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I find an individual ’ s hidden talents will reveal themselves when they believe in a vision that they own . For me it ’ s about creating the freedom for them to realize that ( pun intended ).
goes with a nice white or red from New Zealand . I also love golf . But I don ’ t play it to unwind . Golf is purely a game of the mind . It ’ s amazing what you can make the ball do just by telling yourself you can do it – and unfortunately it just never does for me so it can be the opposite of relaxing .
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be ?
Being a chef and being successful at it . I used to be one and it ’ s a most rewarding and highly stressful career . I ’ d do it again ( if my wife would let me ) as nothing beats the satisfaction of producing eight perfect meals from scratch which clients adore and come back time and again for . To this day , if I bump into one of my old team they ’ ll always ask ; ‘ Boss when are we going to do it again ?’
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
Making the Intelligence in AI a reality . AI has been around for quite some time now and it ’ s certainly still evolving but Blue Prism ( as well as a number of AI vendors we work with ) are making tremendous strides . Within my organization , we ’ re laser focused on further innovating our product suite , people and marketing towards this common goal – making AI solutions smarter and even more intelligent . We ’ ve got great people on the case .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in APAC ?
The accelerating acceleration in the change that ’ s happening all around us . Keeping up with change is no longer the challenge – it ’ s recognizing the pace of acceleration , realizing where it ’ s happening and then trying to identify where it ’ s going to happen or impact next across the entire PESTE spectrum . A classic example in my industry over the past three years , just in APAC , I ’ ve seen an evolution ( and rapid adoption ) from process automation and case management to robotic process automation , then almost immediately into intelligent process automation and now AI – with the market already moving to the next evolution . Just recognizing that this is happening and being able to share my perspective on that is what I find makes what I do fun .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
The changes have primarily been around adjusting our business model and framework to respond and adapt to pace of change referenced above – and how we can help with accelerating that change for our clients . A cultural shift in mindset , as individuals and as a business , doesn ’ t happen overnight . However , if we can show our clients the way to most effectively blend technology with commercial reality to achieve proven ROI then there is tremendous opportunity . We ’ re seeing this with AI . Our clients now get it and want to apply it – so watch this space .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
Leadership really comes down to followers . It ’ s been said before , but your people really are your biggest assets . My advice would be ; exercise humility , focus on how you execute , stay true to your cause and look after your team . Secondly , there are commercial realities that surround your success – leverage your people to understand what that is and they will execute with a passion that can only result in success for everyone . Finally , you will have to make some hard decisions . Make them considered decisions then make them with confidence . p
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