Titans GCC October 2021

GCC

OCTOBER 2021 | VOL 5 ISSUE 3

2021 THE CHANGE-SPOTTERS AND CHANGE-MAKERS

HUSAIN ALNAKKAS,

CIO National Assembly of Kuwait

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GCF DESK MANAGING DIRECTOR Tushar Sahoo CEO Ronak Samantaray

From Strength to Strength

Greetings!

We have, thus, nearly come to an end of 2021 as well!

We casually term this as the ‘Hybrid Year’. A year when the world experienced both and best of remote working and on-prem working. While many organizations successfully got the workforce back to the office, a major number of organizations continued with remote working. We saw a great deal of HR and collaboration solutions coming to the surface extending newer and enhanced capabilities to the hybrid workforce.

One of the biggest pros of the pandemic was that it erased all the negligible physical barriers. People and business finally unleashed the power of virtual meetings, events, get togethers and much more. This not only helped business outgrow its reach, but also helped the executives to spread and build newer teams in multiple geographies, thereby increasing the trend of diverse cultural workforce.

This issue of Titans speaks much about these aspects – collaboration, diverse workforce, technologies that built the roadmap for the future and the role of a future CIO. While we speak today, The Global CIO Forum is mapping and adding new countries to its portfolio as well. The World CIO 200 2021 Roadshow has successfully conducted the felicitation ceremony in the Middle East, Africa, SEA, Pakistan and EU so far. This year, we focused on the theme of #CHANGE. CIOs from 36+ countries will Challenge the Legacies that were overthrown in the pandemic, Charter the policies for a new digital ecosystem and Change the Policies and governance as the Catalyst. ‘Transformation through Change’ is at the heart of the roadshow this year that would gather global IT decision makers and solution providers in a unique platform this year. The Summit will build roadmaps for strategic decision making and identify yardsticks that are the key drivers of growth in the digital world. While CIOs can pick on sessions to help them fast-track their growth, the solution providers can build their brand, present their solutions and network with 500+ relevant C-level IT decision makers flown in from 36+ countries.

The grand finale is announced – December 5th and 6th 2021 at The Fairmont, Ajman.

GLOBAL HEAD, CONTENT AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES Anushree Dixit anushree@gecmediagroup.com GROUP SALES HEAD Richa S richa@gecmediagroup.com 056 215 1157 VISUALIZER Manas Ranjan LEAD VISUALIZER DPR Choudhary DESIGNER Ajay Arya ASSISTANT DESIGNER Rahul Arya DESIGNED BY

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History will be repeated, see you there.

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CO-CREATING

SUCCESS Hussain AlNakkas talks about how his team comes together to realize the dream of Automation and Digital Transformation in National Assembly of Kuwait (excerpts) ...../26

.

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

06 LAILA ABDULLAH AL HADHRAMI, Smart Cities Development Manager National Energy Centre

10 QUSAI ALMEQDADI, Senior Manager – Digital and Emerging Technologies – Technology Consulting Ernst & Young (EY)

16 RITESH SINGH, General Manager LATICRETE Middle East LLC

OCTOBER 2021

24 SANJEEV MADAVI, Group Digital Transformation Officer Khimji Ramdas LLC

THE TITANS

5

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

Ambitious to Lead the Smart Cities Project in Oman WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

It gives me immense pride to see the advancements of IOT and emerging technologies, not only in Oman but also globally. Companies that fail to improve their services and align with the current demands of technology in the industry shall be left behind which in turn shall impact their business’s sustainability and market standing.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

I recently joined the National Energy Centre, which is the leading

semi company in proving and executing the smart utilities projects in Oman and regionally. The company’s vision and directions for Smart Cities strikes a perfect chord with my passion towards Smart Cities. We are ambitious to lead Smart cities projects in Oman and contribute in the vision of Oman2040 Vision in improving the quality of life for citizens.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

I owe my success to the different teams I have worked with during the last 15 years of my career. In order to be successful, it is very important to learn from your team because they are the knowledge and experience experts. I am so honoured that my current team is teaching me a lot and we are trying to keep innovation and creativity at the core of our department and day to day work by sharing different knowledge

LAILA ABDULLAH AL HADHRAMI ,

Smart Cities Development Manager National Energy Centre

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THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

tips about the trending solutions that we can implement as a new case or best practice. I always believe in this: “If you empower your team, you will be empowered as a leader”.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

Since I started my first year at work, I have been working amidst diverse workforce -different nationalities, gender, level of management etc. It is not about leadership but I would rather call it the most powerful weapon in work as to be able to “Communicate” with everyone. When I say everyone, make sure that you know each employee in your organization starting from the lowest in the hierarchical chain till the CEO. Therefore, to succeed diversity we have to ask ourselves “Are we communicating with everyone who is adding value to our organization? This can be achieved by everyone and it is as simple as a “Good Morning” with a smile. Don’t say “Good Morning” when you just need a service from employee and other days you forget him/ her as they never exist in your organization.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

Working as ‘ONE Team’ is the most successful element to empower the collaboration across departments and to achieve the company’s vision. In order to support my colleagues across the company, I align our work with them and try to solve any issue that we can contribute with it. In short, don’t wait for them to solve all the issues as they are from different organizations or country. Work with them as one team in solving issues and be rapid and supportive. This is my golden approach as I definitely know they will support me too when I am facing critical issues or challenges.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

Working and thinking out of the box is what keeps me on my toes.

How to be innovative and creative in business’ is what really keeps me motivated with my amazing team. Therefore, I care a lot about creating “Happy vibes” at my workplace so that we can all be productive. I always believe that Happy environment increase productivity and creativity.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

I just joined my company 1st of September and I can’t say that I

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THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

have influence the business from the first month. I prefer people to judge me based on my actions. As a knowledge contributor in my area in smart cities, I have so far represented my company and Oman in 5 global events during one month. My bigger dream is to keep pushing the vision of Oman vision in Smart cities in all the different sectors in my beloved country. I will also keep supporting the other countries who will need my support through sharing my humble knowledge and experience.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

As we are a company dealing mostly with the IOT sensors, there will be definitely new use cases to implement with the integration of the different technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Big data to have a sustainable improvement in our services and products.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

More individuals can be CIOs but not all can be leaders. It is very important for all CIOs to keep improving their skills and never stop learning to be great leaders.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/ SHE IMBIBE?

The CIO of tomorrow is the one who will succeed to be a leader in any position. No matter what his job title is, he/ she should keep learning from all the people around them because acquiring the knowledge from people is more effective than the knowledge imparted from papers and articles. Never underestimate the work of your employees and keep appreciating what they are doing.

Building a Resilient Tomorrow with AI and Data Science WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

I see a tremendous increase in digital transformation efforts, with an emphasis on data and analytics capabilities, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, which require reskilling the workforce to optimize delivery and successfully succeed in remote work functionalities which requires taking full advantage of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)

QUSAI ALMEQDADI ,

Senior Manager – Digital and Emerging Technologies – Technology Consulting Ernst & Young (EY)

10 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

In general, I believe that technology can help businesses and take it forward by doing the following: i. Operate effectively & efficiently more focused approach ii. Increase connectivity to customers, suppliers, and employees iii. Decrease operational costs

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

We build our teams by focusing on the most important skills and competencies around the technology trends that the future is expecting and in need such as digital transformation, AI, & Data Science.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

While working on multiple technology initiatives associated with Artificial intelligence and data science with different government around GCC, we had worked with multiple diverse teams, including different nationalities, competencies, expertise, and subject matter experts in different domains and fields, we had to be focusing on an agile methodologies of delivering programmes and projects to align with the strategic goals and strategies.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

I work closely with different senior managers, directors, and partners across the firm where we work together to deliver the best in class consulting services to our clients, which requires to have a collaborative support across different service lines, while keeping the main focus on agile methodology delivery and experience sharing.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

If I think of what could energize me I will not find a better and suitable option than thinking about smart cities and digital future of communities and governments, by implementing and applying the top notch technological and up to date frameworks.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Focusing on delivering the best-in-class business and technol-

ogy consulting services that influenced the business to focus on delivering their strategic initiatives and meeting their objectives successfully, I believe I had brought with me extensive and excellent expertise in data and artificial intelligence use cases implementation and delivery, in addition to implementing technology solutions and platforms.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Thinking about the current changes that is rapidly happening in the world, I would say that the need of agile digital transformation delivery would be key, focusing on implementing AI/ML frameworks to adopt at different organizations while bearing in mind the required need and rise of smart cities.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Absolutely, CIOs now are required to drive organizations not only be the enabler for support services from an IT perspective but will be focused on aligning with the board and the business on a strategic level.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

CIOs of tomorrow would be required to have a comprehensive view on every technological aspect from digital transformation to artificial intelligence, data science, and smart cities architecture. I believe the most important quality that the CIO of tomorrow would require is the strategic mentality that would help derive successful projects and initiatives to organizations, while having agile delivery project management skills to deliver successfully.

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

How Questioning the Status Quo has Proven to be the Right Way to Operate WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

I see new technologies related to distributed cloud, digital twin, smart contracts, productization of data & advanced virtual assistant emerging in the next three to five years and these advances will be taking over the industry. Proptech in the real estate, development & construction industries will also have a massive growth spurt with a lot more technology leveraging AI, VR/AR and clean tech. I anticipate we will see a lot more start-up companies coming up with specialised products, rather than generic products that ‘do it all’, to serve this niche market.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

Near term focus is on rebuilding the foundation across all stacks

of technology that will be future-proof and ready for speed and agility. This includes reengineering of processes and building a robust integration layer. With this strong foundation, we will be able to, in the longer term, streamline processes across the organisation resulting in a smoother customer experience, a ready environment for plug and play for any integration with partner ecosystems and interchangeable technology stack that are able to interoperate with any new solution that meets the business requirement.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

I have always believed in attitude over aptitude. This is the foundation on which I build my teams. A good attitude helps build trust within a team and helps foster collaboration. This, in turn, increases creativity and innovation.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

I believe in having a culturally diverse team. This brings new ideas to the table and fosters collaboration and a sense of ‘team’ among employees. It also helps to build new friendships amongst colleagues and makes living abroad easier. Diversity is always a positive thing and helps us step

JAYESH MAGANLAL,

Chief Information Officer DAMAC Properties

12 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

outside our comfort zone and learn about people from different nationalities. It helps give us a more rounded and tolerant worldview. This has always been my motto and something that we are actively building in DAMAC. In one of my previous jobs, I managed a team that consisted of 18 different nationalities.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

I encourage open discussion, forming of virtual teams with active participation from the business users, usage of collaboration tools such as Monday.com and Microsoft Teams. I believe in delivering solutions in an agile manner rather than using the traditional waterfall methodology and to fail fast and always deliver quick wins through the Minimum Viable Products (MVP) approach.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

I am energised when addressing business problems through various creative solutions, using innovation to simplify a problem and building a positive team culture. Often times I find that people can be resistant to change, and this is what depletes me. Eventually, the task gets done but the energy and lengthy discussions to get people on board and on track can really drain the energy out of me.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

The journey of transformation is still ongoing and business acceptance to change can be difficult. When the way things are done goes unquestioned, opportunities can be lost. Questioning the status quo has proven to be the right way to operate and there are improvement opportunities in the current processes, reduction in wastage of cost and time and overall increase in value for the internal stakeholders.

WHICH TECHNOLOGIES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Anywhere Operations which gives ability to support customers from anywhere regardless of physical location of assets and people. l Hyperautomation which is the next level of automation where robotic process automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence work in perfect harmony to automate complex business processes. l

14 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

Total Experience (TX) strategy which is the complete company experience that involves the shared experience combining User Experience (UX), Customer Experience (CX), multi-experience (MX) and Employee Experience (EX) in providing an excellent environment for not only customers but for employees and users as well. l

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Absolutely. CIOs are doing much more than keeping the lights on, they are now driving business transformation. Digital transformation is on the agenda of all the heads of department across the company. The pandemic has shown just how important and integral technology is to business survival and growth.

There is a huge drive to transform and simplify existing processes across organisations, in order to improve business efficiencies. With more CIOs being on boards this will ensure that the right development decisions are being made, with the right technology and at the right cost.

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WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

The CIO of tomorrow understands that basics never change. Technology is a driver, but people and process remain at the centre of operations. I also think empathy is important. To understand how to fix a problem one needs to be able to listen to staff concerns and communicate clear and effective solutions.

The CIO of tomorrow will be closer to business development processes in order to improve the outcome of technology solutions required to address challenges and to promote growth. He/she will understand that process-technology is not intended to serve the business but, in fact, the business is the technology.

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

A journey towards unfailingly being on an ascending curve WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

With industry poised to increase manifold in Value terms in next 3 years, the organization is destined to become more agile to meet the unmet needs of the market.

Our strength is the innovative products that caters to ever-changing customer needs. As industry leaders, we are able to predict future trends and invest considerably towards continuously providing technologically advanced products. We are committed to bring value addition for our customers through our products and services equally.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

As a leader, I will develop and pursue the

RITESH SINGH ,

General Manager LATICRETE Middle East LLC

16 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

strategic direction by broadening initiatives for both medium and long term goals of the enterprise. Digitization and future -forward product portfolio management will help company to broaden its horizons and capture larger market share.

We aim to ease the work of the installer, improve the durability of buildings and create lasting customer relationships.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

I have always believed in “Delegative” approach. Building a strong team by giving free-hand to make decisions, however I am still responsible for the decisions that are made.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

At LATICRETE - “Family” is the core of our business. Culturally diverse members creating stronger relationships that bind us together as family. Together we focus to build better and grow stronger

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

Perspective & Positive Approach Honest Communication

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?

The brand salience trajectory of LATICRETE has unfailingly been on an ascending curve.

Since nothing speaks more effectively than a product demonstration, the brand has undertaken prestigious projects.

At the trade and retail level, LATICRETE has supported its team and dealers with innovative products and let its products’ efficacy speak for itself, thus firmly establishing brand equity of LATICRETE in the minds of their target consumers.

LATICRETE has been driven by its vision - to be a top ten construction chemicals company measured by degree of globalization, revenue and brand awareness in the professional community.

To sum it up LATICRETE is the energy that drives me.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Creating the right team, instilling the right organizational plus human values and generating value for all stakeholders. This has allowed us to hold steadfast to our values : Trust, integrity & ethics, innovation, passion & commitment, customer centricity.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Technology is evolving day by day, and I am very excited to watch it with curiosity. Undoubtedly, significant steps like space tourism will be a leap forward in the technology sector in the years to come. But I hope that the revolutionary possibilities in the business sector will be made possible through Cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence & machine learning that will increase the sense of machines to understand and act intelligently will transform our world.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Since technology dominates the world every day, the industry requires more technology entrepreneurs to initiate the smooth transition. In that case, the position of CIO will be the most demanding position for the transformation to the new digital world.

CIOs are becoming the perfect corporate board members uniquely proficient and adequate to support, conduct businesses into the prospect, from business strategy to how it gets delivered.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

As we can see, the information technology field is vast, and most businesses are moving forward with digital transformations. In my opinion, the entrepreneur who is keen to generate new ideas and can convert and achieve those through the implementation of new technologies and automation can be the future member of the CIO. The exceptional direction also influencing skills will be the trademarks that drive some CIOs to the top.

OCTOBER 2021

THE TITANS 17

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

How Obeikan automated 150+ End-to-End processes?

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

Today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing technologies including machine learning, artificial intelligence, data science, advanced robotics, RPA and the “internet of things”— referred to as smart factories and “Industry 4.0” technologies—are poised to reshape the manufacturing landscape, with important consequences for the traditional role of manufacturing in economies’ structural transformation, growth, and job creation.

In next three to five years, I see five major trends in manufactur-

ing: l Advanced manufacturing - on autopilot l Building intelligent factories - in the

cloud l Robots on the rise - managed by humans l 3D Printing - Makes Production Faster & Cheaper l Human-Centered AI

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

The major focus is to increase automation and reduce operating cost by doing the following in next 1-3 years. l Increase Investment in RPA, IoT and

MUSHTAQ KHAN,

GM Technology and Digital Transformation Obeikan Investment Group

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

IIoT l l l l

that causes delay and deliver substandard products.

Supportive IT and OT Infrastructure (Hybrid cloud) Shift to Edge computing Introduce VR and AR Cybersecurity

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

Building a team is tougher than finding and hiring a good resource, the following areas I would recommend to focus on to build a best team: l Create clear goal and career map l Communicate, communicate, communicate. l Establish expectations from day one l Respect your team members as individuals. l Engender connections within the team l Look for ways to reward good work l Find a team you trust l Practice emotional intelligence l Motivate with positivity

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

Managing culturally diverse team is having multiple benefits and advantages, there were multiple times when I lead and succeeded.

The most critical and tough was COVID peak time, when the team was not able to meet their loved once and their immediate family members, it was difficult time to come on work. I have created a diversified working group from each section to support, encourage and motivate team members to perform most essential and critical job, and stopped all non-essential projects just to give relief and free time to manage themselves. This works very well and entire team work closely and deliver the work during this pandemic time without impacting the business.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

I encourage open and consistent communication channel and practice transparency across all departments.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

The best thing in my current role which energizes me everyday is innovation and trying multiple new technologies like AI, IoT, ML, RPA, AR and blockchain etc.

Things depleted most is unavailability of qualified resources

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Implementation of RPA across the group, automated 150+ End-to-End processes, that enables company to eliminate 40% workforce from Finance and HR and 20% from supply chain. We have achieved 2530% cost saving and significant process improvement, improve productivity, quality, customer services and compliance.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? l l l l l

Yes

IIoT and IoT BlockChain 5G AI and ML 3D Printing

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

10. WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE? l l l l l

Automation champion Be a Data Strategist Be Emotionally Intelligent Business Acumen Be an Effective Communicator

SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS.

Artificial Intelligence everywhere l Low code- No code - Digitization, datafication and virtualization l

OCTOBER 2021

THE TITANS 19

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

An Interesting Success Story based on WWW and EBI principles WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

Post Covid, building and scaling digital technologies to create differentiated and scalable offerings at a global level, appears to be the priority. Strategic plans need to be assessed in accelerating investments in reskilling the talent in new growth areas such as enterprise SAS ecosystem, Cybersecurity, data, artificial intelligence, 5G, IoT, product engineering etc.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN

SREEJIT CHAKRABARTY,

Director – Artificial Intelligence & Robotics GEMS Dubai American Academy

20 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

For our short term plans, we are focusing on divergence and learnings. Our philosophy of “WWW” – What works Well and “EBI” – Even better if , is to be deployed before making any strategic IT investment plans. An “as is” assessment of the organization’s current competencies/strengths, culture and values is our priority. An external environmental scan, which identifies trends and uncertainties, as well as external forces of change can also help with our divergence plans.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

For a team to be successful, everyone from the top to the bottom needs to understand the “why”. This enables team members to identify what makes the team important to the organisation and assists in creating a passion for the purpose. Involving the team to evaluate and recreate the mission and vision of the company, is one of our most rewarding exercise we do. Defining clear roles makes it easier for the team to function as a unit. Lastly, celebrating success is of paramount importance and sharing good practise can help analyse and replicate what’s working.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

I work in a culturally Diverse Team right now. Being in a setup with more than 110 nationalities is an interesting work demographic.

We all learn from each other in ways we cannot imagine. I would say diversity and inclusion is the secret ingredient to success of any modern setup.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

Streamlining processes and utilising a unified platform helps make cross divisional collaboration seamless. We encourage open feedback and rely on transparent suggestions to learn more about varied departmental processes.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

No two days are same. I love that fact of my current role. Being able to research emerging technologies is what gets me excited.

Although there were a few challenges due to Covid, I do not feel there is anything that really hampers our processes and motivation.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT

CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Setting up of a dedicated Center Of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies at GEMS, was one of my proudest and satisfying contribution. I am forever grateful to the team at DAA and we are all thrilled with the impact in terms of student opportunities that this program has created. This has also helped out GEMS DAA on the world map as this was a world’s first of its kind.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

I think metaCloud and Blockchain would be a radical changemaker for enterprise IT in the next few years. Early adopters wouod have a definitive advantage but a cautious implementation strategy is paramount.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Absolutely. The pandemic has made it evident that CIO’s have an equally transformative and strategic role as CFOs and CEOs.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

The CIO of tomorrow would need to be a cautious risk taker. To understand and discover internal operational loopholes and innovate to elevate the team, is paramount. Of course, budgeting and spending wisely should be a high priority as well.

SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS.

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Data Classification & DLP

SIEM / Threat Intelligence Feed

DNS Security / Network Access Control

Managed Secure File Transfer (SFTP)

Privileged Access Management (PIM/PAM)

Network Monitoring & Configuration Management

Hardware Security Module (HSM) / Encryption

PKI for IoT & OT / MFA / IAM

Insider Threat Monitoring / Prevention

Endpoint Security / EDR / Ransomware Protection

Robotic Process Automation / Workload Automation

Zero Trust / Deception Technology

SSL Certificates / Digital Signatures

Cybersecurity Training and Simulation Platform

DDoS Protection / WAF

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM/ MDM)

Web Application Vulnerability Scanner

Meet The Team

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

Holistic Digital Transformation for Today and 10 Years Ahead WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

Technology has created a hyper platform for people and businesses to harness unimaginable potential for revenue, profit and world order change. This unique event in our lifetime has propelled the clock speeds for businesses to act, react in a fast-paced changeoriented world where activities, their plans, their execution and their outcomes have all become dynamic. The tech industry has fuelled this hyperplane and its ready to depart taking with it to the skies the people and organizations that can sense this, feel this and are ready to jump ahead leaving behind the rest of us on business approaches, operational and tech strategies and overall capability to survive in 5 years if they don’t make it on the ride.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

Digital transformation is the 3rd stage after digitization and digitalization. It culminates in a Digital Enterprise that has technology at its heart and soul. Clear simplified digital interfaces for employees and customers, with dynamic data analytics that can recommend scenario based outcomes, effective real time notifications

and communication of decisions from top to bottom and vice versa. This is my vision over the next 3 years that will set my organization apart from others and lead them into the digital future that lies ahead.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

I firmly believe in that today’s technology era requires versatility and multi-faceted personality rather a single subject matter expertise. We need techno-functional people who understand tech and business, who can wear multiple hats and conduct varied tasks as required by the organization at that given moment be it implementing an ERP or running an ML algorithm or configuring IoT sensors. I am trying to make my team fit this brief.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

About 16 years ago, I was the product head for a supply chain solutions company that had product teams spaced over 3 continents, 4 time zones and with team members from 15 diverse nationalities. It was the true globalization of our software products with ideas, suggestions, critique

SANJEEV MADAVI,

Group Digital Transformation Officer Khimji Ramdas LLC

24 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

and accolades coming in several languages and with versatile connotations. I must say that my experience in managing that team really drove my insights into cultural sensitivities and pluralities of how ideas need to be packaged, communicated, executed and gathered feedback on for continuous refinement.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

Like every cell communicating with each other and achieving the greater good in our living body, our businesses need to understand the underlying principles of data and information gathering, its sharing for the greater or common good and the way we can harness business opportunities by combining our strengths and agility to respond rather than remain alone and focusing just inward all the time. There is no better vehicle to be able to make this possible other than technology that can connect every data and information piece across individuals to teams to businesses to organizations.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

Coming everyday to work at a place that values you as an individual, your professional opinion and advice, your criticism, and arguments for the betterment of the organization, mentoring everyone for their individual and team growth and the sense of achievement at the end of every day for having made a change, small or large as it may be, is what enthuses me and energizes me. What depletes me is the big picture understanding of time and commercial opportunity lost in not being able to make a decision rapidly for lack of information or agreement and the delays in execution of plans against your aspirations and goals that don’t let you reach your target state on or earlier to what is planned or committed to the board.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

My biggest contribution would be in creating a holistic digital transformation roadmap for the KR group that envisages not only the current but also the future needs 10years from now for all the varied businesses models and multi-geography operations involving an intricate web of board and business stakeholders, industry and technology partners and aligning everyone together in the same direction to achieve the fastest growth and maximum benefit potential.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Data and information remain at the heart of every business and organization. More and more data needs to assimilated into information that can be drawn into meaningful analytics and KPIs that in turn support proactive and real-time decision making. Data Analytics, Business Intelligence coupled with AI and ML must become the most sought-after technologies as these can completely change the world as we see today.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

CIOs today are uniquely positioned to understand the underlying nervous system of an organization from the business operations, its efficiencies and optimization, human capital management, business analytics and organizational KPIs and can provide sound business advise alongwith pragmatic decision making. This provides them with a wonderful opportunity to be part of the board and contribute to the organizational strategy and growth story

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/ SHE IMBIBE?

CIO for tomorrow is a techno-functional management expert with the ability to run technology as an independent profit centre using a versatile team of multi-skilled generalists who understand customer and employee experience and can devise the right business analytics for the correct decision making.

SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS.

“AGILITY WITH OUTCOME” (look at how many ways you can read it!!)

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

26 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

CO-CREATING

SUCCESS Hussain AlNakkas talks about how his team comes together to realize the dream of Automation and Digital Transformation in National Assembly of Kuwait (excerpts)

HUSAIN ALNAKKAS,

CIO National Assembly of Kuwait

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

IT is an ever-evolving field, if you do not improve and upgrade yourself, you will be left behind.

I can very well see the industry going towards a 360-degree digital transformation and automation mode, wherein AI would be playing a critical role.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

Ideas, ideas, ideas! Bringing new ideas to the table and implementing them together with my team is something that I love. As a department, we keep innovation and ideas at the core of all that we do and ensure that we keep the cycle running.

My 3-year plan includes end-to-end Automation. I aim to make my department fully automated in terms of processes, structure and operation models. Cloud migration and cloud computing is also on top of my agenda presently and for the future.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

Building teams for me is all about understanding the strengths and weakness of the indi-

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vidual team member. My team exercise normally involves pairing or grouping people based on their respective strengths and weakness. By doing this, the group will not only develop a symbiotic relationship within the team but also create more opportunities to co-create and procreate.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

I am honoured to have led and lead a department that is culturally diverse. My team is a unique blend of Asians, East Asians, Europeans and other nationalities. Without delving much into the details, I can recall a time when there was a major cyber-attack and I needed the team to perform as one. The way and manner in with the team gathered to perform a risk management evaluation was beyond words. Each one brought an expertise different from the other and collaborated in such a way that the risk was mitigated in record time.

I have always believed in the power of having a diverse team and shall always.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

With Covid-19 changing many ways of working, we indulged in a lot of webinars and online trainings. We have conducted a great number of webinars in the past one year and I used those platforms to share new ideas, knowledge about effective ways of working, not only with my department but with other departments as well. I also support collaboration by constantly being a team player, by supporting them in all ways and making sure that I am there for the team, even if they are in a different department.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

Something that energises me is being a role model for anyone, that includes new/current employees and also being a good influence on my children. I’m also excited to constantly see the improvement of this industry and always see what is being innovated. Something that depletes me is the unnecessary problems that arise from being egoistic about one’s position and the unnecessary troubles that surface due to it.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

One of my most significant contribution was working alongside very important KNA heads and making sure everything was working according to how it should be. In return, I was given a certification of appreciation during an open day for potential employees and students. This made a significant impact on the business as more people were interested in my department and they wanted to be part of it.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Artificial intelligence Cyber security

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Yes, as their experience could significantly be useful for the board position since technology is being proven to be reshaping industries globally, the role of CIO has turned into a somewhat of necessity so hopefully they will be taking more board positions.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

Anyone could be the ‘CIO of tomorrow’ however there are certain qualities that the ‘CIO of tomorrow’ must acquire. Some of these qualities include being a powerful communicator, being an advocate for creativity and innovation, develop emotional intelligence and finally have advanced knowledge of data and be a great data analytics.

SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS.

Opportunities Experiences Lessons

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

First organisation in Qatar to have achieved ISO20000 Certification for IT Service Management System WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

Technology in the Banking industry has seen rapid change, especially during the pandemic. The need for modern, agile, scalable, secure, and resilient technology infrastructure has become abundantly clear and the new imperative. Contactless payment will be the norm soon. Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automatic will take over majority of the functions in the financial industry where human interaction can be complimented with AI. Remote working will be considered as a permanent role. The entire financial services functions, from bankers to traders to technical support relied on their at-home internet connections along with existing VPN and virtual desktop infrastructure solutions to do their work.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEARS PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE

BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

We Believe in Digital transformation and cyber resilience.

Business and IT alignment Automating the processes Providing efficient services Adoption of AI and RPA

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

We believe in building relationship with our teams through trust and loyalty, rather than fear or power. We consider every idea of the team members is valuable. Minor disputes are mediated, and team is reminded of the higher goals. Team is empowered to resolve problems through creative solution finding. The most important success factor in teamwork is communication. Facilitating communication to the team by remaining open to suggestions and concerns, by asking questions and offering help, and by doing everything we can to avoid confusion.

Setting standard operating procedures and process documentation is another important aspect of team building and finally, continuous training and keeping the team updated.

SAHEEM MOHAMMED IBRAHIM AL BALUSHI,

Head of IT Service Management Doha Bank

30 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

We have a culturally diverse team. The team members come from different cultural backgrounds. However, we have a clear objective and we follow the motto of the bank which says ‘One Team, One Goal’. Few of the important aspects which we consider while leading such a team includes – considering different cultural communication styles – facial expressions, body language, gestures. Being open to all cultures and their differences is very important. Every team member has defined clear roles and responsibilities and clearly defined and documented processes and procedures lead them to speak a common language, which is to achieve the aimed objective.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

Technology reshapes every industry and business need to adapt to the rapid changes in order to remain competitive. Our IT strategy is aligned with the business strategy ensuring IT enables technological innovation and digital transformation which in turn helps business to achieve the overall objectives. This is achieved through continuous effective and efficient communication between the departments. Ensuring transparency with regards to deliverables and being open to suggestions and feedbacks. Encouraging positive and healthy working environment.

sation and not just one particular dept. We were the first organisation in the country to have achieved these certifications considering the scopes involved. Every branch and department and entire corporate structure was involved, and every individual supported in achieving it. It was a showcase of teamwork and organisational change at a grand level. I had the honour to be assigned by top management to drive these two initiatives.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

I believe that the technologies which has already started dominating the enterprise IT and will continue in the coming years are – Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, Big Data and Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchains and digital ledgers, vision and facial recognition, voice interfaces and chatbots, quantum computing, Cyber resilience and Digitally extended realities, encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality, WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND and mixed reality. In the Banking industry, I WHAT DEPLETES YOU? believe that Bank-as-a-service (BaaS) and Continuous improvement, finding innovative solutions, staying curi- open banking will catch up soon, Video Bankous and being flexible and open to Change energizes me. Ensuring ing and Brick to Click. that I am updated with regards to technical qualifications and trainings is another important factor which energizes me. It is mandaDO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP tory to keep oneself always informed and updated on what is going BOARD POSITIONS? on in the industry, especially focusing on what can add value to the I believe that CIOs will be a good value addiorganisation. What depletes me is lack of communication or mis- tion to the board. CIOs usually have vast excommunication. perience from strategy to operations, front office to back office, customer to supply chain WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION and cyber security. CIOs enable business to IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT meet their objectives through digital innoIMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS? vation and cost/effort saving technologies.

The most significant contribution was the implementation of Infor- Their understanding of the industry bundled mation Security Management System and achieving the ISO27001 with a clearly defined strategic vision, will Certification for the entire banking operations and implementing contribute to the boardroom. the IT Service Management System and achieving the ISO20000 Certification for the organisation. These brought significant change SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS. as these are disciplines which were adopted by the entire organiQatar Welcomes You for Fifa2022

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

How Global Village Elevated Technology Maturity Scores?

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

In the Media & Entertainment industry, we are in the Business of Experiences. Today, experience is significantly driven by technology, with every touchpoint playing a critical part in seamless customer journeys. More companies are understanding this dynamic and investing in digital technology transformations. This trend was accelerated by COVID-19, which sped up plans already part of digital roadmaps.

Reaching out to customers and business partners anywhere, anytime, on any device, is of the essence, and hyper-personalization will overtake CX personalization quicker than expected. This does require significant quantities of data and, with many organizations in the region not currently data driven, changes in approach and business critical decision-making are inevitable.

WHAT IS YOUR 1 YEAR, OR 3 YEAR PLAN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THE BUSINESS FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY?

Global Village has a disruptive, technology savvy and data driven top leadership which is fully aligned with the UAE vision for innovation and technology. This makes it easy to ensure our technology and business objectives are synchronised which in turn allows us to maximise return on investment. Global Village’s primary objective is to create ‘wow’ moments for its guests, and our

AKASH LALL,

Director – Information Technology Global Village

32 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

role is to provide technology that enables and supports this goal. This will be done by harnessing the capabilities of emerging technologies, s AR, VR, IOT, AI and machine learning, as well as video insights and other cognitive tech.

As the group portfolio of offerings grows we will also be looking for synergies across the different businesses by exploring new services, bundles, packaging, subscriptions and other efficiencies. Embracing disruption is part of our DNA and we look to emerging technologies so we continue to set new industry benchmarks across our business.

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

A great team starts with an inspiring vision and excellencedriven mission. Once everyone is heading in the same direction we can empower our teams by creating a climate of respect and trust.

This enables us to build teams with an agile mind set who are capable of thriving in today’s fast-paced environment.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

I have been leading culturally diverse teams for more than a decade and from my experience, such teams are the perfect recipe for success. Here at Global Village bringing extraordinary people together from around the globe is at the core of our business. I witness every day the power and creativity that comes from this inclusive mindset.

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

All technology projects at Global Village are driven by cross team collaboration and partnership. By working closely with the departments across the company we better understand their objectives, needs and pain points. We can then ensure that we can proactively offer solutions that make sense and add value. This allows us to ensure that the business case makes sense and that deliverables are embraced by the end users.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

Firstly, Dubai and the UAE have an emotional connection with Global Village, and it is humbling to be part of such an organisation.

I’m equally motivated by our dynamic leadership, with their focus on innovation, inspiring vision, and commitment to excellence. The opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives, surrounded by an exceptional team and the constant question of ‘what’s next’, keeps me energized and moving forward. If fatigue sets in, meditation helps to keep focussed and revitalises me.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and related transformation have never been more important. Working to elevate technology maturity scores for Global Village has been very gratifying. Aside from three Stevie awards and a BTX wins for digital and enterprise technology transformation, the true highlight has been using

technology to ensure a safe and seamless guest experience in our park. Contactless solutions deployed in our last season included contactless payment solutions, video analytics for smart crowd management in real-time, touchless transactions on vending machines, seamless ticketing on the native apps, e-commerce driven chatbots, audio QRs at attractions, realtime insights from sensors, and more.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Considering their vast potential, the enterprise IT space is certain to welcome cognitive technology, digital twins, and cloudbased virtualization and automation like never before over the coming years.

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

Absolutely. When we assess digital transformation, it’s clear that the role of the CIO has become critical for business strategies and boardroom level decision-making. We see leaders in every organization paying more attention to IT vision, strategy, effectiveness, risks, application development, and planning. The CIO overseas projects that have become the driving force of these businesses.

WHO IS THE ‘CIO OF TOMORROW’ AND WHAT QUALITIES WILL HE/SHE IMBIBE?

Tomorrow’s CIO is an influential business mind who drives an organization’s digital agenda, promotes and encourages innovation, and oversees the digitalization of products and services.

SUMMARIZE 2022 IN 3 WORDS.

Improvising Digital Citizenship

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

Digital disruption The fuel of future economy WHERE DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY HEADING IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS?

Deep automation of the hotel processes is just around the corner!

Accor is moving towards more simplicity, fast deployment projects, moving most applications to cloud and most and better processing of data.

We are going to see a lot of changes in our hotels’ operation in the coming years, such as first fully digital hotel, full cloud hotel, open platform for easy integration etc., which will all add value to our hotels guests and owners.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR TEAMS?

We engage our team in our decisions and use their skills in the right place. We provide clear and consistent messages on values and directions, we always encourage

ROGER TABBAL,

Executive Director Customer Technology Services India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey

34 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

ongoing and open team conversations.

Performance assessments and constructive feedback with customized development plans are our means to maintain a high calibre of service delivery. Any act of progress or innovation is always appreciated!

Last but not least, we provide our people with the effective tools, processes, recognition, and support.

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME YOU LEAD A CULTURALLY DIVERSE TEAM?

The real example of this is my current team of Regional Country IT Directors based in 6 different countries and coming from different backgrounds. This diversity in the team adds strength and productivity since it helps us to have variety and rich ideas to make solid decisions based on team’s feedback and collaboration!

HOW DO YOU SUPPORT COLLABORATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

In Accor, we believe in the individual potential of each member that is put in the favour of the team. Tasks and missions are distributed among concerned members who meet every now and then to share findings, seeking advice, projecting plans, etc. Such meetings are an open room for communication, critical thinking, creativity and definitely collaboration.

WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DEPLETES YOU?

Well, creating a dynamic team is my ultimate intention…I thrive in new challenges however, when it comes to daily routine projects, this is when I feel that it’s time to rebound, refresh, and re-gain the energy needed.

WHICH WAS YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION IN YOUR CURRENT COMPANY AND HOW DID IT IMPACT OR INFLUENCE THE BUSINESS?

Our main focus in 2021 is to act as #OneITteam means which means creating a team with sense of shared endeavour and belongingness and supporting them with the tools i.e. learning, upskilling, access to latest information, etc.!

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU HAD TO MAKE AS A CIO? WHAT RESULT DID IT YIELD?

was a mandatory decision to help our owners during these difficult times and show support to our partners.

However, the result was very positive. All our owners were grateful for the efforts made by IT to try to optimize and reduce the IT cost.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY/IES DO YOU THINK WILL DOMINATE ENTERPRISE IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

Digital disruption is the fuel of the future economy and it will change and improve our business and the way we work. A valid structure can be implemented to support the digital transformation in our organization i.e. cloud strategy which is the key to start, empowering and investing on people will remain our ever winning bet, having an open API strategy which brings new business models and accelerate solution adoption to local needs, Data strategy as a key management tool to drive performance and support hotel owners, and last, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning which are the future of IT. All these technologies will dominate our enterprise in the coming years and will set the new ground for innovations and creativity!

DO YOU SEE MORE CIOS TAKING UP BOARD POSITIONS?

The business model has changed a lot, even before COVID crisis, and we see that technology and innovation are playing a vital role in the strategy of the companies.

Many CIOs are becoming part of the executive committees, as is the case with Accor.

ONE DO AND DON’T FOR 2021

Cost reduction initiatives to support our owners during the past year was one the most challenging decisions I had to apply. This

DO consider Hotel and guests at the heart of everything we do and DON’T be afraid from the changes.

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TOP GLOBAL CIOs

Full automation

of 22 wheat silos across Egypt by the end of 2021

IBM in collaboration with business partner ACME SAICO, announced the automation of 22 wheat silos across Egypt by the end of this year using IBM AI-powered automation software.

This supports the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade’s plans to digitize the wheat supply chain and implement governance systems on the country’s strategic stock.

In line with the national plan for digital transformation, the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade represented by the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos and Storage (EHCSS) selected IBM and ACME SAICO to create a platform powered by IBM’s AI-powered automation software in a hybrid cloud environment. Using IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation and IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, the new solution will allow full automation and governance of all the steps of shipping, transport,

36 THE TITANS OCTOBER 2021

storage, and supply of the wheat silos.

Through this advanced technology, the automated platform collects data from different sensors that are embedded in the silos. These sensors send near realtime quantitative analytics of the wheat supply and stock status to the main platform at the Ministry of Supply. Thus, the EHCSS will be able to monitor and store all information related to the incoming shipments to maintain quality standards, report accurate views of the stock in silos, as well as reduce the leakage in wheat silos extensively. The system will also help

TOP GLOBAL CIOs

to better manage the communication and coordination between different storage points, and mills.

“We are committed to expanding the wheat silos’ automation across the country. The automation enables us to instantly monitor the wheat stock through a digital platform, providing the needed visibility to secure the supply chain. The platform, powered by IBM technology, ensures efficiency, stock protection, in addition to addressing logistical redundancies. This project is part of Egypt’s digital transformation strategy to upgrade services ‘level and performance across all fields,” stated H.E. Dr. Ali El-Moselhi, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade.

"After renovating and increasing the number of silos across the nation, our goal was to build a digital platform to connect all silos with the main center at the EHCSS. Another goal was to au-

tomate the documentation processing of the wheat supply chain and monitoring process of the 22 silos and storage points,” added Major General Sherif Bassili, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Holding Company for Silos & Storage.

“We are proud to be part of this strategic project that supports the country’s digital transformation journey. By offering IBM’s AI and hybrid cloud approach, we're supporting Egypt to achieve its strategy for sustainable development as part of the country’s 2030 Vision,” said Wael Abdoush, General Manager, IBM Egypt Dr. Khaled Derbala, CEO of ACME SAICO added: “We are honored to be part of this national achievement. After months of studying the nature of the food industry, we were able to create a robust and agile system to ensure more governance that doesn’t affect the flow of business. The Ministry was able to see the links between implementing their strategic plans and the tailored digital system we created with IBM.” Earlier this year, the launch of the pilot model for the first automated wheat silo took place in Banha, Qualyubia Governorate. Following the success of the pilot, the Ministry decided to expand automation to 22 silos before the end of this year. All silos will be monitored from the Ministry headquarters and the General Authority for Supply Commodities through IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson connected to the automation platform in use.

As part of the sustainable development strategy of Egypt’s vision for 2030, the government is planning to automate 400 silos adding them to the wheat supply chain monitoring system.

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