GET TO KNOW
answer: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
(VDI), as it is proving to be a more crucial
technology than ever before. Second, as a
consequence of what is happening right
now, I think that everything with a zerotouch
approach across all technology will
become increasingly important. By this, I
mean every element of technology within
a business accelerating its move towards
a software-defined approach rather than
using siloes of technology. Companies are
now beginning to understand that this is
very possible – not easy but possible – and,
if anything, they are seeing their employees
working even more productively at home
than in the office.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
Right now, the industries that are investing
the most are those that are less negatively
affected by COVID-19, such as telco food
delivery and healthcare. But it’s actually
these verticals that are often the least
progressed in their Digital Transformation
journey. Going forward, I believe that we
will begin to see increasing speed and scale
of investment from other verticals – from
banking and insurance right through to
manufacturing – in technology that gives
them the possibility to be zero-touch, utilise
multi-cloud, increase scalability and to serve
customers at wider sites.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside of the office?
at the same time. I have
two sons, so I am now
embracing the opportunity
of spending time with
them during the day. I’m
using my breaks to chat
with them, get involved
with what they’re up to,
even challenging them to 15
minutes of PlayStation! You
need breaks between calls
and meetings, otherwise you
are at risk of becoming too
stressed and losing focus.
If you could go back and change one
career decision, what would it be?
I spent the first 10 years of my career at
an Italian company before moving to an
international, US-based company. I found
that I was a lot happier, more motivated and
had really found the challenge I was looking
for. If I could change one thing, I think I
would like to have taken that leap earlier.
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in Europe?
The beauty of Europe is that every country
has its own unique culture. The ability to
change and embrace transformation of any
type – be it political, social or technological –
is correlated with each country’s culture.
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?
My role 10 years ago was more internal,
more correlated to legal and contractual
aspects and more focused on organisational
“
YOU NEED
BREAKS BETWEEN
CALLS AND
MEETINGS,
OTHERWISE YOU
ARE AT RISK OF
BECOMING TOO
STRESSED AND
LOSING FOCUS.
change and adjustment. There was a great
distance between myself and the rest of the
organisation. Today, it is largely the same
but with additional expectation to have
maximum visibility with customers, partners
and employees, as well as publicly. I try to
lead by example for the people that are
working for me and encourage them to do as
I do. I believe giving these examples in more
ways, through more channels and platforms,
is much more important in my role now than
it was in the past.
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain a
C-level position in your industry?
Nobody obtains a C-level position by chance.
You must invest time, patience and longterm
consistency in your behaviours. Be
humble, be yourself, leverage your strengths
and establish long-term relationships with
people who are important to you and you
aspire to be like. •
Right now, it is more important than ever to
have rules around work/life balance and a
regular routine during the day, while always
ensuring to take breaks and have some fun
82 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com