WILLIE CRUICKSHANK ON AEROBATICS, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AIR RACING AND THE FUTURE OF AVIATION
“We’re on the cusp of a revolution...”
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for as long as I can remember, flying or being a pilot was always the dream. Until, on an ill-fated day in primary school my terrible eyesight and colour blindness were found out – fortunately our exceptional design doesn’t rest on my shoulders, otherwise the Tech-Exec colour palette would leave something to be desired...
With that in mind, I was always going to enjoy speaking to Willie Cruickshank, ex-RAF fighter pilot, Top Gun instructor, former aerobatics pilot and now Series Director of World Championship Air Race (WCAR). But, in the end, it wasn’t his talk of aircraft that fascinated me the most. It’s his absolute passion for the aims, objectives and ideals that drive this amazing motorsport: education, innovation, sustainability and an egalitarian approach to competition.
It’s both refreshing and exciting. Consider WCAR the next generation of the famous Red Bull Air Race. Only, on top of some of the most incredible racing you’ll see, it’s also about pioneering some of the most advanced technologies in aviation and the future of urban air mobility. If Willie is to be believed, I may get my hands on an air taxi or two yet.
Passion, innovation and technology set the standard for the rest of the mag this month. Whether it’s digital transformation at Adecco Group, data strategy courtesy of Cynozure or tech-inspired sport success, it’s a demonstration of just what we can achieve with the right commitment and ambition.
As always, enjoy the issue.
Matt High.
64 | INNOVATOR
MYNDPLAY
Real-life Jedi brain training
66 | INTERVIEW CYNOZURE
There’s more to a data strategy than data
80 | PERSPECTIVE REMOTE FIRST
It’s the future, but is it right?
86 | DISRUPTOR
MICHAEL DONALD
World-first plastic-free payments
88 | CITY GUIDE
48 HRS: STOCKHOLM
Business and pleasure in the Swedish capital
98 | CALENDAR EVENTS
The best events for 2021
Ah, FIFA. The goals, the build up play, the heated online matches. And, of course, the players that never look quite like their real-life counterparts. Thanks to the use of some innovative AI motion capture technology that’s about to change. ‘HyperMotion’ technology uses real-world elements and machine learning to create an ultra-realistic representation of player movement during matches, the result of movement data captured from Xsen-wearing players that has been used to create over 4,000 new animations from a proprietary machine learning algorithm. At least you’ll see all your missed shots and poorly timed tackles much more clearly... www.news.ea.com
Our fear of robots, if we’re honest, has always been slightly tempered by watching them navigate – with difficulty – an incline, rough terrain or some steps. It’s comforting. But, no longer. A team of researchers from UC Berkeley, Facebook and Carnegie Mellon University have found a way to equip legged robots with the ability to navigate unfamiliar terrain in real time. The AI-powered Rapid Motor Adaptation (RMA) system is a departure from previous technologies in that it always assumes the environment will be new. With it, a test bot took on sand, mud, dirt piles, tall grass and hiking trails without falling. www.engineering.berkeley.edu
While moving to the cloud is a common practice among modern, digital businesses, Accenture research has focused on a specific subset of innovators as pioneering the future of cloud: the continuum competitors. Such organisations recognise the cloud as a launchpad for innovation and new operating approaches that’s not a single, static destination, but a future operating model ripe for delivering transformation, says Accenture. www.accenture.com
A global survey by Deloitte has found that 51% of women are less optimistic about their career prospects than before the COVID pandemic. It also revealed that:
57% plan to leave their current job within two years
77% say their workload has increased as a result of the pandemic
39% feel their company’s commitment to support women has been sufficient since the start of the pandemic
www2.deloitte.com
Sometimes it feels like we can’t escape Amazon. Now, not even your dreams are safe. Earlier in July the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave the e-commerce giant permission to use radar to monitor consumers’ sleep habits, according to Bloomberg. An FCC communication referred to the use of a radar sensor to sense motion and ‘enable contactless sleep tracing functionalities’ that Amazon reportedly says will help with sleep tracking, management of sleep hygiene and benefit health.
www.bloomberg.com
According to research by McKinsey, CEO’s should monitor five broad markers to assess their organisation’s digital progress. The link to business value of embracing digital, data and analytics isn’t widely understood, says McKinsey. To counter this, any business undergoing digitisation needs a fully engaged CEO who monitors performance across key markers:
> Return on digital investment
> Percentage of annual technology budget spent on bold digital initiatives
> Time to market of digital apps
> Percentage of leaders’ incentives linked to digital
> Volume of leading technical talent attracted and retained
www.mckinsey.com
75%
More than 75% of enterprise generated data will be processed by edge or cloud computing by 2025. www.mckinsey.com
“If we can do this, just imagine what you can do”
—
For some unwitting buyers of low priced, second hand smartphones, there has been a surprise. They now have in their possession an FBI-made phone used for sting operations to catch criminals. According to a story by Motherboard the Google Pixel ‘Anom’ phones have been designed to track criminals, with their ArcaneOS featuring customisations such as no location tracking, no apps or app stores and a hidden chat app accessed through the calendar. Through it, criminals reportedly believed they could communicate securely; they were wrong.
www.vice.com
Levi Strauss is in the midst of a digital transformation. And like any good organisation doing just that, it’s rolled up its [denim] sleeves and focused on training. Specifically, the famous brand has rolled out its first in-house Machine Learning Bootcamp to equip employees with knowledge and skills in machine learning, design thinking, digital product management, the use of data and AI and more.
www.levistrauss.com
Successful trials of a four-day working week in Iceland see 86% of the country’s workers move to shorter hours for the same pay.
Volkswagen will focus on autonomous driving and ramp up its software mobility as a service and battery innovation to stay competitive, says CEO Herbert Diess.
Driverless car startup Halo is bringing a fleet of remotely driven electric vehicles to Las Vegas that will run on T-Mobile’s 5G network.
The Biden administration encourages federal agencies to more closely scrutinise the US tech industry to increase competition within the nation’s economy.
Google is fined $592mn for breaches in how it negotiates with publishers to remunerate them for reusing their content.
Mastercard and Verizon announce a partnership focused on using 5G contactless payments, smartphone payments, using wearables as payment devices and more.
MAN AND MACHINE, GRAVITY-DEFYING ACTION
AND THE PINNACLE OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY: WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF WCAR, COURTESY OF WILLIE CRUICKSHANK
“IN A SMALL PLANE THAT MANEUVERS DIRECTLY WITH YOUR INPUT, YOU’RE AT ONE WITH IT. IT’S ENDLESSLY EXCITING”
confession: a wet and blustery day at a remote airfield had given this writer slight trepidation at the thought of venturing into the sky in a light aircraft [a Piper PA23 Apache, for you purists out there], even if it were with a man as experienced, skilled and passionate about aviation as Willie Cruickshank. But, as our wheels lift from the grass and we claw our way into the vast expanse of sky on the UK’s east coast, it immediately becomes clear. This is flying.
And I recall something Cruickshank said a week previously, as he and I met to discuss the new World Championship Air Race (WCAR) series — a platform for racing, aviation and innovation — for which he is Race Series Director: “Getting into a jumbo jet and going on your holiday isn’t experiencing flight. You might feel the excitement of a takeoff or the bump of a landing, but you don’t experience the thrill of flying; in a small plane that maneuvers directly with your input, you’re at one with it. It’s endlessly exciting. That’s what I and other pilots truly enjoy — providing people with experiences they’ve never had before.”
In the context of this discussion, that experience sees man and machine throw themselves around three-dimensional tracks worldwide, subjecting themselves to 12 times the weight of gravity and back in close to 0.3 of a second, spine compressing, blood pressure reaching up to five times its norm, all while committed to innovation, sustainability, educating the next generation of pilots, engineers and technologists, and providing the ultimate proving ground for green aviation and the future of air mobility. Building on the legacy of the Red Bull Air Race series WCAR will, in Cruickshank’s words, contribute to the ‘most significant development in
aviation since the invention of the jet engine’; it is a sport built on a pioneering spirit and a shared passion.
In reality, I expected nothing less. In Cruickshank’s case, there was never a plan B. Or C. Being a fighter pilot in the RAF was the only option; he was always going to fly. And the same passion that was behind him staring out of the classroom window jealous of those fast-jets overhead hasn’t diminished throughout his career, whether that’s hugging the ground at eight miles a minute as an RAF fighter pilot at the controls of a Jaguar or, today, by developing and launching the WCAR.
“I don’t know where it came from,” he reflects. “I’ve no family ties to aviation, none of them were pilots, but my earliest memories are just of wanting to be involved with aircraft. I was at school in Edinburgh, close to RAF Leuchars air base. Phantom jets were stationed there and I’d spend hours looking out, seeing their trails in the sky and just feeling I was stuck down on the ground while they were up there. It’s all I ever wanted to do.” And he did. After joining the air cadets while still at school, Cruickshank took his first solo flight at the age of 14 through the RAF’s scholarship programme before gaining his private pilot’s license aged 17. He is, he affirms, “one of those people that learned to fly before they could take a car on the road.”
For many pilots, the route to the ultimate goal is rarely a simple or direct one — a lesson
Cruickshank shares with many of the flyers in WCAR. “I joined the RAF and they asked me if I wanted to be a navigator,” he says. “The honest answer was no, not at all. And I remember a moment of thinking ‘what do I do now?’. Ultimately I piped down, wound my neck in and had a great time as a navigator on Buccaneers in the maritime strike force before finally having my application for pilot accepted. After training, I was selected to fly Jaguars and spent my first three tours of duty on the frontline before going to the RAF’s Top Gun school, staying on as an instructor and working my way through flight commander and squadron commander.
I completed operational tours in the Balkans and the Middle East. It’s fair to say it lived up to my expectations, and exceeded most of them.”
After 26 years’ service Cruickshank, retiring as a Group Captain, spent nine years as
a display pilot with the UK’s Wildcat Aerobatics team before joining the Red Bull Air Race as Head of Aviation and Sport responsible for all aspects of flying operations including flight safety racecourse design, and pilot training and briefing. Consider WCAR the next generation of that race series. It will, says Cruickshank, build on the legacy of competitive air racing Red Bull leaves behind. But there is a greater purpose: to embrace the latest technological innovations driving the green aviation revolution, including electric power and the use of net zero carbon fuels, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and more — and make urban air mobility (UAM) a reality for us all.
“Many of us in WCAR come from the Red Bull days,” Cruickshank states. “It was a phenomenally good project, but some of the
important subjects we were trying to discuss weren’t getting the traction they should have – things like innovation, sustainability and education. We’ve the chance to do that now, build those into the structure right from the start; we’re at the cusp of a revolution in UAM and we have to adopt and spread as much innovation as we can, particularly on things like climate action.
“I’D SPEND HOURS LOOKING AT THE TRAILS IN THE SKY AND JUST FEELING I WAS STUCK DOWN ON THE GROUND WHILE THEY WERE UP THERE. IT’S ALL I EVER WANTED TO DO”
“I SPENT MY FIRST THREE TOURS OF DUTY ON THE FRONTLINE BEFORE GOING TO THE RAF’S TOP GUN SCHOOL”
“First and foremost we’re a competitive, global motorsport,” he continues. “But it’s about educating while we’re entertaining. WCAR is a platform for innovating, inspiring and educating the next generation of aviation professionals, who are more likely to be technicians, operators and engineers than pilots. If aviation, particularly the projections around UAM [predicted to be worth €140bn/ year by 2035], is going to grow at the rate we think, then we’ll need people to drive that forward. Yes, we’re a sport, but peel back the layers and it’s all about education. Many of us in aviation can think back to the classroom, learning abstract concepts like mathematics and trigonometry and you don’t always see the point. A decade later you’re planning a racetrack or discussing aerodynamics and it all makes sense. WCAR embodies that; we can give people demonstrable examples of science, technology, engineering, maths
and physical science. All in a completely unique arena.”
“THE FREEDOM IS INCREDIBLE…” Technology lies at the heart of that vision. WCAR will demonstrate how the bringing together of advancements in green propulsion, aerodynamics, flight control and
autonomy have the potential to usher a new era of flying: unprecedented accessibility to aerial utility transport for the masses. “One of the simplest things I learned in the military is the concept of time and distance,” says Cruickshank. “When you’re flying over the UK at eight miles a minute, then landing and getting in your car for the long drive home
“WE’RE AT THE CUSP OF A REVOLUTION IN URBAN AIR MOBILITY AND WE HAVE TO ADOPT AND SPREAD AS MUCH INNOVATION AS WE CAN”
from the airbase, you see the fundamental freedom that aviation brings. You’re free from the restrictions of roads, traffic and delays — the freedom that using the air as a way of moving brings is incredible. Urban air mobility won’t just free the streets of congestion when at its peak, it’ll bring back that most valuable of commodities: time.”
The series will debut next year with the legacy race-planes of the Red Bull Air Race days, necessary says Cruickshank, because waiting for UAM to achieve the required technological maturity, commercial viability and regulatory approval would see the team
only embarking on an air race championship at 2025 at the earliest. Instead, technological advancements and new innovations will be adopted as soon as they become available, with the goal of rapidly evolving race aircraft through the staged introduction of innovations in the development of sustainable fuels, electric drivetrains and eVTOL vehicles.
“The future for green and sustainable aviation is really exciting,” says Cruickshank. “It’s broad, it’s diverse and, even if no one knows the potential future energy and power solutions, there will be a right solution for every problem. We know it can’t be fossil fuel, but options include lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen power or a biofuel, or even synthetic e-fuels. We have technological partners worldwide exploring every one of those avenues. Take, as an example, our partnership with US startup Prometheus Fuels and its Titan Fuel Forge, which extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it to gasoline. The only inputs are air, water and renewably-sourced electricity; the output is aviation gasoline, petroleum, jet fuel or diesel. We’re the first aviation entity to say we’ll be operating on a zero next carbon aviation gasoline. We’re also working with some of the partners involved in Rolls-Royce’s ACCEL project to develop our electric aircraft.”
WCAR aircraft development will be taken in three key steps, against an aggressive innovation timeline that culminates in the incredible, space-age eVTOL concept
aircraft courtesy of Orb Aerospace. “The regulators are happy with the existing aircraft,” says Cruickshank, “so from our perspective it’s ‘bring them straight in and use the time we have to take the regulators on a journey of evolution with us’. Using Prometheus Fuels will be the first step, so we’re at zero net carbon emissions on track. Next is the introduction of electrically powered aircraft, which will be racing in 2025 — like any technology project we’ll have a demonstrator craft that we use to prove the concept and train on.
“In the background of all that is the most exciting development, our eVTOL vehicle which is intended to be trackworthy in 2026-27,” he adds. “The development timeline is driven by the fact that we don’t want to give up performance while bringing in sustainable technology. We’re showcasing aviation innovation so there’s little point in running a zero emissions aircraft if it’ll only do 100 kts and 4G compared to the 400 km/h and 12G of the legacy aircraft. That’s the benchmark and, in 2025, our electric race plane will match that criteria. Likewise, the eVTOL vehicle will have the same speed and performance criteria in 2027. In fact, it’s already exceeding G, roll rate and pitch rate in the simulator — it’s phenomenal.”
Competitive motorsport is undoubtedly the pinnacle of technology, and the best way to demonstrate future innovation that may make its way to our own methods of transport — think Formula E’s influence on the electric vehicle industry, for example.
Currently, the majority of UAM designs are based around air taxi concepts meaning the thrill of that ‘phenomenal’ and the reality of a certified passenger carrying vehicle capable of high-G aerobatic flight is some years away. “It’s about demonstrating the safety case for us, proving the credentials and building the credibility of the aircraft,” says Cruickshank.
“There’s many options out there in terms of future UAM development, from air taxis to two-seat recreational vehicles at the same price point as a Ferrari,” he adds.
“Our concept is also being designed around relief operations and aid distribution; we’re not racing for racing’s sake, we’re racing with purpose so the end point is about having a high level or fast vertical
“URBAN AIR MOBILITY WON’T JUST FREE THE STREETS OF CONGESTION WHEN AT ITS PEAK, IT’LL BRING BACK THAT MOST VALUABLE OF COMMODITIES: TIME”
takeoff and landing vehicle that can reach remote places and drop aid, all at the same price as a top of the range SUV. Of course, there are several important issues that will need to be resolved, from properly managing the new volumes of air traffic if UAM reaches the masses to bringing in fully autonomous vehicles. We should always be thinking beyond the technology to how we use the vehicle and the opportunities it can give people to experience life as they’ve never done before.”
That sense of purpose reaches across every aspect of WCAR. Just as education and developing the next generation of aviators is important, so too is offering a fair and equal environment for all who wish to compete in the series. WCAR operates an fully egalitarian system, whereby pilots are chosen entirely on merit, regardless of gender to remove many of the barriers that have previously existed in the sport. “It’s very important,” says Cruickshank. “Previously there was really strict criteria that you had to be a top performing and scoring world aerobatic competition pilot before you could race — you basically had to already have had a successful career, meaning that all the pilots were in their forties before coming to our door. We’ve taken the blinkers off and opened the criteria to find new talent and bring it through.
“To do that we’ve created the World Championship Air Race Academy,” he adds. “Now, anyone can be a WCAR pilot. There are no
“THE EVTOL VEHICLE IS ALREADY EXCEEDING G, ROLL RATE AND PITCH RATE IN THE SIMULATOR — IT’S PHENOMENAL”
doors that you can’t come through, if you have a pilot’s license and experience of flying then you have the opportunity. If I look across the 12 elite teams in our GP1 class, there’s a really good mix of people that grew up around planes and flying from a really young age, and then people like me who had a dream and made a lot of sacrifices to get there. The message is ‘we don’t care about ethnicity, nationality or gender, if you’re good enough to fly the aircraft on the track then come and talk to us. We’ll help you with that journey’.”
That’s a rare message when it comes to an elite global motorsport, but it’s a demonstration of the sheer passion for flying and innovation that those lucky enough to take to the skies have. In the short term, that passion is focused on working towards the first race season in 2022 for Cruickshank and the WCAR team.
“Beyond that,” he says, “it’s about how we develop it. If you go back 18 months and ask me about our innovation timeline, I’d probably have never said zero net carbon planes to eVTOL between 2023 and 2027. Everything’s coming much quicker, and it’s an exciting prospect. The beauty of the air race is that we’re type-agnostic — we don’t care what the technology is, we’re just ready to embrace it, bring it on board and keep developing. Who knows what the next era holds?”
www.wcairrace.com
I NNOVATIVE AND INSPIRED ITE m S FOR WOR k, LEISURE AND THE ENVIRON m ENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Beauty, luxury, performance, style – when it comes to superlatives to describe Aston Martin, you’re spoilt for choice. Fortunately, all apply to the impressively named Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges, a watch that blends design, materials and technology and throws in a good measure of the craftsmanship you’d expect from luxury timepiece maker, GirardPerregaux. Intended to celebrate the iconic Three Bridges pocket watch from the 19th century, it is formed of Grade 5 titanium for lightness and is limited to only 18 pieces. Form an orderly queue...
www.girard-perregaux.com
I NNOVATIVE AND INSPIRED ITE m S FOR WOR k, LEISURE AND THE ENVIRON m ENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Sneakers have one of the heaviest carbon footprints of anything we wear; according to one report production accounts for 1.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. All the more reason to consider ID.EIGHT, an eco-sustainable sneaker project borne out of a shared passion for the environment and 90s-inspired footwear aesthetics of founders Dong Seon Lee and Giuliana Borzillo. The ethical and sustainable shoes are made in Italy with low environmental impact materials from food industry waste like apple peels, grape stalks and seeds, pineapple leaves and recycled cotton.
www.id-eight.com
I NNOVATIVE AND INSPIRED ITE m S FOR WOR k, LEISURE AND THE ENVIRON m ENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Can the better use of waste paper make an ecological, social or economical impact, or create a better cultural environment? The answer to this question, posed by sustainability, biodegradability and responsible design think tank Pulp Station is yes. Take its Pulp Factory 100% biodegradable paper furniture as an example. Handcrafted and molded using locally collected waste paper and incorporating traditional design aesthetics, it is also designed to bring local solutions at a macro level, like waste management, new skills and community development.
www.pulp.thepulpstation.com
I NNOVATIVE AND INSPIRED ITE m S FOR WOR k, LEISURE AND THE ENVIRON m ENTALLY CONSCIOUS
LiveWire ONE is the digital transformation you never knew you wanted: a Harley-Davidson for the modern age, that combines the DNA of the famous brand with innovative, tech-driven specs. A statement of intent from HarleyDavidson, LiveWire ONE is a standalone brand, built for urban riding and furnished with the latest gadgets. The all-electric bike has a range of 146 miles, can fast charge from 0-100% in 60 minutes, features custom modes that let the rider define performance and personalise their riding, and is digitally connected.
www.harley-davidson.com
I NNOVATIVE AND INSPIRED ITE m S FOR WOR k, LEISURE AND THE ENVIRON m ENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Working from home. It takes its toll and, sometimes, you just need some space. And what a space the Aranka Mobile Living Unit is. The product of Czech brand Hide and Seek, the wood, metal and glass mobile cottage is designed to be placed in the heart of the natural landscape, for the perfect slice of tranquility. It’s clever too. It features an innovative design that harvests rainwater, uses solar and wind energy and is fully energy efficient and self-sustainable. The result? Its four inhabitants can live in peace for four days off-grid.
www.hideandseek.cz
Urban bike ownership will be dead in a decade. Says Tom Hares, ex head of Apple’s Media Arts
Lab advertising agency and now founder of Buzzbike, an urban cycle and tech business that makes cycling easy, stress free and happier.
That belief was the genesis of Hares’ and Buzzbike’s mission to revolutionise urban cycling, spurred by his return from two years’ living in Venice Beach to commuting in a busy London. The company provides tech-powered city bikes and cycle clubs for individuals, brands and organisations that share Buzzbike’s environmentally friendly goal of making cycling the dominant form of urban transportation by 2025.
Buzzbike’s subscription-based ‘Netflix for bikes’ model has seen sales grow by 450% in the last 12 months; Hares expects it to dominate in the coming years as cities become more pedestrianised. The accompanying app offers rewards and exclusive experiences and members gain access to concierge-level support from the company’s ‘Rider Happiness Team’.
www.buzzbike.cc
“A WHOLE NEW WAY TO RIDE”
T RANSFOR m ATION ISN ’ T A b OUT TECHNOLOGY , IT ’ S A b OUT PEOPLE , CULTURE AND AN ENVIRON m ENT WHERE EVERYONE DRIVES TOGETHER , ACCORDING TO THE A DECCO GROUP’S S I m ON C URTIS
People-first can, on occasion, become little more than a buzzword for some leaders or organisations. Not so for Simon Curtis. A CIO and transformation leader of considerable repute and experience, Curtis’ career trajectory has always been focused on people, the power of effective culture and inspiring individuals to meet their potential, whether driving change at some of the world’s leading staffing companies or leading IT and technology teams through complex and challenging transformation journeys.
Those transformations have helped shape Curtis’ leadership style, giving him a proven ability to build, lead, develop and motivate winning teams across several industries and under the most difficult circumstances. And, while he has steered significant change in the staffing sector for more than a decade, it was a stint as a general manager at a Mercedes dealership – at the same time as holding the position of Group IT Director – that formed the genesis of his people-first outlook. “I realised very quickly that if you want to transition through your career, you can’t be an expert in everything,” says Curtis. “In fact, you’re not usually an expert in anything.
“At that point I was really technical, one of those leaders that wants to be involved in everything,” he adds. “But really, I knew nothing about the business. I learned a lot during that period. I had to change my leadership style and understand how important things like trust and empowerment are. Fast forward to when I entered the staffing industry in 2007 with my first CIO role at Elan [now Experis] and I took all that with me. I’d had to change and mature, while evolving into being all about people, empowering them, trusting them and surrounding myself with the best rather than trying to do it all myself. That’s what a good leader looks like. The role is really about being the person who removes blockers for the team, gives them the vision and lets them execute.”
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Curtis is a highly experienced change agent with recognised success in business integration and acquisition, including MVP activity, and technology-driven transformation, most recently with The Adecco Group in the UK and US. He elaborates: “The work in the UK and now in the US has been more transformational. So, instead of integrating businesses, it’s more about how do we transform and all the questions that come with that: where do you want to go, what’s the technology that will get us there, how do we get stakeholders on board and manage the relationships and scope of the project? It’s a very different kind of transformation or change when you’re implementing new
technology or systems for everyone in the organisation. It brings its own challenges, but it also makes it more interesting from my perspective.”
That interest and passion for change has been present throughout Curtis’ career. As a CIO he recognises the way in which the pace of innovation can instigate the need for effective change management and leadership, but also that there are several common threads that underpin such activity. “Integration work a decade or so ago was a lot harder,” he states. “We were moving businesses from one on-prem to another on-prem ERP solution and when you’re making that move to a solution
You have to embrace the moments where you’re truly at your best ”
that’s not necessarily ‘better’ than the existing one in everyone’s eyes, it’s a real challenge that needs strong leadership and true engagement from the CEO and senior management in the organisation to back you in moving everyone to one platform.
“With new technology that’s still the case to a degree, but you often get a lot more than you do with legacy systems,” says Curtis. “Where the compromise often comes is if you’re moving to a SaaS model. With that may come new processes, which is where change management be-
comes paramount. It becomes less of a technology challenge and much more a challenge around organisational change, cultural change and things like that. From a leadership perspective it means you’ve got to be realistic from the get go. Sometimes we can be guilty of setting unrealistic expectations; these are complicated transformations, so having that central leadership making firm statements of intent, managing the scope and keeping everyone moving in a positive direction to deliver on time and budget is essential.”
“ A leader is the person who removes blockers for the team, gives them the vision and lets them execute ”
These are traits that Curtis has effectively demonstrated at Adecco. He has been with the organisation, the world’s second largest human resources and temporary staffing agency and a Fortune 500 player, for more than seven years, joining first as CIO for the UK and Ireland before assuming the role of CIO Americas in January 2019. The business, Curtis admits, is ‘constantly transforming and evolving’, but during his tenure he has overseen a complex technology transformation including a significant focus on data in both markets.
“When I started in the UK, there were several challenges; the first year was really tough,” he admits. “Initially we focused on the basics: building the foundations, getting the infrastructure in place and consolidating – it wasn’t particularly transformational. Rather, it involved streamlining our processes, ensuring our brands were on the same
platforms and building confidence in the technology team across the wider organisation. I look at it like getting match fit and believing we have the capabilities.”
It worked. Curtis’ team was then given the task of transforming all front-office technology across the UK business to coincide with Adecco reaching the end of a cycle with its existing legacy systems. After a careful selection process, Bullhorn for Salesforce was chosen because, says Curtis, of its capacity to leverage Salesforce but also allow development and configurability to suit Adecco’s business needs. “The scope of work was huge,” he concedes. “We had 10 different brands on 200 different systems, around 30,000 associates being paid each week, more than four million job applications per year – the volume was enormous. There were big commitments from the business too, productivity needed to improve, efficiencies had to be created and
Leading a technology or digital function can be a challenge .
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we wanted to build in a degree of speed and agility that meant we could work with smaller companies or startups to develop tech in the future. It’s less about the specific technology, more about how you can leverage it, what ‘great’ looks like and the future benefits.”
Curtis moved to the US two years ago, assuming responsibility for the US and LATAM as CIO. He entered an environment where the same front office work – introducing Bullhorn for Salesforce
“For Adecco more generally, where it gets really interesting when it comes to data is how we’ve started taking data from our systems, combining it with other external data and then putting it back into the system,” he adds. “That’s where it becomes really useful to our clients, colleagues, candidates and associates in terms of the insight and predictive analytics, we’re able to provide them with. It means you can use data in a very structured way so that it feeds back into all the company’s systems, see if it’s of use and how you can evolve it.
– had largely been completed, but a focus on data and gaining valuable insight from that data was paramount. “Data is continuously evolving at Adecco,” he affirms. “In the UK it was a key piece, certainly around getting data into the system, but in the US there was still work to do around establishing data governance and architecture so we could really leverage it. From a US perspective, we’re particularly interested in how we can provide more insight to our stakeholders, customers and internal customers and how we can improve the user experience while removing any unnecessary friction.
It’s important to remember that when it comes to data, particularly using analytics and artificial intelligence, you rarely get it right the first time. Unless you can get it in front of people or into your reporting system, it’s a challenge. That’s the journey we’re on in the US.”
Strong leadership has played a crucial role in driving this journey. In the US, for example, Curtis points to a new CEO at the business who has worked hard to put the accountability for transformation and technology adoption on the business, change the narrative around transformation and
“
A growth mindset only comes when people are comfortable challenging the status quo ”
ensure that everyone in the organisation considers what adoption really means, how you measure against it and continue to evolve technology.
Curtis’ own leadership has been instrumental in helping create an environment in which this is possible. “For me, being a leader is about building a culture of challenging and working without fear,” he says. “A growth mindset only comes when people are comfortable challenging the status quo so I’ve worked to instil that in my leaders. I often see people say ‘only bring problems with solutions’. I disagree. That impacts the ability to bring problems, so it’s about an environment where everyone works together, whatever the problem, and is focused on delivering the objective.
“That’s within your team. A technology leader also has the business as an adopted team,” he continues. “Over the last decade or so almost everything I’ve led from a technology perspective has been a business led project. We’re facilitating it, we’re in the trenches with the business, with the CEO and our partners. It’s about embracing and collectively solving problems. So much of transformation is in the psychological and people aspect of it. Many of the problems you encounter are about people, getting them moving in the right direction and keeping the culture right. Of course, you need strong governance but that’s hygiene. It’s the people element that will truly determine the success of the project.”
This approach served the company well during the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, says Curtis, and will continue to do so into the future. “Our mantra is ‘we own it’. Teams always work best when they take ownership and drive things to their conclusion. That’s when you start to do amazing things because it’s no longer about one or two people, it’s about everyone. COVID was interesting – we were going through this transformation anyway, but it naturally accelerated it. That was challenging, but the team stepped up. We really saw that fighting spirit that exists within a culture of openness, honesty and no blame, there was a lot of strength shown across the organisation.
“Carrying that forward we’ll continue to focus on reducing friction in the customer experience and working hard to get more insight and leverage more data,” he adds. “As a global organisation we’re also considering how we can set a consistent foundation and level around the world and evolving our technology platforms so that we can have greater flexibility in the future. We’re geared up for a post-COVID future and focusing hard on building a standard experience for our colleagues, regardless of where they work. All that will be considered through a design thinking approach: have empathy, walk in other people’s shoes and get their perspective. You have to embrace the moments where you’re truly at your best.”
www.adeccogroup.com
“ We had 10 different brands on 10 different systems, around 30,000 associates being paid each week, more than four million applications per year - the volume was enormous ”
IN A WORLD WHERE A FRACTION OF A SECOND, AN EXTRA BURST OF PACE OR ONE DECISION CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE, ANY COMPETITIVE SPORTS TEAM MUST USE DATA TO THEIR ADVANTAGE, SAYS JAN-JAAP JAGER
Pure physicality, real-life experiences [regardless of weather or season], the dogged pursuit of victory through nothing but sheer human blood, sweat and tears. How often have you heard someone hark back to ‘the glory days’ at the mere suggestion of technology’s interaction with the sporting arena [VAR anyone?].
Those days have gone. Technology has, and continues to, profoundly change the way in which we all live our lives and go about our work. Sport is no exception.
The concept of sport, irrespective of the competition or setting, is about one simple thing after all: winning. With that in mind, why would you not use every ounce of data at your disposal to shave milliseconds from your lap time, understand how and why your players are performing as they do, or to directly influence the development of your team and products?
It doesn’t stop there, either. That data must be secure, meaning the adoption of effective cyber strategies and the tools to enable those strategies. It must also be
analysed appropriately so as to best contribute to the competitive edge that is necessary to win. Swiss-Singaporean Acronis is well versed in using technology to give sports teams an advantage or, as it says, make them #CyberFit.
That’s no empty boast either. To date, five European football teams that work with the brand have topped their respective leagues this year alone, demonstrating the benefit of a data-driven and innovation-led approach to the game. Acronis Board Advisor and CRO Jan-Jaap Jager
recently took some time away from the touchline to reveal the secrets behind the winning streak.
Tech-Exec: For context, can you introduce us to the world of data-driven sport and elaborate on the work of Acronis?
Jan-Jaap Jager: Acronis makes sports teams #CyberFit. Just like it’s critical for athletes to be physically fit, it’s important for the sports organisation to be able to deal with the growing volumes of data and withstand cyberattacks. We help them achieve that.
The success of each sports organisation depends on teamwork beyond the pitch or racetrack. We work alongside our sports partners, supporting them during country lockdowns, empty stadiums, and work-from-home migration. Five European football teams whom we support, won their premierships this year. It’s the teamwork that creates champions and we are very proud to be part of their journey.
Modern sports are data-driven, and every bit of data is important to win. Sports teams use Acronis Cyber Protection for their workloads, data, applications and systems. This ensures safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) for everything from workstation computers to cloud environments.
A big part of that is ransomware protection. Our technology ensures protection
from attacks and unauthorised access or modification of data. Some teams use our cyber infrastructure for archiving and long-term storage of massive amounts of data with blockchain-based certification of authenticity. We also provide secure data access solutions, enterprise file sync and share technology that’s used for secure data exchange with internal and external stakeholders. And last, but not least, we work together with teams on machine intelligence solutions, in partnership with Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT) on big data analytics solutions helping teams to develop winning strategies and adjust player and team performance.
TE: How has the use of technology by sports teams and organisations changed over the last years and what have been the key drivers for the greater use of technology?
JJ: It’s changed vastly over the decades. Look at motorsport development; it all used to be pencil and paper, and it’s only in the last couple of decades that such advanced tools as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for aerodynamics development and computer-aided design (CAD) software for design engineering have become instrumental for producing a race-winning car.
In addition, there are hundreds of telemetry sensors sending real-time data from the car to the pit wall to help race engineers with strategy decisions. Design engineers also use this data to adjust the design of the car to improve performance. Ball sports have it too. There’s wearable sensors monitoring players’ vitals that are also extremely useful at driving the ultimate performance of a team. All of the above is pure data, which is why cyber protection technology is critical to a team’s overall success.
TE: Is it fair to say sports teams are more akin to technology companies now?
JJ: Absolutely. Motorsport is the prime and obvious example. Banks and banks of computers and servers are transported to every race across the globe, whilst every gigabyte of data is analysed and processed back at the factories of the respective teams in real time, as that data sent from the cars is transferred back in real time often thousands of miles from home.
Regardless of the sport, teams have to be at the cutting edge of tactics, fitness, recovery and planning. Today, that all comes down to technical analysis.
TE: With that in mind, where are the biggest gains from technology adoption in the sporting arena?
JJ: Technology benefits in a number of different ways. Technological solutions help teams collect data, analyse this data, make decisions and then test decisions
based on this data. A good example is car development in motorsport. Telemetry data collected from previous races provides engineers with material to design a new car. The digital car design is then tested with the help of CFD. When it hits the racetrack, the team already has a good idea of what to expect. Another example is sharing sensitive data with third-party contractors. Ourtechnology offers control of who can access shared files and for how long. That’s particularly useful when subcontractors are developing parts that should be kept secret from competing teams.
All this data amounts to thousands of gigabytes. It needs to be protected and defended from cyberattacks. Acronis’ fast, efficient, and secure cyber protection solutions provide teams with easy tools to manage this data, and ensure fast recovery in case of a disaster.
TE: What is the use of data and analytics like in sport and are there any areas that are particularly data heavy?
JJ: Motorsport is overwhelmingly the sport that produces the biggest volumes of data. Every lap a car completes, data is generated, fed back to the team and then analysed, where the car is making up time or losing time, how the tyres are behaving through certain corners, where a driver is braking. That’s not to mention car and battery development, where developing new race car technology creates a whole new stream of data.
Our cyber protection solutions ensure that the sports team is always in full control of their data. The team holds all security encryption keys and Acronis has no capacity to decrypt or read the data. Having said that, we have projects with a number of teams who partnered with Acronis to process and analyse their data with the help of machine intelligence. These projects are very specific and directed at solving specific tasks, for example such as detection of faulty sensors, aerodynamics computations, or analysing player movements on the field.
TE: What are the main cyber risks that sports teams face and what would be the most significant consequences of a breach?
JJ: They’re very similar to those faced by every person and every business connected to the internet. Risks include ransomware attacks, phishing, hacking, stealing data, and abusing third party software and cloud computing vulnerabilities. Hardware failures and natural disasters only add to the complexity of managing a sports IT infrastructure. The consequences of such risks are massive. The confidential and valuable data
that gives a team its edge could provide competitors with a big advantage should it come out into the open.
TE: How do you develop solutions that prevent such breaches? Can you give any practical examples?
JJ: To use our technology as an example, each sports team has access to Acronis Cyber Protect, an innovative machine intelligence (MI) enhanced solution that integrates data protection with cybersecurity, preventing cyberattacks and helping the team avoid downtime.
Combined automation and integration ensures the prevention, detection, response, recovery, and analysis needed to safeguard all workloads while streamlining protection efforts. Acronis technology provides the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) required to protect the modern sport.
There are many examples of how teams use our technology. But generally speaking, we see modern sports teams being at the forefront of using data to improve performance on and off the pitch and, as a consequence, they must secure their data.
TE: What does an effective cybersecurity strategy look like in sport? What are the key steps that any CTO, CIO or CSO of a sports team should take?
JJ: From our point of view, a cybersecurity strategy on its own is no longer enough. Each company, each sports team
is advised to have a ‘cyber protection strategy’, which is a combination of data protection and cybersecurity.
The job of CIOs, CTOs or CSOs is to ensure they have fast, efficient and secure cyber protection when it comes to technology, and also comprehensive training of all staff. Sometimes the weakest link is a staff member who is not vigilant with how they use their computer or what they say on the phone. Many modern cyberattacks use simple social engineering techniques. Without a holistic approach to cyber protection covering all of the above, your company may remain exposed.
protects all data, in any environment, including physical, virtual, cloud, mobile workloads, and applications. In more simple terms, we make it easy for teams to protect their workloads, and focus on what they do best.
TE: What does the future landscape look like from a cybersecurity perspective for sports teams? Do you think the risks will change or evolve and how will the adoption of new technology and the greater use of data affect that?
JJ: We’re seeing increasing numbers of large-scale cyberattacks designed to halt business operations and steal sensitive
TE: What are the core priorities for a technology provider like Acronis when developing effective solutions for the sports sector?
Acronis leads the world in cyber protection; solving safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges with innovative backup, security, disaster recovery, and enterprise file sync and share solutions, running on hybrid cloud storage: onpremises, or in the cloud or at the edge. Enhanced by MI technologies and blockchain-based authentication, Acronis
data. It’s a trend that will continue into the foreseeable future. A combination of large volumes of data and the need to access this data remotely, which was especially critical during the lockdowns caused by the COVID pandemic, create more opportunities for hackers to abuse the system. From our perspective, we’re addressing these challenges with Acronis Cyber Protect, an all-in-one solution capable of taking care of all business cyber protection needs. www.acronis.com
Have you ever seen anyone turn something on with the power of their mind? In the movies, maybe, but not in real life. Until now. Meet MyndPlay, the developer of ‘true telekinesis technology for the home and real world’.
The UK-based innovator was born out of a passion for the mind and tech, its revolutionary VR-ready MyndBand EEG Brainwave headset and MyndPlayer interactive mind controlled video platform lets you control, influence and interact with apps, movies, video games and connected home devices using
only your mind and emotions. There’s a serious side to the tech too – using your mind in such a way improves mental focus, calm and mood. In the workplace, that can help with staff engagement and wellness, says founder Tre Azam.
Wellness aside, several suitably sci-fi ‘myndhacks’ mean you can also control drones, Scalextrics racers and robots. Says Azam: “Any remote control robot or vehicle can be hacked to allow it to be controlled by mental focus and calm.”
www.myndplay.com
THERE’S SO m UCH m ORE TO A DATA STRATEGY THAN DATA, SAYS CYNOZURE’S JASON FOSTER. FIRST, YOU m UST CONSIDER PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Building an effective data strategy isn’t really about ‘data’ at all. In an age of endless technology transformation, digital adoption and reverence for data as our saviour, informer and decision maker, that may come as a surprise. But not to Jason Foster. Indeed, for Foster and Cynozure, the data and analytics strategy
company he founded, the answer to successful data adoption is firmly entrenched in people, business and outcome, as well as answering one important question: why?
“People want it easy,” says Foster. “There’s very high expectations now on data, and when there’s that level of hype people want it. Sometimes they don’t even know why. Very quickly they find that the reality of ‘doing data’ properly is more than buying technology, switching it on and it works, but you’d be surprised how often there’s still a shock when that reality bites.
“Often we’ll work with an organisation that’s invested significantly in capabilities and building out its technology, but not focused on the ‘why’ or the priority business initiatives that have to be solved,” he continues. “When people struggle to
get a data strategy signed off, it’s typically because they’ve majored on the things they need to build and implement, or the capabilities needed, rather than the business outcomes they’re looking to impact. You have to align your use of data to what you’re actually trying to achieve in the business, and that can be challenging and difficult sometimes.”
A metaphorical lifetime in and around data has prepared Foster well for those challenges. Take the early stages of his career at UK retailer Debenhams in the early 2000s as an example, where he was responsible for building technology solutions around data and reporting, targeted marketing campaigns, operational research (or in his own words, “what would now be called data science”) and more. Following 10 years
“VERY QUIC k LY THEY FIND THAT THE REALITY OF ‘DOING DATA’ PROPERLY IS m ORE THAN b UYING TECHNOLOGY, SWITCHING IT ON AND IT WOR k S”
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in a consulting role at a business intelligence and data warehousing firm, where he worked with hundreds of organisations shaping strategic direction for data, Foster joined Marks & Spencer.
“This was around 2013, and the job description was essentially ‘do big data’,” he jokes. “The company was keen to exploit advances in the use of data and analytics, so for me it was answering questions around how to harness big data, how to use it to help inform decision making and build the business on that foundation. I ended up developing the big data platform team, and a hub and spoke model for providing data solutions and services to the entire organisation; I also ran the technology arm of the Sparks loyalty programme, which was essentially a marketing transformation underpinned by data and algorithms.”
Irrespective of industry or organisation, all of Foster’s work is built upon by one
overarching thread: helping companies become more intelligent, and using that intelligence to improve how they operate, how they set strategy and make decisions across the entire organisation from top to bottom. “It’s always been the focus for me,” he says. “The market has changed, the people have changed but that underlying priority has always been the same. Forget tech. It’s about ‘what are the things that we’re going to measure our business by that genuinely tell us whether we’re achieving what we want to and help us achieve the business goals of the organisation. That’s what it’s all about.”
In that spirit, Cynozure was established to reshape our collective vision of data and analytics and set a new precedence on data strategy in a traditionally tech-led data industry. “I was inspired by my time at M&S,” says Foster. “At that time we were really at the sharp end of data; there was
an air of newness, of being leading edge, but with that you do make mistakes. In many ways, Cynozure was me creating the organisation I wished existed at that time to steer me through the journey pragmatically. I took a step back and asked ‘what is this really about?’, and the answer was simple: building a better future for all through the open and positive use of data.”
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Foster describes Cynozure as a people company, not a tech company. What it does, he says, is connect people,
“Data and being good at data is a business skill, and a really important one in modern organisations,” says Foster of the book he co-authored with Barry Green, Data Means Business. “So many books are technical or focused on analytics, building models and data science but I felt it important to distill my messages down so that people can get real value from it. The idea is that it gives proven frameworks and thinking, strategies and approaches that allow leaders and their organisations to generate value from data quickly and in an agile way.”
organisational structures and operating models by deploying data for positive gain. “You can ascribe to the dystopian view of data, one where it’s weaponised against us,” he says, “but we believe there is a more utopian path.
“YOU HAVE TO ALIGN YOUR USE OF DATA TO WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE IN THE b USINESS”
“That’s about getting all this amazing information that exists and using it for positive things that can improve our work, our society and our lives,” he continues. “That goes from cancelling diseases or improving climate change right down to the micro level of organisations, where data should really be about making people’s lives easier. Let’s make a positive impact on how we do business and how our customers interact with us. Data is horizontal. It should be for everyone, not sitting in an ivory tower.
That’s the mission: how do we contribute to a better world?”
In an enterprise context, that better world is built on collaboration, on access to information and data by everyone and providing an understanding of how that data can add value. On a practical level, Cynozure approaches this in several ways with those companies it works with, says Foster. The company’s level up
“DATA IS HORIZONTAL. IT SHOULD b E FOR EVERYONE, NOT SITTING IN AN IVORY TOWER”
Create a data culture with data storytelling by harnessing the power of narrative to influence and engage the business.
Businesses have access to a huge amount of data supported by a range of BI tools that enable analysis and visualization of this data to help put it at the heart of business decision making. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked with many organisations claiming to be ‘data-led’ despite significant investment in resources and software.
There has been a belief that the only way to make employees data literate is to impose major organizational change on the corporate culture and implement training. It’s a well intentioned approach but it is a huge ask and, in most cases, hasn’t succeeded.
We at Yellowfin have realised there needs to be less focus on trying to turn business users into data analysts and more focus on data storytelling.
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In a similar vein, Cynozure’s ‘six pillars’ of data strategy provide guidance on driving the data journey. “It’s about building a really robust strategy,” says Foster. “Number one is vision and value. That’s centred around what you’re trying to achieve overall by applying data to the organisation – what’s the size of the prize, the overarching point, the value you hope to get and the use cases? The data strategy is essentially a business strategy and these questions make sure that data is aligned to the business at all times.
“We then have four pillars around capabilities, people, culture and the organisational structure you have to change to build a business that can make decisions based on data,” he continues. “That’s often the challenging part because it requires a completely different mindset to think about how you can do something differently by applying data to it, it’s a significant cultural change. So, incorporated into those four pillars are questions around operating models, methodologies to use, how to collaborate effectively and improve innovation, and points around governance and data management. The sixth pillar is on roadmaps – how do you deliver on everything we’ve worked through with pace, agility and certainty. We’ll help companies build
a comprehensive plan and implement it, both from a technology and business change perspective.”
Of those core steps along the data journey, Foster points to culture and collaboration as being particularly important. Simplification, communication and creating a collective interest in learning, improving and innovating are key, he says, as is a shift towards a data-native approach.
“Those organisations that we work with that I would consider data native have grown with it in their DNA,” he explains.
“You’ll see a company where data isn’t
separate, it’s not a different thing but part of the overall running of the business. Culturally, they won’t make decisions without some guidance by data – it’s always the priority.”
The leader plays a crucial role in driving such a culture. The desire to build data
into the enterprise, has brought an evolving and increasingly complex landscape for today’s data leader, says Foster, typified by greater seniority and a shift to a more strategic position within the organisational hierarchy.
“CDO is the catch-all phrase,” he states, “but now, nearly all companies have
“THAT’S THE m ISSION: HOW DO WE CONTRI b UTE TO A b ETTER WORLD?”
a senior data leader or person responsible for the strategy of how the organisation applies data to its business and making it happen. The biggest change for those leaders is a shift in business value. It’s called a data strategy, which makes it sound like it’s all about data. And, of course it is, but it’s really about what you do with it. As a result, you have an environment now where data leaders have responsibility for business outcomes rather than just the data vertical.”
Foster and Cynozure have been instrumental in helping those data leaders meet these responsibilities under the guise of the CDO Hub, an initiative founded by the company to set the standard for good data leadership and shape what it means to be a modern business and data leader. The hub is an industry community based on collaboration and peer-to-peer mentoring that encourages data leaders to meet, share and shape the data discussion.
“SENIOR DATA LEADERSHIP IS A CRUCIAL INVEST m ENT TO ENSURE YOU’RE INNOVATING AND b UILDING FOR TODAY AND THE FUTURE”
“There’s huge expectation on data leaders, and often a real lack of clarity from organisations about what they want and need from them,” Foster notes. “The CDO Hub acts as a safe space for people to talk, educate each other and work towards common goals. It’s very relaxed and sessions and discussions are led by members; there’s no keynote, there’s no vendor sponsors, it’s about everyone being equal and engaging on the topic at hand – that can range from solving technology problems and discussions around governance to how hands on a leader should be.”
it is a business leadership role. “My bugbear is the phrase ‘soft skills’,” he says. “They are the skills. The leaders that get it wrong are the ones that make it about data and technology. Of course, that has to be a part of your skill set, but you won’t be successful if you’re not looking at business and commercial aptitude, things like communication and collaboration, management, pragmatism, listening and innovation. You forget those and you end up building technology solutions. You’re not solving problems.”
The latter reflects a broader shift in the concept of data leadership, says Foster. Data leadership is no longer about data,
For Cynozure, the future will remain focused on solving those problems in collaboration with clients. Since its 2016 inception, the business has experienced exceptional growth [220% over the last 12 months compared to previous years]. Foster intends for that to continue: “We just continue applying the same thinking, which is building communities of data professionals, honing and improving the craft and making people and businesses better at data. Market-wise, we’ll continue to see a trend towards data and data leaders being more business focused and moving away from technology, but I’m anticipating a plateau point – I hope we reach a point where most data-native businesses don’t require transformation to get this data thing right, I hope it just becomes part of what they do.” www.cynozure.com
Deloitte announced recently that it is embracing flexible working permanently, and employees will be able to work from home forever, even after the pandemic ends. This decision was made after 81% of its employees said they expected to be able to work from home up to two days a week in the future and 96% wanted the freedom to choose how flexibly they worked. Deloitte, which has offered flexible working since 2014, has been impressed by the results of remote working over the pandemic and decided to build on that success.
This ‘remote first’ way of working is an approach in which it’s expected that working from home is going to be the first choice of employees compared with working in the office, and is prioritised as such. Strenuous efforts will be made to ensure that everyone, whether in-office or remote, gets the same access to colleagues and information.
For example, if one team member is working from home during a team meeting, everyone in the office will be expected to log in to Zoom so that the remote worker will feel as involved in the meeting as those in the room.
Investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are less convinced by the remote first model and are pressing for a return to the office as a priority.
Spurred by Deloitte’s decision to embrace flexible working, Ballou’s Cordy Griffiths asks whether remote working is the best option for everyone
My take on it? Despite the media convincing us that we’re all going to work from home in future, remote working is not always the best way for many of us, particularly not for people starting out in their career.
For one thing, often the best training comes from in person experiences and, put simply, copying others. The risk to people starting out on their careers is that companies could realise they cannot offer effective training to people working remotely, which could mean they prefer to employ more experienced staff instead, making it harder for juniors to find roles.
Full time remote working would mean that youngsters miss out on the camaraderie, socialising and networking you get in an office environment, as well as the ability to rub along with people who may have differing views or backgrounds, something something that’s vital for young people to gain confidence, both socially and professionally. And it’s not just for the youngsters either. The Friday night drinks, the quick coffees, the networking and the shared sense of purpose are valuable and motivating for employees at all levels of a company, and key for fostering a shared sense of company culture.
When I began my career in PR, listening to my colleagues on the phone as they talked to journalists and clients was a huge part of how I learned. I would hear how they handled situations and incorporated their wording and phrases into my own way of working. I’d have missed invaluable lessons from my co-workers if I had been working from home.
replicable when we’re all talking to each other through screens.
Remote first will also have the effect of a hugely scattered team. Working from a beach in Thailand is theoretically possible, but rules that person out from a last-minute coffee if that’s what the client asks for. That fact, combined with time differences, could mean that a team member only
“W o RK ing f R om a B ea C h in thai L an D is theo R eti C a LLY P ossi BL e , B ut R u L es that P e R son out f R om a L ast- minute C offee if that ’ s W hat the CL ient as K s fo R”
At Ballou, we operate in the tech PR sector and as such we are a service provider. We must be available and present when our clients need us. When a crisis emerges for a client and they appeal to us for help, nothing beats the energy that is created by a group engaged on the same task in the same room. The process is not as effective online – there is a synergy that emerges in these situations that is simply not
gets assigned certain clients, those requiring minimum real-life input, which could have a negative and restrictive effect not only on the agency but also the person themselves.
The danger of remote working is that anyone remote becomes a secondclass citizen. If you are in the office, you are getting exposure to a better cultural and social experience as well as opportunities that happen on the fly.
“at B a LLou , W e a R e DR i V en BY W hat is B est fo R ou R CL ients , W hi C h might not neC essa R i LY C hime W ith W hat em PLoY ees thin K suits them B est ”
As always the answer to the remote versus office question, lies somewhere in the middle, i.e. a hybrid working model. But, for hybrid working to offer total parity, clarity is paramount and that will involve a great deal more policies and documentation. Internal communication will become more important than ever to ensure every member of the team knows what they need to know and when. Lines and methods of
communication will need to be demarcated clearly and well documented.
Yes, we must be forward thinking about the future of work, but we must ensure that the working model is suitable for all of us, including our younger colleagues. Working from home when you have 20 years of experience under your belt, and a comfortable home office to work from, is a very different prospect than for
someone starting out on their career, living in a house-share with an unreliable internet connection. Work is often more than just work, it is a place to socialise and form essential connections too.
And ultimately, we must be driven by what is right for the business. At Ballou, we are driven by what is best for our clients, which might not necessarily chime with what employees think suits them best. But getting swept up in the zeitgeist and being driven by what employees think sounds good to them rather than putting the business needs first, could end up damaging your business and ultimately the job security of your employees irreversibly.
Cordy Griffiths, is CEO of tech agency Ballou, bringing in revenue of more than £1m a year and working with clients like Zendesk and Mozilla. Over the course of her career Cordy’s clients have included Expedia, Egencia, Trivago, HotelTonight and Trip.com. She developed Hotels. com’s PR presence across Europe and Latin America and, in her time at Google, launched Google Street View. Cordy has worked on both sides of the line, having trained as a Press Association reporter after graduating from Trinity College Cambridge.
stats about plastic – and our plastic intake –are shocking, frightening even. Like the fact that it’s estimated we each consume around five grams of plastic every week. That’s the equivalent of one credit card.
If Michael Donald has his way, those credit cards, and a significant volume of plastic waste, could be a thing of the past. The former banker (Visa, Bank of America and others) launched ImageNPay three years ago as the world’s first image-based payment system.
The digital wallet allows users to personalise a virtual card with bespoke images that appear in their Apple Wallet inspired, says Michael, by his son’s wondering if he could pay for Minecraft with a Minecraft image.
He explains: “Together we could save the cost of issuing and delivering payment cards and protect the environment by eliminating the need for plastic and debit cards, which include toxic materials that are difficult to recycle.”
www.imagenpay.com
Made up of 14 islands and known as ‘the Venice of the North’, Stockholm – ‘the world’s smallest big city’ –is famed for its contemporary, urban appeal balanced with centuries-old history and closeness to nature. Innovation has always been part of the city’s heritage: the first Nobel Prize was held here in 1901. Today, it’s a startup mecca known for breeding unicorns – after Silicon Valley, it hosts more tech unicorns per capita than anywhere else in the world including Spotify, Minecraft (Mojang Studios), Skype, Klarna, iZettle or King (makers of Candy Crush) to name a few. It’s the perfect place to be inspired, soak up some startup magic and be influenced by the music, fashion, architecture and beautiful surroundings.
If you are an entrepreneur or start-up, especially with a social impact purpose then Norrsken is the incubator, co-working hub you want to hang out at. Set up by the founders of Klarna, the Swedish fintech unicorn that has revolutionised how we pay for our online shopping, Norrsken is both an inspirational co-working space and a VC Fund for companies that set out to radically change the world. Work from its lobby/café to soak up the atmosphere, book a meeting room or host your company’s Stockholm event there. I’d also recommend checking out its event calendar; it’s open fireside chats or keynotes by members, founders or partners are always interesting and enlightening.
The newest star on the growing coworking scene in Stockholm is LAMB – the antiburnout space. LAMB opened this June and offers a stylish, calm, city center location for work, play and wellbeing. Apart from coworking and meeting rooms, it also has a gym, meditation/power nap rooms, infrared sauna, healing treatments and
a number of wellbeing classes that will help you get that sought after work-life balance. I just became a member and love their vibe. If you’re just visiting, it also offers day passes via its website.
If you just need to find an easy spot for some quick hours of work between meetings then Swedish hotel chain Scandic has opened all its city hotels for lobby coworking. My favourite is Downtown Camper where many of Stockholm’s hip tech professionals can be seen with a coffee and a laptop.
I have to confess to not being a regular hotel visitor in Stockholm as I have my own place very near the city center yet with both nature and water at my doorstep. However, there is one place that has been on everyone’s lips since it opened last summer – Ellery Beach House. This 60’s/70’s inspired hotel sits on the tip of Lidingö, the beautiful island I live on. It is just 20 minutes by cab from the city center but offers an archipelago experience with sea, beaches, pool, cabanas, Padel, music, design and art. Who needs the city when you can unwind after your day of meetings at its beach club (in- and outdoor), cocktail in hand whilst the DJ spins the tunes! I would highly recommend extending your stay over the weekend to schmooze with the Stockholm it-crowd at their favourite staycation spot.
If sea and nature is not your thing then freshly opened Villa Dagmar is Stockholm’s newest boutique hotel in the chic and exclusive Östermalm area. My Instagram has been flooded with pictures from its breakfast and brunch of late and the rooms don’t seem too shabby either. Definitely
a place to be seen or have meetings over lunch or drinks.
If you’re an urban sporty type I would suggest you stay at Downton Camper –‘the perfect place for the intrepid urban explorer’. Right in the middle of the town, it offers daily activities like yoga, expeditions, a run club, kayaks, bikes and skateboards to rent, and a rooftop pool/spa to relax your muscles after. It is just a really cool lifestyle hotel near to Arlanda Express (airport train), city shopping and restaurants a plenty.
ELLERY BEACH HOUSE
The coolest, weirdest food experience you can have in Stockholm in my opinion is undoubtedly at Punk Royale . Here you get a dining adventure of delectable flavours, surroundings that play with your senses and a serving style you have never experienced. Better suited for small groups than an intimate dinner for two I’d say. Situated in trendy Södermalm you’ll have plenty of bars nearby for a nightcap.
If you are sweet talking investors or future business partners you will impress them if you get a table at 3 Michelin starred Restaurant Frantzén. You’ll have a once in a lifetime food sensation with its fixed menu and accompanying world class wines/beverages. Or so I’ve been told –I’m still trying to get a table... To secure a seat you need to think ahead. Tables for the upcoming months are released 10am local time on the first of each month and from experience I know they get snapped up fast.
My favourite place to eat? Copine by chef duo Jim & Jacob. I love their smaller serving menu of deliciousness, great to share or to indulge yourself. The kitchen is French with influences from all over the Mediterranean, and its wine list is both surprising and tasteful. I keep coming back for more. It doesn’t hurt that the service is great too.
If I’m in the mood for wine as my main meal
I head to either one of these wine bars, Tyge & Sessil in chic Östermalm or Vina in hip Södermalm, depending on what kind of vibe I want.
RESTAURANT FRANTZÉN
JENNY AHNELL
Jenny is a keen outdoors buff with a passion for mountains, water and nature, and throwing herself at snowboarding, skiing, surfing, kayaking, hiking and anything else. She also enjoys fashion, contemporary art, food and wine. Born in Stockholm, Jenny’s career began in action sports then moved into more conventional sports working within the UK, European and US markets at brands like etnies and Nike, ending up consulting for companies like Spotify after returning to Stockholm. Today, she is a brand management/strategy consultant at Mojang Studios, the creator of Minecraft. In 2020 Jenny drove the company’s rebranding as part of the brand team, today she works on developing its employer brand and social impact efforts.
The most vibrant area of Stockholm when it comes to hip shopping, bars, neighborhood bistros and restaurants is Södermalm, which is one of the largest Stockholm islands. Make your way to the Sofo area and just go for a stroll to soak up the energy, stopping for a coffee here or a cocktail there. Some places worthy of mentioning are the world-renowned sneaker store, Sneakersnstuff , or ACNE and Grandpa for shopping, or Morfar Ginko, Nytorget Urban Deli and Folkbaren if you’re looking for a bar. The area is flooded with cool places to spend any downtime you might have.
Great for a late-night culture experience is Fotografiska – Stockholm’s famous photo museum. I’m in love with everything about this place and frequently visit as a yearly pass holder. It’s beautifully placed by the water, hosting great exhibitions, a photo gallery shop and a great restaurant /bar with an amazing view.
For a quick fix to recharge your batteries Stockholm is full of parks where you can catch your breath. In fact, it is a very green city with nature closer than you think. Take a stroll or rent a bike in the gorgeous Djurgården Royal Park , a large nature
SNEAKERSNSTUFF MORFAR GINKO
FOLKBAREN
reserve/park/recreational area filled with museums that’s only a 5-10 minute walk from the city center. The beauty of this city, with nature and water all around, never ceases to amaze me.
Oh, if you, like everyone else in Stockholm, have caught the Padel bug then I’m convinced there are more padel courts here than supermarkets!! If you’re done relaxing, there’s plenty of social media groups for you to find a game or links to book a court.
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