Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 48 | Page 47

CIO OPINION our workforce from office to home ; facilitated home education for students ; enabled supply chain agility for stores , manufacturing , utilities , petrol stations , transportation , and the like , supporting firms , governments , hospitals , police , and the military in their efforts . In addition , it aided scientists in vital modelling and forecasting work , and right up to the Edge , Internet-enabled sensors and devices worked continuously in hospitals , helping keep the sickest among us alive .
McKinsey reported that we leaped forward five years in consumer and business digital adoption in just around eight weeks . Banks transitioned to remote sales and service teams , launching new services allowing customers to make flexible payment arrangements for loans and mortgages .
Retail stores shifted to online ordering and delivery as their primary business . Schools in many areas moved to online learning and digital classrooms . Doctors and hospitals used video conferencing for appointments and diagnoses . Manufacturers quickly developed plans for ‘ lights out ’ factories and supply chains . There was explosive , unprecedented growth in technology innovations and customers wanted more .
Faced with continued uncertainty , companies now need their executives to be strong , agile and technology-focused resilient leaders who can motivate and inspire their workforce to steer through today ’ s turbulent waters . And , when we finally emerge from this dark tunnel , we will need leaders who can innovate , stimulate and create environments where teams of self-motivated employees thrive and grow . Now is the time for immediate transformational , not incremental , change . And who is better placed than the CIO to help drive this change ?
For data centre operator CIOs , the job is doubly difficult , as often , the digital infrastructure they are responsible for is also shared by their firm ’ s customers . This complex balancing act drives innovation , but with the absolute non-negotiable requirement of maintaining 100 % availability . In addition , the increasing focus on climate change stresses that all must be delivered within a zero-carbon environment .
Louise Bunting , Global CIO of Yondr Group , a hyperscale data centre developer , believes the role of technology is integral to supporting carbon net-zero data centres . Her remit includes IT , Value Creation , Sustainability and Quality , which reflects the
The big question is whether your ‘ old ’ CIO will be able to morph into the ‘ new ’ CIO , or whether you ’ ll need to embark on a search for a new one .
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