Demys fying Technology
Essen al Traits of Effec ve IT Leaders
Redefining Compe veness Building Resilient Enterprises with Digital Transforma on
Flour Mills Kepenos S.A. IT & Cybersecurity Manager
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Innovationhasalwaysbeenthebackboneofprogress,
butintoday’srapidlyevolvingdigitalage,ithas becomemorethanjustadriverofgrowthitisthe currencyofsurvival.AcrossEurope,anewwaveof visionaryITleadersisnotonlyshapingthefutureof technologybutalsoredefininghowbusinesses, governments,andcommunitiesharnesstheirpower This editionofCIOLooktitled, Europe’s 10 Dynamic IT Leaders Powering Innovation, 2025,celebratesthose trailblazerswhoarepushingtheboundariesofpossibility.
Theleaderswehighlightinthisissueembodyresilience, foresight,andtheabilitytoturnchallengesinto opportunities.Whetheritisbuildingagiledigital ecosystems,fortifyingcybersecurityframeworks,or enablingdata-drivendecision-making,theyaresetting newstandardsofexcellencewhileaddressingthepressing demandsofafast-changingworld.
Whatmakestheirstoriesremarkableisnotjusttheir technologicalbrilliance,buttheirhuman-centricapproach toleadership.Eachoftheseleadersunderstandsthattrue innovationliesinempoweringpeople,employees, customers,andsocietyatlarge—tothriveinthedigitalera. Byfosteringculturesofcreativity,inclusiveness,and collaboration,theyareensuringthattechnologyservesas anenabler,notadisruptor
Asyouexploretheirjourneys,youwillfindlessonsin leadership,inspirationinresilience,andaclearvisionfor thefutureofITinEurope.Thiseditionisatestamentto howinnovation,whenpairedwithpurpose,canunlock unlimitedpotential.
Wehopethisissuenotonlyinformsyoubutalsoinspires youtoembracethespiritoftransformationinyourown journey.Afterall,thefutureofinnovationisnotjustabout technology,it’saboutthepeoplewhodaretoleadit.
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Demys fying Technology
Essen al Traits of Effec ve
IT Leaders
Redefining Compe veness
Building Resilient Enterprises with Digital Transforma on
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FeaturedPerson
AdewaleSalami CountryHead, Technology &Operations
ClaudioFinol ChiefInnovation &StrategyOfficer
ClausBirkholm CIO,VP
DennisPokupec CSO/CISO
DimosthenisAtteia ITandCybersecurity Manager
HeidiHave ManagingDirector
Konstantinos Troumpoukis DigitalTransformation Officer
ManonVan Rietschoten DirectorITAssurance andAdvisory
MinasDermatis CommercialDirector
Technologyleaderwithexpertiseinoperations,digitalstrategy, andfinancialsystemsintegration,ensuringseamlessinnovation whilebalancingregulatorycomplianceandoperational excellence. FirstBank firstbank.ro
Fyffes fyffes.com
NIRAS niras.com/
CreditplusBank creditplus.de/
FlourMillsKepenosS.A. kepenos.gr
DellTechnologies dell.com
HELLENICDAIRIESGroup hellenicdairies.com/en/
KPMGNederland kpmg.com
IFSAS ifsas.com
SteveParmenter Director
Boku boku.com
Innovativestrategistwithstrongfocusondigital transformation,innovationmanagement,andforward-looking businessmodelsthataccelerategrowthandlong-term competitiveness.
Forward-thinkingCIOwithexpertiseinenterpriseITstrategy, digitalinnovation,andbusinessalignment,deliveringrobust technologysolutionsthatempowersustainablegrowth.
Provenleaderincybersecurity,withdeepexpertisein informationsecurityframeworks,riskmitigation,andresilience strategiestoprotectenterprisesagainstevolvingdigitalthreats.
AdynamicleaderskilledinITandoperationaltransformation, drivinginnovationthroughstrategictechnologyintegration, cross-functionalcollaboration,andscalableenterprisesolutions toenhanceorganizationalefficiency.
Strategicleaderexcellinginbusinessgrowth,people management,andorganizationaltransformation,fostering innovationthrougheffectiveleadershipandsustainablevaluedriveninitiatives.
Visionaryprofessionalindigitaltransformation,leveraging emergingtechnologies,data-drivenstrategies,andautomation tomodernizeoperationsandcreatecompetitive,future-ready enterprises.
SpecialistinITassuranceandadvisory,skilledinrisk management,cybersecurity,governance,andcompliance frameworks,ensuringorganizationsbuildtrustthroughresilient digitalinfrastructures.
Results-orientedcommercialstrategist,combining marketinsight,salesleadership,andcustomer engagementexpertisetoexpandbusinessopportunities andmaximizerevenuestreams.
Experiencedprofessionalinoperationsandleadership, recognizedfordrivingefficiency,buildingstrategic partnerships,andenablinglong-termorganizationalvalue throughpracticalsolutions.
Thedynamicnatureofthetechnologyworldhas
transformedtheroleoftheITleaderinthe contemporaryorganization.CurrentITleadersare nowrequiredtomakecontributionstotheinnovation processandenabledigitaltransformationandusethe technologyinitiativestoyieldbusinessresults.Effective ITleadershipintegratestechnicalability,businessacumen, andinterpersonalskillsthattogetherhelpcompanies maintaincompetitivenessinanaccelerating-digitalworld. GoodITleadersarenotjustattentivetotheundertonesof newtechnology,buthavetheabilitytoputitintowords thatreflectmeasurablebusinessvalue.Theirleadership doesnotconcernsystemperformanceorcybersecurity strategybutratherthecreationofaninnovative, collaborative,andtrustingstakeholderenvironment.By showcasingmostcriticalskillslikevision,agility,and effectivecommunication,thesemanagersbridgethe technology-businessgapandleverageITasagrowth engine,ratherthanacostcenter
Itisaquestionofmagicofimagination,havingthevision tocomprehendhowtechnologycanrevolutionizebusiness models,improvecustomerexperience,andobliteratecost. Visionaryleaderspossessvision,throughforward thinking,throughforesight,inbeingabletothinkforward intothemarketscenarioandtechdisruption,andguide theircompaniesforwardofthecurve.Theyreplacea short-term,problem-orientedthinkingprocesstoalongtermthinkingprocessformulatingastrategythatbetter alignsITprogramswithoverallbusinessgoals.This visionforwardhasITinvestmentsgeneratingmeasurable paybackandinformingorganizationalobjectives.
Thereisaneedforstrategicthinkingtoo.ExceptionalIT leadersbalancerisksagainsteachother,stabilityagainst innovation,andmakeinformeddecisions.Theyfosteran environmentofexperimentationwithacultureofsafetybut governanceframeworkskeeppeopleontheirtoesandoffer security.BymaintaininggoodmindsandputtingIT objectivesinlinewiththefirm'sgreatergood,executives establishtrustwithexecutives,investors,andworkers. Strategicthinkingontheirpartallowsorganizationsto leveragetechnologyasaforceforbusinesstransformation insteadofaline-of-businesscompetency
TechnologyhorizonschangeatapacethatrequiresIT leaderstochangetochangeatspeed.Newtechnologies, platforms,andarchitectureslikecloudcomputing,artificial intelligence,andcyber-attackscallforleaderswhocanshift strategyatshortnoticewithminimaldisruption.Flexibility allowsITleaderstocopewithunprecedentedadversityina rapidlychangingenvironmenteitherduetotechnological obsolescence,financialcrisis,orcorporatetransformation. Changingandleadingchange,leadersprovidethecultureof developmentofthecompanyandviewchallengesasan impetusforinnovation.
Resiliencesupportsflexibilitybecauseitallowsleadersto operatewithfailurewithoutcompromisinglong-term vision.Remainingcoolincrisis,learningfromfailing,and leadingteamsinastateofuncertaintyareessential. EffectiveITleadersdonotviewchallengesasimpossible wallsbutsteppingstonestogreatness.Theyinvestin developingshock-absorbingstaffsandworkerswhowill deliverunderstress,round-the-clockserviceaccess,and trustwithstakeholders.Throughresilience,ITexecutives demonstratethatdeterminationandstabilityareas importantastechnicalexpertisetoachievelong-term success.
Themostcriticalaspectofleadershipliesinstrongpeople skills,encompassingeffectivecommunicationand interpersonalabilities.ITleadersmustbeabletoconveythe technicaldetailsofthebusinessintoanon-technical languagethatcanbeperceivedbythenon-technical stakeholderssuchastheexecutives,theboardmembers, andthecustomers.Communicationsuccessisthekeyto winningtechnologyprojectacceptance,cross-functional groupalignment,andsettingexpectations.Byestablishing transparencyandcommunications,leadersbecomecredible
andmakeITabusinessgrowthpartnerandnotabusiness silo.
EffectiveITleadersknowthattheirbeststrengthisnotin technology,butinthepeople,whocreate,deploy,and maintainit.Theyvaluehighlymentoring,talent management,anddevelopingdiverse,teamwork-oriented, andinnovation-focusedworkcultures.ITexecutivescan develophigh-performingandcommittedteamsby empoweringtheirpeople,valuingthemandproviding training.People-firstleadershipgeneratesloyalty,reduces turnoverandfacilitatesaclimateinwhichinnovationcan flourish.Theperson-focusedideologywillseetoitthatthe drivingforcesoftechnologicalprogressareinthehandsof inspiredandmotivatedindividuals.
Intoday’stechnology-drivenenvironment,the responsibilitiesofITleadershaveexpandedsignificantly, requiringvision,adaptability,resilience,andstrong communication.Technicalcompetenceisstillthecore,but itistheabilitytoestablishalinebetweenbusinessstrategy andtechnology,andtoleadothers,thatdifferentiatesgreat leadersfromothers.Today'sorganizationsseeknotonly operationaleffectivenessfromITleadership,butalsothe wisdomtocreatetechrevolutionsandcapturedigital opportunity.Gainingtheimportantattributesofagility, resilience,andpeopleleadershipunderstrategicvision,IT leaderssettheirorganisationsupforsuccessineverescalatingchangespeed.Theirinfluenceisfeltfarbeyond theITorganisationtosetculture,competitiveness,and enterprise-readiness.Astechnologycontinuestoshapethe industriesitcompetesin,effectiveITleadershipwill increasinglyrequiremore,andthesecharacteristicsbecome absolutelynecessaryforindividualswhowanttoestablish lastingsuccess.
Intoday’srapidlyevolvingbusinessenvironment,resilience
hasbecomethedefiningtraitofenterprisesthatthrive. Globaldisruptions,shiftingcustomerexpectations,supply chainvulnerabilities,andconstanttechnologicaladvancesare reshapingthewayorganizationsmustoperate.Tosurviveand flourishinsuchaclimate,enterprisesmustembracedigital transformationnotasanoptionalupgradebutasavitalstrategy forlong-termgrowthandsustainability.
Digitaltransformationisnolongerameretrend.Itrepresentsa fundamentalrethinkingofhowbusinessesusetechnologyto innovate,streamlineoperations,andcreatevalue.Itenables enterprisestowithstandshocks,respondswiftlytomarket changes,andstayconnectedwithcustomersinmeaningfulways. Moreimportantly,itlaysthefoundationforbuilding organizationsthatareagile,adaptive,andfuture-ready.
Atitsessence,digitaltransformationisnotjustaboutadopting thelatesttoolsorautomatingexistingprocesses.Itisaholistic approachthatintegratesdigitaltechnologiesintoeveryaspectof anenterprise,reshapingitsstructure,culture,andbusiness models.Thistransformationextendsfromenhancingcustomer experiencestooptimizingsupplychainsandenablingdata-driven decisions.
Forenterprises,digitaltransformationmeanscreatingan ecosystemthatcanfunctionseamlesslyeveninuncertaintimes. Byleveraginginnovationssuchasartificialintelligence,cloud computing,dataanalytics,andautomation,businessescanunlock efficienciesthatstrengthentheirresilienceagainstexternal shocks.
Resilienceistheabilityofabusinesstoabsorbchallenges, recoverquickly,andcontinueitsjourneyofgrowth. Organizationsthathadalreadyinvestedindigitaltransformation werebetterequippedtomanagerecentglobalcrises.Remote
work,onceconsideredaperk,becamepossiblealmost overnightbecauseofcloud-basedplatforms.Companies useddata-driveninsightstoanticipaterisks,optimize supplychains,andservecustomerseffectivelydespite disruptions.Automationfurtherreduceddependencyon manualoperations,ensuringcontinuityevenwhen resourceswereconstrained.
Inshort,digitaltransformationprovidestheadaptabilityand flexibilityenterprisesneedtonavigateuncertainty.It empowersthemnotonlytowithstanddisruptionsbutalso toturnadversityintoopportunity
Oneofthemostsignificantoutcomesofdigital transformationistheabilitytoinnovatearoundcustomer needs.Intoday’smarketplace,customersexpect personalized,seamless,anddigital-firstexperiences. Enterprisesthatusetechnologytounderstandandrespond tocustomerbehaviorstrengthenloyaltyandsecurelongtermgrowth.
Equallyimportantisthewaydataistreated.Inresilient organizations,dataisnotjustcollectedbutused strategically.Byanalyzingtrendsandintegrating informationacrossdepartments,businessescanmake informeddecisionsthatreducerisksandopennewavenues ofgrowth.
Agilityisanotheressentialpillar.Traditionalrigid structuresleavecompaniesvulnerabletodisruption, whereasdigitallytransformedenterprisescanquicklypivot theirstrategies.Cloudplatforms,InternetofThings applications,andintelligentautomationallowforflexible operationsthatreducecostsandenhanceefficiency
However,resilienceisnotbuiltontechnologyalone.A successfuldigitaltransformationmustalsofocusonpeople. Employeesneedtobeequippedwithdigitalskillsand encouragedtoembraceacultureofinnovationand adaptability Whenpeopleandtechnologyarealigned, enterprisesarefarbetterpreparedtofacechallenges.
Finally,resiliencerequiresstrongcybersecurity.As enterprisesdigitize,theirexposuretocyberthreats increases.Adigitaltransformationstrategythatembeds robustcybersecuritymeasuressafeguardsnotonlydataand systemsbutalsocustomertrust.
Theimpactofdigitaltransformationisvisibleacross industries.Healthcareorganizations,forexample,embraced telemedicineandremotepatientmonitoringtomaintain continuityofcareduringtimesofcrisis.Retailersleanedon
e-commerceplatformsanddigitalmarketingtostay connectedwithcustomerswhenphysicalstoreswere inaccessible.Manufacturersimplementedpredictive maintenanceandautomationtokeepoperationsrunning efficientlydespitedisruptions.
Thesecasesillustratehowdigitaltransformationisnotjust aresponsetoimmediatechallengesbutastrategyfor buildinglong-termresilience.Enterprisesthatadoptdigitalfirstapproachesconsistentlyemergestronger,more innovative,andmorecompetitive.
Ofcourse,thejourneyisnotwithoutitshurdles.High implementationcosts,resistancetochangeamong employees,legacysystemsthataredifficulttointegrate,and concernsarounddataprivacyoftenslowdown transformationefforts.Toovercomethesebarriers, enterprisesmustbeginwithaclearroadmapthatalignswith theiroverallgoals,secureleadershipcommitment,and investinupskillingtheirworkforce.
Ratherthanattemptingsweepingchangesallatonce, organizationscanstartsmallwithscalableprojects,learn fromearlysuccesses,andgraduallyexpandtheir transformationinitiatives.Bymanagingchallenges thoughtfully,enterprisescanensuretheirdigital transformationeffortstranslateintosustainableresilience.
Theenterprisesofthefuturewillbethosethatseedigital transformationnotasaone-timeprojectbutasacontinuous journey.Emergingtechnologiessuchasartificial intelligence,blockchain,5G,andaugmentedrealitywill opennewopportunitiesforresilienceandgrowth. Organizationsthatstayaheadoftheseadvancements,while keepingcustomersandemployeesatthecenteroftheir strategies,willbebetterpositionedtothriveinanuncertain world.
Buildingresiliententerprisesisnolongeraboutrelying solelyonsize,legacy,orresources.Itisaboutcultivating adaptability,agility,andforesight.Digitaltransformation providesthetoolsandmindsetneededtoachievethis resilience.Byreimaginingoperations,empoweringpeople, andleveragingdataandtechnology,businessescannotonly survivedisruptionsbutthrivebeyondthem.
Resilienceisnotaboutavoidingchallenges,itisabout turningthemintoopportunities.Andintoday’sdynamic world,digitaltransformationisthebridgethatconnects challengeswithlastingsuccess.
