolution? The evolution of digital technology in the enterprise has also been a transformational journey. What used to take years to materialise 10 1

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now happens in a few short months. The businesses that stand at the forefront of this transformation possess a distinct competitive advantage. Over the years, digital technology has evolved from being a supporting role to becoming an integral part of the fabric of modern enterprises. Several forces are pushing this rapid evolution. First and foremost, customer expectations continually soar, compelling the delivery of seamless, personalised, and innovative services. The nature of market competition demands that we remain competitive in our technological advances. 10 2

And within the organisation, there’s excitement to enhance operational efficiency and productivity. It’s this synergy of factors that has positioned technology at the core of our organisational strategy and transformation efforts. Q: How important are things like cultural change, change behaviours, creating a value-driven journey and data literacy? In this digital age, fostering cultural change is imperative. It’s about creating an environment that not only tolerates innovation and change, but actively encourages it.

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Simultaneously, the rising importance of data literacy empowers teams to make informed decisions based on data; a skill that’s indispensable in the modern business landscape.

technology trends, to nurturing and managing talent, and mitigating security risks.

Q: What does an effective CTO look like?

My leadership style is characterised by collaboration and empowerment. I believe in fostering a culture of trust and accountability, which has fundamentally shaped how my teams work together. This collaborative mindset has consistently yielded innovative solutions and successful project outcomes. I’m very fortunate to work with a strong team that helps us see what’s coming. and always willing to go the extra mile.

Today, an effective CTO is not only a technical expert, but a visionary leader who can balance technology prowess with strategic insight. Adaptability, innovation, and the ability to lead diverse teams have become hallmarks of success. The challenges faced are numerous, from staying current with ever-evolving

Q: How would you describe your leadership?

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“Shaping a culture that not only adapts to change, but welcomes it with open arms, is a defining aspect of my role.”

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When I took the reins as CTO at Old National Bank in 2021, our leadership had a strong desire to upgrade our technology to transform and grow our franchise. My primary objectives included a comprehensive upgrade of our technology infrastructure, enriching digital offerings, and preparing the bank for an impending merger with another significant institutions.

J A S O N B E R KO W I T Z

Q: What did the Old National Bank look like from a technology perspective when you joined?

Q: Could you tell me more about the merger of the two large banks and shake-ups within the industry? The merger of two large banks and the ensuing disruptions in the industry presented both challenges and opportunities. When we merged with First Midwest Bank is 2022, there were synergies between our organisations that provided us with an opportunity to accelerate our transformation. We placed a special focus on seamlessly integrating technology, streamlining operations, 10 5

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and ensuring a frictionless, customer-centric experience during the transition. Q: Old National Bank is now in the Top 30 banks in the US, what strategies did you implement to aid in its success? To secure Old National Bank’s position among the Top 30 banks in the United States, we gave paramount importance to our digital transformation journey. Old National Bank has operated for 189 years and has been successful by creating relationships in our communities and personally with our customers. Q: Can you tell me about your technology partners? As we make investments in technology, equipping and upskilling our teams,

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“Digital technology has evolved from being a supporting role to becoming an integral part of the fabric of modern enterprises.” our ability to build those relationships and service customers with speed is our North Star. The significance of technology partnerships in our transformation journey is immeasurable. Success in these partnerships hinge on mutual trust, shared goals, and a resolute commitment to innovation. Companies like ServiceNow

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and Presidio have played a pivotal role in supporting our initiatives, forging a testament to the power of strong, strategic relationships.

ensuring unwavering data security, and remaining ahead of ever-evolving customer expectations.

Q: How has COVID-19 affected the broader technology strategy moving forwards and what are your future objectives?

As a Chief Technology Officer, I’ve had a front-row seat to the swift evolution of digital technology and its central role in achieving business success. Through creating a culture of change, nurturing data literacy, and forging meaningful technology partnerships, we unlock the potential for continuous innovation and delivery of exemplary customer service, even in the face of unforeseen challenges such as a global pandemic.

The global pandemic acted as a catalyst, profoundly impacting our broader technology strategy. The sudden shift to remote work and the exponential rise in online banking underscored the urgency for robust digital solutions and heightened cybersecurity measures. Our future primary objectives include further enhancing digital experiences, 10 8

WWW.OLDNATIONAL.COM

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INNOVATOR / VITALOOP

CLEAN WATER, CLEAN WORLD Founded in 2022, start-up Vitaloop has one mission: to make water consumption safer for you and the planet.

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lead, heavy metals, microplastics, viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Using their revolutionary nanoflow filtration technology, Vitaloop produces filtration water bottles that work to purify water at the simple push of a button. Five specialised filters, a mesh filter, microfilter, halogen purification, activated carbon filter, and a graphene filter, work together to filter out commonly found substances such as

Access to clean water should be a basic human right, but it is being denied to considerable amounts of people across the globe. Vitaloop’s technology has the potential to grow even further beyond its current innovative product and help make clean drinking water more accessible to the masses.

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Despite efforts by many to lessen their use, single-use plastics are still a huge problem across the globe, especially when it comes to water bottles. With a shocking 500 billion plastic bottles used every year, all of which take around 450 years to decompose, this is a greater issue than many people realise. However, Vitaloop is doing something to combat the matter.

The Vitaloop Bottle+ is rechargeable, allowing for 100 filtration cycles with one charge, can purify 480ml of water in just 45 seconds, and can be filled wherever there is a water source, meaning it’s a great companion for outdoor adventures.

VITA-LOOP.COM

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C R A I G NAPIER

A BRIGHT DATA FUTURE

CRAIG NAPIER, UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY’S CDO, ON HIS VISIONARY APPROACH TO A BRIGHTER, DATA-ENRICHED FUTURE.

P H O T O: J A M I E D AV I E S C R A IG N A P I E R

Holding the title of Chief Data Officer (CDO) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Napier’s visionary approach is steering UTS toward a brighter, data-enriched future. With over two decades of experience in data-intensive environments on a global scale, Craig Napier brings an impressive wealth of knowledge to his role. However, it’s his remarkable 15-year tenure as a data and analytics executive in the higher education sector that truly sets him apart. Napier is renowned for his collaborative ethos, a quality that has greatly benefited UTS and the broader data and analytics community. Notably, Napier’s outstanding contributions earned him recognition from the Institute of

Analytics Professionals of Australia (IAPA) in 2020, where he was ranked among the Top 3 Analytics Leaders in Australia. This accolade attests to his unwavering commitment to advancing the field of data analytics and nurturing the next wave of analytical leaders.

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In the dynamic landscape of higher education, where informed decision-making and data utilisation have become paramount, Craig Napier emerges as a leading force in this journey.

As the Inaugural Chief Data Officer at UTS, Napier is orchestrating a holistic institutional approach to data, analytics, and operational Artificial Intelligence (AI). His goal is to foster a shared vision that empowers proactive insights and evidence-based decisions throughout the university. To achieve this ambitious objective, Napier leads the Data Analytics and Insight (DAI) Unit, a crucial entity at UTS. “The DAI Unit is the driving force behind the implementation of UTS’s data strategy. A key focus is placed on cultivating a whole-institution approach that maximises the use of data assets to inform evidencebased decisions. The unit oversees 11 3

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Data Management, Analytics and AI and Performance Evaluation, with a steadfast commitment to enhancing data asset usability, visibility, and collaborating to deliver actionable insights. “Collaborating closely with data and systems managers across the university, the DAI Unit aligns itself with the UTS 2027 strategy, ensuring that data is used effectively to achieve the university’s goals in data management and performance measurement.” Napier’s journey as CDO at UTS began in February 2020, coinciding with the onset of the global pandemic. This seemingly challenging timing, however, presented an opportunity to craft the UTS Data Strategy and operational model that not only helped UTS navigate the pandemic’s complexities, but also established a framework for long-term

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value delivery. “Central to this transformation is a recognition of the vital role played by UTS’s staff, characterised by their high skills, inquisitiveness, and willingness to explore uncharted territories. Their collective prowess has become the foundation for fostering a data-driven culture where evidence-based decisions reign supreme.” RESPONSIVE CAPABILITIES Napier says UTS’ many skilled staff are always needing improved access to data. Earlier in his employment, previous tools were not meeting the emerging needs of the university community. And by the time the required reporting was developed, business had moved on. The team saw they needed to be more responsive to the ever-changing needs of the university.

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“Listening to the community and evaluating new tools and capabilities, UTS landed on Microsoft Power BI as our visualisation and reporting tool.

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“The collaboration and willingness to share knowledge, experiences, and expertise on the use of Power BI has seen the community grow, enabling development of new skills across the university.”

“Power BI offers several benefits for individuals and organisations looking to perform data analysis and reporting like the rich user interface, which makes it easy to share insights across the university, and self-serve, from a single trusted authoritative source.” Napier and his team established and adopted data visualisation standards across central and local developments. Its self-service capability has seen faster time to value, elimination of bottlenecks in report development and improved access to data, with over 52% of staff actively using the system in the last 12 months – a 180% increase in usage as at the same time last year. 11 5

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P H O T O: S A M W E R M U T

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through informed decision-making.” The ability to leverage and access world class research and academic expertise in AIML at UTS has been invaluable in supporting and executing the UTS Data Strategy.

This is almost opposite to what accessing information was like previously at the university – data and analytics teams were dispersed throughout the institution, which was a challenge. “As the significance of data-driven insights became evident, it became imperative to refocus on data and reallocate resources to best implement the data strategy,” Napier says. “The creation of the CDO office was a response to this need, with a primary responsibility to establish a solid data foundation and introduce innovative approaches to working, all guided by datadriven insights and actions.

Napier says they will continue to see the importance of data and analytics in driving evidence-based decisions, becoming an essential skill all people should possess whatever career they choose to pursue.

“This strategic shift towards data, driven by the CDO office, aims to ensure the university can harness the full potential of emerging technologies and maintain a competitive edge

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“The collaboration and willingness to share knowledge, experiences, and expertise on the use of Power BI has seen the community grow, enabling development of new skills and digital capabilities across the university,” he says.

C R A IG N A P I E R

AI teams trust DataRobot.

“My role as a leader has been about developing and creating the next wave of analytics leaders with the skills they need to succeed,” he says, having built and transformed the team’s capabilities from data analysts and report developers into data engineers and analytics professionals. Napier says whilst change can be seen as a challenge, the team thrived as they built new skills in data engineering, data science, user experience, human centred design, visualisation, and data governance that supported the curiosity and commitment of staff in lifelong learning. 117

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PEOPLE POTENTIAL “Our people are the key – I have an amazingly talented team that focuses on building a positive community. They possess not only technical skills, but have a genuine curiosity, a willingness to explore and a rich contextual understanding of the potential of data beyond a single data domain,” he adds. When it comes to talent, data and analytics roles are in such high demand and the community is struggling to find the right people. However, it is Napier’s strong belief that talent exists within your organisation now – as it does at UTS – “to drive the required cultural change, which includes providing opportunities for people to develop data and digital skills, encouraging, and driving for collaboration, leveraging emerging technologies, and building team and organisational relationships.”

“Building an analytic organisation is very rewarding and something I enjoy, and to understand services required will assist you in shifting project funding to embedding data and analytics into your organisation’s DNA. This creates flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness to harness data value on emerging opportunities and threat mitigation,” Napier says.

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Napier developed the enterprise wide UTS Data and Analytics Strategy, which identified several data challenges and opportunities to enhance and deliver new university services.

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Another passion of Napier’s is developing data strategies – but like any strategy, it’s about understanding the operational environment and aligning to the strategic priorities of your organisation. “Having the ability to understand which types of services, and how best those services are delivered, is crucial. Form follows function – it is essential to understand the required business services and then develop an organisation best placed to deliver on them. To do otherwise would be to consider change for change’s sake,” he adds.

He explains the current data landscape required a strategic alignment of data and advanced analytics roles, initiatives, and capabilities to better support the divisions, faculties, and key decision makers to deliver meaningful and actionable insights that are evidence-based. “In addition, there are many data challenges that increase exposure to data risks and inhibit responsiveness to emerging opportunities. “It is imperative your data strategy is designed to support your strategic priorities and address the growing complexity and inefficiency of business processes in capturing and accessing data, lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities across teams, inconsistency in reporting, siloed disparate systems, ineffective data management practices and poor usability and user experiences,” Napier states. For example, there has been a significant uptake in self-service analytics over the last three years of Napier’s employment at UTS, 11 9

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P H O T O: A N DY R O B E R T S

with over 50% of content being developed outside of a central team. “We’re starting to see more cases of reports driving decisions, and we’re measuring effectiveness of more of our activities. “We are embarking on delivering new capabilities in AI and machine learning, which we will leverage to drive value for the university. This would not have been possible without the investment and focus on building robust and scalable data foundations and the ability to leverage the academic expertise and research that exists at UTS, that is world class,” he says. An important focus of the UTS data strategy is Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML), areas that present some amazing opportunities. Operationalisation and scalability of AI programs can be a challenge due to limited resources, and “this impacts the ability to run multiple initiatives concurrently. Also, finding, acquiring, and recruiting data scientists that are in high demand, is time consuming, costly and is a retention risk, given market demand,” Napier explains.

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“My role as a leader has been about developing and creating the next wave of analytics leaders with the skills they need to succeed.” “Data scientists prefer a coding language or familiarity and knowledge of a few models and algorithms. This can make things difficult. “There is also a trade-off between maintaining existing models and developing new ones, and data scientists tend to like working on new initiatives. Maintenance is critical, especially when in production, as data drift can create some unintended consequences if not monitored carefully,” he says.

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With these challenges in mind and an increased focus on AIML, the team needed to implement technology that was able to address the problems they were experiencing. After a procurement process the team selected DataRobot, which they have been using for the past year. “UTS leverages DataRobot to help solve key business problems (operations, education and students), simplify complexities in the ML lifecycle, plus AI experimentation, production, and consumption. “UTS are excited by emerging opportunities to leverage technology partners, academic expertise and world class research, curiosity, and innovation to drive and uplift AI capabilities, including generative AI that will continue to enhance a data driven culture,” Napier says excitedly. And according to him, 2024 will see the renewal of a new data and AI strategy and a further focus on enhancing and uplifting digital capabilities. “Looking back over the last three years, the amount of change in the

technological market has been significant. I’m excited by the challenge this presents while remaining focused on developing our people for the new wave of technological advancements. “This will further strengthen UTS data and AI capabilities for the betterment of our students, our partners and the community in which we operate, with the trust, and transparency of a socially responsible organisation,” Napier explains.

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DATA-DRIVEN CULTURE

Napier’s leadership at the University of Technology Sydney is a testament to the power of collaboration, data, and innovation in higher education. His vision and dedication are shaping UTS into a model for other institutions looking to harness the potential of data and analytics. With Napier at the helm, UTS is well-positioned to embrace the future, where data is the guiding light for proactive, informed decisions that drive success. WWW.UTS.EDU.AU

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B R E N T W I L K E

BANKING ON TECHNOLOGY

WE TALK TO BRENT WILKE, CHIEF DATA OFFICER AT FIRST BANK, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA AND ANALYTICS IN THE ONGOING SUCCESS OF HIS ORGANISATION, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.

in Motion (RIM). Now most technology companies have offices there including Arctic Wolf, Google, Microsoft, SAP, and Oracle.

I’m the Chief Data Officer for First Bank, a North Carolina based bank with 118 branches throughout North and South Carolina.

I started working before I even graduated at Manulife Financial as a programmer and I did mostly application coding. I realised quickly that I wanted to do and learn more and my manager asked me if I wanted to take over an analytic reporting role. I accepted and I never looked back. I’ve been in analytics since then, so I have seen the change in analytics over the past several decades.

I manage services such as Data Presentation, Data Integration, and Data Management. I’ve also been given oversight of all databases inside the company. I’m currently working on MDM for customer critical data elements and migrating to one data ecosystem. We will be working on Data Governance in the near future. My previous role was Data Management Director for Heartland Financial, with very similar activities. As Chief Data Officer I have some added responsibility around security and leadership.

I obtained my Master of Science from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota with strength in Data Management. I learned so much in this program which really led into my future roles including data engineer, data modeller, data architect, ETC, and I began to increase my roles and responsibilities over time.

I received my undergraduate degree in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada – dubbed Silicon Valley North. And when I was getting my education there were a lot of the technology organisations just starting to take off such as NCR, Teradata, Blackberry, Research

My past certainly influences my current work as I know how to do things the ‘old’ way, as well as the ‘new’ way. But theory behind analytics and AI has not really changed; the software and applications have just been enhanced.

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Can you tell us about your current role, and your previous experiences in data and technology?

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Where does data and analytics sit in the organisational hierarchy now? Adoption of data and analytics is really based on leadership agreeing that analytics is just as important, not just data itself. This is very important to an organisation. Without this leadership support, data analytics will not flourish at an organisation. At my predecessor companies, when new leadership would emerge I found that in some cases they weren’t as interested in data analytics and didn’t want to grow it as much. Therefore, it started to decline. My present company is very interested in data and analytics, calling it the backbone of how to grow, manage, and enhance the business. Inside US banking, there’s an organisation called Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America (MBCA). Both my predecessor and my current company are members of this organisation. They have meetings with different layers of leadership: CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, ETC. MBCA has presented topics about Data Governance and Analytics along with many other topics. Both companies have presented or talked and have listened to others’ perspective on data

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analytics with peers. First Bank’s executive leadership always comes back to The Data Team with new ideas from the MBCA that feed into our current strategy of one data ecosystem and creating a customer golden record. In my current role, you must deliver Return on Investment (ROI) for building data items. I try to show that what my team is doing and what we’re supporting, what items we’re doing with AI or machine learning, all have ROI. In many cases, the CDO must think financially as well, to prove the ROI and work within a budget. I worked for one company where my group was a total chargeback, so I had to watch every penny, because I was being charged from the parent company for everything we were doing. Understanding Budget, P&L, and ROI are very important. When it comes to internal and external usage of data and management of data, I don’t think it’s a discussion about big data, data mesh, ETC. But more about how data is consumed, ROI, and producing outcomes to support the strategic direction. Internally, it’s about automating several data processes and data

integration to reduce manual labour. So far, the data team has produced a number of those outcomes. An example is that we took ‘decision tree’ – a ‘low hanging fruit’ type of artificial intelligence – and started pushing that out in the organisation. There are processes where staff would get data externally and they’d have to make manual decisions about what they wanted to do with this data. We were able to take a number of manual business processes and convert them to ‘decision tree’ where they became an automated function.

You must look at your whole organisation internally and say, “Where’s all the data analytics systems, where is data being moved, and what are the expenses for these activities?” Once you know this you can decide how many data ecosystems you need based on company size and business needs. You then plan to reduce data movement and data ecosystems. This then reduces your vendor expenses and your expenses in training, staffing, etc. If you have four data ecosystems, you have four different answers across the organisation. You want to migrate to one data ecosystem, if possible, and one data answer. The primary goal for a CDO is to assist the organisation to be proactive with your customers and the business. Proactively seeking information about and interpreting your collective customer interactions with your organisation. In the banking industry, I would suggest segmenting your customers into groups, and then manage the customer interaction as they move around these segments. For example, you want to track if customers shift from one segment to another segment, then locate what caused the segment

movement. Recognise the movement right away and be proactive by reaching out to the customer and discuss with them “the movement in the segment”. Many companies have a hard time figuring this out but to me that’s the driver for ROI of a Data Team. This is not about analytic software, tools, big data, data mesh, all that stuff. It’s how you’re consuming and using data to be proactive in your organisation. Before you can migrate your customers into segments your technology has to understand, manage and maintain your customers. To do this your organisation requires a Customer Golden Record for each unique customer.

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A Decision tree works like that game Plinko, where you have a whole bunch of pegs, you drop a little puck down and it jumps around to the bottom, but with the Decision Tree process you plan how the ‘business functions/ puck’ reaches the bottom. The first one we built saved the company one to two hours a day of a financial staff member. After fully implementing this process we achieved ROI in about 2 months.

“I know how to do things the ‘old’ way, as well as the ‘new’. But not a lot has changed – it’s just the tools that have.”

First Bank is working with NC Based FLUREE and their AI Functions to create the Customer Golden Record. The Record is the prime identifier to manage the Customer’s Critical Data Elements (CDE) such as customers contact details, customer type, customer identifiers, etc. Once you have that customer CDEs managed you can then proceed to create and administer Customer Segmentation, Customer Householding and Super Householding, ETC. This business need; surrounding Customer CDE data, is the prime backbone to any CDO/ Business strategy. What about your own data and analytics journey? The biggest key moment for me was when I started digging in further in my second role 125

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P H O T O: K ELLY S I K K E M A

in the United States at UnitedHealth Group (INGENIX – now Optum Health), a huge healthcare company. I didn’t have the total healthcare experience, but they were looking to grow in healthcare analytics, and I had some experience in data management/ analytics. The company wanted to build its first data warehouse, so I was doing the analysis work with business partners, as well as technology to build an Enterprise Data Warehouse for Ingenix. The basic concepts I had to understand are data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (DIKW). If you understand what they do, how they work together and what your position is on those four things, then you’ve beaten most of your battle for a CDO. It’s not the data mesh, big data, or other data buzzwords. It is your responsibility within the four levels of DIKW. My current role is producing data and information, taking raw data and applying information to that data to make it useful to the organisation. The business then applies this knowledge and wisdom to the Data/ Information. That’s the big trick I learned: talk to the business on the Knowledge and Wisdom they need to run the business then locate the Data and applied Information to meet the Knowledge

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“I’ve also worked with companies that say they’re data-driven, but unfortunately, it’s just talk; more like discussion points for stockholders to think something’s going on.” and Wisdom they requested. How important is recruitment and talent to your ongoing success? When I first came on board at First Bank, I performed a Data Maturity assessment to provide information about where the concerns and ‘holes’ were in the bank’s growth with

P H O T O: L I N K E DI N S A L E S S OLU T IO N

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P H O T O: B R O O K E C A GL E

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data. With that outcome I realised the bank did not have any team members with advanced knowledge in Data Integration and Data Management (such as Data Engineers) and started to work on recruiting external team members. I usually prefer to find internal staff with the “Data DNA/geekiness”. My current structure is 30% external and 70% transfers internally. Some entire teams were moved to the Data Team. Other staff I found within the organisation. I think corporate knowledge and internal data geekiness is like gold to a Data Team. They bring huge internal knowledge and existing relationships to the group. The new external team members share their advanced knowledge with the entire team and we all win.

One part of my role as a hiring manager is that when we find good candidates for a role I then discuss the techy stuff with the candidate and learn a bit about their background but ultimately the candidate meets the team and the team helps make the decision based on team culture dynamics. A strong culture and a data geek team is very important to me, to be successful for my team’s goals. And that’s how I’ve done it when I manage any groups. Technically I am the “boss” but that’s just my nickname, I’m here to be a guide, coach, and mentor. How do you approach leadership with your team and across First Bank? I’ll never take a data leadership role without the executive leadership being an advocate for the role and need. Each member of the data team is accountable and they own something. Many of my peers own everything and then people just work for them. I make sure to delegate things to my team. For example, someone may be in charge of our data integration, they figure it out, how

it’s going to work, etc. If a request comes up, they manage the full scope. I generally have someone who is assigned as a Gatekeeper. This person manages the intake that comes to the data team and builds a whole process around it, determining Lines of Business and finding a Data Delegate within each LoB. With this process we can stay in-tune with what each Line of Business needs to support their strategy and goals.

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Finding the right person isn’t always finding the right technology person. I can teach someone technology; I can’t teach them culture. I’m a big advocate for finding data and talent internally first, before I go outside.

“The basic concepts you must understand is data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. If you understand what they do, how they work and what your position is on those four things, then you’ve beaten most of your battle.”

In today’s world, what we would consider “DOERS” want to own and be responsible for something, they don’t want to just be told what to do every day. They want to own and manage something in the organisation. Therefore, I am sure to delegate items that I am accountable for to my team members in order for them to take ownership. The number one thing I must work on is being the leader for data culture change. My actual job is not Chief Data Officer. My job is data culture change officer, whatever you want to call it. I work with the organisation to enhance the consumption and usage of data across the bank’s Line of Businesses. 129

Tell us about the Blue Ocean Strategy and how you apply it to your role. The Blue Ocean Strategy is a strategy to take a leap for a company to do something new or innovate in existing business activity. Examples are RIM (Blackberry), Uber, Marvel, Nintendo (Wii), Casella Winery’s Yellow Tail, Netflix.

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To explain further, you’ve got this red ocean; a feeding frenzy of business, like banking or healthcare in the U.S. Then you want to come up with a strategy to make the competition irrelevant, and allow differentiation and low cost to coexist. How do you stand out? You do something new that gives you a blue ocean. The concept is you take analytics, thoughts, and brain power to capture what could place you into that blue ocean. There’s actually a whole book written about this subject. There’s another term/idea for it – White Space, which precedes Blue Ocean. This concept is value innovation – pursuit of differential and low-cost ways. Part of it could be not finding a new activity but finding a new way. Take Uber as a concept. The Taxi industry had not changed for centuries and this was the process to allow someone to go from point A to point B that did not have a car. Uber invented a new approach to the movement of people. Creating blue oceans takes technology, innovation, analytics, and a business concept to test all those things out. I am focusing on being proactive with our Customers and will be a migration to that Blue Ocean. What is the future of banking? In the U.S., we have about three/four predominant companies that manage banking cores, and they have all these ‘wrappers, services, options’ around what they can do. They want to sell you all these services and options where everything is from their company. This process needs to change so that all that they do is the bank core transactions. A customer puts $10 into their account, the core runs all our processes to 130

match the $10, throws out a transaction, and passes it over to finance. And that is it. Everything else is run by an API, a plug-andplay with the other types of vendors that do that activity. So, we still have your core for banking; but, all your other business functions – such as analytics, treasury, finance, account opening, lending - are now an interaction with some other vendor via an API. If you want to do your treasury option, another vendor does that, and it’s just going to be via an API feeding back and forth. Your online banking might be another vendor, perhaps they have two or three for different types of online banking and that’s another API back and forth. But these are all APIs, core’s in the middle, and all these activities you want to go to different vendors and swap them in and out as you need them. Some banks may be doing that, but that’s the future state. Then something a little different – banks building their own Banking as a Service (BaaS). Yes, some banks have not survived developing a BaaS function. BUT, for example, there is a small bank in Iowa (17 Branches/$2B assets) that built Banking as a Service to interact with FinTechs and other organisations. This allows them to sell differently to customers across the U.S. backed by this bank’s secure processes. This bank has 17 branches but is rated as the 40th largest bank in the US by number of accounts. They now sell their business across the U.S. through their BaaS and they have other organisations using it. They did the reverse function of a Fintech. They didn’t have Fintech go buy a bank; they went and built their own BaaS and allowed other organisations and Fintech to consume their BaaS. Think of them as an Amazon for other banks, they are the conduit to sell a product. It’s really a neat concept. WWW.LOCALFIRSTBANK.COM

Let’s Get Your Data In Order Fluree Sense cleanses, integrates and masters any type and amount of disparate data using AI/ML. We turn dirty, siloed data into semantic golden records.

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P I N K F L O Y D REVOLUTIONISED THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. Whilst it is fair to say that technology consumes much of our lives, our investment in tech isn’t just reserved for during work hours. If our readers are anything like us at Stroud & Clarke, then they also have a huge appreciation for how technology influences the likes of television and film, gaming, and music. Inspired by CEO James Pepper’s love of the band, here are some of the many ways that the iconic group, Pink Floyd, have used technology and more to revolutionise the music industry.

1. THE WORLD’S FIRST SURROUND-SOUND CONCERT In 1967, at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, Pink Floyd performed the first-ever surround-sound concert and forever changed the way audiences experience live music. Armed with their own custom-made quadraphonic speaker system, now referred to as 4.0 Surround Sound, Pink Floyd completely revolutionised live performance and set the bar high for other artists.

2.DAVID GILMOUR’S GUITAR MODIFICATIONS P H O T O: M ILL E R JA M E S

Many Pink Floyd fans and guitar enthusiasts would agree that David Gilmour’s black Stratocaster is iconic. The guitar played a huge part in creating the band’s infamous sound, on their albums The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here and more, but what makes the guitar even more of an artefact is the modification that took place over the years, by Gilmour and guitar tech Phil Taylor. The mods included everything from switching out volume knobs and pickups to fitting seven different necks to the guitar. The guitar proved so revolutionary that Fender began selling a collection of Stratocasters that were equipped with machine-wound middle pickups, wound to match Gilmour’s 1971 originals exactly.

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3. THE WALL - LIVE IN BERLIN

Despite having left the band in 1985, previous Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters continued to influence music. In 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Waters organised a live concert performance of the album The Wall to be performed by himself and many guest artists, between the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Not only was this a feat in terms of audience, with a (at the time) world record 350,000 in attendance, but it was a feat when it came to staging and production. The stage featured a 550foot wall which was built and subsequently knocked down during the duration of the show, and projections, extended solos, and guitar duels between the 50+ musicians who took to the stage.

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4. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON PRODUCTION When it came to music production, Pink Floyd was known for experimenting with their sound, in a way that was ahead of its time. No album shows this quite as well as The Dark Side of the Moon. The band innovatively experimented with synthesisers, the Synthi A and EMS VCS 3, which gave the album the notable futuristic sound, utilised sound effects such as cash registers and heartbeats, and delved into multi-track recording and tape loops which allowed them to layer instruments and vocals, creating a fully immersive album. This put the band in a league of their own, during the 1970s, and still influences music production, across multiple genres, to this very day.

5. HOLOPHONICS

P H O T O: BLO C K S

Holophonics is a binaural recording system, using two microphones, with a view to creating a 3D audio experience for the listener. While Hugo Zuccarelli created the process in 1980, some of its first recorded implementations in music were courtesy of Pink Floyd and Roger Waters in the albums The Final Cut and The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. The Final Cut, which was released in 1983, features holophonics, that add incredible dimension, to the song ‘Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert’.

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THIBAUD FIGUEROA FLYING HIGH IN DATA

DSNA’S THIBAUD FIGUEROA DISCUSSES THE EVER-TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY OF THE FRENCH AVIATION INDUSTRY.

P H O T O: M AT T H E W S M I T H

However, he admits it’s an incredibly dataintensive activity and since the beginning of air traffic control, “we always dealt with data, but mainly in real-time, highly critical systems”. He explains that to get an idea of what they were dealing with, you can compare it to what pilots have in the cockpit, and data being locked in those systems. Figueroa says that when he began working at DSNA as CDO in 2020, the first mission was to be able to get the data outside of those systems, and the other one was more cultural. “My colleagues, especially those from a technical background, would say ‘you’re not going to tell us what data is, because we’ve always dealt with it,’” he says. “We wanted to make them understand that data was an asset, not just a subcomponent of a system: it’s something that must flow around different systems. Indeed, we are system-

centric, and my goal is to make us a little bit more data-centric,” Figueroa declares. He oversees the data office of the organisation, and the data transformation plan. “We started to work on a data strategy because we had some business units which were pioneering data usage outside the operational context. And that started in the mid-2010s..

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It is said that the airplane is the closest thing to real magic that we have, and for Thibaud Figueroa, CDO at DSNA, the French air navigation service provider, he wants the same feeling for air traffic control.

“We wanted to have a more global approach for data governance, protection, and policy. We are a French public administration in France, so we have some open data regulation, too,” he says DSNA began the global approach from this angle of attack of data governance. Then, “because we wanted to have some global overview of the performance of the organisation, which was very basic – the dashboards, etcetera – we began working on the global scope of data like people do in the industry. And in our organisation, we obviously have a lot of engineers and technicians – for them, data is about technical issues. 137

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“To me, it’s an organisational topic,” Figueroa says. And when it comes to data, if you want it to be of good quality, he says you need to have data stewardship. “And if you want good use cases of that data, you need some strong business ownership,” Figueroa states. “Implementing it at scale is a very step-by-step thing because you take one use case, and you go back to the data needed to deliver it. Then you try to find who the data owner is and ensure the use case has a good level of business ownership,” he adds. Figueroa says when it comes to taking responsibility with data, it’s much more complicated. “People are very fond of

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designing a new dashboard but they don’t really care if data quality is good or not. They just want their beautiful dashboard; they want it to be shown to their boss. “The problem is if you really want to have good data quality across the organisation, you must allocate responsibility. That’s very difficult because people don’t really want to take responsibility of data, they just want to create a brand new dashboard,” he reckons. “No organisation needs hundreds of dashboards or data science models if they are fed with data quality. The more you have dashboards, the more you destroy value. “You will have the same KPI in several dashboards calculated differently,

P H O T O: R O S S PA R M LY

For him, the key of being a CDO is that you need to “always create some frameworks and metaphors to explain your job, otherwise people don’t get you,” admitting that when he started at DSNA, he hired someone to market him and oversee communication. “It’s funny, but it’s what was needed.” Figueroa says this is because the job is highly transformational and it’s very common to face difficulties, like “some kind of territory or border difficulties with IT and the tech in general when you drive data transformations. So, if you don’t have a good sponsoring, you can’t succeed,” he says. And the main objective for a CDO, in his opinion, is obtaining and maintaining sponsors.

“People are very fond of designing a new dashboard and they don’t care if data quality is good or not. They just want their beautiful dashboard.”

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and then you have no source of truth,” Figueroa declares.

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P H O T O: L E IO M C L A R E N

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“We’re trying to create some consistency step by step, to make data flow consistently across platforms. But for the time being, that’s it, because we don’t believe in a big bang, like buying a huge, brand new modern data stack,” Figueroa says. And to be an effective CDO, for him, data is all about organisation and change management, “so you need to communicate a lot, you need to make people understand what you’re doing. However, as I feel I don’t have all the quality needed, the main issue I’m facing is that I’m not communicating enough,” Figueroa admits. “It’s tricky at the beginning. You ask people to work on data quality and from their

“We don’t believe in a big bang, like buying a huge, brand new modern data stack.”

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So, DSNA created a data office, a central entity, designed as a competence and service centre, to capitalise on activities of DSNA’s leading teams and rationalise, mutualise, and then modernise if needed. “The idea is to make the entire organisation, or at least the people involved in data in some way, to gravitate around it,” he says, adding that it takes a lot of communication, acculturations, and change management.

perspective, you make them lose time. But from a global perspective, the organisation is not losing time when it’s working on data quality. “You should be able to orchestrate roles between business and IT. You must be the middleman, and it’s very complicated, not only for CDOs, but for data teams in general,” he says. “As a leader, I try to give them the big picture and purpose, so they have full responsibility to follow it. The problem is when you are creating something from scratch, especially when you are creating a data office, you must streamline things. 141

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“For some specific topics, it’s totally the opposite than giving the big picture. It’s just like saying, ‘Okay, this is a red line, you need to respect this.’ “And from time to time, it’s very frustrating for teams because generally you say to them, ‘I’m just leading by purpose. I’m giving you the global picture and goal, and you manage yourself.’ But sometimes you must draw a line. “It’s not easy to find balance because you are managing things that are under construction. When you are building things, it’s a little bit more complicated to lead only by purpose, as it must be constructed one way only,” Figueroa declares.

Environmental performance is a key driver for transformation; how the team assesses impacts of air traffic control, like CO2 emissions. Safety and airspace capacity performance, or flow management, are other classical drivers.

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When he started his job as DSNA in 2020, as well as taking on the ever-transformational strategy, another starting point was societal expectation regarding the environment. “People, especially those living around airports, want full transparency about planes flying above their heads, annoying them, and disturbing them during the night. They are very demanding regarding transparency of data,” Figueroa explains, adding that France has been a little bit more advanced regarding open data regulations since the 2010s. One of DSNA’s pioneer business units specialised in managing mass data use – “basically our environmental office responsible for dealing with those topics,” he quips.

P H O T O: S A F W A N M A H M U

Another newer driver Figueroa tries to follow is defining and having good quality data, defining single sources of truth. “We had some difficulties when I started at DSNA because there were no data policies. We didn’t know what we were able to do with that data. Were we able to share it with that partner? Do we have to keep it in a safe? At some point, it was complicated for the teams to perform because they were in some kind of blur,” so Figueroa ensured he worked on that as it was a “blind spot. At the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021, I was reaching the ceiling of what I was able to do this way. “So, I started work on sponsorship of data transformation,” he says, and launched a more ambitious data transformation plan, which included the 14 3

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creation of the data office. The tricky part about creating this kind of strategy is the value and impact of it, which seems to be challenged by top management at some point “as they feel it costs a lot. It’s very complicated to make the value real to them,” Figueroa explains. Creating value from data is as well related to how you can partner. “With some people, you give them your data, they create value, and then you share value,” he says. “If you don’t have this state of mind, then you keep your data in a safe in your organisation, and you don’t create any value from it. So, we improved securing our partnerships based on data sharing.”

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The teams are currently working with Cloudera and on a data catalogue designed by a French startup, DataGalaxy. “We are also working with Elasticsearch on a solution mainly about exploring some data – it is very powerful and useful, especially for operational use cases. Regarding BI and business intelligence, we use Qlik. And generally, regarding data pipelines and some data storage, we use some open-source solutions as well as non-commercial. “And we have tech partner Gartner for help with transformation, acculturation, and insights. In some ways it replaces consulting, which is very expensive and not always very efficient,” Figueroa states.

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“When you buy consulting, you get some kind of intelligence or frameworks and some capacity to do things. Realistically, most consulting firms we worked with were overselling their capacity to provide efficient frameworks. They were making you pay for a tailored design framework that wasn’t very useful,” he reckons. Figueroa believes that what will be useful is the team’s development of reference tools which contain good data quality to help DSNA. “We are mutualising, rationalising tools, technical platforms, etcetera.

“Regarding those tools, we capitalise on platforms operated directly by some business units, on a best effort basis. Now what we want to do is capitalise on what those business units did. We want to especially improve the service level agreement of those tools and platforms. So, this is a huge part of what we are doing today and what we want to do in the next month. “Related to that, we need to provide better visibility about what we are doing. So communicate, communicate, communicate. That’s been my main learning in my data transformation journey,” Figueroa concludes. WWW.DSNA.FR 14 5

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W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

D E R E K S M I T H THE HEART OF CHANGE MORNINGSTAR’S DEREK SMITH DISCUSSES WHAT SPURS HIS PASSION TO CHALLENGE AND INNOVATE AGAINST THE STATUS QUO, AND LEAD AS AN AGENT FOR CHANGE.

P H O T O: T O W F IQ U B A R B H U I YA

I am the Head of Technology for Morningstar’s International Wealth division, which covers regions outside of North America, from the UK to Australia. This includes technology leadership and oversight of teams who create digital products, services, and platforms we provide for Financial Adviser firms to empower long term investor outcomes. As an accomplished financial sector specialist, I have experience in a wide range of sectors across Wealth Management, Commercial and Investment Banking. I’ve specialised and led teams across product, strategy, sales, and several technology disciplines at Bluechip financial institutions. In addition to the large corporate world, I have worked closely with startups in the Fintech and Wealth tech spheres and have also invested and helped scale a fashion start-up. I have always had a passion to understand businesses end-to-end. I enjoy working across multiple disciplines, which always

have technology at its core. This ranges from foreign exchange trading to creating the first pension dashboards. The most successful parts of my career have been leading companies to realise innovation, productivity, and scale benefits in integrating technology and product thinking into their core.

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Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your experiences in finance, engineering, and leadership across your career?

The breadth of departments, disciplines, and roles has helped me grow as a leader who can deliver transformative change which meets customer and business outcomes, through technology and data innovation. Two roles that stand out as pivotal in the development of my career and approach were the Head of Protection Technology, and Head of Innovation Insurance and Wealth. As part of the transformation leadership (Product, Design and Engineer) we set out to modernise how 20,000 colleagues approached building software solutions across the entire banking group. This included organising into cross-functional teams and labs, which owned specific customers journeys, embedding design thinking and modern product development practices. 14 9

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At its heart, it combined core development disciplines, bringing the teams who built digital services closer to customers, and altered focus to customer and business outcomes over long-living waterfall project outputs. This transformation was a significant multi-year program which truly transformed the bank, placing digital product and service development at the forefront. I have taken learnings on how to deliver significant change across global teams, with multiple partners and disciplines. This highlighted the need for clear and continuous communication on strategy and quick wins to demonstrate the purpose and gain buy-in on the route to transformation. A decade ago, when I embarked on an Executive MBA at Durham Business School, I also learned and broadened my knowledge on business models, industries and leading in many different scenarios. It also sparked the biggest challenge of my professional life, where I co-founded a fashion start-up, which was fun and challenging – feats included raising funding, designing supply chains, and even launching a pop-up in Tokyo!

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If there was one take away from all this, it is that aligning business outcomes and targets across a company or division are critical. Misalignment kills transformation. Can you tell us about the key drivers or trends behind the technology evolution in your organisation? In the last two decades, Technology has switched from being a cost centre to a fundamental driver which innovates and services customer needs, while delivering business value at scale in the “software is eating the world” phase. This shifted technology capability and disrupted industries including internet, cloud computing, platform as service models and now, AI. The sweet spot occurs when we have customer-focused discovery and design, which listens and identifies needs, problems, and opportunities through feedback loops, and brings the best in technology, design, and innovation to rapidly test new ways to deliver value. The key drivers to this transformation have been companies who have orientated their

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whole business model around technology, driving innovation. Like Amazon, which leveraged software to build the world’s leading marketplace for virtually all consumer services, or WeBank, which built a digitalfirst bank from a social platform engine – the common thread being engineers at the centre. Adopting modern digital product development practices and leveraging technology innovation can build defensible businesses, which scale globally and can deliver personalised, real-time services.

In terms of phases based on successes and learnings, I would structure it into three: •

Leadership & Strategy Alignment: successful transformations start, end, and succeed or fail due to leadership alignment, engagement, and shared accountability. If steering the transformation, you must engage your leadership groups to anchor the transformation in supporting and accelerating the companies’ mission and strategy. You should help build a coalition of sponsors who not only share accountability but are aligned on the urgency and strategic need for transformation. This is your first key stage for success.

•

Coach Leaders: modern technology development practices can involve big mindset and ways of working shifts for businesses. It is important you take the time to educate leaders on the changes and give them safe spaces to learn, question and understand. This includes multi-disciplined teams, Project to Product thinking and Outcomes and Value over outputs.

•

Show case: select signature areas and initiatives to showcase early value. They must be big enough for people to take notice, yet small enough to accelerate and demonstrate the transformation. Execute a multi-phased plan to scale from bottom up, whilst continually communicating and demonstrating value and learnings internally and to the market.

Fortunately, Morningstar from inception was set up for this, our mission is to build products and services that connect people to the investing information, tools and products they need to empower investor success. We deliver this at scale globally by placing design thinking, technology and data at the core of our company.

“I enjoy working across multiple disciplines, which always have technology at its core.” Why is adopting modern digital product development practices necessary? The fundamental truth is that digital product development and technology needs to be at the heart of your business: how you build products, deliver service, protect from cyberattacks, and scale internationally – this all requires technology to succeed in today’s global market. In the past, customer and business value has been hampered by technology being at a distance from strategy, planning, and customer interactions. This resulted in misaligned requirements, objectives, and outcomes through these communication gaps in time and proximity.

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Designing companies and operating models with technology and modern product development at its centre, through transforming ways of working across a company, is where true benefits of change can occur.

What are some of the change programmes you’ve worked on? At Virgin Money in 2020, we set out on a digital transformation which brought product and technology teams, and customers closer

Certified training in agile, product, and tooling

Connect processes and tools to people and ways of working www.XLR8.delivery

together, while investing in underlying engineering capability to increase speed-tomarket with new products and services. This had two main themes of transformation, in operating model and technology capability. To deliver this size of transformation, we partnered with two companies, primarily XLR8 and Virtusa. When selecting partners for this, it is critical you consider capability and capacity gaps to transform and have aligned incentives to deliver the root-to-branch impact required. XLR8 supported the design, coaching and alignment of over 1,000 colleagues to a Tribe and Squad model, centred around customer journeys and business domains. Where many partners operate at a strategy or execution layer, XLR8 bridged this gap from operating model design to team coaching, providing real time data analysis to track transformation and inject a continuous productivity improvement culture.

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With Virtusa, we focused on engineering excellence in capability, cost, speed, and quality of digital product development. As partners, we mutually agreed transformation outcomes and shared them as common leadership goals, so both teams had aligned performance and transformation outcomes, sharing in successes together. Moving past a service partner relationship and to a true partner with shared outcomes is critical. In terms of outcomes, we improved the average time of a concept to customers from 26 weeks to 12. This included a few critical focus areas, developing continuous and parallel deployment capabilities, which moved from 20 releases a year, to over 200 over 2 years. Yet speed alone is never enough. During this time, we made customer and business outcomes the primary measure of success. This included the launch of a new market-leading digital current account and scaling out of the first chatbots across 5,000+ customer service interactions.

“Misalignment kills transformation.” Can you tell us a little more about your work at Morningstar? I joined Morningstar one week before an acquisition of a Fintech – Praemium International in summer 2022, where I was leading Technology and integration – a very interesting challenge. Primarily, the acquisition was of an investment platform business that supports Financial Advice firms to manage investment needs of clients. I have been working with the team to scale our in-house Product, Design, Technology and Data teams to develop products and the platform to enhance our service to existing advisers and build our customer base. Instead of transforming ways of working in

a large incumbent, it has been an interesting challenge to solve how to bring the best of a startup culture, while simultaneously leveraging synergy and scale opportunities of being part of the Morningstar group, and hiring a team. The fortunate starting point is that Morningstar is a Fintech at heart – it was the original data start-up. We have a mission to democratise financial data, insight and services which empowers investor outcomes. Morningstar invests over the long term and encourages federated innovation, which can be scaled for customers through interconnected data platforms. As we have grown our team and model, we have continued to live and develop an empowered, devolved leadership model, using shared metrics across all functions through a guiding North Star. This enables teams to own end-to-end customer journeys with deep connection, collaboration, and

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Why does technology appeal to you as a professional? In education and my career, I am passionate about systems thinking and how the ability to view problems and opportunities through company and wider market dynamics, as interdependent systems can help transform companies scale and impact. Fundamentally, understanding and practising technology in engineering, architecture, and data competencies, is a significant enabler to developing a strategic ability to apply

systems thinking across businesses. The practices of system analysis, problem solving, and continual test & learn in Engineering have helped spur my passion to challenge and innovate versus the status quo, and lead as an agent for change. What do you think makes an effective modern leader? Strong leadership is a continual balance of giving strong vision, purpose and strategy while developing an engaged, empowered, and accountable culture.

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shared outcomes from all in that chain. Our product and technology strategy focuses on service as a superpower, reliability at scale, and adviser innovation. Our focus on innovation and in house Technology IP can be seen through in year market launches, including our new Asset Transfer tracker. This brings transparency to a significant customer problem on how to track assets moving between platforms and firms. Instead of waiting on Open Finance regulation, we are leading the market on how to integrate, automate and accelerate asset transfers – a key customer pain point. If we did not own and put technology at the centre of our business, we would not be able to lead on this type of market innovation at speed.

I have led teams from 10 to over 1,000 globally. As your leadership responsibility scales in size and breadth, I believe clear, continuous communication increases in importance. I approach this through communicating a clear strategy, with a clear set of principles and metrics which act as guide rails and progress trackers, rather than a fixed directive approach. In terms of developing a strong team and culture, it is critical to hire and develop diverse talent in background, experience, and views. You should have a firm evidencebased principle and strategy which is loosely held, so you are continually challenging yourself through market, industry, and 1 57

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competition analysis, and are learning and adapting from teams’ feedback and challenges. You must role model the leadership you want to see in your teams. Celebrate challenges, diversity, and innovation. Step in when those practices or behaviours are not evidenced or suppressed. Lead from the front, if you walk past as a leader, especially at scale, it sets a precedent which can permeate. Finally, make time to reflect on your leadership approach. It is too easy to get lost with your head down in execution mode or continuing the same habits. Diarise time to reflect periodically on how you are leading, communicating, empowering, and supporting delivery as a leader. Seek 360, peer and external coaching to support this retrospection, to stay fresh and develop as a leader. What is the future of technology in the finance sector? This may be the easy answer, but I do see the power and possibilities of AI from Narrow to Generative as the biggest shift in technology and business practices in more

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than a generation. It will create new models and change how we run businesses. At Morningstar, we are investing in our engineering capability in AI. This year, we launched our conversational chatbot MO to bring the breadth of our research and analysis through it for investor and investment professionals. In innovation incubation, we are also actively testing further AI capabilities: how to develop iterative customer feedback through sentiment analysis on voice and digital interactions, superpower engineering productivity with Copilot, and transform data connections through machine learning. There are challenges and opportunities with AI. My advice to readers and colleagues is to lean in and learn. You will only be able to design the future by actively trying to understand the fundamentals. This is a great example of what drives my passion for technology – a new opportunity which can shift markets, industries, and ultimately, lives. Through examples like ChatGPT, Dall-E and Bard, it is more accessible to get involved, experiment and innovate. WWW.MORNINGSTAR.COM

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Enhance your customer experience with Virtusa With over 25 years of experience and trusted by global banks and financial services, Virtusa enhances customer experience, drives operational excellence, and achieves cost efficiency. We specialize in retail, corporate, capital markets, and more, with 100+ clients worldwide, including the top 30 banks. Our innovative digital engineering capabilities and deep contextual expertise enable us to create holistic solutions that propel businesses forward at light speed. We optimize businesses with innovative products, digital labor, and modernized IT. Experience cooperative disruption with Virtusa, propelling business growth through innovative, automated digital transformation.

Visit virtusa.com to start your digital transformation journey

Virtusa empowers Ul(-based payment provider with the IaC automation platform Virtusa Corporation, a global provider of digital

strategy, digital engineering, and IT services and solutions, successfully delivered landing zone, target state architecture and migrated pilot applications to help a UK-based payment provider with their cloud transformation journey.

The program automated the landing zone and target state architecture through Terraform and CDK-based Infra as Code (IaC) automation, enabling

the client to migrate their applications in the future via a DevOps platform. During the pilot phase, Virtusa's involvement extended to conducting Proof of Concepts, including implementing various ML technologies, which contributed to the client arriving at a suitable target state architecture.

Another significant feature of this project was leveraging AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) funding and providing expert guidance to help ease the client's technical and financial complexities. Our client sought a partner who could truly grasp their business priorities and navigate the intricate operational landscape while devising a comprehensive roadmap for their cloud transformation. Virtusa emerged as their ideal collaborator, aligning a cloud transformation strategy with their overarching business objectives. Together, leveraging the combined expertise of Virtusa and AWS, we delivered target state architectures, streamlined landing zones,

and seamlessly migrated multiple applications using the cutting-edge laC automation platform. This successful partnership is set to continue as the client plans to further collaborate with Virtusa to advance its cloud migration and modernization endeavors.

virtusa

Engineering First

www.virtusa.com

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