Tech-Exec Issue 21

tech.exec Vip Parmar

Empowering you to discover your unique career strengths.

JACQUELINE (YANDE) NDONG

Career Clarity Coach and Career Coach

At Tech-Exec, we believe in the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry experts. In this issue, we showcase thought leaders, innovators, and visionaries who are shaping the future of technology and business. Our contributors are at the forefront of the latest trends, insights, and strategies that are driving success in today’s digital landscape.Join us as we dive into the minds of these exceptional individuals who are revolutionizing the tech world and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

WELCOME TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE…

A passionate and ambitious data leader with 20 years’ data and analytics experience. Executive and senior stakeholder focused, building profitable collaborations aligning strategic goals with data enabled decisioning. Expert influencer & negotiator capable of managing and delivering diverse data system initiatives, enabling stakeholders to have an integrated system view driving their strategic business goals.

I love data! It is an amazing taonga, a treasure that is a gift from the past to the future. Data can be stretched, moulded and mashed up to see things never seen before, to tell stories and to change worlds. Innovation is essential to be relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment. I have taken organisations on the journey they need to go on to realise their goals, for example implementing a start-up structure within an organisation to embed a new way of working and change mind sets.

I am an experienced Artificial Intelligence strategist with over a decade of direct leadership in high-impact AI initiatives for some of the world’s top companies. In January 2024, I embarked on a new chapter to establish my own venture in AI, driven by the immense demand and vast opportunities it presents.

Raúl Rosado has a Bachelor of Science, a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering and an MBA in Finance. With more than 15 years of experience in Information Technology Management Consulting and Information Assurance, including Fortune 500 companies. As CIO at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon, he leads the strategy and management of information technology, supervising strategic planning, technological infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the adoption of emerging technologies.

Jan Sheppard

Jarrod Anderson

Raul Rosado

Alwyn Thomas

Tech-Exec Data Leader Awards

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN DATA LEADERSHIP

Now in it’s third year, the Tech-Exec Data Leader Awards honour outstanding success, achievement, and inspirational leadership within the global data community.

Data is a critical asset for businesses, and when leveraged effectively, it can significantly enhance organizational decision-making, strategy, and overall success. Our awards reflect this understanding, with nominations coming from C-level business leaders who have been impacted and inspired by exemplary data leadership, as well as from the data community itself.

We recognize that driving an effective data strategy involves more than just technology. Our expert judging panel, composed of industry-leading data leaders and thinkers, will evaluate the broader impact of data and its leaders on their respective businesses.

In Partnership with

Key areas of consideration include stakeholder engagement, fostering a diverse and data-driven culture, implementing meaningful organisational change, aligning data strategies with business objectives, and promoting sustainability.

Through these awards, we aim to highlight and celebrate the significant and relevant contributions of data and its leaders, acknowledging those who are at the forefront of innovation in the industry.

MEET THE JUDGES:

TIA CHEANG

With nearly 20 years of experience in data analytics and strategy, I am a seasoned leader who harnesses the power of data to maximise critical decision-making capabilities and align goals and objectives across diverse and complex organisations. Tia was awarded the Tech-Exec Data Leader of the Year 2023.

PETE WILLIAMS

A ‘Data Titan’ and multiaward winning Data Leader. Pete is passionate and inspirational on analytics strategy to drive commercial performance. Highly experienced in large-scale enterprise transformation, data strategy and empowering decision-makers with datadriven solutions for faster, better decisions.

SID SHAH

Sid is a seasoned executive in data & analytics with extensive experience in leveraging data to drive business outcomes. He has worked across various industries & international markets delivering robust data foundations and data science capabilities.

LOU HUTCHINS

Lou is a customer centric, data loving, multidisciplined leader with over 20 years’ experience, leading major change programmes and functions across the breadth of Data Driven CX. Lou now leads the Data Culture Proposition at Cynozure working with leading practioners across the globe, to ensure that Data Strategy moves from a document and set of actions through to a living breathing way of being.

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JP’S EDITOR’S NOTES

TECH-EXEC IS A CURIOUS BEAST. I WONDER IF IT WILL EVER BE TAMED.

As we move into our twenties (issues, that is) and head towards the second half of our third year in the world of digital publishing, it amazes me where that time has gone –and how our original ideas for the magazine have altered or evolved. And along with this, so too have the people behind the scenes changed.

As I type, we welcome a new era for the magazine and a team of experts who have been hand-picked specifically for the task. The task in question? To deliver to you, our readers, a publication that’s engaging, informative, entertaining and, above all, fun to read. Because tech is fun, right? We certainly think so.

I hope you enjoy reading about the latest Lego Porsche GT4 and our piece on drones in TV and film as much as you enjoy reading about the tech and digital transformation at world-leading, enterprise-level organisations.

Alongside captivating content from new writers, we present you with stunning photography from a talented new lensman, fresh perspectives from new contributors, a revamped layout, and popular regular features. All this is wrapped in a fresh new design that exudes the class and confidence of the interviewees and contributors within its pages.

Tech-Exec is a haven for the tech enthusiast, the geek who wears a suit or the techie who rocks a hoodie in the boardroom. We aim to provide diverse content that resonates with the C-suite, their peers, their boardroom and, most importantly, their teams that drive the change.

In this issue, those conversations are had with a wide variety of technology leaders. From Ross Offer, the VP of Data & AI at AtkinsRéalis, who has spent the best part of his career in charge of systems, IT and data at this world-leading professional services organisation, to Vip Parmar, Global Head of Data Management at WPP, who gives us an amazing insight into the world of data in advertising services.

We travel to the US, where we have the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Tisdale and Jacquelyn Baker at Omnicom Commerce Group. They compare notes with us on the topic of data and digital innovation in the global marketing and advertising arena.

While stateside, we stop off to chat with the effervescent John Georgatos, the ‘zero BS’ CIO for Mike Morse Law Firm. He talks to us about quick-fire tech transformation and the power of partnerships. And Jarrod Anderson gives us his perspective on making AI an essential part of modern business practice, in partnership with Mode 40.

We continue our whistle-stop global tour via New Zealand, where Jan Sheppard tells us about her role at ESR and the importance of sustainable business practices, before landing back in the UK in time for the new-look Tech-Exec team to put together a shiny new-look digital publication.

There’s hardly time to catch a breath – we will be back next month with the launch of our Summer Issue and the very first Tech-Exec in print.

The evolution continues…

CEO AND FOUNDER

© Stroud and Clarke Ltd 2024. 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.

DRIVING INNOVATION THROUGH DATA UTILISATION

Written by Caroline Hardy

INNOVATION

Vip Parmar may love the classic cars of yesterday but, in his professional life, he’s laser - focussed on the future.

Having unintentionally begun a data career, Vip is now pushing what’s possible within it as Global Head of Data Management at WPP. With an endlessly enquiring mind, huge generosity of spirit and a brilliant capacity to see beyond rows and columns to the people it reflects, Vip and his team are transforming how WPP interacts with technology and data.

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Vip is as refreshing to talk to as he is knowledgeable. “I got into data by accident”, he tells us.

When working within operations at telecoms company Tiscali earlier in his career, Vip identified that delving into the company’s data could potentially answer many of the common queries coming into the call centre.

This encouraged Vip to take what he admits was “a really big gamble at the time.” He told his boss and the CEO that if he was given access to the data, he could help overcome challenges and realise opportunities. He thought the answers must be hidden there, somewhere.

They agreed and Vip achieved his goal of improving operational efficiency, and his data career was kickstarted.

Vip’s career snowballed from there, rolling through TalkTalk and onto WPP – the creative transformation company that’s a world leader in communications, experience, commerce and technology.

WPP is big by any measure. They have over 110,000 people across 110 countries and work with 303 of the Fortune Global 500. And they were ranked the most effective communications company in the world in the 2023 Effie Awards Index.

Being in an environment where innovation and experimentation are encouraged is where Vip thrives. He has a collection of ideas and objectives he is working on, but we started by talking about an issue that will be familiar within many different sectors and organisations – the gap between the technology function and the rest of the business.

“Right now, data is for the 15% of people in your organisation”

Vip stated, “Data doesn’t work for 85% of people as they don’t know where it is or how to use it. That’s the gap to bridge, and it’s imperative to do this.

“I think the gap is starting to narrow a little based on the advancements around generative AI. Information is more readily available, but businesses have a long way to go. People fear change – it’s natural. We need to bring them along on the journey.”

One of the ways they’re doing this at WPP is by providing learning and development opportunities at every level of the business.

This ranges from practitioner training to enable those working in technology to leverage the latest developments, “which is no mean feat as the technology is still evolving around us”, to senior execs taking the Oxford AI for business diploma, “so they have the macro and micro knowledge of what it is and how to apply it”.

And it continues right through to creating a programme called Demystify AI, which provides a basic understanding for people at all other levels.

WPP’s learning and development partner is Coursera and they’ve created learning paths together to help develop understanding of technology. They’ve also curated a selection of relevant courses into a learning programme called The Future of Work. This is helping WPP’s people understand what AI will mean to their particular working practices.

The training isn’t mandatory, but Vip explains, “We find many people see taking these courses as an investment in themselves.”

While all the quantitative metrics for this training show on an upward trajectory, it’s the qualitative results which are most powerful. Vip told us how his team have been creating interest and intrigue around the learning to engage their people.

“We’ve completed short video interviews with people from around the organisation. They will discuss where they’re based, what course they’ve taken and what that’s enabled them to do for a client. This has helped others in the business to see the value of taking up the training and identify what’s in it for them.”

But he’s not stopping there.

We’re fast learning during this interview that Vip is on a mission to overcome the barriers to using data and tech. So, when he shares that he’s looking for ways to simplify how people in his organisation find their way to the training that’s right for them, we want to know more.

“I want to do pioneering work to help people get to the right Coursera courses for them individually,” he says.

“We’re creating a WPP Learning and Development Genie where individuals can input what they want to achieve and their aspirations. This is then combined with understanding from their personal corporate profile to enable the genie to tailor a learning path that’s specific for them.”

Helping people learn the principles of newer technology is an important start, but Vip is keen that people also learn how to practically use it.

“I want to do pioneering work”

That’s why his team and the wider business have invested in making generative AI available for everyone at every level, “Otherwise it’s like learning the principles of how to use a car without ever sitting in it and driving it.”

WPP are providing a safe environment where their people can access and use the latest large language models.

Vip continues, “We’re making sure we hit compliance, legal and regulatory requirements and provide guidelines of what our people can and can’t do with the models.

“For example, people can’t use them for client or production work. If anyone is in doubt, there is a compliance and usage board they can talk to about the dos and don’ts. We’re bringing everyone along on that journey and collectively working through the challenges and opportunities.”

But Vip points out that when AI is used in the organisation, it won’t be for the sake of using it, but rather to help answer specific challenges.

Vip expands on this, “Don’t start with technology as the answer. I say always start with the problem or the opportunity instead. You have to think about what you’re trying to solve and then figure out what technology you need to solve it.

“This is reflected in the work we’ve done so far, such as our Chat with your Data concept with data.world.

“Don’t get bamboozled by the shiny stuff”

We orchestrated together a lot of clever technology that was already in existence and generative AI made doing this easier. It’s been the missing piece for some of the things we’ve already been trying to do.”

To put this into context, data.world is WPP’s data catalogue provider – chosen mainly because they integrate with a range of third-party applications and because they’re powered by a knowledge graph.

Vip talks about how data volumes have been growing exponentially year-on-year for the last 15 years or so. “Businesses in general have become hoarders of data. We don’t manage what we’re hoarding – we just keep it in case we need it. Whereas if the data is well organised, you can decide what you need.

“Data catalogues help with this and I’m a big advocate of them. You need to have an inventory of your data. And now we’re in the era of AI, it’s imperative that we have good data to put into the machines, so we get better outcomes and more accurate answers.”

He also notes that there’s a sustainability element to this – not just in the power used to store unneeded data but also the amount of power it takes to process the data with AI.

Vip explains, “You wouldn’t fill the whole kettle to make one cup of tea. Similarly, if we feed AI what it may not need, the use of power grows – so it’s important we only use and consume the data we absolutely need to avoid wasting energy.”

Vip also shared his fascination of knowledge graphs – another reason why data.world was selected as WPP’s partner.

As someone who regularly takes notes in a mind map format, this use of knowledge graphs was important to Vip because, “Data is more than structured data to me. It’s unstructured data as well; documents, videos, files, pictures and so on – they’re all data.

“They all have intelligence and meta data around them. If we can connect all of these things together, it provides a lot of digital intelligence –you need to leverage that intelligence.”

“It’s groundbreaking”

Vip and his team are working with data.world to provide a proof of concept for Chat with your Data.

This began after data.world published a whitepaper which explored using a large language model with a knowledge graph to answer questions more accurately. Vip wanted to put this into practice and is actively pushing for it to become reality.

“We’re driving forward how we make large language models more conversant with contextual paths, or pieces of information or applications – whatever is in the business domain. We’re developing the use of knowledge graphs with large language models where we will allow people to ask questions via natural language inputs and it gives the user back an answer.”

This is a way to reduce the barrier that people who don’t work in technology often have – they don’t use a particular dashboard or application because they don’t know how.

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We wanted to understand how this worked in a real-life scenario. “On a basic level, what we’ve developed is a model of a process where you can go to an AI agent and ask a question – let’s say ‘how many units did I sell in Q1 vs Q2 last year’. The data catalogue provides an ontology around your data, so all you need to do is ask the question in the language your business uses and simply ask for the correct code back.

“We then run the code provided locally, not via an AI machine, to get the answer back for the user. This allows our people to interact with our data in a way they wouldn’t have been able to before. It’s ground-breaking. The premise it works under is it should be intuitive enough for an intern or a CEO to be able to use it.”

We had to ask – will this be available via data. world only to WPP? The answer was no, when it’s fully developed, it will become widely available. Which is amazing when you consider the amount of collaboration and work the WPP team have contributed to help make it happen. Vip explains, “I want to be able to work with data.world to build it so, ultimately, WPP can be the first to enable it and scale it out. We learn, they learn – it’s a win-win.”

In fact, Vip is already connected with other data. world clients such as Penguin Random House to share knowledge. He’s a big believer in this, “If we all start to pull together our expertise, capabilities and knowledge, great things can happen.”

“At

heart I’m builder and collaborator”

In such a competitive sector, this is as commendable as it is perhaps unorthodox. But it’s less surprising when you understand how Vip views data.

“We have a duty to society in general with data”

Vip gave us an insight into this, “Our work in data is not only about making business better or more efficient. When I see structured data, I understand the rows are people and the columns are what we know about them. It’s about people.

There is meaning and impact to what we do. It’s not just for numbers on a balance sheet.”

Which circles us back to when Vip unexpectedly began his data career, endeavouring to improve the customer experience by examining the secrets buried within data. He pushed himself then, and his infectious enthusiasm for all things data and technology is now driving innovation among his team, WPP and their partners.

Long may that continue.

“We have a duty to society in general with data”

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

Google is poised to captivate audiences with groundbreaking revelations and the debut of innovative offerings at its highly anticipated annual event scheduled for Tuesday.

The Google I/O developer conference, set against the scenic backdrop of California, promises a cascade of updates spanning Search, Maps, and the Android operating system. However, the spotlight is expected to shine brightest on artificial intelligence.

As Google deepens its embrace of generative AI within its foundational offerings, audiences can anticipate novel approaches to internet searches leveraging this cutting-edge technology. Furthermore, speculation abounds regarding the potential unveiling of a new digital assistant poised to rival the likes of Apple’s Siri.

IO.GOOGLE/2024

NASA CONTRACTOR WARNS AGAINST BOEING SPACE LAUNCH DUE TO THE ‘RISK OF A DISASTER’

A critical supplier for NASA has issued a stern call for enhanced safety protocols ahead of the eagerly awaited inaugural launch of its Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for as early as next week, cautioning against potential catastrophic incidents.

ValveTech, a trusted contractor responsible for furnishing NASA with vital valve components integral to the rocket propelling the Starliner, has raised concerns regarding the impending launch slated for May 17.

This admonition follows the recent setback on May 6, when a scheduled launch was aborted merely two hours prior to liftoff due to a valve malfunction.

The Starliner represents a pivotal advancement in space travel, designed not only for ferrying personnel to and from the International Space Station but also for facilitating missions to various low-Earth-orbit destinations.

A new study finds time spent online linked to improved wellbeing

A groundbreaking global study has disrupted conventional wisdom surrounding internet usage by correlating increased online engagement with heightened wellbeing.

Conducted by esteemed researchers at the University of Oxford, this comprehensive analysis scrutinized data sourced from a staggering 2.4 million individuals spanning 168 nations over a span of 15 years. The ambitious endeavor sought to unravel the intricate relationship between internet accessibility and habitual online activity, and its impact on individual wellbeing

Microsoft is launching a mobile game store CTO compete with Apple and Google

In a surprise announcement, Microsoft unveiled its intention to introduce a mobile gaming store later this year, marking a significant foray into the lucrative realm of handheld gaming.

The revelation surfaced during a compelling on-stage dialogue featuring Xbox president Sarah Bond at a distinguished Bloomberg event.

As disclosed by Bond, the forthcoming store, which remains nameless for now, is slated for a July launch and will be accessible via web browsers, eschewing the conventional app-based approach. Notably, Microsoft’s recent acquisition of the popular Candy Crush Saga franchise will serve as a prominent cornerstone on the inaugural day of the store’s debut.

Microsoft’s strategic move into the mobile gaming sphere, widely regarded as the most financially rewarding sector within the gaming industry, has been eagerly anticipated, particularly following the company’s monumental $69 billion acquisition of the esteemed California-based powerhouse, Activision Blizzard King.

APPLE IPAD PRO 2024

Perched high above the rest of Apple’s tablet lineup sits the illustrious iPad Pro. Last revitalized in October 2022, this pinnacle of innovation boasts the swiftest processor ever integrated into an iPad, coupled with a superlative display, enhanced audio capabilities, and much more. Undoubtedly, it reigns supreme as the ultimate iPad offering.

Amidst growing discontent from Hollywood’s creative circles, Hugh Grant has added his voice to the chorus of criticism directed at Apple’s latest advertisement for the iPad Pro.

Titled “Crush!”, the commercial depicts a series of everyday objects, including a piano, paint cans, an arcade machine, a DJ deck, a TV, and books, being flattened by an industrial press. As the press retracts, the new iPad Pro emerges in place of the obliterated items, suggesting its capacity to replicate the functionality of each.

Grant took to social media to share his disapproval, echoing sentiments expressed by fellow industry peers. In a pointed response to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s endorsement of the ad, Grant lamented, “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.”

Navigating through a sea of change

Amid a huge restructuring exercise, it has been all systems go at Omnicom Commerce Group (OCG) in recent times.

We caught up with CEO Jacquelyn Baker and CDAO Michelle Schloman to see how they have helped lead the organisation and keep people onboard throughout the journey to date.

CEO JACQUELYN BAKER AND CDAO MICHELLE SCHLOMAN

Change as a concept, is challenging. Humans are creatures of habit, neurologically hardwired to favour the familiar and fear the unknown

Change, therefore, disrupts our sense of control and competency built up over time, and even the most positive of changes can force us to relinquish mastery and relearn, a prospect that can trigger anxiety and opposition.

In the world of commerce, change is happening fast. The breakneck pace of technological progress is ushering in digital transformation and automation strategies which are upending traditional business models. Like transformations occurring in many sectors and professions, it requires careful management and leadership to overcome resistance and anxiety among those who it affectsmon the ground.

For Michelle Schloman, a lot has changed since we last spoke to her in the Spring of 2023.

Today, she serves as Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) at Omnicom Commerce Group, the parent of Tracey-Locke where she previously held the position of Chief Analytics Officer.

“The time has certainly moved fast!” she says. “A few months after our first conversation, in August, I was offered the opportunity to move into the central leadership team – since then, it has been an exciting period which has involved doing a lot of groundwork, building teams and putting the pieces in place.”

“The time has certainly moved fast!

Jacquelyn Baker

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by AI you can trust for unmatched data accuracy.

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Greg Creed, the former CEO of Yum! Brands knows fast food. He also understands how critical staying ahead of cultural trends is for the industry. With Quid, he transformed how his teams leveraged data by integrating cultural insights into their marketing strategies, which became a cornerstone of their success, helping them to predict and capitalize on emerging trends.

During his time at Taco Bell, the marketing department determined to enter the breakfast space; an arena previously dominated by another fast-food chain restructured their strategy to focus on real-time cultural trends. They monitored daily which trends to embrace and which to ignore

Every data point they gathered led to the successful launch of Taco Bell’s breakfast menu, which was strategically timed and geographically staged. Opening East Coast locations earlier allowed them to track responses to the launch in real-time and quickly reallocate resources to their West Coast locations once they realized the demand had surpassed their expectations.

We got about two years ahead of our competition, and one of the key insights that came out of all of this work was this idea that food had moved from fuel to an experience... [which] helped us get ahead of these cultural shifts that were occurring and become a lifestyle brand. “

- Greg Creed, former CEO Yum! Brands

By harnessing the deep insights surfaced with Quid, Yum! Brands focused on critical trends and fostered a culture of agility and responsiveness. This approach involved the entire organization, ensuring everyone was aligned.

Quid transforms how organizations tap into cultural movements, trends, and facilitates collaboration across all teams so you can spot signals and take strategic action, faster. Learn more about how Quid can help you stay ahead in a competitive market.

AN INTRODUCTION TO

Omnicom Commerce Group

Omnicom Commerce Group (OCG) is a multifaceted collective of commerce professionals who seamlessly integrate the physical, digital and social realms where today’s shoppers live.

The organisation’s expertise lies in crafting holistic omnichannel strategies powered by bold, innovative ideas that compel purchases and weave conversion into rich, cohesive consumer journeys. Underpinning its work is a deep well of cultural and consumer data that generates actionable insights, optimises investments, and enables precise ROI measurement.

Comprising 1,800 specialists and 38 global offices spanning 22 markets, OCG harnesses diverse perspectives to address the ever-evolving commerce landscape through five award-winning agencies. These are:

• Haygarth

• Molecular Worldwide

• TPN

• Tracey-Locke

• Transact

For more information, head to

CEO JACQUELYN BAKER AND CDAO MICHELLE SCHLOMAN

Turning upside down

Indeed, change has certainly followed Schloman into her new role. The biggest occurred almost immediately, with CEO Jacquelyn Baker joining at the same time and bringing two decades of commerce knowhow into the role, as well as significant experience working in large matrix organisations.

Observing that OCG was operating as five somewhat siloed agencies, with little awareness as to existence or purpose of the umbrella organisation, Baker quickly latched onto what needed doing.

“I felt as though we were a holding company within another holding company,” she recalls. “To bring the group back into growth and reestablish its voice in the commerce industry, we needed to flip the model on its head.

“We have amazing people across all of the agencies, and so the challenge has been to restructure in a way that harnesses their collective power.”

Flipping the model on its head, as Baker puts it, has involved transforming OCG’s value proposition into a single collective entity, with each of the agencies acting as a cog in a bigger machine to offer maximum value to clients.

CEO JACQUELYN BAKER AND CDAO MICHELLE SCHLOMAN

The first step involved expanding the central leadership. Prior to Baker’s arrival, this was comprised of just two people, the CEO and CFO – now, the team is 12-strong and acts as an executive council covering the full range of specialisms, from CX and retail media to business growth and communications.

Schloman, as CDAO, has a critical role to play. “Moving from the agency-specific role to one which concerns how data is leveraged across the whole group has certainly been an enlightening and full-on challenge,” she says. “Having been in the agency position prior to the transformation, to see us pivot towards an OCG-first model has helped to bring a new sense of energy and shared purpose.”

Communicating that shared purpose and vision has been essential to achieving buy-in across the organisation.

“Change is hard,” Baker adds. “Shifting to a matrix organisation is not a small change either, and not everyone was comfortable with it at first.

“However, the key to rallying people around change is to clearly articulate a vision which is both achievable and bold at the same time. And if we are to embrace the ambiguity that comes with change, it is also vital to not only know where our collective North Star is, but also how each individual’s role is geared towards getting there.”

An enlightening and full-on challenge!

More change arrived in October last year when Omnicom, the holding company under which OCG sits, acquired digital commerce powerhouse Flywheel for $835 million. The move has added further impetus and excitement to the transition process, not least because of the enormous pool of capabilities being onboarded, with Flywheel now in the process of being integrated with Transact, another of OCG’s agencies.

To give a sense of the task ahead, Flywheel has a workforce of more than 2,000 professionals who provide services in retail commerce operations, media execution, and market intelligence to over 4,500 brands. Its technology platform, the Flywheel Commerce Cloud, manages tens of billions in product sales and billions of advertising spend annually across digital marketplaces.

“This has certainly given us a lot to be excited about,” Baker says. “With Transact, we were building an agency from the ground up that was originally intended to be a competitor to Flywheel. Now we have shown we are willing to invest our way to growth, and onboarding all of that talent and the client base has created a real buzz.”

The merging of Flywheel and Transact touches on another important component of the restructuring exercise. By consolidating the OCG agency roster, the group can now present a much simpler value proposition to customers – its three agencies in Europe, for example, have been combined to form OC EMEA.

Another motive is scalability. By reshaping into a more streamlined organisation, OCG will be much easier to scale and grow sustainably as it moves through the next chapters of its journey.

QUICK BYTES

Q&A WITH ALWYN THOMAS

We asked data stalwart, rugby fanatic, and former Head of Data Strategy at the Financial Times, Alwyn Thomas, three quickfire questions.

Here’s what he had to say…

What inspired you to choose a career in Data and analytics?

There’s lots of inspiration, but I’d probably say the data picked me. I’ll call out three of my inspirations:

1—People who want to learn, have open minds and want to make a better future. I love seeing people grow, those in data who want to learn about the business, and people in the business who want to learn about data and how to use it to drive more value for their organisation.

2—Community and collaboration: This comes from growing up on a family farm in a rural community in South Wales. I have a very strong will to create a community with a common goal and collaborate with them to succeed.

analytics that don’t need AI. However, for AI and value-adding activity, you need improved data quality and governance to realise those opportunities.

- “That is an expense, and we need to prove we are reducing costs”. This is a big challenge, and it always has been and probably always will be. I firmly believe in culture and integrity and the positive actions everybody should take to realise or change the culture. The culture is what you do daily, your actions, and how you communicate. The positive action I would take here is understanding the costs and probably identifying key business value metrics. These can lead to discussion and debate about how the right data and analytics capability can add value that reduces the proportional cost compared to income and profit.

- “That’s a data thing and nothing to do with the business”. It is critically important for any data leader to understand the business in which they work. Research, meet people, and understand their joys and challenges so we can walk a mile in their shoes. We need to show empathy with them for their challenges and expand on how data can help their cause. I believe every day is a school day and that we can all learn new things every day.

3—Culture and ethics. Growing up, I competed nationally and won medals for singing and dancing, but that’s a story for another day. This engrained my passion for identifying how process and hard work lead to positive outcomes. Over my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with diverse people, teams, and businesses, helping them create reusable processes and empowering teams to deliver.

Why do I think that data picked me? I’ve always found that numbers and statistics make sense to me and tell a story. I’m passionate about communicating that story to support teams and businesses in using data-driven decisions to reach their full potential.

What significant challenges to data and analytics do you see most often?

For the businesses I’ve worked with and the many data leader friends I’ve spoken to, I’d say the top three challenges are:

“Can we get AI to do it?” That’s a good question, and although many software vendors will tell you that you need their AI, the truth, in my view, is far from that. There are many things you can do with data and

What advice would you give tech and business leaders?

Don’t keep looking at what has happened and what others are doing in isolation; define what your future looks like and plot the steps to achieving that. Prioritise and focus. There is so much going on in every business, and it is very easy to get distracted. Be specific & relevant; any data and analytics capability must be relevant to the business; we are all on one team delivering measured value for your business. Finally, collaborate & embrace; for data and analytics to be specific & relevant, they must understand the business and its challenges; working together can lead to success. Data & Analytics need to be embraced to be part of the day-to-day business and processes. People who use that data need to know how and where to find it and what it means so they can drive their business decisions. Therefore, be patient; this takes time. Build the trust between business, tech and data and focus on capabilities that deliver business success.

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Jarrod Anderson

CHIEF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER OF SYRV

Can you share a bit about your background and journey to becoming the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of SYRV?

I’m Jarrod Anderson, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at SYRV Inc. My career in technology and artificial intelligence spans more than two decades, during which I’ve focused on blending AI with strategic business practices to drive transformative changes across industries. My role at SYRV involves steering the company to fully provide AI in a way that helps our clients adapt their business strategy and operational excellence.

Before launching SYRV, I held significant roles, including Global Head of AI at ADM, a Fortune 35, $100 Billion company, where I led projects that pushed the boundaries of artificial intelligence.

My experiences at Wells Fargo as VP of AI, working on various regulatory, compliance, and fraud engagements, were particularly formative. In addition, at IBM Watson, I led initiatives in Natural Language Processing and developed enterprise IoT solutions, which expanded my view of AI’s potential in real-world business applications.

At SYRV, I use my background and ongoing learning to create AI-driven strategies that anticipate market needs and innovate robust solutions for our clients, keeping us at the cutting edge of the industry.

Co-founding SYRV has been all about applying my education and experience to build and lead a team shaping the next generation of AI technologies. We’re making AI an essential and transformative part of modern business practices. This approach propels our clients forward and sets a benchmark for how AI can seamlessly integrate into businesses to drive real, impactful change.

What gap in the market did SYRV aim to address? What inspired you to start this company?

SYRV was born from a desire to democratize AI technology for a wider range of companies, especially those that might not have the internal resources to integrate these technologies on their own. We noticed a gap in the accessibility of high-level AI expertise and implementations outside tech giants. I was inspired by AI’s potential to solve complex business challenges across various industries and saw an opportunity to lead a company that could partner with these organizations to drive innovation.

Together with Rich Hempel, whose extensive experience in founding tech ventures complements my own, we formed SYRV to bring together technologists and entrepreneurs passionate about pushing technological boundaries and achieving the next big thing in AI.

Rich brings over 35 years of technology sector experience, with impactful roles at IBM and co-founding multiple startups. He has proven expertise in building strategic partnerships and innovation ecosystems, driving business growth and technological advancement. His diverse experience, from enterprise technology to global business networks, provides a unique perspective on leveraging market dynamics. As a visionary leader, he guides SYRV with a strategic blend of business development skills and cuttingedge AI applications, positioning the company at the forefront of AI innovation. Together, we help companies understand how AI will impact their industry and chart a course for their profitable future.

As a leader in AI, what are the key qualities you believe are essential for successful leadership in this rapidly evolving field?

Leading in AI requires strong technical skills and visionary strategic thinking. First and foremost, you must stay constantly updated with the latest developments and advancements in AI. This field evolves at lightning speed, so keeping current is a must. Secondly, a successful AI leader must inspire and recruit top talent. Having the right team can make all the difference and fostering an environment where innovation is encouraged and valued is key. Lastly, resilience is essential. The journey from AI concept to implementation can be full of challenges, and pushing through setbacks while keeping a clear vision of the end goal is crucial for any leader. These qualities have guided me throughout my career and continue to drive my leadership at SYRV.

The AI industry often suffers from a lack of experienced leadership. How does this deficit impact the development and ethical deployment of AI technologies?

The lack of experienced leadership in AI can significantly hinder both the strategic development and ethical deployment of AI technologies. Experienced leaders are crucial in setting a vision aligning with technological advancements and ethical standards. Without such leadership, organizations may rush to adopt AI solutions without adequately considering their broader impacts, including potential biases and privacy concerns. This can lead to unethical practices, loss of public trust, and even legal challenges. Moreover, experienced leaders are essential for guiding AI initiatives through complex regulatory landscapes and ensuring that innovations deliver economic value and enhance societal well-being. Addressing this leadership gap is critical for the responsible growth of AI.

With the rapid pace of AI development, there is a significant skills gap. How does this challenge the industry, and what can be done to keep up?

The rapid development of AI technologies creates a situation where the demand for skilled professionals often outstrips supply, leading to a significant skills gap. This gap can slow innovation and reduce the effectiveness of AI implementations because there just aren’t enough people who can properly manage, maintain, and innovate with new AI systems. To tackle this challenge, the industry must invest heavily in education and training programs. Partnerships between academic institutions and the private sector can be especially effective, as they can tailor curricula to meet the evolving needs of the industry. Additionally, fostering a culture of continuous learning within organizations can help current professionals stay up-to-date with new technologies and methodologies. Upskilling and reskilling the workforce are essential strategies for closing the skills gap in AI.

Can you explain the concept of the ‘Cambrian explosion’ in AI and discuss the implications of hype cycles in this field?

The ‘Cambrian explosion’ in AI refers to rapid and diverse growth in AI technologies and applications, much like the sudden proliferation of life forms during the Cambrian period in natural history. This analogy describes the sudden increase in the variety and capabilities of AI models, particularly in fields like machine learning and deep learning, which have expanded the potential applications of AI dramatically.

However, this rapid expansion often comes with corresponding hype cycles, where expectations of AI capabilities can inflate beyond the current reality. These hype cycles can lead to overinvestment in certain technologies without a clear path to viable applications and, subsequently, to disillusionment when those technologies fail to deliver as promised. The implications of these cycles include wasted resources, misplaced priorities, and potentially stunting longer-term innovation.

To mitigate these effects, it’s crucial for AI leaders to set realistic expectations, focus on achievable goals, and communicate transparently about what current AI technologies can and can’t do. This approach helps stabilize the industry and fosters more sustainable growth and innovation.

How does the complexity of deep learning algorithms contribute to the opacity of many AI systems?

Deep learning algorithms, particularly those involving complex neural networks, can contribute significantly to the opacity of AI systems, often referred to as the “black box” nature of these technologies. These algorithms automatically adjust millions of parameters during the learning process, and the relationships they develop to form conclusions are not always transparent, even to the algorithm’s developers. This complexity means it can be exceedingly difficult to understand or predict on what basis the system is making its decisions. This opacity becomes a challenge when outcomes need to be justified, or errors need to be corrected, as the reasoning process remains hidden within the layers of the network.

Why is it crucial to develop explainable AI systems, especially in sectors like financial services and regulatory services?

In sectors like financial services and regulatory services, where decisions have significant impacts on people’s lives and are subject to strict legal and ethical standards, explainable AI is crucial. The ability to explain and justify AI-driven decisions is necessary to build trust among users and regulators, ensure compliance with laws (like GDPR, which includes a right to explanation), and maintain transparency. For instance, in financial services, AI systems might determine loan eligibility, investment strategies, or fraud detection, and stakeholders must be able to scrutinize these decisions to ensure fairness, avoid bias, and uphold accountability. Explainable AI is also vital for debugging and improving models, as understanding a model’s decision-making process helps identify and correct errors or biases.

What techniques or approaches are currently available to enhance the explainability of AI models?

Several techniques and approaches are available to enhance the explainability of AI models, which can be broadly categorized into pre-model, in-model, and post-model strategies:

Pre-model explainability involves using simpler models or feature selection techniques inherently offering greater transparency. Decision trees or linear regression models, for example, provide clear rules and relationships that are easy to follow.

In-model explainability focuses on designing neural networks that are inherently interpretable. Techniques such as attention mechanisms can highlight parts of data most relevant to the model’s decision, providing insights into the decision-making process.

Post-model explainability includes techniques applied after model training to elucidate how decisions are made. These include methods like LIME (Local Interpretable Modelagnostic Explanations) and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations), which can explain the output of any model by approximating it locally with an interpretable model, or by assigning each feature an importance value for a particular prediction, respectively.

Incorporating these approaches helps mitigate AI systems’ black-box nature, making them more transparent and trustworthy, especially in critical applications.

Could you discuss a case where the lack of AI explainability led to significant issues in accountability or fairness?

A significant example highlighting the challenges of opaque AI systems involved a major e-commerce company that deployed an automated recruiting tool. This AI system was supposed to screen job applicants’ resumes to identify the top candidates. However, it was later discovered that the system had inadvertently taught itself to favor male candidates over females. This bias came from the historical data used to train the system, which reflected a male-dominated tech industry.

The lack of explainability in how the AI system made its decisions led to major issues in accountability and fairness. Since the algorithm’s workings were not transparent, the biased pattern went unnoticed for quite a while, continuing to perpetuate gender inequality in job selection processes. This example underscores the importance of transparency in AI systems, especially those used in HR and recruitment. It’s crucial to ensure that these systems do not perpetuate existing biases and that all candidates have a fair chance based on their qualifications and merits, not biased algorithmic decision-making.

What do you predict will be the long-term impact on the field of AI if challenges related to explainability are not addressed?

If we don’t address the challenges related to the explainability of AI systems, the long-term impact on the field could be significant and multifaceted. Firstly, we might see increasing regulatory and public pushback against deploying AI technologies, especially in critical areas like healthcare, criminal justice, and financial services, where decision transparency is essential. This resistance could stifle innovation and limit the adoption of technologies that could otherwise be very beneficial.

Secondly, the lack of explainability could lead to a loss of trust among users and stakeholders. If people don’t understand or trust the decisions made by AI systems, they’re less likely to integrate these technologies into their operations, reducing the potential societal and economic benefits AI can offer.

Moreover, the inability to explain AI decisions makes it harder to debug and improve AI models, which can perpetuate errors and biases. This could lead to flawed AI applications that cause harm, resulting in legal liabilities and ethical breaches.

How do agentic and swarm technologies represent innovative approaches in AI, and how can they address the leadership and knowledge gaps in the industry?

In exploring the frontiers of AI, we’ve seen particularly exciting developments with agentic and swarm technologies. Each represents a transformative approach to how AI systems can operate and interact. Starting with agentic technology, these AI systems are designed to act as agents with a high degree of autonomy, capable of making decisions independently of human oversight. This autonomy is crucial in environments where rapid decision-making is needed, and human expertise may not be readily available or sufficient. For instance, in remote operations or complex environments like space exploration, agentic AI can perform tasks, analyze situations, and make critical decisions that are too complex or hazardous for humans. This not only fills an immediate leadership gap but does so in a way that leverages deep learning to handle vast data sets more efficiently than humans could.

Swarm technology, on the other hand, takes inspiration from nature, particularly from the collective behavior of organisms such as bees and ants. By implementing this model, multiple AI agents work together to solve problems beyond any single agent’s capability. Each unit in a swarm contributes to a collective intelligence, leading to emergent behaviors that can dynamically adapt to new challenges without centralized control. This method shows great promise in areas like logistics and smart city management, where a swarm of AI agents can manage complex systems with efficiency and adaptability that mimics natural ecosystems.

When you combine these technologies, you begin to see a powerful tool for addressing the industry’s leadership and knowledge gaps. By deploying agentic and swarm AI, we can manage more complex systems and respond more dynamically to changes in real-time, which is essential in today’s fast-paced world. Looking forward, integrating these AI forms is set to revolutionize fields such as autonomous vehicles, smart infrastructure, and emergency response systems, providing robust, scalable solutions that can operate independently of human input yet achieve previously unattainable goals.

With the growing interest in fractional executives, can you explain why SYRV is offering this and how it benefits your customers?

At SYRV, we recognize the game-changing potential of fractional leadership, especially in AI, where rapid innovation and specialized knowledge are key. The concept of fractional executives involves providing part-time leadership resources to organizations that need specific expertise but not necessarily on a full-time basis. This approach is particularly beneficial in a field as specialized and fast-evolving as AI.

For our clients, the primary benefit of fractional leadership is access to top-tier executive talent without the full-time executive price tag. This can be a real game changer for startups and mid-sized companies that need strategic guidance and experienced leadership to navigate complex AI implementations but aren’t at a stage where hiring a full-time executive makes financial sense.

Moreover, by integrating fractional executives into their teams, our clients gain insights from leaders who have a

broad perspective, often having worked across multiple sectors and technologies. This helps drive innovation, avoid common pitfalls, and significantly speed up the decision-making process. At SYRV, our clients benefit from our strategic expertise in artificial intelligence. We empower businesses by educating them on the latest AI advancements and helping them develop comprehensive AI roadmaps. Our team guides clients in thinking strategically about AI, informing their strategies, and crafting tailored playbooks. By leveraging our deep knowledge and experience, clients can harness AI to drive innovation, optimize operations, and achieve their business objectives. Partnering with SYRV means gaining a trusted advisor dedicated to transforming your organization through the power of AI.

You’ve mentioned the necessity of a strong partner ecosystem. Why is this essential for leadership in the AI space?

The complexity and breadth of AI technology mean no single company can realistically cover every aspect of AI’s application. That’s where the importance of a strong partner ecosystem comes into play. At SYRV, building and maintaining a robust partner ecosystem is beneficial and essential for sustained leadership and innovation in AI.

This ecosystem enables us to leverage external expertise and technologies, enhance our own offerings, and deliver comprehensive solutions to our clients. For example, we can seamlessly integrate cutting-edge technologies, such as advanced agentic tools, specialized hardware for deep learning, and robust cybersecurity measures through strategic partnerships. This ensures that our clients not only harness the power of AI but also maintain the highest standards of data protection and security. By leveraging these advanced technologies, we help businesses drive innovation, optimize their operations, and safeguard their digital assets, positioning them for sustained success with artificial intelligence.

Moreover, a strong partner ecosystem fosters a collaborative environment that drives innovation. By collaborating with academic institutions, technology providers, and other industry leaders, we stay at the forefront of AI research and development. This helps us keep pace with rapid advancements in AI and ensures we can quickly adapt to market and regulatory landscape changes.

A robust partner ecosystem amplifies our capabilities and extends our reach, enabling us to offer more effective and innovative solutions. It’s about combining strengths to significantly impact the AI field, benefiting our clients and the broader industry.

The results will be nothing short of magical ” “

How crucial is fostering a culture of collaboration with partners to the success of SYRV, and what strategies have you employed to build and maintain these crucial relationships?

At SYRV, fostering a culture of collaboration with partners is not just crucial; it’s integral to our success. In the AI industry, the synergy created by combining different specialties and perspectives through partnerships allows us to accomplish more than we could alone. This concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts is particularly relevant in technology, where complex challenges often require multidisciplinary solutions.

We focus on strategic alignment and mutual benefits to build and maintain these synergistic relationships. Our partners are chosen based on how our capabilities complement each other, ensuring that together, we can generate value that wouldn’t be possible individually. This approach accelerates innovation and deepens our solutions, making them more robust and comprehensive.

We also invest heavily in nurturing these partnerships through trust and transparency. Regular strategy meetings and open lines of communication ensure that all parties are aligned with the project goals and progress. This helps maintain a dynamic where partners feel valued and motivated to contribute their best.

Lastly, we make it a point to celebrate joint successes and collectively learn from setbacks. This reinforces a positive feedback loop that strengthens our collaborative efforts and continually drives us toward greater innovation. The synergy from these partnerships fuels our growth and enhances our ability to deliver superior AI solutions that lead the market.

Can you discuss the role of strategic partnerships and team dynamics in accelerating AI-driven transformations at SYRV? How do these relationships contribute to your company’s ability to adapt and innovate in the fast-evolving AI landscape?

At SYRV, our strategic partnerships are fundamental to our approach to accelerating AI-driven transformations. Two key relationships that exemplify this are our collaborations with Mode40 and Nexigen. Mode40 has been instrumental in helping us challenge the conventional boundaries of automation and smart manufacturing. Their extensive experience of over 25 years in developing groundbreaking technology solutions, especially in areas like PLC, SCADA, MES, and ERP systems, complements our AI-driven approaches to Industry 4.0. This partnership allows us to seamlessly integrate advanced manufacturing technologies with AI, enhancing our capabilities to deliver more sophisticated, automated solutions tailored to our clients’ unique needs.

Their vision aligns closely with ours, focusing on unlocking the full potential of businesses and creating lasting value, which is crucial for the transformative impacts we aim to achieve. Another valuable partner, Nexigen, brings a wealth of expertise in managed IT services and cybersecurity. Their strong, innovation-driven culture is essential for supporting the infrastructure needs of complex AI implementations. By collaborating with Nexigen, we ensure our clients receive top-tier support in maintaining robust, secure, and scalable IT environments, enabling them to focus on leveraging AI to drive their business forward. Since its founding in 2003, Nexigen has been at the cutting edge of IT services, and its location in Cincinnati’s tech hub places it at the heart of technological advancements. Their commitment to delivering comprehensive and reliable IT solutions ensures that our AI technologies are supported by robust infrastructures, enabling seamless deployment and operation.

Together, these partnerships enhance our team dynamics by fostering a collaborative environment where innovative ideas can flourish. The diverse expertise brought by Mode40 and Nexigen enriches our capabilities and ensures that we can continue to adapt and innovate effectively. This synergy is key to our ability to navigate the fast-evolving AI landscape, helping SYRV stay ahead of the curve and drive transformative change for our clients.

Looking ahead, what are the biggest challenges and opportunities you foresee for AI in the next decade, and how is SYRV positioning itself to address these trends?

Looking to the future, AI is poised to encounter both significant challenges and remarkable opportunities. One of the foremost challenges will be ensuring the legal and ethical use and deployment of AI technologies. As AI systems become increasingly integral to every aspect of society, ensuring they operate legally, fairly, and transparently is crucial. This includes rigorous auditing and certification of AI systems to uphold ethical standards and build public trust.

Moreover, integrating AI into traditionally non-tech industries presents a significant hurdle and a tremendous opportunity for transformative change. Overcoming this challenge will require innovative strategies and dedicated efforts to bridge the gap between advanced AI capabilities and the unique needs of these industries.

At SYRV, we are actively developing solutions to address these opportunities. We are creating a robust platform for auditing and certifying AI systems, ensuring they meet the highest standards of legality and ethics. Additionally, we are pioneering strategies to facilitate the seamless integration of AI into non-tech sectors, driving transformative change and unlocking the full potential of AI to foster unprecedented advancements and positive societal impact.

As we conclude, could you share what personal philosophy guides your leadership at SYRV and how you see this influencing the company’s future trajectory?

My leadership philosophy is a simple yet powerful belief: people are the most important asset in any AI endeavor. I firmly believe that developing internal resources to own and champion AI solutions is paramount. It’s all about hiring curious, creative, and imaginative individuals because they are central to any success in AI. When you give these people control and the ability to make an impact, magic happens.

I help companies embrace this focus by developing their own people to take the reins on AI initiatives. Innovation thrives on openness, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The best ideas come from people who believe in what they do and are empowered to act on those beliefs. This approach sparks innovation within teams and ensures that the solutions you develop are groundbreaking and practical.

This philosophy guides SYRV’s journey by embedding a proactive, forward-thinking mindset across the company. We’re not just adapting to the current landscape; we’re actively shaping it. We’ll keep leading our peers by anticipating changes and positioning ourselves at the industry’s forefront. Focusing on people, excellence, and innovation, SYRV continues to grow as a leader in AI, driving significant advancements and delivering exceptional value to our clients.

We aim to meet the market’s current demands and anticipate future challenges and opportunities, ensuring our solutions are both timely and timeless. Let’s work together to develop your team and give them the tools and confidence to lead your AI initiatives. Trust me, the results will be nothing short of magical.

Our strategic partner, mode40, is guiding companies to rethink their business models, making AI foundational to accelerate manufacturing and supply chains ” “

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INTRODUCTION:

In a bid to enhance operational efficiency and reduce internal costs, mode40, a leading technology solutions provider, collaborated with a Fortune 50 client to implement an innovative solution titled ‘Excel Killer Technology’. This case study explores how this cutting-edge system transformed the client’s operations, providing corporate-wide visibility, automating processes, and eliminating the reliance on disparate spreadsheets and data sources.

CLIENT PROFILE:

Our client, a Fortune 50 company, faced challenges typical of large enterprises: managing vast amounts of data spread across numerous Excel spreadsheets, resulting in inefficiencies, errors, and a lack of real-time insights. Seeking to streamline operations and boost competitiveness, they engaged mode40 to devise a solution that would centralize data, automate processes, and enable real-time corrective action.

OBJECTIVE:

The primary objective of the project was twofold: to reduce internal costs and enhance operational effectiveness. To achieve this, mode40 aimed to eliminate the client’s reliance on 57 disparate spreadsheets and sources of data, primarily housed in Excel, while providing corporate-wide visibility and facilitating real-time corrective action.

SOLUTION:

mode40’s team embarked on developing a comprehensive solution tailored to the client’s needs. Leveraging advanced technology, they created an automated system that consolidated data from various sources into a single, unified platform. This platform enabled seamless data integration, real-time monitoring, and proactive decision-making, effectively replacing the cumbersome Excel-based processes.

OUTCOME:

The implementation of ‘Excel Killer Technology’ yielded remarkable results for our client. By eliminating 57 spreadsheets and disparate data sources, the client achieved corporate-wide visibility into their operations, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation. Realtime corrective action became possible, thanks to instant access to accurate data and automated alerts. Moreover, the streamlined processes led to significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency across the organization.

CONCLUSION:

mode40’s collaboration with the Fortune 50 client exemplifies the transformative power of technology in driving operational excellence. By replacing outdated Excel-based processes with a centralized, automated system, the client achieved unprecedented levels of efficiency, cost savings, and agility. ‘Excel Killer Technology’ not only revolutionized the client’s operations but also set a new standard for data management and decision-making in large enterprises.

JOHN GEORGATOS.

DISRUPTING THE LEGAL TECH LANDSCAPE

LANDSCAPE.

John Georgatos, CIO of Mike Morse Law Firm, shares his experience of transforming legal operations through technology and visionary leadership.

“In my professional journey, I’ve had the privilege of working with numerous CEOs,” Georgatos muses as we begin our conversation. Perched on a stool in his home office, he exudes a cool and calm persona as he addresses my opening remarks about the recent Super Bowl Ad for his current employer, Mike Morse Law Firm.

“Each one is a visionary”, he continues, “often with bold ideas that I love bringing to life on the tech side. However, meeting Michael was a surprise.”

“Unlike most lawyers who are often disengaged with technology, Michael actively seeks innovation, making him a unique leader in the legal field.”

“

Expecting the typical suit-and-tie lawyer, he was taken aback by his down-to-earth nature and tech-savvy mindset, exemplified by his casual hoodie.”

Georgatos tells me Morse was searching for a different kind of CIO—someone outside the legal industry. This unorthodox approach extended to his entire executive team, including their COO, John Nachazel, who hails from a business operations background. This diversity in leadership backgrounds brings unique perspectives, driving true business transformation within the firm.

“At Mike Morse Law Firm, our leadership team is a blend of top attorneys and business experts”, he continues. This synergy allows us to run the firm efficiently while enabling lawyers to focus on their strengths. We prioritise hiring individuals with varied expertise to bring fresh ideas and professionalism to the table.”

After leaving the advertising space, where he spent over a decade with WPP, Georgatos sought new challenges. Transitioning from a massive organisation of 200,000 employees to smaller firms and finally to a 200-person firm was a deliberate choice. It allowed him to apply what he had learned from larger-scale transformations to more agile environments.

With an extensive background in technology transformations as an observer and a leader, he shares valuable insights into what works and what doesn’t in digital transformation, emphasising the importance of thoughtful disruption.

“Throughout my career, I’ve worked under several CIOs. Some of them I admired and respected, while others left me puzzled. Their transformations didn’t seem moderate enough; they weren’t effectively changing the status quo. This experience taught me much about what not to do,” he says.

When he finally achieved his dream of becoming a CIO, he applied these lessons at MDC Partners, a small organisation undergoing a merger with Stagwell Media.

“Leading them through the merger allowed me to apply my craft and learnings. I aimed to be a CIO who truly disrupts the status quo—progressing the business without causing negative disruptions,” he explains.

His approach at MDC Partners was to drive meaningful change. He successfully completed the merger, uniting 10,000 employees under the combined company, and felt a sense of accomplishment. “After the merger, I felt my task was complete. I needed a new challenge, but I wasn’t sure what that would be.”

This uncertainty didn’t last long. A headhunter contacted him with an opportunity at Mike Morse. Initially, he struggled to see the challenge in such a small organisation. However, his perspective changed after spending time with the enigmatic CEO and their leadership team. He realised that there was significant potential for impactful transformation.

His journey at Mike Morse Law Firm is marked by a commitment to change and growth. His experiences have taught him the importance of moderate, thoughtful transformation—ensuring that the status quo is disrupted in a way that benefits the organisation without causing undue upheaval.

The Mike Morse Law Firm was initially seen as a step down in size for the now already successful CIO, but the firm also has a consulting arm, assisting other law firms, which broadened the impact of the role. “Helping multiple firms modernise their technology strategies has been incredibly fulfilling.” John has been instrumental in transforming 17 other law firms, achieving this remarkable feat in under two years’ time.

“I view myself as a visionary and an integrator, always pushing the boundaries of traditional CIO roles. Unlike many CIOs who operate more like CFOs, focusing heavily on business acumen, I believe in prioritising technology. In today’s world, staying ahead means investing significantly in technology and not just playing it safe.”

“Transforming an organisation is a complex process requiring strategic planning, effective communication, and careful budget management. At Mike Morse Law Firm, we managed a complete transformation in just three months, a stark contrast to the years-long processes I’ve seen elsewhere. A swift, well-executed transformation ensures that we remain competitive and innovative, crucial in today’s fast-paced environment.”

The Power of Partnership: John Georgatos, CIO of Mike Morse Law Firm, on Vendor Relationships and Transformation

At MDC Partners, I spearheaded a successful merger, solidifying my passion for transforming and progressing organisations.

A vendor implies a quick, transactional relationship, and frankly, I find the term a bit insulting. A partner, on the other hand, signifies a deeper, more meaningful collaboration.

It’s about more than just a single transaction; it’s about building something together over the long term.”

“For the past 2 years, these guys have been my side. They get me best-in-class prices and give me best-in-class service. In short, they’re great partners.”

John Georgatos discusses his partnership with Paragon Micro

Georgatos shares a compelling perspective on the critical difference between vendors and partners, emphasising the importance of strategic relationships in driving successful transformations. “It’s funny,” he muses, “I use the word ‘vendor’ if it’s someone I’m not going to align well with—a quick transaction. But if I call you a partner, that’s significant.”

For Georgatos, the term “vendor” implies a fleeting, transactional relationship, which he finds somewhat insulting. Instead, he seeks partners—entities that contribute meaningfully to his goals. He explains that this approach mirrors his strategy for talent acquisition: success is elusive without the right talent or partners. “John G” does not exist without good partnerships,” he asserts.

Transitioning from the enterprise world to the SMB space offered Georgatos a refreshing freedom to expedite transformations. In larger enterprises, bureaucratic hurdles often slow progress, leading to what he describes as “paralysis by analysis.” His experience at WPP highlighted the nightmarish nature of drawn-out negotiations, which stifled innovation.

At Mike Morse, Georgatos leveraged established enterprise partnerships, though not all transitioned smoothly to the SMB context. For instance, his partnership with CDW, effective in the enterprise realm, proved sluggish in the SMB space, hindering his transformation strategy. This prompted a pivot to Paragon Micro, a nimble and responsive partner. “They’ve been amazing partners,” he says, noting their best-in-class pricing and support.

A similar story unfolded with Canon, a partnership dating back to his days at WPP. Despite the industry’s digital shift, Georgatos sees continued value in print, supported by Canon’s innovative solutions like digital mailroom services. His swift decision-making, free from the protracted RFP processes typical in large enterprises, allowed for rapid deployment and ROI realisation.

Georgatos’s philosophy is rooted in cloud-first solutions, avoiding legacy on-prem systems. Canon’s Uniflow solution, for instance, met this criterion perfectly, aligning with his vision for cloud-based transformations. “Having the right partners, like Canon and Paragon, has been instrumental to our rapid growth and success,” he notes.

The Power of Partnership: John GeORgatos

CIO of Mike Morse Law Firm, on Vendor Relationships and Transformation

Reflecting on his journey, Georgatos emphasises the importance of breaking the status quo and being an advocate for change. From a helpdesk technician to a CIO, his path underscores the value of understanding every role within an organisation. He encourages aspiring IT leaders to speak their minds and push boundaries, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Inspiring the next generation, Georgatos hopes his story motivates IT managers and directors aiming for CIO roles. His advice is clear: “Don’t worry about others’ opinions. Be the strongest, loudest voice in the room. Push for change and differentiate yourself from the traditional status quo.”

By fostering strong partnerships and advocating for innovation, John Georgatos exemplifies the transformative power of collaboration.

“A good leader, like a master chef, must understand every role within the team to guide and innovate effectively.”

This unique approach and visionary leadership sets Georgatos and his role at Mike Morse Law Firm apart from the competition. “We’re not just transforming our own operations but also paving the way for other firms to modernise and thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

Solutions and Services that Solve Problems

IT Solutions

We specialize in providing IT solutions for end-user compute, advanced infrastructure, cloud, mobility, cybersecurity, and asset management.

Leading Hardware and Software

By partnering with leading hardware and software companies, we create innovative IT solutions around our customers’ needs, schedule, and budget requirements.

Customer Satisfaction

Paragon Micro is the best choice for your global IT needs by being nimble, highly-capable and incredibly responsive to our customers while proactively helping them solve their business challenges.

Vendor Integrity

We also believe that vendor integrity and our commitment to Secure Supply chain processes are critical components of being a successful trusted advisor to our customers.

Mark Stevens

Global Executive Account Team BAM bam@paragonmicro.com

Brian Levin

Global Executive Account Team BAM bam@paragonmicro.com

Having the right partners, like Canon, has been instrumental to our rapid growth and success”

Reflecting on his journey, Georgatos emphasises the importance of breaking the status quo and being an advocate for change. From a helpdesk technician to a CIO, his path underscores the value of understanding every role within an organisation. He encourages aspiring IT leaders to speak their minds and push boundaries, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Inspiring the next generation, Georgatos hopes his story motivates IT managers and directors aiming for CIO roles. His advice is clear: “Don’t worry about others’ opinions. Be the strongest, loudest voice in the room. Push for change and differentiate yourself from the traditional status quo.”

By fostering strong partnerships and advocating for innovation, John Georgatos exemplifies the transformative power of collaboration.

“A good leader, like a master chef, must understand every role within the team to guide and innovate effectively.”

This unique approach and visionary leadership sets Georgatos and his role at Mike Morse Law Firm apart from the competition. “We’re not just transforming our own operations but also paving the way for other firms to modernise and thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

YOUR DX SOLUTIONS TO HELP ACCELERATE SUCCESS

Any meaningful approach to digital transformation starts with a sound strategy. Canon Solutions America helps organizations of all sizes in the journey toward enhancing operational efficiency and moving beyond manual processes. With a commitment to our valued customers and the support of our dedicated staff, we supply innovative technology, solutions, and services that can help facilitate document collaboration and conversion, the digital mailroom, process automation, and more, allowing you to focus more on your core business and realize the results you’ve always imagined.

TECH-EXEC’S TOP 10 DRONES IN TV, FILM AND POP CULTURE, RANKED BY REALISM:

Drones are often portrayed as the ultimate problem solvers in the realm of movies and TV. Whether remotely piloted by humans, such as the DJI models in Bad Boys for Life, or operating autonomously like the D.W.A.R.F.s in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, these aerial wonders tackle wild tasks and impossible scenarios that seem fit for another world – or a dystopian future.

In our current reality, while we’re yet to manufacture flying cars, the 2020s have brought us an abundance of drones. We’ve reached a point where movies featuring drones are even filmed by drones. Call it Drone Inception or Drone-Ception, if you will.

As we continuously evaluate new drone platforms for our aerial autonomy software stack, we thought it would be interesting to test our team’s expertise against some fictional fliers.

How do these cinematic and TV drones stand up to our real-world scrutiny?

1

DJI DRONES

FROM: BAD BOYS FOR LIFE:

These commercially available drones are spot-on in their portrayal, highlighting realistic uses in surveillance and action scenes

2

D.W.A.R.F.S

FROM: MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D

Fully autonomous and packed with advanced features, these drones push the boundaries of current tech but remain grounded in plausible

3

TARS AND CASE

FROM: INTERSTELLAR

Though technically robots, their dronelike capabilities in planetary exploration and data collection are fascinatingly close to what we might see in the future.

Credits: Kalyan Babu Vallu

Credits: DJI

5 4

HUNTER - KILLERS

FROM:

THE TERMINATOR SERIES

While the autonomous lethal machines are still ahead of our time, the underlying technology mirrors current developments in military drones.

8

AUTONOMOUS DRONE INSECT

FROM: BLACK MIRROR (HATED IN THE NATION)

These tiny drones used for surveillance and control highlight the potential (and ethical concerns) of miniaturised drone technology.

SPIDER DRONES

FROM: SPIDER MAN: HOMECOMING

Compact, multi-functional, and highly agile; these drones reflect the direction in which personal and security drones are headed.

9

VULTURE’S DRONES

FROM: SPIDER MAN: HOMECOMING

: Equipped with advanced weaponry and stealth capabilities, they push the envelope of current drone tech but remain within the realm of possibility.

SURVEYOR DRONE

FROM: OBLIVION

These robust drones designed for hostile environments offer a glimpse into the future of autonomous repair and maintenance drones.

CREDIT: bighero6.fandom.com

EVE

FROM: WALL-E

Combining advanced AI with environmental scanning and interaction capabilities, EVE is an idealised version of what service drones might become.

By comparing these fictional drones with real-world technology, we not only entertain the possibilities but also inspire the future of drone development.

FROM: BIG HERO 6

These micro-drones used for surveillance and information gathering represent the growing trend towards smaller, more efficient drone swarms.

How many of these sci-fi marvels will become part of our everyday toolkit? Only time will tell, but at Tech-Exec, we’re excited to be at the forefront of this evolution.

CREDIT: Everett Collection

D A H E A R T T A T A

ROSS OFFER

Ross Offer lives and

breathes data at AtkinsRéalis, a company he has worked at for over twenty years.

Today, he remains dedicated to facilitating the organisation’s transformation by prioritising the adoption of a centralised data platform, recognising its vital role in enabling data-driven decision-making.

Written by Tom Wadlow

“I had a natural aptitude for IT, but that inner rebelliousness you have as a kid made me want to do the opposite of what he said. Looking at where I am now, I must admit that Dad was probably right.”

Ross Offer is VP of Data & Integration at professional services and project management firm AtkinsRéalis. While his father’s foresight has become a reality, few would have predicted that his entire tech career would have been with one organisation.

Indeed, Offer has spent more than two decades working in numerous roles at AtkinsRéalis since he joined as an Accounts Payable Assistant in 2001. Today he leads the transition and adoption of advanced technologies to transform business processes and enable a data-underpinned decision-making culture. One thing his dad didn’t get right was his route to becoming a senior leader in the field.

“Contrary to his advice, I didn’t go to university,” Offer says. “I like to think I made the right call. I look back now at friends and colleagues in similar positions and wonder whether all the debt was worth it. From a recruiting perspective, whether an applicant has been to university does not interest me – it’s more about whether they will fit into the team.”

It took a few different jobs (and the occasional difficult conversation) for Offer to realise where he wanted his career to go after leaving college.

After a stint as a nightclub manager, a job in car insurance sales, and a role in nPower, an opportunity to join AtkinsRéalis arose. With Offer heading into AtkinsRéalis’s Accounts Payable team the company rolled out a new shared services model. In a matter of weeks, Offer’s technical proficiency was used to train colleagues on the new systems, and the natural move was to migrate over to the IT team.

“It accelerated from there,” he recalls. “Over the years, I have moved sideways and upwards to where I am now, with much of that experience in ERP and finance systems.

I am often asked why I have stayed for over 20 years, and the simple answer is that I love my job. I feel like I am living a dream and have been fortunate enough to have had a lot of good managers.”

From a young age, my dad always thought I’d pursue a career in IT “ “

Starting in 1911, AtkinsRéalis was created by integrating long-standing enterprises. Today, it is renowned as an organisation specialising in professional services and project management dedicated to engineering a better future for people and the planet.

In summary, the company creates sustainable solutions designed to connect people, data, and technology to transform global infrastructure and energy systems.

With a global presence, AtkinsRéalis can deploy its capabilities at a local level, delivering end-to-end services across entire asset lifecycles.

Such services typically include consulting, advisory and environmental services, intelligent networks and cybersecurity, design and engineering, procurement, project and construction management, operations and maintenance, decommissioning and capital.

Learn more at: www.atkinsrealis.com

AN ENTERPRISE POWERED BY DATA

One of those is Steve Capper, who took the mantle of CIO in early 2020. This was a key moment, with Capper placing a huge emphasis on the criticality of data to the functioning of the business, so much so that a new leadership role was created—one which Offer has held ever since.

Indeed, Offer and AtkinsRéalis live in and among an exploding global data sphere.

Such is the volume of data generated by individuals, businesses, and other organisations; we now talk about it in zettabytes or billion gigabytes at a time. In 2015, the datasphere contained around 15.5 zettabytes—by 2025, it will have expanded a dozen times to 181 zettabytes.

Therefore, it is no surprise that data is AtkinsRéalis’s primary currency and that the company’s internal and client operations are grounded in it.  “We produce oodles of data,” Offer says. “A major priority for Steve and I was, quite simply, to make better and more efficient use of it. My strategy was to create a system of centralised, curated data – getting the basics right and building a foundation from which we can add more advanced capabilities.”

Over 18 months, Offer and his team worked closely with Microsoft to build a new tech stack that would serve as this new standardised data platform called Orb.

Recognising the need for Orb to be scalable and practical to roll out across an enterprise of what is now 40,000 people, Offer stripped all the ideas and concepts back to basics and started by categorising master data into four groups: people, customers, projects and partners.. Every piece of organisational data, he explains, can be linked to one or more of these pillars.

Offer refers to Orb as an enabler, a driving force behind their global data initiatives. It serves as the backbone for vital functions like finance, HR, project performance, and health and safety, while also harmonising multiple systems. He explains that it is their central hub for corporate data, and his mission is to seamlessly integrate it throughout the entire group.

The ethos behind Orb is that it provides a centralised, single source of truth for whoever needs it and when they need it, regardless of where they are in the AtkinsRéalis global network. Taking full advantage of this requires a cultural transition, with change management being another key component of the project that Offer has been deeply involved in.

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MAKING ADVANCES WITH AI

“It is an evolution as opposed to a revolution,” he continues. “People would come to me and ask for a demo of Orb. This highlighted that folk didn’t truly understand what we were doing, afterall, who wants to have a tour of a bunch of cloud databases!  I decided to take a step back with the product designers in the team and set about gaining a real understanding of what our data users want.

“‘We have enriched our data catalogues with visual representations of data structures, illustrating the intricate relationships between different data points. This has really helped bring the solution to life.  The next step has been to position IT as simply the custodian of data. It is about putting the power back into the hands of the end users, and we are doing this by building out an ecosystem of data managers and stewards, with tools available at their fingertips to manage things like governance and data security.”

Alongside the establishment of Orb, Offer and his team are also driving the integration of AI-powered technologies to enhance business intelligence, automate processes, and provide predictive insights.  When asked what he was keeping his eye on in the future, AI immediately became the topic of conversation.

“It is at the top of everyone’s minds, especially generative AI and tools such as ChatGPT,” Offer says. “But that’s exactly what it is, a tool. Rather than get too excited, I see it as another item in our toolbox.

“The danger, I believe, will be in organisations trying to find a use case for AI tools, rather than having AI as a potential solution to a real world problem. With that in mind, our approach is to look at how we can improve our efficiency as an organisation and then identify the technologies (or processes) to help us do it.”

One of those tools and AI capabilities is machine learning. AtkinsRéalis is working closely with key partner Adatis part of Telefonica Tech, to develop statistical models based on project data to help identify risk trends. Using various data inputs around key project details, the idea is to foresee how project margins will grow or contract in the future. Projects at risk of margin erosion will be flagged, giving project managers an early heads-up and a steer towards reducing that risk.

“We’ve completed some early sampling and already identified several examples of unidentified risk which, if left unattended, could have significant impact on the project profitability.

This gives us a glimmer of how this type of solution could have real impact on us moving forward as we apply it to our global project portfolio,” Offer adds.

Another AI project currently underway is the implementation of Microsoft Co-Pilot., while in a similar vein, the company is looking to build a large language model (LLM) into Orb to make its own version of ChatGPT, with users able to ask questions that can be answered with AtkinsRéalis data.

A STABLE HAND AT THE PUMP

These projects and the ongoing Orb development and implementation will keep Offer busy over the coming months.

Indeed, much has been achieved relatively quickly since Offer assumed the data leadership role. However, he is reluctant to shout about any achievements from the rooftops unless he can tangibly demonstrate impact.

“My philosophy is about being a stable hand at the pump,” Offer adds. “I like to stay grounded and ensure that everything we do is robust and has substance. If that means taking a bit longer and spending more to get something right, then so be it.

“That means investing time and energy into truly understanding our customers’ intentions. It is not just about discovering what they want, but why.”

My philosophy is about being a stable hand at the pump,” Offer adds. “I like to stay grounded and ensure that everything we do is robust and has substance. If that means taking a bit longer and spending more to get something right, then so be it..”

VERGESENSE LAUNCHES

REVOLUTIONARY

AI-POWERED WORKPLACE ASSISTANT.

Workplace Assistant by VergeSense is the occupancy intelligence industry’s first AI-powered assistant, empowering workplace teams with personalized recommendations to guide space optimization decisions.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. — MAY 8, 2024

VergeSense, the leader in occupancy intelligence, is proud to introduce Workplace Assistant, powered by generative AI with enterprise-grade security and privacy. Workplace Assisatant provides a new way for real estate and workplace leaders to identify optimization opportunities and get recommendations based on unique occupancy trends in minutes, rather than months.

Collecting accurate occupancy data, analyzing trends, and identifying insights so organizations can make impactful decisions can be a lengthy and complex process. Traditionally, this process has been mired in manual data analysis and reporting to reach actionable recommendations, often causing delays in decision-making and missed opportunities for optimization.

The solution, available to new and existing customers, is an intuitive natural language interface. Users can ask questions and Workplace Assistant quickly analyzes their data, finds answers, and recommends the most effective course of action. Workplace Assistant can be used to make decisions related to portfolio evaluation, space availability, neighborhood planning, space design, or dynamic operations.

“In today’s ever-evolving office environments, we believe it’s more important than ever for real estate and workplace leaders to have control, and they need a more efficient approach for making impactful space optimization decisions,” said Kanav Dhir, VP of Product & Marketing at VergeSense. “Workplace Assistant disrupts the complex process of data analysis by empowering leaders with actionable insights, and customized recommendations. Workplace Assistant represents a significant leap forward in our mission to revolutionize workplace management.”

INTRODUCING WORKPLACE ASSISTANT

Workplace Assistant transcends traditional analytics by offering personalized recommendations for space optimization decisions. By harnessing generative AI, Workplace Assistant analyzes occupancy data to identify patterns and suggest strategies for enhancing workspace efficiency.

Not only does this allow leaders to capitalize on optimization opportunities faster, they gain unfettered access to the power of a real estate, workplace experience, or occupancy experience analyst at their fingertips.

FEATURES OF WORKPLACE ASSISTANCE INCLUDE:

An algorithm custom-trained for workplace and space optimization decisions, which produces recommendations customers can trust.

Quick results, generating recommendations in a matter of minutes compared to weeks of calls, meetings, and analytic discussions.

Enterprise-grade privacy and security, ensuring customer data remains protected.

To learn how Workplace Assistant by VergeSense is driving the new era of workplace management, visit this page for more information.

ABOUT VERGESENSE

For more information visit: www.vergesense.com

VergeSense is the leading Occupancy Intelligence Platform trusted by global enterprises to guide workplace decisions that optimize spaces, reduce costs, ensure sustainability, and improve employee experience. Through AI-powered recommendations to make decisions that build the foundation for flexible workspaces of the future, businesses leverage VergeSense to evaluate their portfolios, increase space availability, improve space design, conduct neighborhood planning, and automate office operations. Over 200 enterprise customers like Cisco, Autodesk, and BP partner with VergeSense to optimize over 110 million square feet of real estate across 50 countries.

A Q&A WITH JAN SHEPPARD, CDAO AT ESR

Solving tomorrow’s problems, today. JAN SHEPPARD

Tech-Exec sat down with Jan Sheppard, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at ESR, to chat about technology, data and AI and how the sum of these things can be harnessed to positively impact the world and sustainable living.

Tell us a little about yourself and how your interest in data began

1My fascination with data being able to make a greater sense of the world started at a very young age, growing up in rural New Zealand when access to new information was limited. However, I did have maths that opened up new ways of seeing things and data to create new world views. This has been the driving force behind my career.

I have been fortunate to have many opportunities to create relevant data teams and embrace emerging technologies to solve real-world problems.

How can emerging technologies like AI and IoT help businesses adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change?

2Climate change will deliver significant changes to our environment, which means our current way of living and food supplies, as we know them, will not be sustainable in the future. We are fortunate to live in a time when technology is evolving exponentially, and we have some very smart emerging technologies in AI and IoT. These technologies can help us augment decision-making by enabling us to see things we couldn’t see before and experiment in the future to determine the right actions to take today, resulting in the best outcomes tomorrow.

For now, the big wins from such technologies include supporting businesses in understanding their environmental impact, being more efficient in their use of resources, including energy, understanding their changing environment and being ready to realise the new opportunities as they arise, and improving the well-being of their workforce, which is critical as temperatures rise.

How are AI-powered digital twins revolutionizing scientific research methodologies and enhancing experimental accuracy?

Digital twins have been around for some time, initially emerging as digital replicas of physical systems that support maintenance decision-making. AI-powered digital twins are the next generation, where a digital twin is combined with AI models to effectively create a virtual laboratory of a complex ecosystem. In this laboratory, researchers can test their hypothesis by experimenting with the future without consequence and developing theories that support decision-making on the course of action to take today that will result in the best future.

At the core of this technology is identifying causal relationships between factors and how they interact positively or negatively as the environment changes. From a scientific perspective, this allows us to see what was previously unseen, have a holistic perspective, and explain what will happen with greater certainty and impact.

This gives rise to a different approach to hypothesising, going from the “streetlight effect,” where scientists had to have a reasonable understanding of the subject to know which streetlight to stand under and where the answer might be, to experimenting in daylight, having a broader hypothesis and being prepared to discover what they were looking for in places they couldn’t previously see. This pushes science to grow more rapidly than the traditional incremental approach of building off what is already known.

Can you share specific examples of how your organization has utilised AI-powered digital twins to accelerate research and development processes?

With this AI-powered digital twin capability, our current key focus is resilience, specifically concerning infectious disease spread (exacerbated by COVID-19) and the impact of climate change on humans and the environment. In addition, we are looking at how we can support better decision-making across the public sector and improve food security through supply chain resilience and production processes.

What are the key challenges and opportunities you foresee in integrating AI-powered digital twins into the scientific research workflow?

The first challenge is finding data that is ‘fit for purpose’ to build credible models. However, with any challenge, there is always an opportunity to become innovative, and it is amazing where you can find data. Satellite images are one source we are exploring to generate time series data going back over several years to understand land use, vegetation and even soil moisture. In New Zealand, we are incredibly fortunate to have the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which contains years of data from public sector agencies that collectively tell the story of who we are and is already recognised as a trusted data source for research.

The real opportunities are being able to experiment in the future to determine what will happen rather than looking back to confirm what has happened. This also gives us the ability to run experiments repeatedly without using resources other than computing power so we can be more confident in the results.

How do you foster a culture of innovation and collaboration among your team in the highly specialized field of scientific research?

When people think of data science, it is too often seen as an evolution of analytics where it is expected to produce facts. I established the data science practice at ESR as a science, the science of data. Like any other science, we get to hypothesise, experiment and develop theories that help us see things we couldn’t see before. Through the science of data, we can safely experiment in the future, testing different scenarios without consequence to make the best decisions today for tomorrow.

It takes courage to be different, but it is also empowering for my team as they don’t have to deliver facts for which they will forever be accountable. Rather, they have the opportunity to be true scientists.

AI runs on data. Data runs on dbt.

Trust your data and your data team

Build reliable data products faster

Reduce the cost of producing insights

What strategies have you implemented to manage and support your research team’s diverse skill sets and backgrounds during significant technological change?

Having the right technology and letting it augment your way of working is critical for success. Fortunately, technology has become very smart and easier to use, and scientists no longer have to be experts in R to interrogate data to discover new insights.

We use Snowflake, DBT, and Fivetran to manage our data. We also use our on-prem high-performance computer to run our models. Combining these technologies effectively creates a “dry laboratory” for our scientists to experiment with data.

I have also developed a Responsible AI Framework that is our playbook for moving forward safely with AI and maintaining our social licence. We are learning as we go, and this framework will evolve as we know more.

How do you balance the need for cutting-edge technology adoption with maintaining a cohesive and motivated team culture?

We are operating in times of exponential change, largely driven by the evolution of technology. Jack Welch once said, “If the rate of change on the outside is greater than the rate on the inside, the end is near.” To be relevant, we need to be comfortable operating at the cutting edge, and we also need to be very sure of our why and how we best achieve that. Including being sure of what is important that we do ourselves, what we should partner with others on and what we should adopt that is developed by someone else.

Please provide an overview of ESR and its role in the Research Services Sector.

ESR is a government-owned research company specialising in science that safeguards the health and well-being of the people of New Zealand and our natural environment. We cover many areas, including disease monitoring and prediction, climate change, water sustainability and safety, forensics and data. Our operating model is pure research-driven applied science, where we have a split of 20% of our work focused on pure research that feeds directly into 80% of our work, which is applied science. This model enables us to stay at the cutting edge of our fields.

Finally, what advice do you have for others contemplating a future with AI?

It has never been more important to be human than now. AI is not a replacement for human intelligence but a capability that augments human intelligence. AI helps us see beyond the horizon to safely experiment in the future and make better decisions today for tomorrow. The future is coming at us faster than we can adapt to if we continue to look to yesterday for the answers. We learnt this from the COVID-19 pandemic and are constantly reminded of it by the impacts of climate change.

We are fortunate to operate in a time when technology is also advancing rapidly and can provide us with the capability to solve these real-world problems and create a brighter future. All we need to do is give ourselves permission to step forward with the confidence that the risk of doing something is less than the risk of doing nothing.

TECH EXEX INDEX

AI AND MACHINE

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

GROWTH STATISTICS

AI and machine learning are poised for explosive growth and expansion. According to Monster.com, the most sought-after skills in today’s job market include machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP).

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the economy by the year 2030

Genpact predicts that by 2025, firms who have adopted AI will be and have twice the market share than those who haven’t

Shopify reports a 94% higher conversion rate for retail customers using AR/VR technology than those without The global machine learning market is to grow to $152.24 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 38.6%

99Firms predicts that machine learning will power 8.4 billion voice assistants by 2024

IoT Analytics projects that 2023 will see a growth of internet of things (IoT) devices of 18% to 14.4 billion, and by 2025 this could increase to 27 billion connected IoT devices

91.6% of Fortune 1000 companies have plans to invest more in big data and AI initiatives

Quantum computing is projected to reach $780 MILLION by 2025

of entrepreneurs believe that AI is currently the most promising technology from an innovation standpoint

According to a Finances Online article, 72% of U.S. consumers credit AR with better collaboration at work, 69% report increased efficiency at work and 61% credit AR with better marketing

VIRTUAL REALITY

Rate of Acceleration Statistics VR/AR was essential for helping companies during the pandemic when personal transactions and purchasing was made impossible, helping to accelerate the rate of adoption.

Statista predicts there will be 30.9 billion IoT devices by 2025

Statista forecasts that emerging tech will experience a growth rate of 104% between 2018 and 2023

Raúl Rosado Pagán

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AT UNIVERSIDAD DEL SAGRADO CORAZÓN

How would you describe your role at the University and perhaps you could also provide us with the background and history of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón?

Founded in 1880, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón is one of the oldest higher education institutions in Puerto Rico, committed to providing a robust academic experience and fostering a technologically advanced learning environment. My role involves overseeing the university’s IT infrastructure, integrating innovative technologies, and enhancing our administrative and educational capabilities through digital transformation.

How are you leveraging technology to streamline administrative operations and enhance overall efficiency at your university?

We are deeply committed to modernising our IT infrastructure. Recent advancements include migrating 80% of our servers to cloud services like AWS, achieving 99% uptime for critical systems and less carbon footprint for our Campus. We are also implementing a digital wallet and plan to develop a smart campus, integrating IoT-based access control and payment systems. Our efforts also extend to optimising IT service delivery, where we’ve maintained a high community satisfaction rate and reduced manual processes.

What role do data analytics play in improving the operational efficiency of your institution, and how are you integrating these insights into your decision-making processes?

Data analytics is the foundation of our strategy to boost operational efficiency. We’ve successfully developed real-time analytics dashboards for key applications like our LMS and Student Management Systems, leading to a 40% increase in data accessibility and faster decision-making. Despite these accomplishments, we are still at the beginning of our data-driven journey. Our business intelligence initiatives focus on making data-driven decisions to streamline processes and enhance overall institutional performance.

Can you share an example of a technological innovation implemented at your university that has significantly improved operational workflows or resource management?

One notable innovation is the full deployment of our inventory management system, which has streamlined merchandise tracking across campus. Additionally, we have automated various administrative and academic workflows and tasks through process automation and workflow improvements. We have made developments that significantly enhance our ability to manage data, process transactions efficiently, and improve overall resource management.

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How do you envision the role of AI and machine learning evolving in higher education over the next five years, and what steps is your institution taking to integrate these technologies into the curriculum and operations?

AI and machine learning will be increasingly critical in personalising education, enhancing student engagement, and improving administrative efficiency. At our university, we are starting to integrate these technologies by developing AI-driven productivity tools to support our staff. We also focus on including this as digital literacy skills equip students for the future workforce

What key technology innovations do you foresee as critical to transforming the student experience and academic delivery in the coming years, and how are you preparing your institution to adopt these advancements?

Technological innovations such as smart campus solutions, VR labs, and advanced analytics are key to transforming the student experience. We are actively preparing by implementing a digital wallet, developing a smart campus plan, and establishing virtual reality labs. These initiatives aim to provide a more interactive and immersive learning environment, improve resource management, and enhance student engagement

How will your university balance adopting cutting-edge technologies with maintaining robust cybersecurity and data privacy measures over the next five years?

Balancing innovation with security is a priority for us. We have implemented automated security protocols and conducted comprehensive penetration testing to ensure our systems remain secure. Our continuous security training and awareness programs, alongside robust data privacy measures, ensure that we can adopt new technologies without compromising on security.

How is your institution leveraging smart campus technologies to enhance the student experience and improve academic outcomes?

We are leveraging smart campus technologies by integrating IoT-based access control, developing digital payment systems, and enhancing campus connectivity with more Wi-Fi coverage. These technologies not only improve convenience and safety but also enable data collection that can be used to enhance academic outcomes through better resource allocation and personalised student services.

RAUL ROSADO - CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AT UNIVERSIDAD DEL SAGRADO CORAZÓN

What challenges have you encountered in implementing smart campus initiatives, and how have you addressed these obstacles?

Implementing smart campus initiatives comes with challenges, such as ensuring interoperability between different systems and managing the costs of new technologies. We have addressed these challenges by thorough planning and phased implementations. For instance, our digital wallet and IoT projects are being rolled out in stages to ensure smooth integration and to manage costs effectively

Can you share specific examples of how data analytics and IoT (Internet of Things) are being utilised on your campus to optimise resources and create a more sustainable environment?

Our data analytics initiatives include creating real-time dashboards that monitor key metrics, enabling more efficient resource management. IoT devices are being used for access control and environmental monitoring of key areas, helping us optimise energy usage and reduce waste. These efforts contribute to creating a more sustainable, secure, and efficient campus environment.

VEGAS 2024

www.ifa-berlin.com

www.mwclasvegas.com

TECH CRUNCH DISRUPT 2024

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MICROSOFT IGNITE EVENT 2024

Our biggest event of the year is getting even bigger. Join us in Chicago to expand your AI knowledge, create connections, and more—mark your calendar. ignite.microsoft.com

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

CES is the most powerful tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where brands get business done, meet new partners and where the industry’s sharpest minds take the stage to unveil their latest releases and boldest breakthroughs.

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WEB SUMMIT 2025

In February 2025, thousands of international entrepreneurs, investors and leaders will gather at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) to connect the tech world at our newest event: Web Summit Qatar.

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In 1980, Germany’s radical new energy policy sparked an EU-wide transition to renewables. Forty years later, the revolution has come, but Europe isn’t leading the charge.

2023’s Energy Tech Summit focused on the urgent need to accelerate green technology in the wake of the energy crisis. This year, energy leaders from across the EU will meet in Berlin to carve the path to rapid global energy transition.

Join us on October 10th to witness energy innovation in action and collaborate with over 500 experts and thinkers on making a carbon-free energy system a reality.

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural PRINT EDITION of Tech-Exec magazine.

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