About
Every large organisation has been through a major transformation, and most through several. The word transformation is misleading because it suggests a beginning and an end. But organisations that do well are the ones that have given up on the idea of arriving and realise that constant change has become the new norm, and missing a single cycle leaves you permanently behind.
This evening, two leaders will share how they think about this, coming from opposite directions. John Porter led Telenet group through a sustained period of reinvention starting in the pandemic till today to deliver on the company's purpose to become a digital-first, customer-centric organisation. To deliver on this ambition, he has embarked Telenet group on a transformation journey built on three pillars:
- the implementation of a scaled-agile operating model (organisation)
- the acceleration of digitisation and automation underpinned by optimised IT systems, platforms, and strategic technology partnerships (digitisation)
- a performance leadership culture focused on accountability, ownership, and a change mindset (culture)
Along the way, the IT department was dissolved and technology was embedded inside the business with autonomoustribes that run as small businesses. Today Telenet group has a CTO, but no longer a CIO.
It is Telenet group’s purpose to become a digital-first, customer-centric organisation. To deliver on this ambition, it has embarked on a transformation journey built on three pillars: (i) the implementation of a scaled-agile operating model (organisation), (ii) the acceleration of digitisation and automation underpinned by optimised IT systems, platforms, and strategic technology partnerships (digitisation), and (iii) a performance leadership culture focused on accountability, ownership, and a change mindset (culture).
Kris Vervaet, on the other hand, has just become CIO at KBC, the bank whose mobile app has been ranked best in the world three times and whose AI assistant Kate now handles 70% of customer queries on its own. But Kris is no ordinary CIO: he ran DPG Media Belgium as CEO, and KBC went looking for someone who has led transformation rather than someone who manages technology.
So while one organisation got rid of the CIO role, the other reinvented it, and both are thriving. The conversation will range across organisational and IT redesign, the rise of digital-first customer experience, the impact of AI on how every business is run, and the harder questions of culture, talent and leadership. The question for every leader in the room is what that tells you about your own role, your own operating model, and the pace at which you are prepared to keep evolving.
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