GET TO KNOW
5
Whilst studying for my Master’s degree in telecommunications, I
started my own company distributing mobile phones for Vodafone
in the UK. In those days, I can recall speaking to the CEO of an
engineering company about equipping their sales force with mobile
phones and they were trying to justify the costs. Things changed
quickly and the demand for mobile devices grew exponentially but
I had to temporarily put operations on hold to concentrate on my
final exams. Soon after that, I was offered a job and never went
back to continuing with the business. If I had continued with my
own company, I may have been on a different adventure now.
Nonetheless, there are no regrets as I have enjoyed being at the
cutting edge of technological change.
6
What do you currently
identify as the major areas of
investment in your industry?
Gemalto is primarily focused on investing in smart cities and leveraging
the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Smart cities – cities of the future – will provide a more comfortable,
connected and safer life for citizens as a result of the provision of the
latest IoT solutions, designed to make life digitally-enhanced and
easier. As our world becomes smarter and more devices become
connected, a robust network is required to meet growing expectations
and the ‘always-on’ demand of connectivity.
Effective identity verification services are another area of major
investment for Gemalto as this is key to tackling telecoms fraud.
Increasingly, public authorities and governments are requesting ever-
stronger identity verification services.
Lastly, we see significant investments in Network Function
Virtualisation (NFV) which decouples network functions from the
underlying hardware. This technology allows generic hardware to
be configured as network devices like a switch, a router, or any other
type of network equipment via software, as required. NFV takes the
concept of server virtualisation and extends it to the network.
“
SMART CITIES
– CITIES OF THE FUTURE
– WILL PROVIDE A
MORE COMFORTABLE,
CONNECTED AND SAFER
LIFE FOR CITIZENS.
100
“
If you could go back and
change a career decision,
what would it be?
INTELLIGENTCIO
FOR SOMEONE ASPIRING
TO BECOME A C-LEVEL
EXECUTIVE, IT IS
NECESSARY TO HAVE A
CLEAR VISION OF HOW TO
BUILD THIS ECOSYSTEM
ACROSS VARIOUS, AND
SOMETIMES OPPOSING,
STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
What changes to your job
7 role have you seen in the
last year and how do you
see these developing in the
next 12 months?
Digital transformation is now becoming a reality and IoT is playing a
part in the national agenda and GCC strategy. My role has changed
because I see more of a need to contribute as a stakeholder into
the ecosystem rather than working in a vertical approach. In order
to build and integrate these ecosystems, my role requires bringing
together a diverse group of stakeholders including government,
telecommunications companies and technology providers to be part
of the digital transformation.
8
What advice would you
offer somebody aspiring to
obtain C-level position in
your industry?
The survival of telecommunications operators in the future is
based on the ability of the industry to work together with other
stakeholders. For someone aspiring to become a C-level executive,
it is necessary to have a clear vision of how to build this ecosystem
across various, and sometimes opposing, stakeholder groups.
Obtaining a C-Level position requires fostering strong partnerships,
particularly in a service world where long-term transactional business
models are key. It is also important to build and be a part of a
collaborative, a team of people who are dedicated to delivering
innovative solutions. Finding a mentor within your organisation can
be the best way to learn and grow, and ultimately reach the senior
position you aspire for. It’s the power of 3: Build an Ecosystem, build
a partnership, build a team. n
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