September 2025 | technologymagazine.

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TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY
Cloud migration
strategies

TECHNOLOGY THE INTERVIEW

COMPANIES Mike Blandina,
CIO, Snowflake

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 FOREWORD

TECHNOLOGY
MAGAZINE TEAM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MARCUS LAW
EDITOR
MAYA DERRICK
LEAD DESIGNER
REBEKAH BIRLESON
ACCOUNT MANAGERS THE NEED
FOR SPEED
RYAN HALL
TOM VENTURO
JOE PALLISER

T
ZACH BOURNER
PRODUCTION MANAGERS
he pace of technological evolution has
JANE ARNETA never been faster. What better way is there to
YEVHENIIA SUBBOTINA
FREYA REID illustrate that sentiment than the thrill of live
sport? Without the latest and greatest technologies,
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR fans watching on TV could be left behind,
DANIELA KIANICKOVÁ
particularly when that sport reaches more than 200
GROUP CONTENT DIRECTOR
STEVEN DOWNES miles per hour. Tata Communications’ revolutionary
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER remote production technology has transformed F1
JAMES WHITE broadcasting, reaching more than two billion fans
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER
with millisecond precision – something you can
LEWIS VAUGHAN
CEO
read more about in this issue.
GLEN WHITE Speed is also a major theme in this month’s focus
on green technology and sustainability. Real-time
monitoring and rapid automated response – enabled
by AI, IoT and advanced analytics – enables smart
grids to quickly detect changes, forecast demands,
manage supply fluctuations and autonomously
adjust operations in milliseconds to optimise
energy distribution and maintain stability.

Enjoy the issue!

a y a D e r r i c k
M
MAYA DERRICK

CONTACT ME
TECHNOLOGY
MAGAZINE
IS PUBLISHED BY

© 2 0 2 5 | A L L RI GHTS RESERVED

[Link] 7
 CONTENTS
24
14 T
 ECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS
This month in technology

16 STATISTICS
Month in numbers

18 P
 EOPLE MOVES
Executive moves this month

22 BIG PICTURE
Meta’s US$16.2m lab advances
smart audio for AR glasses

24 THE TECHNOLOGY 00
INTERVIEW
Mike Blandina,
CIO at Snowflake

32 TOP 10
Technology Companies

TECHOLOGY
COMPANIES

32
8 September 2025
 SEPTEMBER 2025
50 CLOUD COMPUTING
From IT revolution to evolution

62 CLARK COUNTY
50
Clark County CIO reveals tech
roadmap centred on residents

84 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
Why cloud strategy can make or break
your 2025 digital transformation

98 COLLECTORS
How Collectors is digitising
the world of collectibles XXXXXX
CEO,
Company
114 LENOVO
How Lenovo is building
hyper-personalised AI workplaces

126 FWD GROUP

Cloud transformation
with a customer focus

144 AI
The AI split how governance
is dividing global leaders

162 DELIVEROO
Rob Turner, Chief Procurement
Officer at Deliveroo

182 GREEN TECHNOLOGY

AND SUSTAINABILITY
How core technology is
forging the smart grid’s future

194 DELSKA
Delska targets hyperscaler
expansion across the Baltics 98
[Link] 9
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 SEPTEMBER 2025

216 248

272

216 DATA AND DATA ANALYTICS 262 THE HACKETT GROUP

Why your most valuable How technology and AI
asset needs a rulebook are changing trucking

228 PEKIN INSURANCE 272 PARKDEAN RESORTS

From adversity to resilience: Procurement from land’s
Pekin Insurance’s tech-driven turnaround end to Scottish Highlands

248 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 288 GOLDEN

How Schneider Electric is leading DIGITAL GATEWAY
the sustainable data centre revolution Batam’s fata centre potential

[Link] 11
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World’s
ders

Sriram Kumaresan
SVP and Global Head
of the Cloud Infrastructure
& Security Markets
Cognizant
 TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

THE MONTH IN
TECHNOLOGY
Meta and Google Cloud’s AI infrastructure deal, VW Group and AWS’ move to
transform automotive manufacturing and Softbank’s $2bn investment in Intel
WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAW

BEHIND META AND

GOOGLE’S CLOUD DEAL
FOR AI INFRASTRUCTURE
Meta has signed a six-year,
US$10bn cloud computing
partnership with Google Cloud
to expand AI infrastructure
through servers, storage and
networking capacity. This
decision follows a similar
agreement Google previously
made with OpenAI, showcasing
its growing involvement in
facilitating AI tech progression.

14 September 2025
HUAWEI ENTERS GARTNER
LEADERS QUADRANT FOR
CONTAINER TECH
Huawei has gained Gartner Magic Quadrant
recognition for its AI container capabilities and
open-source contributions across 82 CNCF projects.

“By designing AI systems with security at

their core and continuously monitoring
and updating them, organisations can
stay ahead of the most critical threats”
Daniel Kendzior,
Global Data & AI Security Lead,
Accenture

HOW VW AND AWS

TRANSFORMED GLOBAL
AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING
German manufacturer VW Group
is deploying machine learning
at industrial scale through AWS
partnership spanning three
continents and 43 production sites.

Japanese investment giant SoftBank

has announced that it has made a

US$2bn investment
in Intel, the US-based tech titan

[Link] 15
MONTH IN NUMBERS:
THE DATA CENTRE SPE
Power demand for US data centres could rise to

4,193,000,000,000kWh

in 2025 thanks to AI and crypto currency,

according to the EIA

AWS is the world’s largest China has the highest

cloud service provider, number of data
with a dominant market
centres in APAC
presence of around
and the fourth most
globally, with around

31% 450
FACILITIES
Statista says
16 September 2025
:
ECIAL
The IEA says electricity
THE GLOBAL
demand from data centres
worldwide is set to more DATA CENTRE
than double by 2030 COLOCATION MARKET
to around IS ESTIMATED TO

945TWh
REACH US$78.90BN
IN VALUE IN 2025

– slightly more than

the entire electricity
consumption of Japan
in 2025

Google’s AI-powered efficiency

recommendation system for data
80%
centres led to a 40% reduction in
the energy it uses for cooling

70%

60%
PEOPLE MO
New technology-based appointments include executives
taking on roles at FedEx, Microsoft, Maaden and Ahold Delhaize
WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

VISHAL TALWAR
JOB FROM: SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR
AND CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER
AT ACCENTURE TECHNOLOGY
JOB TO: EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
AND CHIEF DIGITAL AND
INFORMATION OFFICER
AT FEDEX AND PRESIDENT
OF FEDEX DATAWORKS

Vishal Talwar has been appointed Executive

Vice President, Chief Digital and Information
Officer and President of FedEx Dataworks.
With more than 27 years in technology-driven
growth and digital transformation, he will
lead FedEx’s digital innovation, leveraging “Vishal has a proven track
AI, data, cloud and cybersecurity to advance record in accelerating
the company’s strategic objectives and
customer value. business growth through
forward-thinking strategies
and transformative
digital solutions”

18 September 2025
OVES

Vishal Talwar,
Executive VP and CDIO,
Fedex
 Amar Subramanya, Donovan Waller,
Corporate VP of AI, CTO,
Microsoft Maaden

PEOPLE MO
AMAR SUBRAMANYA DONOVAN WALLER
JOB FROM: HEAD OF ENGINEERING JOB FROM: GROUP HEAD OF
FOR GEMINI AT GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT AT
JOB TO: CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT
ANGLO AMERICAN
OF AI AT MICROSOFT
JOB TO: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
Amar Subramanya, formerly Google’s Head OFFICER AT MAADEN
of Engineering for the Gemini chatbot, has
joined Microsoft as Corporate Vice President Donovan Waller brings more than 30
of AI. After 16 years at Google, Amar praised years in industrial technology to his new
Microsoft’s culture as “refreshingly low role as mining giant Maaden’s new CTO.
ego yet bursting with ambition”. His move He previously led Anglo American’s
is part of Microsoft’s strategic AI talent FutureSmart Mining programme.
acquisition, alongside more than 20 At Maaden, he drives AI, automation
hires from Google’s DeepMind. and IIoT adoption to create the “mine
of the future”, advancing Saudi Arabia’s
Vision 2030 goals.

20 September 2025
 PEOPLE MOVES

Jan Brecht,
CTO,
Ahold Delhaize

OVES
JAN BRECHT
JOB FROM: GLOBAL CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER
AT NISSAN MOTOR
JOB TO: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
AT AHOLD DELHAIZE

Jan Brecht will take over as CTO of Ahold

Delhaize, one of the world’s largest food
retail groups, from 26 September. Bringing
extensive experience from leadership
roles in digital transformation at Nissan,
Mercedes-Benz and Adidas, Jan will lead
the company’s technology strategy, digital
innovation and cybersecurity initiatives.

[Link] 21
 BIG PICTURE

META’S US$16.2M LAB

ADVANCES SMART AUDIO
FOR AR GLASSES

Meta’s new £12m (US$16.2m)

Cambridge lab is pioneering spatial
audio and ML advancements for AR
and AI glasses like Ray-Ban Meta and
Oakley Meta. The lab – on the Ox-Cam
tech corridor – replicates everyday
acoustic environments with features
such as ultra-quiet anechoic chambers,
a configurable reverberation room,
realistic sensor-equipped home
environments and motion tracking
zones with sub-millimetre precision.
This enables development of context-
aware audio algorithms that adapt to
user surroundings with low latency,
pushing boundaries in audio signal
processing and AI.

22 September 2025
[Link] 23
 THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

Mike Blandina,
CIO,
Snowflake
 THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

Snowflake CIO:
Why Enterprise
AI Needs
Engineering First

Former JP Morgan payments chief Mike Blandina

brings three decades of fintech experience to tackle
data foundations before agentic workflows

WRIT TEN BY: MARCUS LAW

[Link] 25
 THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

ike Blandina has seen “There was this mindset of ‘get

enough technology your data right, then build your
cycles to know software,’” Mike recalls. “That sort
when something of got lost in the universities starting
fundamental is in the late ‘80s and certainly
shifting. After five through the ‘90s and 2000s.
years running It just really wasn’t taught anymore.”
payments technology at JP Morgan, he Universities stopped teaching data
could have coasted into retirement. modelling and engineers stopped
Instead, he’s at Snowflake Summit 25 thinking about structure. “It became
explaining why IT departments need to ‘let’s write code and then we’ll figure
stop thinking like help desks and start out what to do with the data.’”
thinking like engineers. The result? Data chaos. “I think
“I’ve probably spent more than that led to an explosion of data
the last 30 years in financial services, lakes and data warehouses and
technology and product,” he said. SQL and NoSQL databases
PayPal, Google, Blackhawk Network: – just data everywhere.”
if you’ve moved money electronically Now companies spend millions
in the past two decades, you’ve likely cleaning up the mess. “Frankly,
used something he helped build. I think this has helped create an
“Basically, moving money electronically entire industry with Snowflake
– that’s what I’ve done.” and others about getting that
The retirement question came up right again.”
after he left JP Morgan. “My wife and
I were candidly asking ourselves,
‘Should we retire?’ And then she said,
‘I’m just not sure our marriage will MIKE BLANDINA
survive that right now!’”
So here he is at Snowflake, TITLE: CHIEF INFORMATION
OFFICER
drawn by something that takes
him back to the beginning. COMPANY: SNOWFLAKE
INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY
The data philosophy that LOCATION: FLORIDA, US
universities forgot to teach
Mike cut his teeth on data in the Snowflake CIO Mike previously served
1980s, when E.F. Codd and C.J. Date as CEO at Bakkt, VP Engineering at
were writing the rules for relational PayPal and Engineering Director at
databases. Back then, British consultant Google. He founded two acquired
James Martin preached a simple gospel: startups and served four years in
get your data right first, then build the US Army.
your applications.

26 September 2025
THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

[Link] 27
 THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

Why IT departments need to

stop processing tickets and
start solving problems
Ask most CIOs what they do and you’ll
hear about service levels, vendor
management and security protocols.
Mike heard the same thing for years.
“Even 10 years ago, the role was to
get the enterprise applications correct,
service your internal customers, get
your rights and privileges and privacy
and trust and safety right, protect the
company’s assets and deliver a good
product internally,” he says. “I think
a lot of that over time turned into
mostly ‘buy or rent software’ for a while.”
At Snowflake, he’s flipping the script.
“What I’m doing is basically shifting my
team from a ticket mindset to really a
solution mindset – we’re going to bring
engineering back into the CIO office.”
No more ticket queues. No more
service requests. “It’s no longer ‘I filed
a ticket, would you please service me?’
It’s ‘What are you trying to achieve?
What problem are you trying to solve,
and how can we help you solve that?’”
The timing matters. When AI can
potentially replace entire applications,
buying another SaaS tool might not be
the right answer. “The answer may not
be a new app – the answer may be
an AI agent that replaces that app.”
Even Snowflake, only founded in
2012, has accumulated technical debt.
“I thought when I was joining I wouldn’t
have much legacy here, but that wasn’t
true. It’s not old legacy, but in a
fast-growing company, you end up
buying three of this and two of that.”

28 September 2025
How Snowflake builds its
own tools on its own platform
Snowflake runs on Snowflake: called
Snow House internally. “Probably 60% of
our stack is built on Snowflake. The stuff
that’s not would be things you’d expect:
horizontal global tools that no one wants
to rebuild from scratch anyway.”
Even when Snowflake uses third-
party tools, these are extended with
Snowflake. Take its onboarding system,
Lift. The core might be Workday, but
“all of those extensions were built
with Snowflake,” Mike says. “It literally
is our core toolset for building new
applications for the enterprise.”
Now, Snowflake is building AI agents
internally and rolling them into its
products. “Some of the AI agents we’re
writing, we’re putting into Snowflake
Intelligence. Some of those will become
public – not all of them will – but
certainly our customers can learn from
what we’re doing, and we want to learn
from what they’re doing as well.”

30
Mike has spent more than

years in financial services,

technology and product

[Link] 29
 THE TECHNOLOGY INTERVIEW

Case in point: they built a custom Try that in enterprise software,

employee AI tool and now they’re killing and you’re fired.
it. “We built an employee AI tool and “When a salesperson or our sales
we’re actually shutting it down. That leader wants to understand current
capability is moving into Snowflake sales trends and revenue up to a certain
Intelligence in the next couple of weeks.” day of the week, the answer has to be
right. It can’t be wrong. There’s no room
Enterprise AI can’t afford to for hallucination.”
hallucinate about revenue numbers Then there’s access control. “Does the
Consumer AI operates in a world of person asking the question have a right
creative possibilities, but enterprise to the answer? Does the person asking
AI lives in a world of absolutes. the question have a right to the data
“It’s pretty easy to take a photo off to get the right answer?”
my phone and ask ChatGPT to create Cases like this are daily realities in
a colouring book for my grandson from enterprise IT. “There’s just a depth of
that photo. It works. There’s no right these topics that are actually going to get
and wrong to it – there’s no perfectly addressed in the enterprise before they
right answer.” get addressed in the broader SaaS world.”

30 September 2025
Building AI systems that eventually “The technology is evolving faster
make the CIO redundant than companies are. That’s always true,
Five years from now, Mike wants to be but in the age of AI, it’s going so fast.”
unemployed – by design. “My objective He’s seen both extremes. “A CEO says,
is to work my way out of a job. I think ‘I saw this really cool demo, and you
I do that by adding solutions that are should build a bot,’ or someone at JP
AI-enabled and learn and grow. Morgan says, ‘We should fire 50% of
We take what we did with Snowflake our engineers because bots are going
on Snowflake, and we do AI on AI.” to write the code for us.’ You’ve got
It’s not about automation for its to bring that back to reality fast.”
own sake. “The more I do of that, His prescription? Run two tracks
I think the faster the company can simultaneously. “It’s almost like you’ve
be nimble internally to support our got to split your company into two
growth externally. And then, eventually, brains – one saying ‘go forward’ and
the bots will run the world, and I’m you catch up behind them, cleaning
going to retire!” all this up as fast as possible. It’s one of
Meanwhile, the industry oscillates the reasons I’m at Snowflake, because
between panic and euphoria. I think that catch-up is exciting as well.”

[Link] 31
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

Jensen Huang,
President & CEO,
NVIDIA
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

TECHNOLOGY
COMPANIES
From Apple to Alphabet and Tesla to TSMC,
Technology Magazine profiles the world’s 10
leading technology companies

WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

[Link] 33
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

10
ORACLE
REVENUE: US$53BN (FY 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 160,000
CEO: SAFRA CATZ
FOUNDED: 1977

Thanks to its diverse and

comprehensive suite of enterprise
software and cloud solutions, Oracle
stands out as a technology leader.
It has a strong global presence and
clear focus on innovation and security.
Oracle’s offerings span from database
management and cloud infrastructure
to business applications, making it
a go-to provider for organisations
of all sizes across various industries.

Safra Catz,
CEO,
Oracle WATCH NOW
What is OCI generative AI?

34 September 2025
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

09
TESLA
REVENUE: US$97.6BN (2024)
EMPLOYEES: 122,000
CEO: ELON MUSK
FOUNDED: 2003

Tesla has revolutionised the automotive

industry and accelerated the global
transition to sustainable energy. It is
far more than a car company – it is a
technology firm that designs, develops
and manufactures EVs, battery energy
storage systems and solar products.
Its vehicles, including the best-selling
Model Y and Model 3, are known for
their cutting-edge software, over-the-air
updates and advanced driver-assistance
systems like Autopilot. Tesla’s vertical
integration – from its Gigafactories to
its Supercharger network – gives it
a distinct advantage in the EV and
clean energy markets.

Elon Musk,
CEO,
WATCH NOW Tesla
Designing the new Model Y | Tesla

[Link] 35
 IN ASSOCIATION WITH:

OUT NOW
See the List
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

08
TSMC
REVENUE: US$88.3BN (2024)
EMPLOYEES: 73,000
CHAIRMAN & CEO: C. C. WEI
FOUNDED: 1987

The world’s first and largest dedicated

semiconductor foundry, TSMC plays an
important role in the global economy.
It operates a pure-play foundry model
– meaning it manufactures chips
designed by other companies but does
not design its own. Its manufacturing
expertise and technological leadership in
advanced process nodes make a primary
producer for industry leaders like Apple,
Nvidia and AMD. Without TSMC, modern
consumer electronics and AI would
be impossible, giving it a unique and
powerful position in the supply chain.

WATCH NOW C. C. Wei,

TSMC Arizona – Unleashing Chairman & CEO,
innovation for our customers TSMC
in the United States

[Link] 37
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

07
BROADCOM
REVENUE: US$51.6BN (FISCAL YEAR 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 37,000
PRESIDENT & CEO: HOCK TAN
FOUNDED: 1991

Broadcom is a global technology leader

in both semiconductor and infrastructure
software solutions, built through a
series of major strategic acquisitions
including LSI, Brocade, CA Technologies,
Symantec’s enterprise security business
and, most recently, VMware. Its dual-
pronged strategy makes it a critical
supplier for a vast range of technologies,
from networking and broadband to
mainframe software and cybersecurity.
Its products are essential components
in data centres, wireless devices and
enterprise IT systems, positioning it as
a foundational technology provider for
the world’s most successful companies.

Hock Tan,
President & CEO,
Broadcom WATCH NOW
Life at Broadcom

38 September 2025
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

06
META
REVENUE: US$164.5BN (FULL YEAR 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 76,800
CEO: MARK ZUCKERBERG
FOUNDED: 2004

As well as owning a vast portfolio of

social media applications boasting more
than three billion monthly active users,
Meta has embarked on an ambitious
pivot toward building the metaverse,
investing heavily in its Reality Labs
division and Quest VR headsets. All
happening under the leadership of Mark
Zuckerberg, Meta is also a key player
in AI, developing and open-sourcing
powerful models like Llama to drive
its platforms.

Mark
Zuckerberg,
WATCH NOW CEO,
Your personal AI. Meta
The new Meta AI app

[Link] 39
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

05
AMAZON
REVENUE: US$638BN (ANNUAL
REVENUE, 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 1.5 MILLION
PRESIDENT & CEO: ANDY JASSY
FOUNDED: 1994

Amazon has evolved from an online

bookstore into a global “everything
store” and technology powerhouse.
Despite its e-commerce platform
having fundamentally reshaped retail
worldwide, the company’s primary profit
engine is Amazon Web Services (AWS),
the world’s leading cloud computing
platform. AWS provides the critical
infrastructure for countless businesses
and is a leader in offering cloud-based
AI and machine learning services.
Amazon also produces a successful
line of consumer electronics, with its
technology embedded into the daily
lives of millions of consumers.

Andy Jassy,
President & CEO, WATCH NOW
Amazon Amazon Lens – From camera
roll to closet

40 September 2025
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

04
ALPHABET
REVENUE: US$350BN (ANNUAL
REVENUE, 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 183,000
CEO: SUNDAR PICHAI
FOUNDED: 1998 AS GOOGLE

Google’s parent company Alphabet

commands the digital advertising
landscape through its search engine
and YouTube video platform.
Its business model is built on organising
the world’s information and monetising
user engagement. Beyond advertising,
Alphabet is a major player in cloud
computing with Google Cloud and is
pursuing long-term “moonshot” projects
in areas like autonomous driving through
Waymo and life sciences with Verily.
The company is now leveraging its
deep expertise in AI to enhance its
core products and compete in the
new Gen AI era.

Sundar Pichai,
CEO,
WATCH NOW Alphabet
Just Ask Google

[Link] 41
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 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

03
APPLE
REVENUE: US$391BN (FISCAL YEAR
ENDING SEPTEMBER 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 164,000
CEO: TIM COOK
FOUNDED: 1976

Apple is a major force in consumer

technology, built around a tightly-
integrated ecosystem of hardware,
software and services. The iPhone
continues to be its flagship product and
the gateway to its high-margin Services
division, which includes the App Store,
Apple Music and iCloud. While facing
challenges in new product performance,
Apple is making long-term bets on future
platforms with the Vision Pro headset for
spatial computing and a privacy-centric
approach to AI with Apple Intelligence.
Its dominance in brand loyalty and
ecosystem lock-in provide a powerful
defence against competitors.

Tim Cook,
CEO,
WATCH NOW Apple
New things on the way from Apple

[Link] 43
 TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

WATCH NOW
How to use AI to solve real-world
problems – Former US Chief
Data Scientist DJ Patil

Satya Nadella,
Chiarman & CEO,
Microsoft
 02
TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

MICROSOFT
REVENUE: US$245BN (2024)
EMPLOYEES: 228,000
CHAIRMAN & CEO: SATYA NADELLA
FOUNDED: 1975

A dominant force in the tech space – from the Office suite to Teams
for decades, Microsoft has reinvented and Windows – to redefine productivity
itself as a cloud-first giant, structured and solidify its enterprise stronghold.
around its core pillars of Productivity To secure its long-term position
through Microsoft 365, Intelligent and reduce third-party reliance,
Cloud with Azure and Personal the company is making massive
Computing with Windows and Xbox. investments in its own custom AI
Its Azure platform is a key player in chips, Maia and Cobalt, and a global
the AI race, bolstered by a strategic, network of AI data centres. Its
multi-billion-dollar partnership with multifaceted strategy, combined
OpenAI, which gives it premier access with the strength of its Xbox gaming
to models like GPT-4. Microsoft is division, ensures its continued
embedding AI capabilities with Copilot influence across both consumer
across its entire software portfolio and corporate technology.

[Link] 45
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GRIDOS® ORCHESTRATION SOFTWARE: BUILT FOR AI DEPLOYMENT

KEY STEPS FOR AI ADOPTION

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR AI ADOPTION

 GridOS®

Read Whitepaper
 01
TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

NVIDIA
REVENUE: US$60.9BN (FISCAL YEAR 2024)
EMPLOYEES: 36,000
PRESIDENT & CEO: JENSEN HUANG
FOUNDED: 1993

Propelled by the Gen AI revolution, software platform, which offers a mature

Nvidia has become the world’s most ecosystem of libraries and tools, making
valuable technology company, with its it difficult for others to rival. This makes
market cap now at more than US$4tn. Nvidia an engine for cloud providers
Originally a leader in graphics processing and tech giants globally. The company’s
units (GPUs) for the gaming market, its strategy is now evolving beyond selling
shift to data centre and AI applications individual components to providing
has been transformative for the business entire AI “factories” – fully integrated
and wider tech ecosystem. Nvidia’s systems of hardware, networking
high-performance chips, including and software – further cementing
the A100 and H100, are the standard its foundational role in the AI era.
for training and running advanced AI
models. This hardware dominance TO READ MORE TOP 10s,
is fortified by its proprietary CUDA CLICK HERE

48 September 2025
TOP 10 – TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES

WATCH NOW
NVIDIA Blackwell:
The journey from die
to data center

Jensen Huang,
President & CEO,
NVIDIA
 CLOUD COMPUTING

HOW TATA COM

POWERS F1’S B
RE V OL
50 September 2025
MMUNICATIONS
BROADCASTING
U T I ON Tata Communications’ revolutionary remote production technology has
transformed F1 broadcasting, reaching 2.06 billion fans with millisecond precision
WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAW

[Link] 51
52 September 2025
 CLOUD COMPUTING

hen Max Verstappen

accelerates through
Eau Rouge at
300km/h, or Lewis
Hamilton overtakes
on the inside line at Silverstone, millions
of fans around the world experience
these heart-stopping moments in
real-time. But what they don’t see is
the invisible technological revolution
happening behind the scenes –
a broadcasting infrastructure that
has fundamentally transformed how
Formula One reaches its global
audience of 2.06 billion fans across
more than 180 territories.
At the heart of this transformation
is Tata Communications, F1’s Official
Broadcast Connectivity Provider since
2012. Their partnership represents
one of the most sophisticated remote
production operations in live sports,
moving the equivalent of 70 hours
of 4K UHD video streaming every
race weekend and transmitting
data from circuits to F1’s Media
& Technology Centre in the UK
in under 200 milliseconds.

From humble beginnings

to cloud supremacy
The partnership between Formula
One and Tata Communications began
with modest ambitions. “We had very
humble beginnings: we were just
providing a 100MB internet line into
all of the locations that they went to,”
recalls Dhaval Ponda, VP & Global Head
of Media & Entertainment Business at
Tata Communications.

[Link] 53
 CLOUD COMPUTING

The early days of that connectivity

solution have evolved into a
comprehensive ecosystem that
processes more than 100 video feeds
and more than 250 audio channels
every race weekend. The scale is
staggering: F1’s broadcast reaches
a cumulative audience of 2.06 billion
with an average of 86 million viewers
per race, spread around the world
according to Nielsen data.
The transformation accelerated as
both companies recognised the seismic
shifts occurring in media consumption.
“Netflix was still doing DVDs – that was
the major portion of their business,”
Dhaval recalls. “They started something
on the side, almost a skunkworks project,
to watch movies and TV shows on
a computer, and they were charging
five dollars a month for that.”

The technical marvel

of remote production
The technical challenges of broadcasting
Formula One from remote locations are
immense. “In the case of Formula One,
the event might be in Australia, and your
team is in London. So it’s not as if you
will send somebody today if there is
a problem – by tomorrow morning is
just not an option,” Dhaval explains.
The solution required revolutionary
thinking across three critical areas. First,
the engineering problem: “You have to
have technologies that are leveraged to
deliver low latency solutions... Without
newer technologies, you are not going
to be in a position to do this within the
300 milliseconds that you need.

54 September 2025
DHAVAL PONDA
TITLE: VP AND GLOBAL HEAD OF
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
BUSINESS
COMPANY: TATA COMMUNICATIONS
INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS/
MEDIA TECHNOLOGY
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

Dhaval is a technology executive leading

Tata Communications’ global media
transformation, overseeing F1’s revolutionary
remote production operations and
pioneering AI-driven broadcasting solutions
for sports entertainment worldwide.
COMPANIES
2025
COMING SOON

Keep Updated
 CLOUD COMPUTING

Revolutionising the workflow

The second transformation involved
completely reimagining the production
workflow itself. “We started using a lot of
WATCH NOW IP and moving away from satellites, and
that was part number two. We changed
How Formula 1® is broadcast to
180 territories | Episode 1 the workflow inherently,” notes Dhaval.
The traditional model of massive satellite
trucks at sporting venues has given way
to sleek, IP-based solutions.
The impact on F1’s operations has been
Our naked eye can notice a profound. “The ETC used to really have
difference for more than half hundreds of people over there, and from
a second, so that’s your window.” that, it has gone down to about a handful
The numbers paint a picture of of maybe 25, 30 individuals who are there
incredible technical precision. Tata on site,” Dhaval explains. This dramatic
Communications’ purpose-built 100Gps reduction in on-site personnel represents
global media backbone enables the a 85-90% decrease from traditional
transmission of massive data loads with broadcasting models.
millisecond accuracy. Each race sees The environmental benefits are equally
more than 90 video feeds and 150 audio impressive. Following the introduction of
channels, all operating simultaneously Formula 1’s remote broadcast operations
throughout the weekend, with data in 2020, Tata Communications has
traveling from any of the 24 race allowed reduction in the organisation’s
locations to the UK production travelling freight by 34%, helping F1 on
facility in less than 200 milliseconds. its goal to be net zero by 2030.

[Link] 57
 CLOUD COMPUTING

The human element: AI and the future of

Empowering remote teams sports broadcasting
The third pillar of this transformation The partnership between Formula One
focuses on people and processes. “Our and Tata Communications continues to
firm view is that our first responder team push technological boundaries, particularly
has to be the best, and second is, then in AI applications. “Over the last 18 months,
we have to empower them,” Dhaval says. we have looked at more than 25 use case
“There’s no point in having the best of the ideas to see how it can change the industry
best, but if they have to pick up the phone when it comes to sports and when it
during a live event and ask somebody for comes to media and entertainment,
permission for what they think is the right and we have really been going through
way to do it, then you have lost the battle.” all of those 25 plus, along with some
This empowerment philosophy has of our core partners,” Dhaval explains.
created a new model for live sports The applications span multiple
production, where expertise and authority categories, from language translation
are distributed across global teams rather to automated content creation.
than concentrated at venue locations. The “If you are adding a new language
approach has proven so successful that for commentary, you really want to
“about four or five years ago, if you had translate that emotional aspect as
asked me, I would be up at night, thinking well. You want to have that emotional
about ‘I hope nothing goes wrong on some connection being translated into
cable system off the coast of North Africa a new language so that it feels
or some earthquake in Southeast Asia,’” natural to me or you.”
Dhaval says. “But now, we have enough Perhaps most significantly,
experience to foresee problems and AI is democratising access to
see how we would get ahead of them.” high-quality sports broadcasting.
“A lot of these smaller broadcasters

2.06
will have a far lower barrier to entry
in terms of technology and cost,
and also for individuals today.
If you are a massive super fan
of a particular sport, you can

BILLION
basically deliver your commentary
from your living room, which means
that you can really now be employed

F1’S CUMUL ATIVE in this industry without really having

to be in the media hubs,” Dhaval says.
GLOBAL AUDIENCE Formula 1’s leadership has embraced
REACH this technological transformation as
central to the sport’s future.

58 September 2025
STEFANO DOMENICALI
TITLE: PRESIDENT & CEO
COMPANY: FORMULA 1
INDUSTRY: MOTORSPORTS/
ENTERTAINMENT
LOCATION: ITALY

Stefano is an Italian motorsport executive

who has been Formula 1 CEO since 2021.
He was previously Ferrari’s F1 Team
Principal then Lamborghini CEO, before
leading F1’s global expansion and
commercial success.

[Link] 59
 CLOUD COMPUTING

“You can really now be

employed in this industry
without really having to
be in the media hubs”
Stefano Domenicali,
President & CEO,
Formula 1

“They [Tata Communications] have

been an integral part of our growth
journey over the last decade,” says
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO
of Formula 1, “and we completely trust
their expertise and abilities to deliver
what we need for our fans.”

Global infrastructure excellence

Tata Communications’ success in Formula
One broadcasting stems from its massive
global infrastructure investment. The
company operates “a superfast subsea
fiber network that carries around 30%
of the world’s Internet routes. It powers
Internet of Things applications across the
globe, underpins Tata Communications’
cloud and cyber security services, and As the partnership between Formula
enables software-defined networking One and Tata Communications evolves,
for multinational businesses,” according Dhaval sees even greater opportunities
to a report by Sports Video Group. ahead. “The wave that started with
This infrastructure enables not just all the OTTs coming in... I think that wave
F1 broadcasting but supports “probably started about 15 years ago, and we’ve
65% to 70% of all global sports across seen that transformation happen in
he world... whether you’re watching every single household globally. I think
football in South America or golf in the next wave is just getting started,”
North America or motorsports in Dhaval predicts.
Europe or cricket in Asia or NBA in This next wave focuses on native
South Korea,” Dhaval explains. digital content creation, powered
“We have a role to play in that journey.” by AI and cloud technologies.

60 September 2025
 86
BILLION
AVERAGE VIEWERS
PER RACE
WORLDWIDE

Tata Communications
helps bring Formula 1
broadcasts to life

“Most of the content that we see on “We have leveraged that AI

our mobiles and iPads and smart TVs is infrastructure and curated it for media
really the content that we used to see and entertainment industry and use
with the set-top box. It is just available cases, so we are very much at the deep
on these devices... going forward the end of doing this and doing it for some
content that the new generation or of our core customers,” Dhaval notes.
the younger generation sees will As F1 continues to break viewing
be so different.” records and expand globally, the
Tata Communications has announced infrastructure powering its broadcasts
strategic partnerships with Nvidia ensures that no matter where fans are
through its Kairos Cloud platform, watching from – whether it’s Singapore,
providing the AI infrastructure São Paulo or Silverstone – they’re always
necessary to realise these ambitions. just milliseconds away from the action.

[Link] 61
CLARK COUNTY C
REVEALS TECH RO
CENTRED ON RESI
CIO
OADMAP WRITTEN BY:

IDENTS
MARCUS LAW

PRODUCED BY:
TOM VENTURO

[Link] 63
 CLARK COUNTY

Bob Leek discusses how the 11th

largest US county is embracing AI,
digital services and partnerships to
transform government service delivery

A
s local governments
nationwide struggle with
outdated systems and
rising resident expectations,
Clark County, Nevada
is overhauling its approach to public
services through technology.
The challenges are substantial:
siloed departments, legacy
infrastructure, multilingual
constituencies and the mounting
pressure to deliver high-quality digital
experiences with government-level
budgets and security requirements.
Home to 2.3 million residents across
8,000 square miles – equivalent in
size to the State of New Jersey – this
jurisdiction encompasses the Las Vegas
metropolitan area and represents the
majority of Nevada’s population. With
42 million tourists visiting annually, the
county’s technology infrastructure must
serve both permanent residents and
a continuous influx of visitors.
Bob Leek, Chief Information Officer
at Clark County, brings experience
from his previous role as CIO for
Multnomah County in Oregon and
technology leadership positions at
Kaiser Permanente. Today, he manages
a team of over 200 staff organised across
four divisions: infrastructure, security,
applications and digital services.

64 September 2025
BOB LEEK
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Bob Leek is CIO for Clark County, NV,

supporting over 2.4m residents, 90K
businesses, and over 42m visitors to Las
Vegas and surrounding areas every year.
He has over 25 years of leadership
experience, including almost 20 years
in information technology disciplines.
His previous teams include Multnomah
County (Oregon), Kaiser Permanente,
Banfield Pet Hospital, and [Link].
His personal tag line is: leveraging
technology, supporting people, and
optimising processes and
change management
to improve outcomes
in the communities
we serve.
 “I put on my profile that my tagline is “If you’re on the north side of Sahara
‘leveraging people, technology and process Avenue, you’re in the city of Las Vegas.
for better outcomes’,” Bob explains. His If you’re on the south side of Sahara
department operates a federated IT model Avenue, you’re in Clark County,”
that balances centralised infrastructure Bob notes.
with department-specific technology
teams to address what he describes Clark County technology
as “insatiable demand for technology strategy focuses on resident
services” across 40 departments. -centred digital services
The county’s service model includes The foundation of the county’s
a distinctive characteristic: 1.1 million approach is a three-year strategic
residents live in unincorporated plan built around three core pillars,
areas, requiring the county to provide which Bob emphasises is a county-wide
municipal-level services alongside technology strategy rather than simply
traditional county functions. an IT department initiative.

66 September 2025
 CLARK COUNTY

Clark County manages across

four divisions: infrastructure,
security, applications and
digital services

“WE’RE NOT ON THE

BLEEDING EDGE
The first pillar centres on public OF TECHNOLOGY
-facing presence, encompassing the
county website, mobile applications
– WE’RE A CLOSE
and in-person experiences. This FOLLOWER, AND
balanced approach acknowledges
WE DEPLOY AND
IMPLEMENT
that, while digital alternatives are
increasingly important, traditional
in-person services remain necessary SOLUTIONS THAT
for many residents.
“People can still come into our office
HAVE BEEN PROVEN
and pay their property taxes in person, if ELSEWHERE FIRST”
for whatever reason, they feel that is the
best method by which to interact with us. BOB LEEK,
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND CHIEF
But we also provide digital alternatives,” INFORMATION OFFICER,
Bob explains. CLARK COUNTY
Transforming
Clark County
Through Data
and AI
Trace3 teams up with Clark County in
support of efforts to deliver AI-driven,
connected services that enhance resident
experiences and foster community-focused innovation

As local governments grapple with ageing deploying technology, but on understanding

infrastructure and growing demands from their the county’s three-to-five-year vision and
communities, Clark County is redefining public aligning every initiative to that long-term goal.
service delivery by embracing innovative
technology.
Tech solutions with human impact
By partnering with Trace3, Clark County stands
as a model for how technology can be As a leading technology consultancy that
harnessed to drive meaningful, empowers organisations to navigate rapid IT
community-focused transformation. change through innovative solutions in AI, data,
cloud and security, Trace3 sets out to lift and
At the heart of this collaboration is a shared secure the lives of clients, employees, partners
vision: to deliver seamless, user-centric public and communities, driving measurable value
services powered by data, AI and a deep and business transformation through
commitment to community impact. technology and community-first initiatives.

For Technical Account Manager Dave Linder, Its partnership with Clark County, which
Trace3’s approach begins with listening. epitomises this mission, began roughly two
years ago and has since flourished in a variety
“My role is to listen to our clients and provide of ways.
them with value-driven solutions that allow our
clients to understand what’s possible through Working with Clark County’s CIO Bob Leek
technology,” he explains. and his leadership, Dave sets out to carry out
Bob’s vision of government services evoking
This philosophy is central to Trace3’s work with the same seamless experience as consumer
Clark County, where the focus is not just on voice shopping.
“Trace3 is helping build a foundation that Impact beyond technology
creates a smooth digital path that anticipates
the needs of these phases,” Dave says. Beyond technology, what truly defines this
partnership is a shared dedication to
Trace3’s role is to help make this vision a reality community impact.
by laying the digital foundation, leveraging
platforms like ServiceNow to build the “Bob’s leadership is really foundational and
infrastructure for integrated, connected something that's consistent within Trace3 as far
services. The services it provides is helping to as working with community-first initiatives like
bring clarity to a roadmap of initiatives that is ITWorks and SIM Las Vegas,” Dave explains. “It
also driving digital equity, ensuring all residents helps us ensure we’re lifting the quality of lives
have access to digital services and the benefits of everybody around us.
they bring. Strategic alignment is central to its
approach, as Trace3 will help speed up the more “It’s a really good way to embrace the
than 100 county projects aimed at seamless community around you, understand what
service integration and digital transformation. they're trying to solve and the different
challenges they have — then we come up with
A key pillar of the partnership is the use of data ideas to solve for them together.”
visibility in ServiceNow that AI can leverage to
inform decisions that directly impact the
community. By Clark County integrating
advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, it Looking ahead, Trace3 will continue to
will be able to anticipate resident needs and support Clark County in building a strong
deliver proactive services, provide valuable foundation for digital success. This includes
feedback and insights to improve service enabling the ServiceNow platform,
delivery and ensure that technology accelerating cloud adoption and ensuring
investments translate into real-world benefits business continuity to maintain
for the community. uninterrupted services.

To learn how Trace3 can deliver AI-driven technology and services that can be
harnessed to drive meaningful, community-focused transformations for you, please
visit [Link].
Over

200
staff in the IT
department organised
across four divisions

The second pillar focuses on

enabling departments to utilise
technology effectively, incorporating
data-driven decision making and
emerging technologies such as
AI. The third pillar aims to create
“a great place to work” through
investments in remote work capabilities,
digital skills development and
training programmes. to help the county perform its
“Those serve as our three main functions better – whether that means
pillars: public focus, the department’s more cost-effectively, productively or
capabilities, and then having a great accurately – while removing friction and
place to work. That forms the core of improving the ease of doing business
our technology strategy from a county with the county.
perspective,” Bob says. The county has instituted an AI
policy aligned with federal and state
Clark County AI implementation guidelines to ensure responsible
enhances translation services use. Bob emphasises Clark County’s
and document processing commitment to using AI for good,
Clark County has adopted an while maintaining transparency by
approach to AI that Bob characterises clearly citing sources and references
as “augmented intelligence”. These and being explicit about where AI has
technologies, he explains, are designed been applied in their processes.

70 September 2025
 CLARK COUNTY

Investment in remote
work capabilities and
digital skills aims to create
a ‘great place to work’

With over two dozen AI pilots already technologies for person-to-person

underway, translation services have interaction,” says Bob. “The Board can
emerged as a priority application, conduct their business in English. But in
addressing the county’s diverse real time one can sit in the audience with
population. Bob explains: “For a their device and choose the language
predominance of people that we deal they want to read and hear the board
with, English is a second language. The deliberations in.”
desire on our part is to meet people Document processing represents
where they are and to not introduce another key AI application, with the state
confusion or misunderstanding in these mandating service provision in English,
very important transactions.” Spanish and Tagalog. The county is also
Real-time translation capabilities developing a digital assistant for its
are being implemented for in-person website using large language models,
interactions and public meetings. “We while its developers are also utilising
are going to pilot and bring to life those AI assistance for code generation.

[Link] 71
SELF-FUNDING PUBLIC SERVICES:
CPRIME | INRY ’S CLARK COUNT Y
ELECTION, HRSD & WSD implementation
Cprime | Inry and Clark County collaboration shows how ServiceNow
AI workflows reduce government staffing time from months to weeks

Government IT departments face a a process that once took three to five months
familiar challenge: deliver better services to hire 1,000 temporary workers. The county
without increasing budgets. For Clark now completes the same task in eight weeks.
County in Nevada, the answer lies in
treating ServiceNow as the operating “If we’re going to tackle anything that we want
system for everything they do. to do, we’re going to start with ServiceNow
as the answer,” Matt explains. “It’s where we
Matt Robinett, who leads growth and have our data, it’s our data model. It’s almost
experience at Cprime | INRY, has the operating system for the enterprise.”
spent 15 years watching public sector
organisations grapple with this problem. Post-pandemic workspace management
Cprime, a consulting firm focused on presented another test case. With 27
helping organisations change their buildings to optimise, Clark County needed
operating models, was acquired by to balance space allocation without
Goldman Sachs and Everstone Capital overspending on unused offices or cramping
two and a half years ago, then acquired employees into inadequate facilities.
ServiceNow specialist INRY in 2024.
“How do we make sure that Clark County had
“As we progressed into the AI era, what the right amount of space for their people?”
we identified is that whilst generative AI Matt asks. “If you have too much, you have
(Gen AI) was really interesting, the real cost in the system that means you can’t do
opportunity was going to come at the
other things for your constituents. If you don’t
intersection of AI and workflow,” says Matt.
have enough, you’re not being effective.”
CLARK COUNTY CUTS ELECTION
SERVICENOW PLATFORM EVOLVES
STAFFING FROM MONTHS TO WEEKS
FROM WORKFLOWS TO AI AGENTS
Clark County’s CIO Bob Leek implemented
ServiceNow began as a workflow platform
what Matt calls a “ServiceNow first” approach.
Before tackling any new challenge, the that could integrate with existing enterprise
team asks whether ServiceNow can solve software. An employee onboarding process
it using existing data and workflows. might involve HR systems, finance software, IT
provisioning tools and facilities management
The strategy has produced measurable – all coordinated through ServiceNow without
results. Take seasonal staffing for elections – replacing the underlying applications.
The platform has since added AI capabilities lives better,” Matt says. “It’s going to make
that move beyond text summarisation us more efficient and more effective, but it’s
to task execution. Instead of manually not going to lead to what you would usually
searching for meeting rooms, employees consider around corporate downsizing.”
can state their requirements and let AI
agents handle the booking process. FOUR ELEMENTS DRIVE AI
TRANSFORMATION BEYOND
Clark County is implementing these PILOT PROJECTS
AI features with particular attention
to public sector concerns about Cprime | INRY has identified four components
ethics and job displacement. that separate successful AI implementations
from limited pilot projects: mindset,
“Being really smart about how I deploy AI in a mechanics, machines and medium.
way that’s going to make my employees’ lives
better and is going to make our constituents’ Mindset involves rethinking problems to
enable AI agents to work without constant
human intervention. Mechanics covers the
workflow design and modern tools needed
“As we progressed into the to support automation. Machines refers to
AI era, what we identified the underlying technology infrastructure,
is that whilst generative AI while medium addresses how users
interact with AI-enabled systems.
(Gen AI) was really interesting,
the real opportunity was going “What we see is you start to daisy-chain these
things together, and all of a sudden what
to come at the intersection you’ve realised is you’ve AI-first transformed
of AI and workflow” an entire part of your experience,” Matt says.

MATT ROBINETT
Head of Growth
& Experience
Cprime | INRY
Learn More
 “When you ask a code-generating sites throughout the county. For Bob and
bot to help you write code, you’re going his team, security and voter confidence
to get better code,” says Bob. “You’re remain paramount concerns throughout
going to get things that are accounted this modernisation process.
for like security models and variable “We want to make sure that they’re
declarations, and all the things that secure,” Bob says, pointing to the careful
programmers know that they need attention paid to every aspect of the
to do.” voting experience. His team has designed
systems ensuring that all activities within
Delivering secure voting systems polling locations meet strict standards
As part of its broader technology for “privacy and security, and that people
strategy, Clark County has implemented leave with a high sense of confidence
comprehensive upgrades to its election in the integrity of the entire process.”
infrastructure, supporting both mail-in The technological transformation
ballots and in-person voting across a has been deliberate and methodical.
network of approximately 130 polling Moving away from potentially vulnerable

74 September 2025
 “THE PARTNERSHIP
THAT WE HAVE WITH
THIS NARROW LIST
OF ORGANISATIONS
LETS US NOT CHASE
THE SOLUTION
LANDSCAPE,
BUT TO ASK FOR
WHAT ARE THE
SOLUTIONS BASED
ON OUR DESIRED
OUTCOMES”
BOB LEEK,
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER,
CLARK COUNTY

older systems, the county has transitioned “We’re not on the bleeding edge
from laptop-based voting technology to a of technology – we’re a close follower,
more secure tablet-based platform. These and we deploy and implement solutions
specialised devices operate on encrypted that have been proven elsewhere first,”
communications within a private network Bob says.
dedicated exclusively to election use. Looking beyond its own
“We replaced USB sticks and laptops with boundaries, the county is leveraging
a secure communication link through tablets,” its successful implementations to
Bob explains. “Those tablets only do one thing, benefit the entire state. In collaboration
and that’s to facilitate the election cycle.” with Nevada’s Secretary of State,
This measured approach to technology Clark County is helping develop
adoption reflects the county’s broader a unified statewide voter registration
philosophy when implementing critical and election management system.
systems. Rather than rushing to adopt This partnership represents a natural
untested solutions, Clark County takes evolution of their successful
a more measured approach. local implementations.

[Link] 75
SECURE. MO
INT
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ODERN.
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[Link]
42 million
tourists visit the
county annually

Putting the V
back in VAR!
Need a technology partner
who shows up more than
once per year?

Get in touch

78 September 2025
 CLARK COUNTY

“We’re confident that we can extend “We felt like reducing to a small
what we have built here in Clark County number of very strategic partners
to be statewide,” Bob adds, “and we’re would be beneficial to us,” Bob explains.
working closely with the Secretary of Rather than maintaining numerous
State’s office on that.” superficial vendor relationships, the
county sought to “narrow the list of
Partnerships deliver strategic organisations that we work with to
technology solutions a set of key partners” with whom
Clark County has fundamentally they could share their technology
transformed its approach to technology roadmaps and then collaboratively
vendor relationships, moving from develop solution pathways.
a fragmented vendor landscape to a Instead of passively responding
carefully curated partnership model. to vendor offerings, Clark County
This strategic shift was driven by the now drives the conversation based
need for deeper, more collaborative on its strategic priorities. “We don’t
vendor relationships that could support want to just chase the vendor
the county’s long-term technology vision. community,” Bob notes.

[Link] 79
 WATCH NOW
Clark County CIO,
Bob Leek, Reveals Tech
Roadmap Centred
on Residents

Residents and
business owners
are at the heart
of the county’s
services
 CLARK COUNTY

“The solution providers are constantly

innovating, and there are new features
and new capabilities. And AI is
accelerating a lot of that.”
To implement this partnership strategy,
the county developed a comprehensive
and rigorous selection process. The
team conducted a formal request for
qualifications (RFQ) process spanning
three critical categories: hardware and
software reselling, managed services and
professional implementation services.
“We had over 150 organisations
respond to those three RFQs,” Bob
recalls. “We went through and evaluated
all of those against those RFQ criteria,
and made a selection of the top eight
firms across each three of those.”
This comprehensive selection
process ultimately yielded 17
partner organisations that now
hold contracts with the county to
deliver technology services. Key
partners including Arctic, INRY and
Trace3 operate within the county’s
established technology framework,
which focuses on a Microsoft-centric
environment complemented by
a hybrid cloud strategy.
The results of this partnership
transformation have been profound,
enabling a more outcome-focused
approach to technology. “The
partnership that we have with these –
with this narrow list of organisations
– lets us not chase the solution
landscape, but to ask for what are
the solutions based on our desired
outcomes,” Bob concludes. “And that’s
just a completely different paradigm.”

[Link] 81
“WE BELIEVE THAT
SAME CAPABILITY EXISTS
IN OUR INTERACTION
WITH THE PUBLIC:
A PROACTIVE OPT-IN,
PRIVACY-RESPECTFUL
AND SECURE METHOD
BY WHICH TO LET
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT
OUR SERVICES”
BOB LEEK,
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR AND CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER,
CLARK COUNTY

Adobe Experience Manager

underpins digital transformation
Clark County is migrating its website
to Adobe Experience Manager as part
of its digital transformation
strategy. “We’re re-platforming our
[Link] website onto the
Adobe Experience Manager platform.
We believe that gives us a framework and ‘Resident 360’ concepts, which
that we can work with to continue aim to reorganise county services
to evolve our website, and a digital around user needs rather than
assistant and the proprietary language departmental structures.
model technology and architecture,” “Rather than having our departments
Bob explains. at the centre of our service models, we’re
The platform will support both putting business owners and residents at
desktop and mobile access, facilitating the centre of the service model, and then
the county’s transition to more digital building and rethinking how we deliver
services, and goes towards supporting those services around the individuals
Clark County’s ‘Business Owner 360’ that we’re talking about,” Bob notes.

82 September 2025
 CLARK COUNTY

The county aims to deliver

a more consumer-like
experience for government
services

The Adobe platform will enable on golf balls. I want to know about
a federated content management that so that, in two clicks, I can have
approach, allowing departmental a box of golf balls coming to my house,”
staff to update information directly, says Bob.
while also supporting multi-channel “We believe that same capability
communication with residents exists in our interaction with the public:
and visitors. a proactive opt-in, privacy-respectful
The initiative aims to deliver a and secure method by which to
more consumer-like experience for let people know about our services,
government services. “I have an alert and to let them consume them
that fires when Amazon has a great sale in a frictionless way.”

[Link] 83
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

WHY CLOUD
STRATEGY CAN
MAKE OR BREAK
YOUR 2025 DIGIT
TRANSFORMATIO
With 82% of businesses lacking AI ROI strategies
and cloud costs spiralling, enterprises face a critical
choice: master the economics or fall behind

WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAW

84 September 2025
K
TAL
ON

[Link] 85
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

s enterprises continue
to grapple with rising costs
and elusive returns on
investment, cloud migration
has evolved from an
innovation play to a survival imperative.
With worldwide end-user spending
on public cloud services forecast to
reach US$723.4bn in 2025 – up 21.5%
from 2024 – the question is no longer
whether to migrate, but how to do
it profitably.
The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Recent research from Akamai
Technologies reveals a sobering
reality: only 35% of EMEA businesses
are satisfied with their current cloud
providers, while 67% expect cloud
costs to rise over the next year, with
42% anticipating increases of more than
10%. This widespread dissatisfaction
is forcing a fundamental rethink of
cloud strategy, moving from traditional
FinOps approaches to what experts
call ‘ValueOps’ – a focus on measurable
business outcomes rather than just
cost savings.

The ROI reality check

Perhaps the most concerning
finding from the Akamai study
is that 82% of businesses lack
a strategy for tracking return on
investment for their AI projects,
which increasingly depend on
cloud infrastructure. This represents
a massive disconnect between
investment and accountability at
a time when CFOs demand justification
for every technology expenditure.

86 September 2025
[Link] 87
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

SYED SHABIH ABBAS JAMES KRETCHMAR

TITLE: SENIOR DIRECTOR TITLE: GLOBAL CTO OF CLOUD
TECHNOLOGY DIVISION
COMPANY: DXC TECHNOLOGY
COMPANY: AKAMAI
INDUSTRY: IT SERVICES
TECHNOLOGIES
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM
INDUSTRY: CLOUD COMPUTING
Senior technology executive
LOCATION: FRANCE
specialising in enterprise cloud
transformation strategies, Global technology leader
emphasising proper planning driving cloud innovation strategy,
methodologies and continuous specialising in performance-
transformation approaches for sensitive applications, AI inference
successful cloud migrations. optimisation and helping
businesses achieve ROI from
cloud and AI investments.

JOHN BRADSHAW JASON NORMANTON

TITLE: EMEA CHIEF TECHNOLOGY TITLE: HEAD OF CLOUD SECURITY
AND STRATEGY OFFICER ARCHITECTURE & DEVSECOPS
FOR CLOUD COMPUTING
COMPANY: CHECK POINT SOFTWARE
COMPANY: AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES TECHNOLOGIES
INDUSTRY: CLOUD COMPUTING INDUSTRY: CYBERSECURITY
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

Senior technology executive Cloud security expert leading

leading cloud computing strategy architecture and DevSecOps
across EMEA region, focused initiatives, specialising in secure
on helping enterprises extract cloud migration strategies, application
measurable business value inventory management and
from cloud investments comprehensive wave
and AI implementations. planning methodologies.

88 September 2025
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

John Bradshaw, Akamai’s EMEA This vendor lock-in issue is more than
Chief Technology and Strategy Officer just a theoretical concern. The Akamai
for Cloud Computing, sees this as a research shows that 41% of businesses
natural evolution in the cloud journey. say the cost and complexity of migrating
“We’re now at the point where the rubber data and applications outweigh the
needs to meet the road, and you have to potential benefits of switching providers.
start seeing value come back from these Meanwhile, 69% of IT leaders saw budget
investments,” he explains. “What overruns in 2023, with research by
I think we’ve seen up until now is people McKinsey & Company revealing that 75%
have really heavily invested in AI because of cloud migrations exceed their budgets.
that’s been the thing that people have This challenge extends beyond
wanted to do, which is great and really technical complexity to fundamental
helpful to help innovate and come up business transformation. Over two-thirds
with new ideas. But we’re now at a point (68%) of businesses report that increasing
where these have to be rationalised and cloud costs are reducing budget for
turned into real business outcomes.” other areas, with new AI projects
This shift reflects broader maturation (26%), cybersecurity (26%) and IT staff
in the cloud market. According to costs (24%) among the most frequent
CloudZero’s State of Cloud Cost casualties. One in five businesses
report, cloud waste averaged 30% now consider their cloud computing
of companies’ cloud budgets in 2021, costs “unmanageable”.
jumping to 32% in 2022, suggesting that
easy gains from cloud adoption have
been captured, and organisations now
need more sophisticated approaches
to extract value. “It’s not that once
The economics of escape you do cloud
The challenge facing many organisations
is what John describes as the “Jenga
transformation
problem” – trying to extract value from
complex, interdependent cloud systems
you just stop.
without causing everything to collapse.
“If you’ve made a bet on a single provider,
It’s continuous
a couple of providers, we’re in this
‘multiple cloud’ type of world rather
transformation”
than multi-cloud, where you can use
Syed Shabih Abbas,
a bit of this database here from this Senior Director,
provider, a bit of something here DXC Technology
from this other one,” he notes.

[Link] 89
 BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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Sustainability Summit
9-10 SEPTEMBER 2025
Business Design Centre, London

GET YOUR TICKETS T

2,000+ 40+ 100s

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 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

The leadership perspective “Leaders need to take a hard look

The urgency around cloud migration at where they’re spending and what
is being driven by business leaders outcomes they expect. Traditional
who understand the competitive ROI models don’t map neatly to AI
implications. “Cloud spending is – productivity alone isn’t enough,”
growing fast – exponentially for some he continued. “Companies have to
– and it’s holding businesses back from prioritise the quality of outcomes
investing in growth and innovation,” and use the right tool for the job.
said James Kretchmar, global CTO of This includes looking beyond the
the cloud technology division at Akamai egacy cloud providers to those
Technologies. “This is especially true [designed] for performance-sensitive
with AI, where businesses are struggling applications like inference.”
to squeeze return on investment [ROI] This perspective is shared by leading
out of their investments. technology executives across industries.

[Link] 91
Syed Shabih Abbas, Senior Director at DXC your other enterprises, where you
Technology, argues that the fundamental say, ‘Oh, those guys are 90% on cloud.
drivers for cloud migration have evolved: Why am I not?’ You don’t want to
“If you would have asked me a question get on to the cloud in that way.”
like this 10 years back, I would have said
cost. That’s not the case anymore,” he said Planning for success – and failure
in a panel at Tech & AI LIVE in London. The complexity of migration planning
“So why would you want to move to cannot be overstated. Syed emphasises
cloud is if you are thinking transformation the importance of proper preparation:
- if you are trying to transform your “The way I see it is it’s a 70-30 rule. I call
enterprise, really use the scalability it P² and E and then O². P² is prepare
and the next-gen technologies.” and plan, and that’s where you really
However, Syed also warns against spend 70% of your time. Execution
rushed migrations: “Where you don’t want – once it is done, it’s okay. You’ve got
to move to cloud: if you’re trying to move a lot of tools. And then the last O² is
as-is your estate. You are in a rush. You are how do we operationalise it and
in a phase where you are competing with how do we optimise it?”

92 September 2025
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

This planning-heavy approach is

echoed by practitioners who have
learned from both successes and “Cloud spending
failures. Jason Normanton, Head
of Cloud Security Architecture & is growing fast
DevSecOps at Check Point Software
Technologies, stresses the importance
– exponentially
of comprehensive assessment: “I’ve
always recommended to do a full
for some – and
inventory of all your applications. You
then prioritise which ones you believe
it’s holding
will be fit to move to cloud first, and
you create what’s called a wave plan.”
businesses back”
However, even well-planned James Kretchmar,
Global CTO of Cloud
migrations can face setbacks. The Technology Division,
panel discussed several high-profile Akamai Technologies
reversals, where organisations have

[Link] 93
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

moved workloads back from cloud

to on-premises infrastructure. “I have
seen transformation fail. I have seen
organisations backing out as well,”
Syed admits. “But again, they have
to stand up with a new and different
strategy because they cannot always
be sitting on that old legacy world.”

Innovation at the edge

One of the most significant trends
emerging in 2025 is the shift towards edge
computing and distributed architectures.
AI-driven migration tools are growing
faster than anything else, with 28% annual
growth in the last couple of years, while
edge-to-cloud architectures are rising fast:
1% in 2023, accelerating to 25% in 2024.
John sees this as essential for the next
phase of cloud evolution, particularly as
AI workloads become more demanding.
“If you’re trying to calculate the curvature
of space-time of an object approaching
the event horizon of a black hole, or you
want to know what trainers look cool, you
probably don’t want the same amount The bottom line
of information in there,” he quips, Looking ahead to the next five years, the
referencing the movement from large question remains whether organisations
language models (LLMs) to smaller, will master the economics of cloud
more focused models (SLMs). and AI, or continue struggling with cost
This shift towards distributed management and value extraction.
computing is being driven by both John remains cautiously optimistic
cost and performance considerations. but emphasises long-term thinking.
“Narrowing it down means you can “You must keep a long-term eye
move it much closer to your customers, on things, and none of this is easy.
your end users of those services. It wouldn’t be fun if it was easy, to
They get a better experience, you get be honest,” he notes. “But if you can
a better experience as the service front-load that with today’s wages and
provider because your customers developer time and costs, you will be
are more engaged,” John explains. so much better off in the next five years.”

94 September 2025
 The Cloud Cost Crisis
by Numbers

Only

35%
of EMEA businesses satisfied
with cloud providers

67%
expect cloud costs
to rise next year

82%
lack ROI tracking strategy
The key, according to industry for AI projects

30-32%
experts, is recognising that cloud
migration is not just about
technology but about fundamental
business transformation.
Organisations that treat it as average cloud waste
merely an infrastructure exercise in company budgets
are likely to join the ranks of those

69%
experiencing budget overruns and
disappointing returns.
As cloud spending continues
to accelerate – with cloud budgets
rising by a projected 28% over of IT leaders saw budget
the next year – the pressure to overruns in 2023
demonstrate value will only intensify.

[Link] 95
96 September 2025
 TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

The organisations that succeed will

be those that move beyond the initial
enthusiasm for cloud adoption to
develop sophisticated strategies for
measuring, managing and maximising
their cloud investments.
The migration imperative is clear:
organisations must evolve their
approach to cloud strategy, focusing
on business outcomes rather than
just technical capabilities. Those that
fail to make this transition risk being
left behind in an increasingly
cloud-native business landscape.
With 59% of organisations now
having a dedicated FinOps team,
up from 51% last year, it’s evident
that the industry is beginning to take
cost management seriously. However,
as John warns, success requires
thinking beyond short-term cost
savings to long-term strategic value
creation. “If you can front-load that
with today’s wages and developer
time and costs, you will be so
much better off in the next five
years,” he says.
The cloud promises remain
compelling – but realising them
requires strategic sophistication
that many organisations are only
beginning to develop.
The most successful migrations
will be those that recognise a
fundamental truth about digital
transformation in the cloud era.
As Syed from DXC Technology puts
it: “It’s not that once you do a cloud
transformation you just stop.
It’s a continuous transformation.”

[Link] 97
 COLLECTORS

HOW COLLECTO
IS DIGITISING
THE WORLD OF
COLLECTIBLES
WRITTEN BY:
MAYA DERRICK

PRODUCED BY:
TOM VENTURO

98 September 2025
 COLLECTORS

ORS
F

[Link] 99
 COLLECTORS

Chief Technology Officer Dan Van Tran’s

AI strategy is redefining authentication,
valuation and trust for millions of
collectors worldwide at Collectors

n the business of hobbies,

Collectors are revolutionising
the space at breakneck speed.
The California-headquartered
business has become the global
powerhouse in authenticating, grading
and vaulting collectibles – handling
everything from sports cards and
coins to comic books and magazines.
Collectables are not, as some might
think, just nostalgia items. In the
digital-first era, they are increasingly
regarded as assets – tradable, insurable
and often extremely valuable. This
underpins Collectors’ goal: to inspire
the world to collect by making the
process safe, accessible and fun. And,
unsurprisingly, technology sits at the
heart of this ambition more than ever.
Collectors is the parent company
behind industry leaders including
Professional Sports Authenticator
(PSA) and Professional Coin Grading
Service (PCGS), boasting responsibility
for more than 100 million items
globally. In recent years, the company
has seen an explosion in demand,
with the COVID-19 pandemic
accelerating a widespread return
to collecting and trading. What was
once seen as a niche hobby is now
a multi-billion-dollar industry.

100 September 2025

COLLECTORS

Dan Van Tran,

CTO,
Collectors
 COLLECTORS

DAN VAN TRAN

TITLE: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
OFFICER
Dan Van Tran is the Chief Technology
Officer at Collectors, a multibillion-
dollar global leader in authentication
and grading of collectibles.
He oversees an international
engineering organisation of
“Transparency really
200+ professionals, modernising has been key in us
platforms and launching AI-powered
innovations. A passionate collector
growing this hobby and
himself, DVT holds one of the world’s increasing the number
largest Alex Morgan soccer card
collections. Additionally, he serves
of collectors that we
as Vice Chair of the Raritan Valley see come through our
Community College Foundation, doors as well as into
the industry in general”
supporting student scholarships,
academic excellence, and community
enrichment at one of New Jersey’s Scott Hofmann,
premier community colleges. Chief Revenue Officer,
GFT

102 September 2025

 COLLECTORS

using its industry-leading services as the

foundation. Mixed with the creativity and
passion of its employees, it is sculpting the
future of both Collectors and the industry
for the benefit of all.
Collectors’ transformation involves
moving from a business with a proud
but dated technical backbone into
something fit for the 21st century:
a change that requires more than a few
tweaks. At its peak, Collectors was facing
a backlog of up to 14 million cards, causing
a temporary pause in services.
“I had to balance clearing a backlog while
continuing to build new technology and
ship things,” DVT explains. “The focus was
on how we could both scale and solve the
real immediate problem but not do it at the
cost of losing what made the company great
to begin with. It’s been a fun challenge.”
At the core of Dan’s work is a belief that
collecting shouldn’t be exclusive, opaque
or intimidating. As Dan emphasises,
collecting can be overwhelming for
beginners in the hobby, with countless
“To give you an idea of the scale in factors that determine a coin’s worth, like
trading cards alone, we used to see tens scarcity, preservation, history, demand.
of thousands of cards a month. Now, Collectors sets out to break down those
we’re seeing anywhere between 1.5 to barriers. He says: “Every time our AI
2.5 million a month,” says Collectors’ accurately identifies a card, we help
Chief Technology Officer, Dan Van Tran. educate and lower the barrier for a new
More well known as DVT, he emphasises collector. That openness brings people
the immense scale of the business, as into the community and allows them to
well as the amount of both human and participate faster with more confidence.”
technological power required behind
the scenes to keep Collectors running. The technology engine
driving Collectors’ change
Collectors’ digital transformation Collectors’ database can facilitate the
The business is embarking on a radical instant identification of a card which
digitalisation and modernisation journey, sits on top of nearly 40 years of card

[Link] 103
CASE STUDY

Tessell’s Quest to Transform

Enterprise Data Management

Bala Kuchibhotla, Co-Founder and CEO of Tessell,

explains how the database service company aims to
‘tessellate’ enterprise data across multiple clouds

Bala Kuchibhotla, Co-Founder and CEO “Tessellation is a beautiful mix of

of Tessell, has spent his career working science and art,” Bala continues. “If
in databases and data management. you can organise it beautifully and allow
Starting out as a kernel engineer at Versant, customers to operate it in the cloud,
competing with Oracle on object-oriented that solves a very interesting problem.”
databases, he subsequently moved to Recently, AI has added new dimensions
Oracle’s Enterprise Manager Division. to Tessell’s mission. Bala sees opportunities
to transform complex enterprise data
By the time Bala left Oracle, his operations into conversational interfaces,
entrepreneurial vision had crystallised. similar to ChatGPT’s approach to
In the same way that Google’s name has human-computer interaction.
become synonymous with searching the
web, Bala wants Tessell’s brand to be Building pragmatic bridges
inextricable from data optimisation. Tessell’s mission is more about pragmatism
He explains: “I feel my mission will be than revolutionary change. Bala knows
successful when someone asks, ‘did that most enterprises have invested
you tessellate your enterprise data?’” billions in their digital infrastructure, which
makes wholesale changes impractical.
The company name derives from “My way of looking at modernisation is to
tessellation, the mathematical concept bring rationality to this whole thing, and
of organising shapes efficiently. Bala then try to form beautiful bridges,” he says.
draws inspiration from M.C. Escher’s The company’s “lift and shine” philosophy
artwork, believing tessellation patterns offer helps customers transition gradually.
a blueprint for enterprise data organisation. However, unlike many cloud database
Tessell provides database-as-a-service services, Tessell operates entirely within
solutions across Amazon Web Services, customer cloud accounts, ensuring data
Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. never leaves their infrastructure.
“The whole data and data infrastructure
lives in the customer accounts,” Bala says. “I feel my mission will be
successful when someone
Cost-effective modernisation asks, ‘Did you tessellate
Tessell has developed patented your enterprise data?”
technology addressing cloud computing’s
high-performance storage costs. Bala Kuchibhotla
Co-Founder & CEO, Tessell
Traditional providers charge premium
rates for provisioned input and output
operations per second, making Bala and his team helped Collectors
mission-critical applications expensive. Universe to migrate their database systems
“We have a patented technology which from AWS services, delivering improved
can allow customers to run their database performance at a reduced cost. “Our first
infrastructures on a technology called deal was in December, but by April we had
NVMe,” Bala reveals. This eliminates a deal three times the size,” Bala explains.
provisioned IOPS charges while delivering “That shows their confidence in us.”
superior performance. Customers
typically achieve 35-40% cost reduction Looking ahead, Bala wants Tessell to
alongside performance improvements. be able to challenge even the biggest
data services on the market.
“You get the most responsive systems
with highest throughput, highest “If people see us as a true challenger
performance and the best cost,” Bala to AWS RDS, while having beautiful,
says, calling it a win-win-win situation. highly-differentiated operational
database services across all
Tessell’s partnership clouds, that’s our first goal.”
with Collectors Universe
Tessell’s partnership with
Collectors Universe, a collectibles
Learn more
authentication platform, exemplifies
its collaborative approach.
 COLLECTORS

specifications and data – some of “We had to figure out how to

which stretches back to the dawn of make sure that if the power goes
trading cards back in the late 1800s. out that it doesn’t affect all of our
For decades, Collectors managed its customers worldwide.”
operations with a technical footprint This cloud migration was more than
that is now seen as somewhat a technology upgrade, but an existential
precarious. Servers were physically shift. The result? Reliability, security
located in headquarters which, and, crucially, the ability to iterate and
for a sector now valued at around improve quickly as new demands
US$400bn worldwide, is a setup – from customers or collectors –
Dan acknowledges as unsustainable. surfaced. Alongside this, Collectors
The journey began with moving adopted AI-driven cloud ecosystems,
everything to AWS: “Step one was particularly around automation,
replatforming the entire infrastructure for its data architecture.
onto AWS to get elastic scale,” DVT With millions of database records,
adds. “Running on in-office servers the transition could have been
is not something that most companies overwhelming. However, by leveraging
have done since the 90s and early the power of database automation
2000s, but it is a sign of how quickly partner Tessell, Collectors has got “on
businesses have scaled to keep up. top of the decades of data that we have

106 September 2025

[Link] 107
 COLLECTORS

and continue to leverage it to serve resources to invest further in AI and

our customers well,” as DVT notes. ML research and development. The
Tessell’s ability to automate and partnership has empowered Collectors’
streamline complex data management lean database team to match the
tasks that were once a key bottleneck capabilities of a much larger operation,
or innovation and scale makes it, benefiting from self-healing systems
as DVT explains, like “air traffic control and rapid, anomaly-driven recovery.
for your databases.” The platform DVT shares: “Tessell allowed us
automates vital processes such as to take our three-person database
backups, failovers and hot patching, administration team and give them
allowing Collectors to maintain the the superpowers of a 30-person team,
operational resilience needed to with the ability to add self-healing. This
support millions of collectibles means that, if it detects an issue, it will
and their collectors worldwide. determine what to do to fix it and try to
By deploying Tessell, Collectors has fix it without having to involve a human.
reduced its database management costs This helps us to grow quickly without
by nearly 20%, freeing up significant having to spend in a linear or exponential

108 September 2025

fashion, which allows us to then invest lso centres on rethinking what
that into more customer facing features the collector experience could be.
or to grow the team.” From DVT’s perspective, the standout
Tessell’s automation has not only innovation to date is the PSA mobile
optimised costs but also accelerated the app’s AI-powered scanner.
company’s ability to adapt its offerings, “With the PSA app, you can snap a photo
serving collectors globally with greater and it’ll identify the card. From there, you
speed, transparency and reliability. can see live market data of that card in
As Collectors continues to expand, seconds from sites like eBay, with the app
this relationship underpins its ambition showing sales history and listings of that
to lead the collectibles sector with card in different conditions. We also make
state-of-the-art data-driven technology. it easy for you, since you have the card
in front of you, to submit it for grading.
Reimagining the collector So what used to take minutes – if not
experience with AI hours – to do, you can now do in seconds
Despite the speed and efficiency just by taking a picture on your phone
benefits, Collectors’ digital overhaul and adding it to your cart.”

[Link] 109
 COLLECTORS

The PSA population report, which

provides a record of all PSA graded cards
in every condition in history and is nearing
100-million items graded, is a key part
of the hobby that supplies key insights
that help guide collecting and selling
cards. To integrate the PSA population
report at key grading and sales moments
is an impressive feat in itself, but when
you factor in the sheer size and scale of
Collectors’ operation, Collectors and
DVT’s team has to be celebrated.
DVT adds: “This ended up streamlining
and building a much clearer workflow.”
Despite Collectors’ sheer volume of
data posing challenges for DVT and his
team, it has been a massive enabler of its
AI-powered success. The AI technologies
at play – deep learning, computer vision
and metadata architectures, for example
– all rely on more than 40 years of Collectors is
industry data. responsible for

100
“We use computer vision and our more than
custom machine learning models to
actually take those images to determine
what subtle differences there are in
order to know the exact card that it
is and its potential worth,” DVT notes.
“We centralise all this information and million items globally

79%
make it so we can guide even the newest
collector to be able to understand all of
this and get this information immediately.
“Transparency really has been key in
us growing this hobby and increasing the
number of collectors that we see come
through our doors as well as into the of collectors who use
industry in general,” he adds. “This is also Collectors’ scanner
because we’re making collecting more would recommend
accessible. It’s no longer something you it to their friends
need to study for years to understand and

110 September 2025

COLLECTORS
COLLECTORS

MOVING IMAGE
(WILL SHOW IN
FINAL UPLOAD)
 COLLECTORS

enjoy it. Now, anyone can go into Our last survey showed that 79% of
a card shop, use our app, scan a few collectors who use the scanner would
cards and feel like they have expert recommend it to their friends – that
level details in their hands.” includes the identification and the
estimated value of that collectible.
Every item is unique It just shows the level of confidence
The challenge of assigning value to and trust that we’ve developed over
collectibles is very different from the years.”
mass-produced consumer products. Trust is especially imperative in
With each item unique in provenance the collectables trade. Potential
or condition, price can be hard to hiccups with product features and
establish objectively – particularly AI results could be dissected
at scale. This challenge is something instantly on social media. This
DVT was keen to tackle head-on. proximity to end users, he says,
“The trick is actually not necessarily is both daunting and empowering.
building that model itself,” he says, “When we break that trust, they’re
“it’s organising all of the metadata for very quick to let us know,” Dan admits.
the millions of collectibles that are being But this risk comes with high reward.
sold on a daily basis and merging it with “Collectors range from middle schoolers
ever-changing buyer expectations.” all the way through to retirees – and
Taking this analysis on board, all of them are weighing in on how
Collectors fuses deep learning imaging well we did, which is great.
image models along with prediction “We get real-time input from middle
models and market price graphs, schoolers to retirees. It also shows the
meaning it gathers sales information level of confidence that we’ve grown
across different marketplaces to try and the trust that we’ve developed
to develop a single price range for over the years by building Collectors
a specific item. As a result, Collectors up with technology.”
saw coverage for trading card price Collectors is working to continue
estimates increase from 81% to 93% this momentum, which shows no signs
in less than six months, which DVT of slowing. Its future outlook comes
says empowers users to insure, trade in the form of a three-prong plan.
and submit items for auction with “One is global expansion, pushing
newfound confidence. into Canada, the EU and Asia-Pacific,”
“We developed this machine he says. “The second is being multi-
learning model for value estimation and asset – bringing PSA level confidence
started to refine it and take feedback to new categories. And the third is
to continue to grow and evolve,” he intelligence, rolling out more AI-driven
shares. “It took a few years, but at features that put a collectibles expert
this point the payoff is very tangible. in everyone’s pocket.”

[Link] 113
HOW LENOVO
HYPER-PERS
AI WORK
Lenovo VP Rakshit Ghura on how the company is helping enterprises build
AI-powered digital workplaces with personalised employee experiences

WRITTEN BY: MARCUS LAW

 LENOVO

O IS BUILDING
SONALISED
KPLACES
[Link] 115
RAKSHIT GHURA
TITLE: VP AND GENERAL
MANAGER OF DIGITAL
WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS
COMPANY: LENOVO
Rakshit has a pivotal role driving
innovation and transformation at
Lenovo and upholding a "steadfast
dedication to client delight". He looks
after product strategy, orchestrating
services spanning from Advisory
to Productivity to Connectivity to
Cybersecurity Solutions.
 LENOVO

enovo’s approach to AI for organisations where we help them

workplace transformation is move from reactive and traditional ways
focused on a fundamental of working to something which is more
insight: employees, even those future-oriented, taking advantage of the
performing identical roles, often best of the technologies around AI and all
have vastly different working preferences the automation capabilities,” Rakshit says.
and communication styles. While many This future-focused approach directly
parts of the industry push standardised addresses the productivity challenges
AI solutions, Lenovo’s Solutions and enterprises face while positioning
Services Group (SSG) is building digital technology as an enabler of human
workplace environments that adapt to potential rather than a replacement
individual users rather than forcing for human judgment.
users to adapt to technology. Lenovo’s comprehensive technology
Rakshit Ghura, Vice President and portfolio spans from pocket to cloud,
General Manager for Lenovo’s Digital enabling the company to deliver
Workplace Solutions business unit, leads integrated solutions that combine
this transformation strategy. With 21 hardware, software and services.
years in the industry, Rakshit oversees This end-to-end capability becomes the
Lenovo’s efforts to help organisations foundation for subscription-based models
move from reactive IT support models that transform how enterprises consume
to AI-enabled workplace environments and deploy AI workplace technologies.
that deliver measurable business The path from consumer to enterprise
outcomes through hyper-personalised technology adoption follows established
employee experiences. patterns. “From my experience, any
“The focus of digital workplace solutions innovation on the digital workplace side
is to help create a workplace environment actually starts from the consumer side,”
Rakshit observes. “Whether you take
any technology – be it ChatGPT, or you
“From my experience, go a couple of years back, you take
applications, you take Uber – all of
any innovation on the these started as B2C technologies.”

digital workplace side Lenovo monitors these trends to

identify enterprise opportunities.
actually starts from “Wherever we see an opportunity that
there is a consumer trend, there is an
the consumer side” opportunity for an organisation to take
Rakshit Ghura, advantage of it, we translate those
VP and General consumer trends into an enterprise-grade
Manager of Digital
Workplace Solutions,
solution, make it secure, make it
Lenovo palatable for our end customer.”

[Link] 117
 LENOVO

97%of organisations
recognise they must
transform their
workplaces
Source: Lenovo Work Reborn
Research Series 2025

Lenovo TruScale Device as

a Service (DaaS) transforms
enterprise IT consumption
Lenovo TruScale DaaS represents
a shift in how enterprises consume
IT resources. The solution combines
hardware, software, sustainability,
security and support services into “This means organisations can empower
a subscription-based model. employees with next-gen devices and
“It’s a truly transformative solution,” better experiences quickly and easily –
Rakshit states. “We are able to offer while maximising ROI across the board.”
comprehensive devices, solutions,
services and software for the particular Three key benefits drive Gen AI
business persona of an organisation.” workplace implementation
Lenovo TruScale DaaS solution Lenovo identifies three primary benefits
provides organisations with flexible organisations can achieve through Gen
subscription-based device lifecycle AI implementation, based on research
management, security and involving 600 global IT leaders.
sustainability. “It makes managing Hyper-personalisation leads the
devices simple – streamlining transformation. This concept recognises
procurement and deployment, that employees performing identical roles
empowering productivity and enabling may have different working preferences.
secure, more responsible device “Just imagine two people with the same
refurbishment and retirement,” role – they have their own preference
Rakshit explains. to do the same job,” Rakshit illustrates.

118 September 2025

 LENOVO

“We may all be doing the same tasks, for their role, they can work without
but the fact is, we are two different disruption and at their best – generating
individuals. We have our own different greater ROI for your device fleet,” Rakshit
ways to approach the same problem.” notes. “Together with predictive and
“Hyper-personalisation is all about proactive issue resolution and near zero-
understanding the unique needs of the touch IT support, Care of OneTM helps
user, understanding their preferences, create a seamless, hyper-personalised
understanding how they operate on and high-performing experience.”
a day-to-day basis,” Rakshit explains. Productivity enhancement follows as
“Are you more a text-oriented person, the second benefit, encompassing both
or do you prefer chatting with your automation and digital twin capabilities.
colleague, or do you prefer picking up “With the help of Gen AI, organisations
the phone and calling the other person?” can automate repetitive tasks, they can
Lenovo’s AI-driven platform, Care create new content, they can help in
of OneTM, puts this philosophy into decision-making,” Rakshit explains.
practice through persona-based device “That is one critical benefit where you
selection. “By giving each employee the can do a lot of cost reduction with the
exact equipment and support they need help of Gen AI.”

[Link] 119
 LENOVO

This productivity enhancement extends

to creating empowered workplaces
through digital twins. “Creating a digital
twin in an organisation where most of the
mundane work is done by your digital
twin, and the technology is actually
helping you to focus on the value-adding
work, something which is more thinking-
led, something which is more creative,”
Rakshit describes. By offloading routine
tasks to AI-powered digital counterparts,
employees can redirect their energy
toward strategic initiatives that drive
genuine business value.
The third benefit sees innovation cycles
accelerated. “With the help of Gen AI,
we can actually quicken the decision-
making, we can see how we can gain
that competitive edge which enterprises
are looking for,” Rakshit says. This
acceleration manifests in multiple ways:
AI can rapidly analyse market trends and
customer feedback to inform product
development, simulate countless
scenarios to optimise business strategies
and generate creative solutions that
human teams might not have considered.
“Gen AI doesn’t just speed up existing
processes – it opens entirely new
pathways for innovation by connecting
disparate data points and revealing
opportunities that were previously
invisible,” Rakshit explains.

Barriers and misconceptions

prevent effective AI adoption
Lenovo’s Work Reborn Research
Series 2025 identified significant
barriers preventing effective digital
transformation.

120 September 2025

The research reveals that while 97%
of organisations recognise they must
transform their workplaces, over 60%
haven’t even started the process.
The biggest barrier is lack of vision, with
55% of IT leaders citing “lack of a vision
for how digital workplace transformation
could support our strategic goals” as
a top-three obstacle. “Many of the
organisations didn’t have a very clear vision
of the end state,” Rakshit reveals. “They
lack a very clear understanding of what
this technology can bring to them. They
basically get stuck with the existing state
and think only incrementally on top of it.”
Competing priorities represent
another major challenge, with 44% of
IT leaders ranking other IT initiatives
taking precedence over digital workplace
transformation among their top three
barriers. Additionally, 44% cite not
understanding how to transform the
digital workplace as a primary obstacle.

“I predict every person

within the company is
going to have a digital
twin which is helping
them on the personal
side and on the
professional side”
Rakshit Ghura,
VP and General
Manager of Digital
Workplace Solutions,
Lenovo

[Link] 121
 LENOVO

The research also highlights insufficient

understanding of user needs as a
barrier. “Unfortunately, the way IT has
been designed, it is more dictatorial –
you dictate, you decide what the other
person should be getting,” Rakshit states.
Several misconceptions compound
these barriers. Despite 89% of IT leaders
understanding that realising Gen AI’s
benefits demands total digital workplace
transformation, many still hold unrealistic
expectations. “Everybody thinks AI is
plug-and-play architecture, and it’s a
switch-on, switch-off kind of a solution,”
Rakshit explains. “Unfortunately it is
not. It requires you to really rethink your
people, process, technology – all the
different elements.”
Data quality often receives insufficient
attention. “Many of the companies think
data doesn’t matter when it comes to
Gen AI,” Rakshit notes. “But the reality
is your Gen AI output would be as good
as the data which is ingested into it.”
Organisations also mistakenly believe
all AI models are interchangeable. The airline operated in 190 markets
“People think all Gen AI models are across 60 countries with fragmented
created equally,” Rakshit says. “But the IT support.
reality is all the LLM models are very “Their pain point was that their
different. It really depends upon what employees were not getting the
role, what use case which you want consistent experience they wanted,”
to target with the help of Gen AI.” Rakshit explains. “Every country used
to have their own IT, and they used to
Enterprise implementations have their own specialised players.”
demonstrate transformation potential Lenovo implemented a unified
A Hong Kong-headquartered global employee experience across all locations.
airline with 30,000 employees and “We provided one consistent employee
US$11bn revenue transformed its IT experience for this organisation right
operations through Lenovo’s Digital across all the countries, across all the
Workplace Solutions. suppliers,” Rakshit says.

122 September 2025

 EXECUTIVE INSIGHT

89%
A Japan-based multinational
conglomerate with 180,000 employees
implemented Lenovo TruScale DaaS
to modernise workplace technology
delivery. “Every employee got an asset
which was best suited for their job role,”
Rakshit describes. “If somebody needed of IT leaders understand
a new device, they just got the new that realising Gen AI’s
device delivered to their home address
or office address and straight away they
benefits demands
could open that device, put in their total digital workplace
credentials and start working.” transformation
Organisations can begin seeing Source: Lenovo Work Reborn
measurable results within three Research Series 2025
to six months of implementation.

[Link] 123
 LENOVO

124 September 2025

 LENOVO

“Generally from our experience this kind

of a solution takes anywhere between
three to six months to be deployed
and start delivering results for the
organisation,” Rakshit explains.

Future workplace design includes

AI agents alongside human teams
The future workplace will undergo
fundamental transformation
through AI integration. “AI is going to
fundamentally change the workplace,
fundamentally change the workplace
design – how we are working, how we
are engaging with our colleagues,
how we do our day-to-day stuff,”
Rakshit predicts.
“My view of the end state of Gen AI
would be that every person within the
company is going to have a digital twin
which is helping them on the personal
side and on the professional side,
to do all the mundane tasks, all the
repetitive tasks,” Rakshit explains.
Lenovo offers comprehensive
services to help organisations navigate
this transformation. “We really have
end-to-end consulting, system
integration, and managed services
catalogue around helping an enterprise
to embrace the AI solutions in
their environment.”
Teams will ultimately include both
human and AI members. “Beyond
employees, our co-workers would also
be machines,” Rakshit envisions. “It will
not just be humans. It may happen that
I’m leading a department. I have a team
of 15 humans and 30 AI agents working
as part of my team.”

[Link] 125
 FWD GROUP

FWD GROUP:
CLOUD TRANSFO
WITH A CUSTOM
126 September 2025
 FWD GROUP

ORMATION
MER FOCUS
WRITTEN BY:
LOUIS THOMPSETT

PRODUCED BY:
LEWIS VAUGHAN

[Link] 127
 FWD GROUP

How Sandeep Pandey is leading

FWD Group’s technology
transformation through cloud
adoption, AI implementation
and platform-driven innovation

FWD Group is driving

significant change
in the insurance industry across Asia,
blending entrepreneurial spirit with
customer-centricity. The company,
operating in 10 markets across the
region, has undergone a remarkable
technological transformation in recent
years under the stewardship of Sandeep
Pandey, Group Chief Technology and
Operations Officer. Since joining FWD four
years ago, Sandeep has been instrumental
in shifting the organisation’s technological
foundation and operational philosophy.
His journey to FWD followed experience
gained at global FMCG and insurance
companies, where he developed a unique
perspective combining management
acumen with technical expertise.
“I’m a computer science engineer by “Quality, gratitude,
education, but I started my career in
attitude, and
aptitude are
FMCG,” explains Sandeep. “I realised
very early in my career that technology
and enabling functions exist to provide my personal
favourites – that’s
solutions for customers.”
This philosophy has become central
to Sandeep’s approach at FWD. His what drives me”
experience at the FMCG company
taught him the importance of focusing SANDEEP PANDEY,
on consumer experience, establishing GROUP CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND
OPERATIONS OFFICER,
a mindset that has guided his work FWD GROUP
throughout his career.

128 September 2025

 FWD GROUP

Sandeep Pandey
 FWD GROUP

“The talk was about consumer “I created a three-six-twelve strategy

experience, not just customer – three strategic pillars, six objectives
experience,” he notes. “Understanding and twelve goals,” he says. “The three
how consumers interact with products strategic pillars were protecting FWD for
comes naturally to me, which helps our customers and colleagues, delivering
when addressing customer experience change faster and putting technology at
in insurance.” the heart of decision-making.”
Sandeep’s time at an insurance
company during the global financial crisis Cloud transformation provides
proved particularly formative, teaching foundation for innovation
him valuable lessons about leadership Central to this strategy was an ambitious
during challenging times. The experience cloud transformation. As of 31 December
reinforced his belief in what he calls the 2024, 98% of FWD’s applications were
three essentials of leadership. migrated to the cloud.
“You’ve got to be clear as a leader, “It has been a tremendous journey.
you’ve got to be courageous as a leader, Cloud technology has positively
but you cannot forget the humanity side impacted our software development and
of it,” Sandeep explains. “That’s what deployment, expediting time-to-market
drives me every day.” and enhancing customer experiences.”
When Sandeep joined FWD in This wasn’t a simple ‘lift and shift’
September 2020, he identified significant operation, but a comprehensive
opportunities to enhance the company’s rationalisation of the company’s
technological capabilities. application architecture. The approach
He quickly developed a strategic has earned FWD numerous awards
framework that would guide the and established a foundation for
transformation efforts. further innovation.

The FWD three-six-twelve strategy

130 September 2025

 FWD GROUP

AWARD-WINNING INNOVATION AT FWD GROUP

“We’re winning awards not just Instead, FWD focuses on driving

because we moved to the cloud, value and operational efficiency.
but because of how we did it,” While Sandeep acknowledges
Sandeep explains. that cloud is more expensive
The cloud transformation has enabled than on-premise infrastructure
FWD to move quickly in other areas, in some ways, he emphasises the
particularly in implementing AI. Sandeep long-term benefits.
notes that this has given the company a “By eliminating data centres and
significant competitive advantage. obsolete licenses, we’ve removed
“We can implement generative AI concerns about hardware and
much faster because we’re not struggling software upgrades,” he explains.
with infrastructure issues,” he says. “We no longer worry about
“We’re not having conversations about outdated systems requiring updates
on-premise limitations or how to create – everything is automatically
proofs of concept – we’re focused on maintained, which saves a tremendous
delivering value.” amount of money over time.”

[Link] 131
 FWD GROUP

Platform strategy drives

customer-led ambition
Building on this foundation, FWD
has developed a four-platform
strategy that focuses on creating
integrated ecosystems rather than
isolated applications.
These platforms – FWD Omne
for customer engagement, FWD
Cube for distribution, FWD Opus
for management woperations and
OneMod as an overarching platform
– are designed to provide consistency
across markets while allowing for
necessary customisation.
“We’ve moved from an application-
Through FWD Omne, insurance can
led approach to an ecosystem-led, be managed quickly and easily as
platform-driven model,” Sandeep illustrated opposite
says. For example, we have
streamlined the end-to-end sales
journey through FWD Cube, which is
primarily utilised by agents. FWD Cube
seeks to maximise the agent lifecycle The name itself has meaning – “Opus
from recruitment and onboarding to stands for Operations Platform for Us,”
sales by offering a unified experience Sandeep clarifies.
through tablet, web and mobile apps. The modular design allows for 70%
The customer platform, FWD Omne, reusability while maintaining flexibility.
provides a consistent experience “For Japan, which is primarily focused on
across digital channels. “Whether the IFA channel for distribution but not
customers interact with us through the agency or bancassurance channels, we
web or our app, they receive the same can configure a lighter version rather than
experience,” explains Sandeep. implementing everything,” he explains.
“We’ve launched FWD Omne in five The fourth platform, OneMod, acts as
of our 10 markets and are expanding a “platform of platforms,” encapsulating
to the rest.” all the other three platforms and dividing
This platform approach is the entire tech stack into distinct layers.
particularly important for FWD Opus, “We’re truly modularising our tech
the operations management platform, stack group-wide, across all applications
which Sandeep describes as having a without exception,” says Sandeep. “We’re
modular, “Lego block” architecture. dividing everything into experience

134 September 2025

 CREDIT: XXX
FWD GROUP

Overview page Insurance FWD Omne Submitting a claim

with easy access dashboard empowers through FWD
to customer provides a quick customers to Omne is as easy
engagement view of policies digitally manage as 3 steps
functionality and latest updates their policies
seamlessly

FWD CUBE

Shortcuts to most Leads conversion Easy access to

used functions funnel enables sale activities such
such as quote agents to as the base plan,
creation and KYC proactively riders, and fund
manage leads allocation
and customers

[Link] 135
 FWD GROUP

SANDEEP PANDEY
GROUP CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND
OPERATIONS OFFICER
layers, process layers, system integration
Sandeep is the Group Chief layers, data layers and infrastructure
Technology and Operations layers – creating an enterprise
Officer and the member of architecture that no one else is doing.”
Group Executive Committee
for FWD Group. He has more Customer-centricity
than 20 years of experience drives innovation
across FMCG and insurance at Throughout all these technological
global level in strategising and efforts, FWD maintains a relentless focus
transforming areas of information on the customer experience. This focus is
technology, digital initiatives encapsulated in the company’s vision of
and customer experience. He “changing the way people feel
supports FWD Group’s clients about insurance.”
and business partners in all 10 The company is constantly listening
markets, overseeing all aspects to customer feedback and enhancing
of customer, operations, its offerings accordingly.
enterprise IT, including strategy, “It’s all about creating a differentiated
architecture, cloud, security and experience,” Sandeep says. “How do we
applications. Prior to joining FWD simplify processes for our customers
Group, Sandeep served Global while providing the support they need
leadership roles at BUPA and AIA. when they need it?”
He was awarded Amazon Digital This customer-centricity extends
Innovation Hero Award in 2024, to FWD’s agents as well. At a recent
HotTopics’ top 100 Global CIO leadership conference in Seoul, agency
2023, and IDC CIO of the year leaders emphasised the importance
award in 2021. of empathy in their work, rather than
focusing solely on sales metrics.

136 September 2025

 FWD GROUP

“I expected them to talk about sales our backend systems, our fraud
targets and upselling,” Sandeep admits. detection module immediately
“But they focused entirely on empathy analyses customer history and other
and being there for customers. When key indicators.”
your team naturally echoes your values This system examines various data
without prompting, you know your points, including previous claims history
culture is working.” and beneficiary details, to assess the
likelihood of fraud. The company is
AI enhances security also developing predictive analytics
and fraud detection capabilities to identify patterns
While focusing on customer experience, associated with fraudulent behaviour.
FWD also recognises the importance “Our AI systems are constantly
of security and fraud detection. The learning,” Sandeep says. “We use
company has implemented AI-based predictive analytics to identify when
systems that analyse customer data an agent or customer shows a higher
to identify potentially fraudulent propensity for problematic behaviour.
transactions. This allows us to intervene early with
“We’re a very data-driven organisation,” targeted monitoring rather than
Sandeep explains. “When data enters reacting after an issue occurs.”

[Link] 137
FWD GROUP
 FWD GROUP

FWD also implements

comprehensive security measures to
protect customer data and prevent
system infiltration. “When agents
use personal devices, we verify they
aren’t introducing malware into our
ecosystem,” he continues. “We have
multiple security layers from Zscaler to
backend protection that continuously
monitor and filter traffic.”

Sustainability through technology

Sustainability is another key area
where technology plays an important
role at FWD. Sandeep sees the move
to cloud services as contributing
significantly to reducing the company’s
environmental footprint.
“Our technology partners such as
Microsoft and AWS operate more
sustainable data centres than any
individual company could,” he
points out. “They’re incentivised to
reduce carbon emissions and are
implementing innovative solutions like
underwater data centres. Why try to
replicate that ourselves when we can
leverage their expertise?”
Beyond cloud services, FWD has
implemented measures to reduce
electronic waste through responsible
disposal of old equipment and to
minimise paper waste through
digital adoption.
“The printers we do maintain require
password authentication, and we
monitor usage patterns. If someone
prints 100 pages, they’ll receive
questions about why that volume
was necessary.”

[Link] 139
 FWD GROUP

Strategic partnership with “We’re now exploring AWS services

AWS drives innovation beyond basic infrastructure,”
A key element of FWD’s technological Sandeep explains. “We’re evaluating
transformation has been its partnership Amazon Bedrock for generative AI
with Amazon Web Services (AWS). When capabilities, using AWS services for
Sandeep joined FWD, different markets code development and leveraging their
were using different technology partners, analytics capabilities.”
including AWS. Rather than standardising The partnership with AWS has been
on a single platform, he decided instrumental in FWD’s transformation
to maintain relationships with journey. “AWS has worked directly with
various providers. our principals on cloud architecture and
“Rather than forcing standardisation transformation strategies,” Sandeep
on one platform, I decided we would says. “They provide tremendous value
leverage various partners,” he recalls. beyond just services – they contribute
“For example, we initially signed a meaningful expertise and mindshare to
three-year agreement with AWS, and last our initiatives.”
year we renewed for another five years,
reflecting the strategic importance of Future priorities and
this partnership.” talent development
Today, approximately 50% of FWD’s Looking to the future, Sandeep
workload runs on AWS, including the emphasises several key priorities for
FWD Omne customer platform. The FWD. Growth remains a central focus,
partnership has evolved beyond cloud with clear targets set for each market.
computing alone to include more “My role is ensuring our technology
advanced capabilities. and operations capabilities enable
this growth while maintaining our
customer focus.”
“We’re not just Sustainable business practices are

doing cloud, we’re also crucial. “We need to build a

sustainable business with long-term
rationalising value,” Sandeep says.
applications and “Our products represent long-term
commitments to customers – we need
creating Centres to ensure we’ll be here to honour those
of Excellence from commitments not just next year, but for

the beginning”
the next hundred years.”
The customer-led ambition continues
to be at the heart of FWD’s strategy.
SANDEEP PANDEY,
GROUP CHIEF TECHNOLOGY AND
“Our customer-led approach is now
OPERATIONS OFFICER, central to every executive’s priorities,”
FWD GROUP Sandeep emphasises. “It’s no longer

140 September 2025

 FWD GROUP

[Link] 141
FWD GROUP

FWD IN NUMBERS

10 50% 22,000+
FWD Group operates of FWD’s FWD employees have
in 10 markets across Asia, workload runs completed more
with a vision of changing on AWS than 22,000 courses
the way people feel and secured 1,000+
about insurance, under certifications through
a customer-led and tech- its Tech and Ops Academy
enabled approach as of Dec 2024
 FWD GROUP

just a technology initiative – it’s the

organisation’s driving force.”
Talent development remains a key
focus, with FWD investing heavily
in training programmes through its
Technology Academy, which has since
evolved into the Tech and Ops Academy.
“When we started our cloud
transformation, I realised we needed to
build internal skills,” Sandeep recalls.
The academy has made a significant
impact across the organisation. “Our
employees have completed more than
22,000 courses and obtained more than
1,000 professional certifications as of
end of 2024,” Sandeep says. “People are
the foundation of everything we do –
you can have the best strategy and
vision, but without the right talent, it
won’t succeed.”
Efficiency is another ongoing priority.
“We’re focused on doing more with
the same or fewer resources,” explains
Sandeep. “We have specific operational
efficiency targets that we’re driving
toward over the next few years.”
As FWD continues its transformation
journey, the combination of technology
excellence and customer focus remains

4
at its core.
“When you place the customer
at the centre of everything you do,
FWD’s strategy is asking whether each decision benefits
built on four platforms: them, the business and your team –
FWD Cube (distribution), in that order – you rarely go wrong,”
FWD Omne (customer), says Sandeep.
FWD Opus (operations), “We’re creating customer-led solutions
and OneMod and products that also build a sustainable
business. Both aspects must work in
harmony for true success.”

[Link] 143
THE AI SPLI
HOW GOVERNANCE IS DIVIDI
GLOBAL LEADER
As the EU’s AI Code of Practice develops alongside
global AI Acts, leaders face the ultimate choice of
governance over innovation and a divide is appearing

WRITTEN BY: KITTY WHEELER

144 September 2025

 AI

IT
ING
RS

[Link] 145
CREDIT: CHIP SOMODEVILLA VIA GETTY IMAGES

U.S. President Donald Trump

arrives to speak during the
“Winning the AI Race” summit
 AI

AI
regulation has
become the
tech world’s
equivalent of a
three-dimensional
chess match – with governments,
companies and regulatory bodies all
making moves that will change how
AI develops for decades to come.
AI has gone from being an
inconceivable idea to easily generating
photorealistic images of people who
don’t exist, convincing people of
misinformation and making decisions
that affect real careers.
It’s no wonder that it now requires
governance. But the catch is, that AI
models are trained on data scraped
from across the internet, complete with
all the biases, errors and questionable
content that entails.
Europe fired the starting gun with
the AI Act in August 2024, establishing
the world’s first framework for
AI regulation.
The UK then took a different
tack, preferring existing regulators
to handle AI within their sectors.
Meanwhile, China has been quietly
building its own rules focused on
content control and national security.
But the chess game got more
apprehensive when US President
Donald Trump returned to the White
House with a radically different vision.
While Europe obsesses over
transparency and safety, President
Trump’s team wants to eliminate
what they call “woke” AI and tear
down regulatory barriers.

[Link] 147
 AI

The EU AI Code of Practice’s three

key requirements for companies
developing general-purpose AI models:
• Transparency
• Copyright compliance
• GPAI with Systemic Risk (GPAISR)

As the EU’s voluntary AI Code

of Practice has become the latest
battleground, tech and AI companies
are forced to pick sides in a debate
that goes beyond technical standards
to fundamental questions about
power, values and the future of
human-machine interaction.

The EU AI Code of Practice:

Making technology and
AI leaders pick a side
The EU’s code is a 50-page document
that could determine how the most
powerful AI systems in the world operate.
The focus in the code on general-
purpose AI models shows a key insight
into what the world is worried about
– as unlike previous technologies,
these systems can be deployed
across countless applications
with minimal modification.
ChatGPT, Claude and their
competitors are capable of writing
code, analysing legal documents,
tutoring students or generating
marketing copy. That versatility makes
them very valuable and potentially
dangerous in equal measure.

148 September 2025

Look Who’s
Talking
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from the world’s biggest companies

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 CREDIT: CHIP SOMODEVILLA VIA GETTY IMAGES
AI

Sam Altman,
CEO,
OpenAI

As a result, the code tackles three For context, 7% of Meta’s 2023

main areas that have been on AI revenue would be roughly US$8.4bn.
researchers and leaders minds:
First, transparency requirements OpenAI and Microsoft choosing
mean companies must document how compliance over confrontation
their models work and what data they OpenAI’s decision to sign the code
used for training. is a sizable strategic bet.
Second, copyright compliance rules The company behind ChatGPT has
force companies to explain how they essentially decided that playing ball
obtained their training material. with European regulators is worth the
The third requirement covers compliance costs and restrictions.
“GPAI with Systemic Risk” or (GPAISR) “Signing the code reflects our
– essentially the most powerful models commitment to providing capable,
including OpenAI’s o3 and Google’s accessible and secure AI models for
Gemini 2.5 Pro that face additional Europeans to fully participate in the
scrutiny including regular safety economic and societal benefits of the
evaluations and risk assessments. Intelligence Age,” the company says
The penalties are designed to hurt in its announcement.
even the biggest companies. Fines can Additionally, Anthropic, the AI
reach €35m (US$38.5m) or 7% of global company that prides itself on safety,
annual turnover. has also announced its intention to sign.

[Link] 151
 AI

“We believe the code advances The participation of these major

the principles of transparency, players sends a message to the rest of
safety and accountability – the industry: European AI regulation isn’t
values that have long been going away and the smart money is on
championed by Anthropic for engagement rather than resistance.
frontier AI development,” the
company says. Meta fighting back against EU red tape
Microsoft appears likely to follow Meta’s pushback against the code shows
suit. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s Vice Chair deeper tensions about how AI regulation
and President, indicates support while could reshape competitive dynamics.
acknowledging the need for careful Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global
review, “I think it’s likely we will sign. Affairs Officer and former White House
We need to read the documents,” Deputy Chief of Staff, says: “Europe is
he says. heading down the wrong path on AI,”
“Our goal is to find a way to be claiming the code would “throttle the
supportive and at the same time, development and deployment of frontier
one of the things we welcome is the AI models in Europe and stunt European
direct engagement by the AI Office companies looking to build businesses
with industry.” on top of them.”

152 September 2025

Brad Smith,
Vice Chair and
President,
Microsoft
CREDIT: CHIP SOMODEVILLA VIA GETTY IMAGES

U.S. President Donald

Trump displays a signed
executive order during
the “Winning the AI
Race” summit

Joel’s opinion speaks on behalf of the scope of the AI Act” shows a

many, as the agreement could impact persistent problem in tech regulation:
companies’ innovation and success. rules written for yesterday’s technology
What makes Meta stand out is it often struggle to address the future’s
has pursued a different strategy from innovations – and no technology is
competitors, by releasing its Llama evolving faster than AI.
models as open-source software. More deeply, the split between
This approach aims to democratise technology and AI companies reveals
AI development but also creates something important about the current
different regulatory challenges. moment in AI development. Those
Joel’s critique that “the code backing the code tend to emphasise
introduces several legal uncertainties their commitment to safety and social
for model developers, as well as responsibility, whereas critics focus
measures which go far beyond on innovation and competition.

154 September 2025

 AI

“WE BELIEVE WE’RE

IN AN AI RACE AND
WE WANT THE US TO
WIN THAT RACE”
DAVID SACKS,
CRYPTO TSAR,
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

President Trump declaring President Trump says at an AI

war on “woke” AI systems summit: “The American people do
If the European approach represents not want woke Marxist lunacy in the
regulation through democratic AI models,” according to the Guardian.
deliberation, President Trump’s “Once and for all, we are getting
AI strategy looks very different. rid of woke.”
The administration’s focus on The President asserted that Former
eliminating “woke” AI has turned US President Joe Biden had “established
technical policy into an ideological toxic diversity, equity and inclusion
battleground. ideology as a guiding principle of
David Sacks, Trump Administration American AI development.”
Crypto Tsar, told reporters: “We believe Trump added: “So you immediately
we’re in an AI race and we want the knew that was the end of your
US to win that race.” development.”

[Link] 155
 AI

One of President Trump’s executive

orders requires AI companies receiving
federal funding to maintain politically
neutral models, but the metrics for
determining bias are contentious and
subjective. But what counts as political
neutrality? Who decides?
The focus on “woke” AI echoes real
concerns among conservatives about
tech companies’ influence on public
discourse – as AI chatbots and image
generators have become the latest
flashpoint in complaints about liberal
bias in technology.

Are governance wars masking

deeper fears about AI supremacy?
While the UK, EU and the US erect
AI Acts and codes to try and tame
AI’s development to be safer, is it
possible that the noise is masking
deeper anxieties about global
technological leadership?
Chinese companies like DeepSeek
have released AI models that rival
American systems, often at lower cost.
This competition alone has shattered
assumptions about permanent US
dominance in technology.
“AI is a revolutionary technology
that’s going to have profound
ramifications for both the economy
and national security,” David says,
according to the BBC.
“It’s just very important that
America continues to be the
dominant power in AI.”
This framing treats AI development
as a national security issue rather than
a commercial or social one.

156 September 2025

 CREDIT: ROY ROCHLIN VIA GETTY IMAGES

David Sacks,
Crypto Tsar,
Trump Administration
 AI

“THE WHITE HOUSE AI ACTION PLAN WAS

WRITTEN BY AND FOR TECH BILLIONAIRES
AND WILL NOT SERVE THE INTERESTS OF
THE BROADER PUBLIC”
SARAH MYERS WEST,
CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
AI NOW INSTITUTE

If AI is a strategic technology President Trump prioritises innovation

like nuclear weapons, then and competition, showing traditional
regulation becomes a matter faith in market mechanisms and
of geopolitical competition rather concerns about regulatory burden.
than consumer protection. These competing visions create
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s practical challenges for global
approach prioritises speed and scale over technology and AI companies
safety and social concerns by removing independently and working together.
regulatory barriers and emphasising More than 40 major European
American competitiveness. businesses have already asked
Whether this succeeds will for delays in implementing the
depend partly on whether other AI Act, citing concerns about
countries follow suit or maintain competitive disadvantage.
different priorities. Meanwhile critics of President
Trump’s approach warn about the
The battle for AI supremacy risks of deregulation.
revealing democracy’s limits Sarah Myers West, Co-Executive
On a deeper level, what’s stark Director at AI Now Institute argues
about the divergence between US that “the White House AI Action plan
and EU approaches to AI governance, was written by and for tech billionaires
is it shows a polar opposite approach and will not serve the interests of the
by leading nations to a global problem. broader public.”
Europe’s emphasis on transparency, She adds: “The administration’s
safety and fundamental rights stems stance prioritises corporate interests
from hard-learned lessons about how over the needs of everyday people
powerful technologies can be misused. who are all already being affected
Yet the American approach under by AI.”

158 September 2025

Sarah Myers West,
Co-Executive
Director,
AI Now Institute
 AI

THE EU’S CODE IS A

50-PAGE
DOCUMENT

This critique sums up the distributional

consequences of AI policy – who
benefits and who bears the costs
of different regulatory approaches.
Jim Secreto, a former Biden
Administration Official, warns that
dismantling safety measures could
backfire: “Accelerating innovation is
essential, but dismantling responsible
guardrails risks turning America’s AI
revolution into a reckless gamble.”
The global nature of AI development
complicates these regulatory choices.
Despite mounting opposition to
European rules, former Internal Market
Commissioner Thierry Breton has
insisted the framework will proceed
as scheduled.
Jim warns that “promoting aggressive
AI exports without reasonable controls
strengthens China’s hand” – suggesting
that American deregulation could
inadvertently benefit competitors.
Whether the future prioritises
safety over speed, transparency over
efficiency, or democratic values over
competitive advantage, remains an
open question with profound
implications for everyone.

160 September 2025

 Thierry Breton,
Former Internal Market
Commissioner,
European Comission
 THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW

ROB
TURNER
An exclusive interview with Rob Turner,
Chief Procurement Officer at Deliveroo, who discusses
the food delivery leader’s procurement transformation
WRITTEN BY: LIBBY HARGREAVES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ZEKE DOWNES

162 September 2025

DELIVEROO
 DELIVEROO

W
hen Rob Turner joined
Deliveroo as Chief
Procurement Officer, the
procurement function was
failing to deliver the expected value. The
multinational delivery company strives
to connect consumers with restaurants
and merchants through a hyperlocal
marketplace for quick, convenient delivery.
Rob brings 30 years of procurement and
operations experience, having worked in
manufacturing operations before moving
into procurement in 2001 with PepsiCo.
His first CPO role with Tarmac gave him
the platform to lead procurement and
supply chain, including M&A activity during
a joint venture with Lafarge. This path led
him to become one of the youngest CPOs
in the FTSE 250 of the time. Later, he led
procurement transformation at John Lewis,
including a full-scale digital and operating
model change with Coupa, before later
building the procurement capability
of the Amazon Fresh store programme.
Now, he applies his procurement expertise
and transformation experience in a fast-
paced environment at Deliveroo. Here,
Rob spearheaded a rapid, full-scale cost
and digital procurement transformation that
included implementing Coupa’s source-to-
pay (S2P) system and a company-wide risk
management platform in just 13 months.
This transformation contributed to a wider
improvement within the business, resulting
in an 8% increase in revenue and adjusted
EBITDA climbing 46% to £96m (US$130m).
With major initiatives already in motion and
the business on a strong growth trajectory,
2026 is set to be a pivotal year for Rob – a
chance to fully realise the benefits of his work.

164 September 2025

 DELIVEROO

ROB TURNER
CHIEF PROCUREMENT OFFICER

Rob leads the company’s global

procurement and supply chain
function, with a mandate to deliver
value, strengthen resilience, and
enable growth that is both profitable
and sustainable. Rob has led the
repositioning of procurement as a
strategic enabler within Deliveroo,
driving digital transformation and
embedding more integrated, data-
driven ways of working. His focus
is on building partnerships across
the business to create efficiencies,
unlock innovation, and support
Deliveroo’s continued improvement
in financial performance.
AN INSPIRING
PROCUREMENT LEADER
MARIAM LATIF
Mariam Latif heads technology procurement
at Deliveroo and explains that she joined the
company because of Rob himself: “I want to
make sure that I’m working with people
that I feel share similar values to me,
that have similar visions to me, that I
feel that will lift me and to show that I
can get the most out of my day.”

SUE JO
Sue Jo, Technology Procurement Manager at
Deliveroo, adds: “It’s been an incredible journey
working with Rob. He took the time to deeply
understand the business before shaping a bold
vision for transformation. That shift in
perception is a major win. It reflects
not only the value we’ve delivered but
also the cultural change we’ve helped
drive. Looking ahead, I’m optimistic.”

SCOT MATTHEWS
Scot Matthews, who leads marketing
procurement and delivery, echoes this, adding
that the future of procurement at Deliveroo
is bright with Rob: “We are already embracing
AI in a number of ways. We have more to do.
We’ve definitely moved away from a
transactional relationship with our
CREDIT: DELIVEROO

stakeholder groups, and we’re now

moving into a phase of much more
business alignment.”
 DELIVEROO

Transforming digital procurement

Over two-and-a-half years, Rob worked
hard to redefine Deliveroo’s procurement
role to one that delivers better value for
both Deliveroo and its suppliers.
“Principally, it was all about understanding
business needs and business requirements,”
he recalls. “Procurement, when I joined,
was not the trusted partner the business
needed it to be.
“My journey has been to almost
rebuild from scratch, to reinvent,
to build a reputation as a problem
solver and to deliver flawlessly.”
The programme addressed third party
costs, governance, process redesign and
digital enablement of source-to-pay.
With PwC’s support, a diagnostic
phase validated hypothesised savings
opportunities and built a credible
business case, allowing procurement
to move from fixing tactical issues
to enabling growth.
Focus on early wins helped build trust,
enabling early involvement in shaping
commercial outcomes. The team
surpassed its initial £26m (US$35.1m)
target in seven months and is on track
to deliver a cumulative £53m (US$67.6m)
in validated savings – all within 18 months
of beginning the cost transformation.
“Procurement at Deliveroo is now
involved earlier, trusted more widely
and actively shaping commercial
outcomes,” explains Rob.
A significant element of this
transformation was the implementation
of Coupa within the business. Deliveroo’s
13-month global Coupa deployment
evolved into a full reset.

[Link] 167
HOW ZERO9 DELIVERED PROCUREMENT
TRANSFORMATION FOR DELIVEROO

while the fourth provides fractional

services – a pay-as-you-go model
Zero9’s four-pillar approach offering flexible expertise and advice.
parachutes seasoned Angharad Kenward, Managing Partner
experts into businesses at Zero9, explains: “There’s a huge
like Deliveroo, delivering amount of transformation going on in
the market. The workforce is changing,
significant cost savings and
and how you engage people and bring
procurement transformation them in is definitely starting to evolve.
“Our offering essentially allows
clients to parachute great people
in to deliver transformation.”
As businesses grapple with rapid
change and increasing pressure to Flexible resources for
deliver cost efficiencies, traditional modern challenges
consulting models are being challenged The ‘parachuting’ approach represents
by more agile, flexible approaches. a significant departure from
Zero9, a specialist talent solutions conventional consulting models.
business operating within the Rather than providing generic
procurement space, is leading expertise, Zero9 taps into what
this charge with a unique four- Angharad describes as a “vast
pillar approach that’s already network” to bring in specialists with
delivering significant results for deep category knowledge who
major clients including Deliveroo. can deliver change at pace.
A comprehensive talent solution “The ability to flex up and down,
Zero9 operates across four distinct change your offering and really deliver
pillars designed to address different at pace is what our project delivery
aspects of procurement transformation. offering is all about,” she adds.
The first focuses on strategic hires This level of flexibility proves particularly
– permanent roles such as CPOs, valuable in today’s volatile business
heads of function and category environment, where requirements
directors. The second pillar, project can shift rapidly and organisations
delivery, involves embedding teams must respond accordingly.
of experts to drive change within The model offers resource augmentation
organisations. The third offers advisory capabilities alongside more traditional
and strategic services as an alternative consulting setups, providing everything in
to traditional consultancy work, between to meet specific client needs.
This adaptability has proven Angharad continues: “We were able
crucial in Zero9’s ongoing to put in people with 20-plus years of
partnership with Deliveroo. experience who could not only deliver
Building the Deliveroo partnership at pace, but use their knowledge
and background to support Deliveroo
The collaboration between Zero9 and in driving costs out really efficiently.
Deliveroo emerged from an existing We could also help upskill and bring in
relationship between Angharad and Rob knowledge from external markets and
Turner, the food delivery company’s CPO. other industries, so the team felt like it
When Rob joined Deliveroo, the pair was maturing and making progress.”
began discussing how Zero9 could The results for Deliveroo have been
support the evolution of its procurement significant, both in terms of actual
function, which was facing significant savings delivered and the value
challenges around cost reduction proposition offered by Zero9’s pricing
and efficiency improvements. model. The ability to swap team
“There was a big need for cost out members in and out according to
and general transformation,” explains changing business requirements has
Angharad. “Our offering allowed Rob to provided additional strategic value.
have that flexibility to parachute people A unique market position
in with deep category expertise.”
Zero9’s positioning reflects a gap in
The project, now running for the market that Angharad identified
approximately 15 months, has when founding the business.
allowed Deliveroo to maintain
a flexible approach to team With a combined network
structure while accessing specialist developed over the course of
knowledge in critical areas. 40 years between the founding
partners, Zero9 offers something
Delivering deep expertise no other organisation can match.
What sets Zero9 apart in the Angharad concludes: “We’re able to de-
Deliveroo engagement is its ability risk the future of a procurement function
to provide seasoned professionals by making sure the people brought into
with genuine category expertise. the organisation are exactly what they
The project has required deep need: high calibre and able to deliver.”
experience in areas such as logistics,
supply chain technology, and
professional services – knowledge
that traditional consulting Learn More
models don’t always deliver.
 CREDIT: DELIVEROO
DELIVEROO

Called Project Penne, it aimed to “In the very early stages, the
embed policy and governance into transformation had principally been
the S2P platform. Using “adopt best viewed as a technology upgrade”. He also
practice, adapt Deliveroo,” the team’s brought in a trusted former colleague,
processes were simplified, compliance Paras Sood, who knows Rob’s ways
became embedded and manual of working, to help drive programme
checks were reduced. performance and act as his voice
Deliveroo adopted an “out-of-the- when pressure on time was high.
box” Coupa configuration for 94% of “However,” he explains “it quickly
the build, which, Rob explains, was became clear there was an opportunity
part of a strategy to “embrace simpler, to go much further – a full reset of our
more scalable ways of working”. source-to-pay operating model.”
The discipline needed to execute Coupa now delivers a single source
such a project, on a fixed deadline of truth, lifecycle transparency and
and with a limited budget is a readiness for new developments,
testament to Rob’s approach: something that was key for Rob.

170 September 2025

 “This now forms the core platform The project was beyond successful,
foundation that we can build on – adding finishing on time and on budget, leaving
supplier risk monitoring, better onboarding, behind a lean, guided workflow designed
contract discovery, SaaS licence management… to improve adoption rates and reduce
all in one environment,” he adds. complexity – ensuring future upgrades will
This enables a more rapid route to maturity, be rolled out more quickly and less costly.
and to industry-leading practices such as the
development of a virtual helpdesk and AI
driven intake – both of which will significantly
You can find Rob Turner on the
improve the user experience.
Procurement Stage of Procurement
“We wanted to use the deployment
& Supply Chain LIVE London on
as a forcing function to improve how 23 September. He’ll be joined by experts
we operate. That meant adopting Coupa’s from Coupa, Diebold Nixdorf and
best-practice configuration wherever Lufthansa to discuss all things strategy.
possible and adapting our business SIGN UP HERE
to the system – not the reverse.”

[Link] 171
 DELIVEROO

ADVERT
DIAMO
PLATI

172 September 2025

 CREDIT: DELIVEROO
SPREAD
OND OR
INUM

[Link] 173
 DELIVEROO

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNERS

When selecting the partners Deliveroo more complex to manage with a very lean
would work with during the transformation, team. The structured data model and core
Rob focused on finding the right integrated source to pay platform also
“fit for pace, culture and future growth”. creates us the foundation aligned with
He explains why each partner our ambitions in AI and automation.
was selected: KPMG: As system integrator, KPMG
Coupa: Following an extensive RFP and brought speed, rigour and a strong best-
assessment, where we had considered practice design stance. Their ability to
best of breed and integrated end to end deliver an “out-of-the-box” Coupa build was
solutions, we chose Coupa for its best- essential to meeting our ambitious timeline.
in-class source-to-pay platform plus the We jointly determined key design principles;
efficiency and effectiveness of an end to I held the Deliveroo team to them whilst
end solution versus marginal gains from a I charged KPMG with holding me to
platform stack that would have been much account if I started to stray from them.

174 September 2025

 CREDIT: DELIVEROO
DELIVEROO

PwC: PwC supported us in our cost Zero9: Our partner supporting us with
out programme diagnostic, shaping the experienced interims, enabling us to access
business case and early mobilisation. the right experience at the right time.
They further supported in our technology This ensured we had the right balance
workstream with SaaS vendor of skills for the programme and an ability
rationalisation and in mobilising Coupa’s to pivot at speed if the priorities changed.
Sourcing Optimisation toolset (CSO) Their agility helped us maintain momentum
to drive transformational returns on in the cost out programme.
more complex sourcing projects. Stripe: Our payments partner, Stripe, enables
Rossum: We introduced Rossum seamless and scalable disbursements, critical to
to enable intelligent invoice ingestion delivering a high-quality customer experience
and processing, improving efficiency globally. This is an example of a relationship
and data capture without adding transformed from tactical to strategic by the
complexity for suppliers. procurement transformation programme.

[Link] 175
176 September 2025
 DELIVEROO

£53m
The importance of change management
Preparing, equipping and supporting
employees to successfully adapt to
change was vital to the project’s success.
cumulative savings as a result
Rob explains: “The biggest opportunity of Deliveroo’s procurement
was cultural, not technical.” transformation that have been
From the outset, risk and compliance reinvested in business performance
were embedded in the transformation.
For example, intake processes now
include risk profiling, ensuring sourcing This approach to adoption required
or legal workflows drive efficiency in the overturning some outdated perceptions
latter elements of commercial processes. of procurement. To do this, “Coupa
“The result is a system that drives Experience” sessions were developed
compliance by design, not by and delivered – 78 in total – as well as
enforcement,” Rob says. superuser networks and gamified training.
Running Coupa while delivering “You don’t just switch on something
an accelerated cost-out programme like this,” he advises. “Some practices
required shared leadership, in addition are cultural and systems alone don’t
to the utilisation of both internal and change culture.”
external resources for scalability. Rob’s expertise and care in this
“Clarity of purpose was critical… area ensured those in the procurement
we kept messaging tight, made quick team and beyond could focus on the
decisions and managed risk proactively.” “why” behind the change.

[Link] 177
 DELIVEROO

ROB TURNER’S DOS AND DON’TS

• Do start with a clear mandate – Know what • Don’t overcustomise systems –
success looks like before you begin. It delays progress and embeds the past.

• Do anchor every decision to value – Whether • Don’t let perfection delay momentum –
digital or operational, stay outcome-focused. Fast execution with strong governance wins.

• Do adopt best practice “out of the box” • Don’t centralise every decision – Empower
– Avoid legacy customisation and tech debt. teams with frameworks, not bottlenecks.

• Do invest in your team’s capability early • Don’t assume compliance will follow
– Confidence drives adoption. implementation – Build it in from day one.

• Do embed risk and compliance into workflows • Don’t talk about procurement
– Make the right thing the easiest thing. in procurement language –
Speak the language of the business.
• Do co-own savings with Finance – Trust
and transparency matter more than claims. • Don’t go it alone – Partner wisely,
both internally and externally.
• Do communicate constantly and credibly – Change
fails when people don’t understand the ‘why’. • Don’t lose sight of people in the
process – Culture, capability and
• Do sequence major programmes intentionally – clarity drive success.
Resource and decision interlocks must be managed.
• Don’t chase technology for its own sake
• Do choose partners that scale with you – – Focus on what problem it solves.
Ecosystem thinking is critical for longevity.
• Don’t forget the optics – Credibility
• Do treat digital transformation as a cultural shift is earned through consistent delivery
– Technology is only part of the equation. and visibility.

178 September 2025

 DELIVEROO

Building a digital ecosystem contracting or data entry – directly shape

Speaking with other CPOs, Rob sees downstream outcomes like efficiency,
varied readiness levels across different automation, and the buying experience.”
sectors. It’s clear many procurement He stresses that a digital ecosystem
professionals lack end-to-end must solve defined business problems.
technical understanding of S2P “Procurement sits across the
and that many organisations don’t organisation. We are in a unique
leverage procurement’s position position to join those dots.”
within the business. “Don’t just go get technology
“Too often, procurement professionals for technology’s sake,” he warns.
work in silos,” he explains “some “If that’s not aligned to what your
focus only on sourcing, others only business needs, then you’re unlikely
on contract management. But with to be solving the right problem.”
modern, integrated systems, you can’t He continues: “The knock-on impact
afford to see these areas in isolation. is that, without clear purpose, adoption
Decisions made upstream – in sourcing, is likely to be even more challenging.”

[Link] 179
“Procurement needs to
evolve from enforcing
policy to developing
processes and deploying
systems that drive better
outcomes by default”
Rob Turner,
Chief Procurement Officer,
Deliveroo
 DELIVEROO

A true digital ecosystem, in his

eyes, is “a principle‑led, problem‑
focused architecture… built to solve
real business challenges, with every
component working in unison,
strengthening the whole”.

The future of procurement

Procurement is entering a phase
of optimisation, focusing on continuous
improvement, data enrichment and
simplification. By building team capability,
more time is spent in other areas
of the business, driving wider value.
At the same time, future value
will be driven by partnerships for
innovation and new commercial models,
just as Deliveroo’s integrated digital
ecosystem spans intake, sourcing,
contracts, onboarding, P2P, payments,
analytics and document processing.
This enables real-time risk, cost and
compliance management.
“Without that, you’re stuck in manual
mode,” emphasises Rob. “Procurement
needs to evolve from enforcing policy to
designing, deploying and using technology
that drives better outcomes by default.”
Looking ahead, he sees a shift from
“transactional automation to intelligent
orchestration” as predictive analytics,
real-time risk sensing and AI-assisted
negotiations take a more central role,
but technology must be paired with
mindset change.
For Deliveroo, the next 18 months
are about embedding change,
unlocking ecosystem potential and
building the capabilities to lead in
intelligent spend management.

[Link] 181
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

FU
IS FO

182 September 2025

 HOW CORE TECHNOLOGY

UTURE
ORGING THE SMART GRID’S

From real-time monitoring to predictive control, smart grids integrate tech that
empowers grids and consumers, forming the backbone the energy landscape
WRITTEN BY:
MAYA DERRICK
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

D
igital transformation is This modernisation of the grid is crucial to
revolutionising the electricity grid, meeting rising global energy demand and
making it smarter, more flexible accelerating the transition to renewable
and capable of real-time monitoring energy sources. Smart grids play a pivotal
and management. Smart grids integrate role in decarbonising energy systems
advanced digital technologies – such and supporting sustainable development
as sensors, data analytics, AI and and are an essential component of the
automation – to optimise energy broader energy transition challenge.
distribution, enhance reliability
and empower consumers. AI’s transformative impact
Unlike traditional grids, which were AI is undoubtedly having a transformative
built for one-way electricity delivery impact on smart grids. In its Patents
from centralised power plants, smart for Enhanced Electricity Grids study,
grids enable two-way communication conducted alongside the European Patent
between producers and consumers, Office (EPO), the International Energy
creating a responsive, adaptive Agency (IEA) highlights that AI is driving
energy ecosystem. major advances by enhancing predictive

184 September 2025

 39%
capabilities, improving fault detection and
enabling more flexible network operations
to meet fluctuating power demands.
The study says that the US and China
are leading the way in AI for smart grid
development, with AI-related patents
growing sixfold since 2018. The technology’s
main role, it finds, is in advanced forecasting
OF AI PATENTS
and decision-making, with 39% of AI FOCUSING ON
patents focusing on predicting electricity
demand and managing supply. PREDICTING
AI is also driving innovation in ELECTRICITY DEMAND
microgrids, outage detection and
fault management, enabling real-time, AND MANAGING
data-driven grid operations, making SUPPLY
networks more intelligent, automated
and adaptable to complex conditions.

[Link] 185
The grids’ digital nervous system
The evolution of smart grids begins
with creating a digital nervous system
enabled by the Internet of Things (IoT),
where thousands of sensors constantly
collect real-time data across the grid
to monitor conditions such as voltage,
frequency and load. This constant flow
of information allows grid operators
to respond instantly to changes in
demand and supply.
Leading companies like Siemens, Itron
and Cisco are at the forefront, developing
integrated solutions combining smart
meters, communication networks and
AI-driven analytics, enabling dynamic
grid management.
Siemens, for example, has worked
on large-scale smart grid projects in
Germany and the US, implementing
AI-driven energy management platforms
capable of predictive maintenance and
self-healing network functions.
Cisco provides the secure IP-based
networking infrastructure that connects
grid nodes and Itron delivers smart
metering technologies to utilities
around the world. ABB’s digital
substations and grid automation
software are used in projects from
Scandinavia to India, integrating
renewables while improving stability.
As well as this, Schneider Electric’s
EcoStruxure Grid platform helps utilities
manage distributed energy at scale, using
real-time analytics to improve reliability.
By leveraging AI and advanced software
like its EcoStruxure platform – which
enhances grid infrastructure and digitises
operations to make grids smarter,

186 September 2025

GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

KATHLEEN MCGINTY
TITLE: VP AND CHIEF
SUSTAINABILITY AND
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
OFFICER
COMPANY: JOHNSON CONTROLS
INDUSTRY: BUILDINGS
TECHNOLOGY
LOCATION: WASHINGTON DC,
USA

With more than 25 years of public

and private sector experience,
Katie leads sustainability strategy at
Johnson Controls, shaping the future
of global smart building policies and
driving impactful environmental and
business outcomes.

[Link] 187
 BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Connecting APAC’s
Technology Leaders
4 NOVEMBER 2025
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

GET YOUR FREE PASS

1,000+ 20+ 100s

Virtual Influential Networking
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 GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

PHILIPPE ARSONNEAU
TITLE: SENIOR VP OF
INFRASTRUCTURE SEGMENT
COMPANY: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
INDUSTRY: INDUSTRIAL
TECHNOLOGY
LOCATION: DUBAI, UAE
Philippe joined Schneider Electric in 1991
and has held leadership positions across
Europe, Asia and the US. Now in charge
of Schneider’s Infrastructure Segment
in January, he leads global integration
of Power & Grid, Electric Mobility and
Semiconductors, driving AI‑enabled,
IoT‑driven, resilient energy systems
for the digital, low‑carbon transition.

more resilient and adaptable to today’s Philippe highlights digital technologies’

complex energy demands – Schneider role in providing visibility and predictive
Electric is empowering grid operators capabilities to manage variable
to future‑proof critical infrastructure. renewable energy.
Philippe Arsonneau, SVP of Schneider He adds: “Being able to use digital and
Electric’s Infrastructure Segment, says software applications like distributed energy
that many grids were originally built resource management (DERMS) means we
over a century ago for centralised are able to deviate power or be predictive
energy systems, but today’s needs for in our demand response. This means
electrification and distributed energy we’re making traditional infrastructure
resources (DERs) require a fundamentally much smarter as well as building out
different approach. for the future.”
“The grid is really the central EcoStruxure DERMS, for example,
enabler for a decarbonised world effectively manages solar farms, wind farms
and for more electrification,” he says. and microgrids while incorporating virtual
“At Schneider Electric, we’re enhancing substation technology. He says: “We’re
grid infrastructure, digitising the grid actually leveraging technology and software
and making it much smarter than it like DERMS to enhance the grid, optimising
was when it was built.” the management of electricity flow.”

[Link] 189
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

CIARAN FLANAGAN
TITLE: VP AND GLOBAL HEAD OF
DATA CENTRE SOLUTIONS
AND SERVICES
COMPANY: SIEMENS
INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS
LOCATION: DUBLIN, IRELAND
Ciaran leads Siemens’ multi‑billion‑Euro
global data centre business, delivering
electrification, software and cybersecurity
solutions that automate operations,
boost sustainability and prepare clients
for the performance demands and
opportunities of the AI era.

Facing smart grid challenges exceed 100kW – requiring a complete

However, challenges remain in rethinking of power distribution,
cybersecurity, data interoperability cooling and safety systems.
and scaling infrastructure to “Time to power has become a critical
handle increasing decentralised bottleneck in the industry, especially
energy resources and variable when deploying new facilities,” he says.
renewable inputs. “Grid connection backlogs are stretching
Siemens, for instance, recognises that into years, with many operators facing
the explosive growth in AI workloads is MW/GW-scale connection delays or
fundamentally changing the power and outright rejections. In response, leading
sustainability landscape for data centres. operators are taking control of their
According to Ciaran Flanagan, Siemens’ destiny by either developing on-site
Vice President and Global Head of generation capabilities with microgrids
Data Centre Solutions and Services, or forming strategic partnerships with
the industry is facing unprecedented utility providers. At some point, data
challenges due to soaring power centres will become part of the
densities – some server racks now grid ecosystem.”

190 September 2025

 that creates a digital twin. The AI uses
this model not just to see what’s
happening, but to predict what will
happen. By integrating external data
like weather forecasts, energy prices
and even occupancy schedules, it can
make proactive decisions, moving
beyond the simple “on/off” paradigm.
This core stack of IoT sensors
providing data and AI providing
intelligence is the foundational
technology that unlocks a
building’s potential.
To put this into context, Johnson
Controls’ advanced digital platforms
are capable of processing up to
a million data points each minute,
enabling buildings to intelligently
adapt in real time based on factors
like occupancy levels, changing
weather and fluctuating energy costs.

How smart buildings

give back to the grid JOHNSON CONTROLS
Much like data centres, buildings can put TECH AT STANFORD

20%
immense pressure on the grid. But by UNIVERSITY HAS LED TO A
retrofitting them with building-to-grid
(B2G) technology – turning them into smart
buildings – they are evolving from passive
energy burdens into intelligent assets.
Making a building intelligent requires
REDUCTION IN PEAK
a fundamental technological overhaul,
moving it from a passive structure to ENERGY DEMAND AND
a dynamic, data-driven ecosystem that GENERATED YEARLY
can even generate revenue by selling SAVINGS OF
electricity back to the grid.
The surge of information created
by the likes of IoT sensors feeds the US$500,000
system’s brain: an AI-powered platform

[Link] 191
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Katie McGinty, the firm’s Vice President

and Chief Sustainability and External
“LEADING OPERATORS
Relations Officer, says Johnson
Controls tech at Stanford University
ARE TAKING CONTROL
has led to a 20% reduction in peak OF THEIR DESTINY BY
energy demand and generated
yearly savings of US$500,000. EITHER DEVELOPING
ON-SITE GENERATION
“We can achieve on the order of 10%
to 20% additional emission reductions,

CAPABILITIES WITH
even for brand new buildings and
those with the highest level of green
certification,” Katie says. “When those
buildings were inaugurated and
MICROGRIDS OR
initiated, they may have been tuned
so that they had the highest level of
FORMING STRATEGIC
green performance, but over time PARTNERSHIPS WITH
those set points get changed or
those set points migrate.” UTILITY PROVIDERS”
Here, the transition back to the
Ciaran Flanagan,
main smart grid narrative is critical: Vp and Global Head of Data
smart buildings aren’t just isolated Centre Solutions and Services
Siemens
efficiency upgrades, but are becoming
distributed energy resources capable
of balancing load, providing storage and consumption. Sensor‑dense IoT
and supplying power when the grid architectures are creating a continuous
most needs it. In short, the same data layer across the grid, enabling
intelligence transforming grid millisecond-by-millisecond awareness.
operations is now embedded at the Edge computing and AI models
level of individual buildings – making – from advanced forecasting
every node in the network smarter algorithms to reinforcement
and more responsive. learning optimisers – are turning
that data into predictive, automated
Curating the grid of the future control decisions.
The journey from centralised, The smart grid of the future is
one-way energy delivery to an less a single piece of infrastructure and
intelligent, interactive smart grid more a distributed, software‑defined
is well underway as AI, IoT and platform – one where every sensor,
advanced analytics optimise existing node and algorithm contributes to
systems and redefine the relationship a resilient, high‑efficiency, low‑carbon
between generation, distribution energy network.

[Link] 193
 DELSKA

Delska Targets
Hyperscaler
Expansion
Across the Baltics
AD FEATURE WRITTEN BY: PRODUCED BY:
MARCUS LAW LEWIS VAUGHAN

194 September 2025

 DELSKA

[Link] 195
 DELSKA

Baltic data centre group Delska

has expanded its infrastructure
capacity as AI workloads push power
requirements of up to 250kW per rack

T
he Baltic data centre market
is transforming as regional
operators position themselves
to capture growing demand
from global hyperscalers
and AI workloads. Leading
this change is Delska, a newly unified
infrastructure group born from the merger
of established Latvian and Lithuanian
companies, now operating facilities
and networks spanning from the
Baltics to Frankfurt.
At the helm is Chief Executive Andris
Gailitis, a 30-year industry veteran who
witnessed the birth of the commercial
Internet in the region. Starting as a university
technician in 1999, when Internet access was
largely restricted to academic institutions
and wealthy corporations, he has guided the
company through decades of technological
evolution and today his approach remains
focused on core infrastructure rather
than chasing software trends.
“We are a pure infrastructure player,
and we are doing the best with a
deep expertise in the data centres
and network field,” says Andris.
This infrastructure-first strategy has
proved prescient. Data centres no longer
just support business functions but have
become critical infrastructure, with
technology services now ranking alongside
traditional industries in importance.

196 September 2025

 DELSKA

Name Surname,
Job Title,
Company Name
(Use this caption
Andris Gailitis,
for bleeding
CEO,
images)
Delska
 DELSKA

“More than 30% of the resources

needed by hyperscalers are
currently being outsourced.
So, I believe we are in the
right place, at the right time”
Andris Gailitis,
CEO,
Delska

“When we started, IT technologies

were helping other industries,”
explains Andris. “Now IT is becoming,
in most countries, a critical industry
itself: the same as hospitals, the same
as banks. If someone completely
stopped the communications and
data centre industries, it would mean
a major crisis for modern society.”
The company’s evolution accelerated
through strategic acquisition by Quaero
European Infrastructure Fund II and services, server rental, colocation,
consolidation of a group of companies security, including disaster recovery and
under the new brand Delska. In 2024, backup, network solutions and managed
Delska initiated a rebranding process, services, which sets us apart from pure
combining Latvian data centre operator colocation providers,” explains Delska
DEAC and Lithuanian Data Logistics Chief Marketing Officer Maria Bergere.
Centre (DLC), integrating Lithuanian The companies that formed Delska
RackRay a year later to form a have operated in the region for 26
comprehensive regional data centre years, providing industry expertise,
and network infrastructure provider. including knowledge of local regulations
“By merging expertise and IT teams, and business practices that newer
we’ve evolved and broadened our competitors lack.
spectrum of portfolio to become a “What sets us apart is not just our
one-stop provider for customers’ IT technology but our more than 26 years
infrastructure, encompassing cloud of experience, enabling us to offer

198 September 2025

 DELSKA

ANDRIS GAILITIS
CEO

Andris Gailitis has been in the

lead since 1999, initially as CTO,
then as CEO of DEAC in 2005.
In April 2022, Andris also took
on the CEO role at Data Logistics
more than infrastructure,” says Maria. Center (DLC). The two companies
“We provide hands-on expertise for merged in June 2024 to form Delska.
daily administration, monitoring and Gailitis holds an IT degree from
maintenance, backed by SLAs that Riga Technical University (RTU).
guarantee uptime and reliability.” Early in his career, Andris worked
as a system administrator at
Delska completes Riga facility Riga Water and as a laboratory
with multimillion investment assistant at RTU. From 2011 to
and modular AI design 2021, Gailitis served as a board
Delska’s new Riga facility addresses member of [Link].
a problem facing every data centre Under his leadership, Delska’s
operator: nobody knows how much infrastructure expanded, with
power AI applications will need. another 10 MW facility currently
Traditional hosting uses 10-20 kilowatts in development.
per rack, but AI can demand anywhere

[Link] 199
 DELSKA

“Built on a modular design,

the site scales from 10 MW
to 30 MW, enabling right-
sized, on-demand capacity
without overprovisioning”
Rihards Kaletovs,
Chief Technology Officer,
Delska

200 September 2025

 CREDIT: XXX
DELSKA

servers, whilst liquid cooling

manages high-power AI chips
that would otherwise overheat.
“Our dual-mode cooling setup
supports both traditional air-cooled
systems and high-density liquid
cooling loops, designed explicitly
for GPU-intensive AI and ML clusters,”
says Rihards.
Andris explains why this flexibility
matters for business planning.
“At the simple level of regular hosting,
it’s 10-20 kilowatts per rack,” he says.
“When it comes to AI, it’s a complete
disaster in terms of predictability.
You can have 50 kilowatts, 100, 250.”
Building separate facilities for different
power requirements would cost
too much. Instead, Delska designed
a new facility that handles both.
“You can’t build a data centre capable
of hosting a 10-kilowatt rack and a
one-megawatt rack,” says Andris. “
So, when you are planning server
rooms or a data centre, you need
to plan these levels and ask, what
from 50 to 250 kilowatts. This makes is the upper limit for you?”
capacity planning extremely difficult. Connectivity features at Delska’s new
Chief Technology Officer Rihards facility include direct cloud connections,
Kaletovs designed the new facility in low-latency links and a carrier-neutral
Latvia to handle both scenarios without meet-me room where multiple
wasting money on unused capacity. network providers can connect.
“Built on a modular design, the “The facility empowers customers
site scales from 10 MW to 30 MW to build hybrid, high-performance
on owned land next to the construction environments with zero vendor
site, enabling right-sized, on-demand lock-in,” says Rihards.
capacity without overprovisioning,” The facility is set to open in autumn
he says. 2025, with land available for expansion
The facility uses two cooling systems. and power capacity already secured for
Standard air-cooling handles regular up to 30 MW for future deployments.

[Link] 201
 DELSKA

Delska leverages the

Northern European climate
Data centres consume roughly 1%
of global electricity, making efficiency
a business imperative as much as
an environmental concern. Delska’s
Riga facility targets a Power Usage
Effectiveness ratio of less than 1.3 –
below the industry average of 1.6 –
by exploiting geographic advantages
that many operators cannot access.
The facility operates on 100%
renewable energy sourced from
Northern European wind farms,
eliminating carbon emissions
from power consumption. Even
backup generators use Neste
MY diesel derived from renewable
feedstocks rather than fossil fuels,
ensuring sustainability extends
to emergency power systems.
The region’s cooler temperatures
allow the facility to use free-cooling
systems for extended periods
throughout the year, reducing reliance
on energy-intensive mechanical cooling and proximity to major European
that typically accounts for 40% of data hubs – positions us as a bridge
centre power consumption. Free cooling between European and Asian
draws cold outside air directly into the markets,” Maria explains.
facility when ambient temperatures Energy efficiency becomes more
drop below server inlet requirements. critical as AI workloads drive power
The facility combines multiple consumption higher. Where traditional
efficiency technologies: hot-aisle servers consume steady power levels,
containment prevents warm and cold AI applications create variable loads
air mixing, magnetic-bearing chillers that challenge cooling systems
eliminate friction losses and modular and grid capacity.
design prevents overprovisioning that Beyond operational efficiency,
wastes energy on unused capacity. Delska explores waste heat recovery
“Our location in the EU – with its programmes with municipal authorities.
Nordic climate, low electricity costs Data centres typically reject heat

202 September 2025

 DELSKA

“Our location
in the EU
positions us as a
bridge between
European and
Asian markets”
Maria Bergere,
Chief Marketing Officer,
Delska

[Link] 203
 DELSKA

as waste, but recovery systems Delska constructs for enterprises

can capture this energy for district and hyperscaler needs
heating networks that warm Delska does not directly compete with
residential and commercial buildings. major cloud providers for end customers.
Andris acknowledges the tension Instead, it builds infrastructure for
between growing AI infrastructure these companies’ regional presence or
demands and environmental constraints enterprises’ specialised needs, like AI and
but sees efficiency improvements high-performance computing (HPC).
as the solution. “If we are looking at hyperscalers
“There are a lot of new challenges providing services to social networks
coming each day,” he says. “It’s true – or something at that level, we are
there are struggles with grids, and big not competing,” says Andris. “We are
economies are saying data centres looking to be the suppliers for them.
consume too much electricity. But More than 30% of the resources
AI-capable data services will not needed by hyperscalers are currently
go anywhere. They are here to stay.” being outsourced to regional

204 September 2025

 DELSKA

operators, so I believe we are in for today or tomorrow must be part

the right place, at the right time.” of this offering,” says Andris. “It’s not
This supplier role requires specific about what we want or don’t want –
capabilities, particularly GPU hosting for it has to be provided soon.”
AI applications. Besides that, businesses Given Delska’s extensive operational
need to deploy infrastructure closer experience, the technical and R&D
to end users. teams are advancing plans to implement
GPU services will become mandatory GPU-based services in response
rather than optional in Delska’s future to the accelerating AI boom.
offerings. The company assumes that “Flexibility is our strength; we can adapt
each customer will need AI capabilities to changing business requirements.
rather than treating it as a specialised Our specialisation has always been
requirement, ensuring immediate custom IT and network solutions. For
readiness to meet this need every time. example, we are offering custom-made
“By now it’s clear that GPU and private clouds for any customer’s and
AI-capable hardware with availability specific industry’s needs,” says Andris.

[Link] 205
 DELSKA

European regulations are increasing

compliance costs as data centres
gain critical infrastructure status.
These requirements affect pricing
across the industry.
“Data centre hosting is no longer
a simple, cheap infrastructure service,”
says Andris. “This regulatory push
is adding bureaucracy to services,
which, unfortunately, also means
an increase in prices.”
Chief Customer Officer Elita
Kovalova says IT companies get
the most value from Delska’s
services because they need
reliable infrastructure without
building their own data centres.
“Delska serves customers from
more than 40 countries, a large part
of which are IT companies, especially
those developing software, hosting
platforms, or delivering digital services,”
she says. “These customers rely on
us for secure, scalable infrastructure
that ensures high availability, strong
performance and cost efficiency.”
“Our goal is to reach the stage of IT needs and build long-term
growth Europe is experiencing today – partnerships grounded in flexibility,
hosting significantly larger customers,” responsiveness and trust,” she says.
says Andris. “Not just tens of racks The rebranding focuses not just
consuming hundreds of kilowatts, but on internal process alignment, but
deployments with hundreds of racks.” foremost on customer requirements.
Elita says customer relationships “Most importantly, our rebranding
involve understanding specific reflects a shift in focus: from being
business requirements rather than less about us to being more about
selling standardised packages. our customers,” says Maria. “We’re
“What truly sets Delska apart is committed to being the most personal
not just our technology, but our technology behind your business,
personalised approach – we take the offering not just infrastructure, but
time to understand each customer’s a trusted partner for your growth.”

206 September 2025

 DELSKA

“What truly sets Delska apart

is not just our technology, but
our personalised approach –
we take the time to build
long-term partnerships”
Elita Kovalova,
Chief Customer Officer,
Delska Latvia

[Link] 207
“At its heart, myDelska
solves a fundamental
problem: making
cloud infrastructure
as easy to control
as it is to consume”
Edgars Lukss,
Chief R&D Officer,
Delska
 DELSKA

MyDelska platform targets The platform combines technical

transparent cloud pricing features that are usually spread
Delska built the myDelska platform in across multiple platforms into a single
response to customer complaints about interface. This reduces the complexity
hidden charges and restrictive contracts of managing IT infrastructure.
from major cloud providers. Many “MyDelska consolidates advanced
companies discover that cloud services features – such as real-time network
become expensive once they scale topology maps, customisable firewalls,
beyond basic usage levels. multi-tenant controls and advanced
Chief R&D Officer Edgars Lukss says backup settings – into a clean and
the platform removes common pricing intuitive interface,” says Edgars.
tricks that catch customers off guard. Delska develops its platform’s
“Our customers value performance cloud services independently rather
and predictability, so we’ve removed than reselling services from Amazon,
traffic metering, introduced pay-as- Microsoft or Google. This prevents
you-go pricing, and built a platform licensing changes from affecting
that enables them to launch and customer pricing. However, for
manage virtual infrastructure in enterprise-grade customers, Delska
seconds, not minutes,” he says. offers VMware-based public cloud

[Link] 209
DELSKA

6 Delska data centres

4,000km of optical fibre

19 MW: Current capacity in 6

Tier II & III data centres

30 MW: Plans to expand on owned

land with secured power
 DELSKA

Delska data centres &

network infrastructure
DELSKA Data Centers
Partner Data Centers &
Network Points of Presence
Network Points of Presence
Redundant Optical Network
Baltic Highway

and private clouds with virtualisation infrastructure alongside its data

upon the customer’s choice. centres, recognising that applications
“You see what’s happening around need low-latency connections
the big hyperscale players – they across multiple locations. To support
are, in general, a monopoly in the businesses with geographic distribution
world,” says Andris. “And we saw requirements, the company has
that there was space in the market established Points of Presence
for a different approach.” (PoPs) through its network and
Edgars summarises the platform’s partner data centres across Europe.
purpose: “At its heart, myDelska solves Chief Operating Officer of
a fundamental problem: making Delska’s Lithuanian branch,
cloud infrastructure as easy to Viktoras Aliasevicius, explains
control as it is to consume,” he says. that network investment addresses
Further development plans rapid bandwidth growth driven
include adding bare metal service by cloud adaptation, IoT deployments
to the self-service platform. and AI applications.
“Our connectivity spans the Baltics,
Next-gen network infrastructure Poland, Germany (Frankfurt) and the
driving regional connectivity Netherlands (Amsterdam), supported
Delska operates a high-speed by strategically placed PoPs across
100G Baltic Highway network the region and the EU,” he says.

[Link] 211
 DELSKA

In Lithuania, Delska owns and Beyond connectivity, security

operates a dark fibre optical network, investment addresses cyber threats and
giving customers direct access to regulatory requirements. The NIS2 directive
higher bandwidth capacity, lower mandates enhanced security measures
latency, and additional layers of for critical infrastructure operators,
resilience. To enable long-distance, driving investment in protection systems.
high-volume data transmission, the “To meet the evolving needs of IoT,
company deploys DWDM (Dense public cloud, AI and other advanced
Wavelength Division Multiplexing), technologies, we are making significant
which increases cost-efficiency while investments in internet capacity,
delivering scalable bandwidth. DDoS mitigation and strengthening our
This is complemented by a secure, cybersecurity framework in line with
redundant Layer 2 (L2) Ethernet network ISO standards and the forthcoming
that supports multi-route connectivity NIS2 directive,” says Viktoras.
with flexible bandwidth options of 1G, This network foundation supports
10G and 100G between PoPs. customer expansion across regions
For businesses requiring global reach, while bringing data closer to end users,
Delska also provides IP transit services accelerating performance, reducing
with speeds of up to 100G, leveraging latency, and ensuring high-capacity
Tier 1 backbone providers at every PoP. connectivity from the Baltic region to
This ensures businesses can reliably data exchange hubs in Warsaw, Berlin,
connect with their users worldwide. Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Stockholm,
Seamless links to major Internet Helsinki, and extending even further
Exchange points further guarantee fast, via last-mile connectivity through
direct access to leading cloud providers. local and international partners.

“We are making significant

investments in internet
capacity, DDoS mitigation
and strengthening our
cybersecurity framework”
Viktoras Aliasevicius,
Chief Operating Officer,
Delska Lithuania
 DELSKA

[Link] 213
 DELSKA

214 September 2025

 DELSKA

Delska’s 25 years of expertise The convergence of AI demand,

to power future growth hyperscaler outsourcing trends and
Over a quarter of a century, European regulatory requirements
Delska has built a strong market creates significant opportunities
position in the Baltic region where for regional operators with deep
infrastructure expertise is a key infrastructure expertise. Delska’s
advantage. Today, the company investments in renewable energy,
employs more than 95 certified modular facilities and comprehensive
IT professionals providing 24/7 network infrastructure position the
multilingual technical support, company to benefit from these market
backed by partnerships with over developments, whilst maintaining
30 leading software and hardware the personal service approach that
vendors and customers across differentiates it from global competitors.
more than 40 export markets. Chief Financial Officer Kaspars Berzins
says the company’s financial position
supports continued investment in
regional infrastructure development.
“We’re investing “We’re investing with a clear goal: to

with a clear goal:

help make the Baltic region a key new
hub for data centers,” says Kaspars.
to help make “It’s a strategic step, and we believe the
timing couldn’t be better given how
the Baltic region the market is evolving in the Baltics,

a key new hub Northern and Eastern Europe. Our

financial position enables us to support
for data centres” AI-ready infrastructure, our self-service
platform myDelska, sustainable solutions
Kaspars Berzins,
Chief Financial Officer,
and to create a strong regional data
Delska centres’ ecosystem. These investments
put Delska in a strong position to drive
regional growth while helping customers
accelerate their digital transformation
securely and sustainably.” For Andris,
the current environment represents
both validation of long-term strategy
and readiness for continued evolution.
“We have many projects ahead and new
milestones to reach,” he says, “so we are
very optimistic about the development
and growth of the industry.”

[Link] 215
WHY YOUR
MOST VALUABL
ASSET NEEDS
A RULEBOOK
Without governance, data is chaos – but with it, it becomes a strategic
asset that powers confident decisions, as leading tech execs explain
WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

216 September 2025

 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

LE

[Link] 217
 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

n the modern enterprise, data

holds a precarious position:
as both the most valuable
asset and the most significant
source of risk.
Left unmanaged, data can quickly
become inconsistent and insecure.
Data governance is vital for organisations
to build trust in their data and make
informed decisions, particularly in the
context of AI and ML.
The long-standing metaphor declaring
“data is the new oil” is beginning to show
its age. While the phrase successfully
captured data’s immense value, the
comparison is flawed. While oil is
a finite resource with inherent value
and its risks, while significant, are
primarily physical, data is different.
An infinitely reusable commodity,
its value is contextual – but its risks
can be existential as, when ungoverned,
data turns from an asset into a liability.
With AI booming and ever-tightening
privacy regulations like GDPR and
the CCPA at play, leaving arguably Using ungoverned, low-quality fuel in
a business’ most critical digital a high-performance engine – especially
resource without a rulebook is out when it comes to AI – is an invitation for
of the question. But, the real value disaster. Governance can be viewed as
of data comes not from its raw a way of refining that fuel, ensuring the
existence, but from the trust that is information powering the most critical
forged through a robust, intentional decisions is understood, consistent,
system of data governance. secure and trusted.
“We live in a mobile-first and
The data shift cloud-first world,” Microsoft’s
Historically, data has been treated CEO Satya Nadella said recently.
as a by-product of business. Now “Computing is ubiquitous and
that narrative is shifting, with data experiences span devices and exhibit
less of the exhaust to the powerful ambient intelligence. Billions of sensors,
machine but the fuel. screens and devices – in conference

218 September 2025

rooms, living rooms, cities, cars, phones,
PCs – are forming a vast network and
“THE MORE
streams of data that simply disappear CONFIDENCE
into the background of our lives.
This computing power will digitise
YOU HAVE IN THE
nearly everything around us and will UNDERLINED
derive insights from all of the data
being generated by interactions
FOUNDATIONAL DATA
among people and between people THAT YOU HAVE, THE
and machines.
“We are moving from a world where
FASTER YOU CAN
computing power was scarce to a place MAKE DECISIONS”
where it now is almost limitless, and
Scott Hofmann,
where the true scarce commodity is Chief Revenue Officer,
increasingly human attention.” GFT

[Link] 219
 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

SACHIN AGRAWAL
TITLE: SENIOR DIRECTOR
COMPANY: DXC TECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRY: IT SERVICES
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM
A former entrepreneur who built
HR Tech SaaS business before joining
Zoho, Sachin previously spent 16
years in consulting and enterprise
technology with IBM, A&M, Tech
Mahindra and Tata Group.

THE CUSTOMER TRUTH IN SUPPORT TICKETS

For Zoho’s portfolio of more than 50 This philosophy shapes
business applications serving 800,000 Zoho’s broader data strategy.
companies globally, customer data The company publishes detailed
provides product intelligence through pricing information to avoid what
an unusual route. Sachin Agrawal, competitors often employ as
Managing Director at Zoho UK, takes “hidden costs in technology.”
an unconventional approach to data Rather than treating data governance
governance that prioritises real customer as a compliance exercise, Sachin’s
problems over market research. team uses customer interaction
“When you ask customers what it is data to drive product development
that you want to see here, you typically decisions. The approach reflects
get a wish list,” Sachin explains. “That’s a belief that transparency in
not necessarily something that the data handling builds stronger
customer will pay for.” customer relationships than
Instead, Zoho’s leadership, including traditional market research methods.
the CEO, reads support tickets daily “That’s where we learn our
as their primary source of business truth from, in terms of the
intelligence. “When customers are customer interaction,” Sachin
actually reaching out to you to solve a says. “I think that philosophy
problem – that’s the real source of truth.” has worked for us.”

220 September 2025

SACHIN AGRAWAL
TITLE: MANAGING DIRECTOR
COMPANY: ZOHO UK
INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY
SOFTWARE
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

A former entrepreneur who built HR

Tech SaaS business before joining
Zoho, Sachin previously spent 16
years in consulting and enterprise
technology with IBM, A&M, Tech
Mahindra and Tata Group.

[Link] 221
MAGAZINE | WEB | EVENTS | REPORTS | DATA | WEBINARS

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the World’s
AI Leaders
Be Seen by The No.1
AI Network

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 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

MARIA C. VILLAR
TITLE: MANAGING PARTNER
COMPANY: BUSINESS DATA
LEADERSHIP
INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE
LOCATION: CALIFORNIA, USA
Maria is a respected technology
executive and data leader with more
than 25 years of experience. She was
Global VP of Data Management and
Governance at SAP until 2024 and is
known for building award-winning global
data governance and management
programmes that drive business
impact and digital transformation.

Satya’s vision is one that epitomises data is treated as a strategic asset across
how data governance is no longer just the entire organisation. When you
about controlling access or compliance – manage data as an asset, the value
it’s about stewarding an unprecedented you can derive from it multiplies.”
volume of data to maximise value while Speaking about her own book,
safeguarding privacy and security. Managing your Business Data:
From Chaos to Confidence, and the
The data governance cultural shift importance of data governance, she
Achieving the high level of trust reiterates: “Good data governance is
needed requires a profound cultural like water. It’s the pipe. It’s the electricity
shift and a collective agreement to treat that runs every part of the company.
information as a primary corporate asset. So the more confidence you have in
Maria C. Villar, Managing Partner at the underlined foundational data that
Business Data Leadership, who served you have, the faster you can make
as Global Vice President of Data and decisions and the faster you can really
Analytics at SAP until last year, says go after your customers with more
this requires deep commitment. information about them.
“Good data governance is not a project, “But governance is really more
it’s a programme,” she says in The Chief than just technology. I think that’s
Data Officer’s Playbook by Caroline an important point.”
Carruthers and Peter Jackson. “It requires Both she and Satya acknowledge
a change in culture and mindset, where the importance of humans in this

[Link] 223
 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

BANKING’S DATA
QUALITY CHALLENGE
At Lloyds Banking Group, data data any useful?” Amit asks. “Is it like
governance determines whether a single point of data, single product
AI applications succeed or fail. Amit data or holistic data?”
Thawani, Chief Information Officer, Legacy banking systems often trap
Lloyds Banking Group – who oversees valuable information in silos, making
insurance, pensions and investment comprehensive customer views
divisions – faces the challenge of difficult to achieve.
managing 250 years of customer Beyond consolidation, Amit’s
data spread across legacy systems. team must establish data lineage and
Amit puts it bluntly: poor quality maintain audit trails for regulatory
data leads to unreliable models and compliance. When AI models make
potentially disastrous outcomes. decisions affecting customers, the
This reality drives Lloyds’ approach to bank needs complete transparency
data infrastructure, where consolidation about the underlying data and logic.
comes before innovation. The bank is “Since if you make some decisions
“heavily investing on first getting our based on some models, and if
data right,” Amit says, before going somebody has challenged our
about implementing AI solutions. decision, we should be able to
The scale is daunting. “We have prove what was behind this
a massive amount of data – but is this model,” Amit explains.

equation, and the human element landscape can become fragmented and
of governance where the real work inaccessible, with pockets of valuable
begins. As Maria emphasises, information trapped in siloed systems.
a successful data governance Different departments can also use
programme distributes responsibility conflicting metrics, leading those in the
away from a central IT function and boardroom away from decisive action.
embeds it within the business itself, Analysts and data scientists, who should
establishing a network of people be uncovering breakthrough insights,
who understand and are accountable spend up to 80% of their time simply
for the data in their domain. trying to find and clean the data they
need, a CrowdFlower Data Science Report
From a digital swamp finds. Data scientists spend about 60%
to curated library of their time cleaning and organising data
Without a human-led approach and 19% collecting data sets – showing
to governance, the corporate data that, without effective data governance,

224 September 2025

organisations face disorganised,
inconsistent and poor-quality data, making
AMIT THAWANI
preparation for analysis time-consuming. TITLE: CIO (INSURANCE, PENSIONS
From the perspective of Randy Bean, & INVESTMENTS)
BCG Senior Advisor, author and data COMPANY: LLOYDS BANKING GROUP
speaker, humans are at the heart of INDUSTRY: FINANCIAL SERVICES
whether data governance succeeds
LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM
– technology is necessary, but people,
culture and communication ultimately Amit is a 25-year financial technology
determine the value organisations get veteran with global experience across
from their data. Oracle, BNP Paribas, ING and Wells
“The real challenge in becoming data- Fargo. He joined Lloyds in October 2023
driven is cultural change, not technology,” to drive digital transformation across
he shares. “Data is something that’s a insurance, pensions and investments.
primary asset of the organisation.

[Link] 225
 DATA SCIENTISTS

60%
SPEND ABOUT
It’s not a project. It’s not a little thing
within some part of the organisation,
it should be one of the things that’s
most central, just like you think of the
finances of an organisation.
OF THEIR TIME “It’s that shift in thinking to think
CLEANING AND that data is something that matters

ORGANISING DATA AND to all of us, as opposed to data is

19%
something that’s relegated to some
group that we all only call upon
when we need them.”

Having the boardroom on board

Ultimately, the most compelling case
COLLECTING DATA SETS for data governance is a strategic one.
In the AI era, the quality of governance

226 September 2025

 DATA & DATA ANALYTICS

RANDY BEAN
TITLE: SENIOR ADVISOR,
AUTHOR AND SPEAKER
COMPANY: DATA & AI LEADERSHIP
EXCHANGE
INDUSTRY: DATA
LOCATION: MASSACHUSETTS, USA
Randy is a data and AI leader with more
than 40 years experience advising
Fortune 1000 firms. An author and
will directly determine the capacity to speaker, he champions ethical data
compete. Biased or inaccurate data leadership for business value and risk
leads to biased and inaccurate AI-driven mitigation. He also works for BCG, Forbes,
outcomes, exposing a company to Harvard Business Review and MIT SMR.
reputational damage and legal jeopardy.
This makes governance a top-tier
boardroom concern.
As Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, It’s the licence to operate that gives
emphasised recently, the future of leaders the confidence to deploy
AI hinges on this very issue. He states powerful AI tools responsibly.
that AI “has to be built on a foundation For a modern leader, advocating
of trust and transparency.” for investment in governance is
That foundation is data governance. as fundamental as advocating for
It provides the auditable trail of where investment in new technology –
data came from, how it has been because one cannot succeed
transformed and who has accessed it. without the other.

[Link] 227
 PEKIN INSURANCE

FROM ADVERSITY TO RESILIEN

PEKIN INSURANC
TECH-DRIVEN TU
228 September 2025
 PEKIN INSURANCE

NCE:
CE’S
WRITTEN BY:
JAMES

URNAROUND
DARLEY

PRODUCED BY:
OLIVER
REEK

[Link] 229
 PEKIN INSURANCE

Pekin Insurance went from a $170M

loss in 2023 to record-breaking
profits in 2024, driven by bold
decisions, strong platforms and
strategic partnerships

I
n 2023, Pekin Insurance faced
the worst financial loss year in
its history. The Illinois-based
property casualty and life
insurance carrier recorded a
staggering US$170m net loss. Just twelve
months later, the company achieved its
most profitable year in two decades.
Key to this remarkable transformation
was the support enabled by Pekin’s
technology ecosystem led by Amy
Bingham, the firm’s Vice President and
Chief Information Officer. It was her
strategic deployment of technology
partnerships and platform modernisation
initiatives that played an integral role
in the company’s dramatic turnaround.
“In a one-year timespan, we went from
having the worst loss year to the most
profitable in almost two decades,” Amy
explains. The achievement represents an
unprecedented recovery in an industry
where such rapid transformations are
virtually unheard of.
Pekin Insurance operates across
22 US states and employs around 700
staff members, while distributing its
products through around 1,500 agencies
and a network of 8,500 agents. Property
and casualty insurance is offered in eight
states, with strategic expansion plans
for the next decade.

230 September 2025

PEKIN INSURANCE
 PEKIN INSURANCE

Amy Bingham joined Pekin Insurance

three and a half years ago after spending
“In a one-year time
over 20 years with a large US carrier. span, we went from
Her mandate was clear: help Pekin grow having the worst
loss year to the most
and transform through modernised
technology capabilities. Little did she
know that her technology strategy would profitable in almost
two decades”
be key to helping her new company
navigate the greatest period of intense
operational and financial strain since
AMY BINGHAM,
its founding in 1921. CIO, VICE PRESIDENT,
It wasn’t just Pekin, though. In 2023, PEKIN INSURANCE
the insurance sector at large was
facing unprecedented challenges,
with climate-related risks and However, Pekin managed to maintain
macroeconomic pressures dovetailing its A-minus excellent rating, providing
to create a perfect storm. Guy a crucial foundation for its recovery
Carpenter, a global risk and reinsurance efforts going forward.
specialist, reported 28 separate
billion-dollar disaster events in the How Pekin Insurance bounced back
US – among the highest on record. By the second quarter of 2023, Pekin’s
For Pekin Insurance, the primary leadership team knew they needed
threat came from a series of severe to take some swift action, implementing
convective storms concentrated in the a series of sweeping measures to address
centre of the US. These thunderstorms, the mounting losses and growing
often accompanied by high winds financial instability.
and hail, destroyed cars, homes and The firm temporarily halted all
commercial properties indiscriminately. new business across personal lines
Inflation and rising replacement costs for home and vehicle insurance –
compounded the financial damage. a policy which remained in place
“Our biggest impact is typically severe for an entire year. Pekin also decided
thunderstorms, primarily those that have to remove itself from geographical
hail damage coupled with very high wind markets that it viewed as particularly
impacts,” Amy reveals. high-risk, exiting all personal lines in
The severity of the crisis extended Iowa while maintaining commercial
beyond individual companies. AM lines and life operations.
Best, the American credit rating The team also withdrew themselves
agency focusing on insurance, from several high-risk product segments,
downgraded the entire personal lines ended relationships with unprofitable
industry outlook from stable to negative. agencies and made the difficult decision

232 September 2025

 PEKIN INSURANCE

AMY BINGHAM
TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF
INFORMATION OFFICER

Amy Bingham is Vice President

and Chief Information Officer at
Pekin Insurance, where she leads
technology strategy and execution
across application modernization,
infrastructure, operations, data, and
AI. With over 25 years of experience
in the insurance industry, she has held
leadership roles at Fortune 50 and
mid-sized carriers. Amy has driven
enterprise-wide digital transformation
and delivered innovative solutions that
enhance user experience and business
value. She is known for building agile,
high-performing teams and fostering
a culture of continuous improvement.
Her leadership ensures Pekin Insurance
remains competitive and resilient in
a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Beyond InsurTech:
Behind ValueMomentum’s
Recipe for Success
ValueMomentum, a key partner of regional carriers
like Pekin Insurance, focuses equally on strategy,
relationships and technology to deliver strong results

ValueMomentum, a Global Services Provider of extreme weather events wrought chaos

exclusively focused on P&C Insurance across the US, causing claims to skyrocket.
headquartered in New Jersey, has made a name
By enlisting the help of partners like
for itself in the insurance sector by helping to
ValueMomentum and Guidewire – a cloud-
bring regional providers into the 21st century.
based P&C insurance core systems
Specialising in property and casualty, software provider – Pekin’s team was
ValueMomentum is renowned for its work afforded the agility it needed to respond.
across four main verticals: claims, product and
underwriting, distribution and enterprise IT. Pekin has been a Guidewire customer since
2015, and the insurer used Guidewire’s
With this vertical operating model, the firm core, data and digital products to help
is able to deliver industry-specific expertise them rebound financially after 2023.
that makes a real difference. ValueMomentum
has partnered with Pekin Insurance, a Guidewire’s platform has enabled Pekin
regional provider based out of the Midwest, to respond rapidly to agent requests,
for almost a decade now, helping the customer expectations – especially when
Illinois insurer to modernise all the while. overloaded with claims from extreme weather
- and a changing insurance market.
“They were on a legacy platform for
a long time and, in 2015, their senior “It has been incredible to see Pekin flourish
management took the call that they needed throughout their technology transformation.
to transform their IT into a more modern From replacing their legacy systems in 2015
ecosystem,” says Avdhut Nadkarni, Client to moving to Guidewire Cloud in 2021, it has
Partner at ValueMomentum, who has always been clear that they are a team of
managed the Pekin account since 2017. forward-thinking innovators determined to be
the best insurer they can,” says Tara Vieira,
The importance of partnerships
Customer Success Manager at Guidewire
In 2023, this focus on modernisation became
Strategy and technology
more significant than ever before as Pekin
Insurance grappled with one of the worst While ValueMomentum helps companies to
financial crises in its history after a string evolve, it has been undergoing an evolution
 “We understand their strategic business
“Within the last 18 months objectives,” says Avdhut. “It has always
been a very collaborative culture. Pekin
there’s been significant considers us as one of them.”
progress in the Guidewire-
For Alyssa Ozer, Head of Partnerships
Pekin-ValueMomentum three- and Alliances at ValueMomentum, the
legged stool with the way strength of a client relationship, like the
that this transformation has one ValueMomentum enjoys with Pekin
really supported the change Insurance, is a real indicator of success.

in Pekin’s market success.” “When you have a client that’s willing to publicly
say, ‘Yes, I work with ValueMomentum, and it’s
great’, that’s a really positive sign,” she says.
Alyssa Ozer,
Head of Partnerships and Avdhut echoes these sentiments
Alliances at ValueMomentum wholeheartedly. “Our boss is our customer,”
he explains. “There is no other boss
that we have at ValueMomentum.”
itself too. Rather than simply providing IT
services to support business goals, the firm
now advises insurers on strategic direction. Contact ValueMomentum to learn
more about our vertical-led, exclusive
“We understand your business,
focus on the P&C insurance market
meaning we will help you achieve your
business goals,” Avdhut explains.

The transformation has yielded measurable

results for clients like Pekin Insurance. In the
past two years, ValueMomentum has helped Learn more
Pekin achieve three of its most important
goals: geographical expansion, risk reduction
and improving the ease of doing business.
 PEKIN INSURANCE

to reduce the size of its workforce – data-driven decisions became crucial

all measures designed to reduce risk to the company’s recovery.
concentration and improve the firm’s The decision-making process relied
chance of profitability. heavily on modern technology capabilities.
With these changes in place, Pekin Pekin’s Guidewire platform, combined with
Insurance projected an 18% reduction enhanced data analytics, enabled business
in direct written premium for 2024 but in leaders to model various scenarios. This
return would reduce exposure to storms technological foundation allowed the
and natural catastrophes by 50%. And company to project the impact of different
as if that wasn’t enough, this intentional strategic choices on overall profitability.
revenue decline was accompanied by an
effort to reduce forecasted expenses by Turning to technology in a crisis
25%, totalling US$70 million. With that target of reducing expenses
“We needed to make decisions rather by US$70m, Amy sensed an unexpected
swiftly so that we could make the opportunity for the company. Rather
changes needed to realise the benefits,” than retreating from innovation during
Amy explains. The ability to make rapid, Pekin’s crisis, she saw that, with a few

236 September 2025

 PEKIN INSURANCE

strategic investments, she and her The second major initiative

team could reduce costs whilst also involved partnering with One Inc,
improving their capabilities. a provider of digital payment
So, with renewed determination, capabilities. This project aimed to
Amy presented a series of business modernise customer billing and claims
cases for technology modernisation payments through a digital wallet
initiatives. The first focused on migrating system. Pekin already had a relationship
the company’s integration platform with One Inc for claims payments,
to WSO2, a provider of integration making expansion into premium
platform services. WSO2 is recognised payments a natural progression.
by research firm Gartner as a visionary The One Inc implementation
in the integration space, with platforms enabled compliant and cost-effective
built primarily on open-source credit card merchant fee processing.
capabilities. “The heavy emphasis This modernisation effort contributed
on expense reduction became the over US$3m in annual expense
catalyst for the business case for reductions while also improving
these initiatives,” Amy says. Pekin’s customer experience.

[Link] 237
Case Study

Transforming
Quality Engineering
at Pekin Insurance

[Link]
Quality Engineering Assessment:
Crafting a Roadmap for Success for Pekin Insurance

The Challenge The Results

Pekin, a large P&C insurance company, faced The assessment gave Pekin clarity on
challenges with their Quality Engineering (QE) their strengths, gaps, and opportunities.
practices. Moving code to production required It pinpointed where test automation
excessive effort, often involving business users should be scaled, which teams needed
for testing. Despite these efforts, defects development methodology support, and
still slipped into production. Without proper how existing tools could be better utilized.
metrics, the root causes remained unclear, Skill gaps were highlighted, along with
leading to low confidence in releases and training and resource augmentation needs.
growing friction between the business and IT. The roadmap provided a detailed, phased plan,
including measurable targets for automation
coverage, quality metrics, and delivery
The Solution improvement. With this guidance, Pekin
gained a clear path to elevate QE maturity
To address these concerns, Exavalu conducted
and confidently deliver high-quality software.
a 10-week Quality Engineering Assessment.
Exavalu structured the engagement into
three phases: Discovery, Current-State “Exavalu’s expertise has been
Assessment, and Target State Definition instrumental, not only in
with a strategic roadmap. During Discovery, the legacy transformation,
Exavalu interviewed stakeholders across the
but also in supporting our
business and IT to understand the current
delivery of a modern enterprise
QE landscape and vision. A detailed analysis
customer, self service portal”
of testing processes, automation, defects,
and quality artifacts followed. The Current- Amy Bingham
State Assessment identified process gaps and CIO, Vice President at Pekin Insurance
compared practices to industry standards.
Finally, the Target State and Roadmap defined
clear improvement opportunities, prioritizing Contact Us
quick wins and long-term initiatives.

info@[Link]
 PEKIN INSURANCE

“The heavy emphasis

on expense
reduction became
the catalyst for the
business case for
these initiatives”
AMY BINGHAM,
CIO, VICE PRESIDENT,
PEKIN INSURANCE

Pekin also partnered with Exavalu,

a technology services provider,
to further target its CX. Exavalu is
helping Amy and the team to deliver
a sleek, modern customer self-service
portal, making Pekin’s digital ecosystem
more efficient and more enjoyable
for its users to navigate.
These technology modernisation
efforts occurred alongside operational
changes required for market exits and
product portfolio refinements. The
agile IT operating model that Amy had
implemented enabled rapid priority
shifts to meet evolving business needs.

The importance of partnerships

Amy’s approach to partnerships in the
tech sector reflected both some hard-
nosed financial knowhow and some
strategic thinking. The selection of
WSO2 demonstrated the importance
of vendor partnership throughout
complex migration projects.
“They absolutely came to the table
with a commitment and investment

240 September 2025

IT Leadership Team
 PEKIN INSURANCE

to make sure that this migration was

successful,” Amy explains regarding
WSO2’s partnership approach. The
vendor’s support during inevitable
hurdles and setbacks proved crucial
to project success.
One Inc’s selection reflected
strategic considerations around
platform integration. As a marketplace
provider for Guidewire, One Inc offered
inherent integration capabilities with
Pekin’s core policy administration,
billing, and claims platforms. This
alignment simplified implementation
and reduced integration complexity.

242 September 2025

 PEKIN INSURANCE

This strategy of collaboration extended “This data proves that the actions
beyond immediate savings too. Amy we took had a meaningful impact
is a firm believer in the importance of in transforming the company,” Amy
building long-term relationships with explains. The results validated the
vendors. In a sector so focused on costs, difficult decisions made during the
these things become more and valuable crisis period and demonstrated the
in a moment of difficulty. effectiveness of the integrated approach.
Pekin recorded US$44m in
Measuring success through data net income for 2024, surpassing
The true test of Pekin’s strategic projections and targets by a huge
response came in 2024’s results. distance. It represented a quite
Despite the insurance industry facing remarkable US$214m improvement
such trying circumstances, Amy and from the previous year’s US$170 million
her team managed to see through loss, making 2024 the firm’s most
some remarkable improvements. profitable year since 2005.
Firstly, the company reduced its The financial turnaround occurred
storm losses by 65% compared to despite 2024 being considered the
2023, which translated to US$88m fourth-highest disaster impact year on
in avoided losses. It wasn’t that Pekin record across the United States. This
simply got lucky with a year that context underscores the significance
contained fewer extreme weather of Pekin’s strategic mitigations and their
events – it was down to strategy. effectiveness in reducing risk exposure.

[Link] 243
 PEKIN INSURANCE

How technology can those difficult decisions and the

transform the insurance sector rapid changes required for recovery.
Amy highlights that Pekin Insurance’s After recording such astounding
organisational values provided successes in 2024, Amy is determined to
a foundation for the successful maintain Pekin’s momentum, hunger and
transformation. They include: being quick spirit of collaboration.
to communicate, respond and solve After having to exit some of its personal
issues; innovating in products, technology lines product markets during its toughest
and thinking; being nimble in adapting to moments, Pekin Insurance partnered with
challenges; and (perhaps most crucially) ValueMomentum to launch its Autocare
having a tech-savvy approach to business. Services Business Owners Policy (BOP)
These values, established before all in 2025, Purpose-built for the auto care
the adversity of 2023, proved to be service industry, the product covers 17
instrumental in Pekin’s response, distinct business classes with coverages
with the company culture supporting tailoredto their unique operational needs.

Power Your
Modernization
with WSO2
Just like Pekin Insurance, modern enterprises
trust WSO2 to simplify integration, improve agility,
and accelerate innovation across systems and teams

Discover What WSO2 Can Do for You

244 September 2025

PEKIN INSURANCE
 PEKIN INSURANCE

Amy Bingham,
CIO, Vice President,
Pekin Insurance
 PEKIN INSURANCE

“We needed to make

decisions rather
swiftly so that we
could make the
changes needed to
realise the benefits”
AMY BINGHAM,
CIO, VICE PRESIDENT,
PEKIN INSURANCE

The digital experience was designed

with agents in mind, making it easier
to navigate, quote, and deliver
the right protection efficiently.
Pekin will continue to partner with
ValueMomentum on strategic
projects to grow the business through
additional product deployments and
geographic expansion.
It’s easy to see why Amy wants
to replicate the strategy she and her
team first implemented back in 2023.
“Those values absolutely played a
part in the transformation that we’ve
experienced over the last couple
years,” she says.
She reflects on what has been an
intense period of her professional life
with great pride. “Being part of such
a successful turnaround has been
extremely rewarding. I’m very proud
of Pekin’s senior leadership team
across our business units that made
very difficult decisions, and the
technology teams that delivered on
those transformational changes.”

[Link] 247
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

How
Schneider
Electric
is Leading the
Sustainable
Data Centre
Revolution
AD FEATURE
WRITTEN BY:
AMBER JACKSON

PRODUCED BY:
LEWIS VAUGHAN

248 September 2025

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

[Link] 249
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Nirupa Chander explains how Schneider Electric helps

customers balance innovation with sustainability,
as AI workloads place more pressure on data centres

T
he data centre industry stands technology solutions. The French
at a crossroads. As AI workloads multinational corporation, which
demand unprecedented levels specialises in energy management
of computing power, data and automation, is globally recognised
centre operators must engage for being at the forefront of this
more with sustainability imperatives transformation: so much so that it
to achieve more efficient operations. was named the most sustainable
This has led to a tension between company by TIME in June 2025.
innovation and environmental Nirupa Chander, Senior Vice
responsibility, which has quickly become President for Secure Power & Data
the defining challenge of 2025: how can Centres International at Schneider
the data centre industry meet soaring Electric, oversees the company’s
AI demands without compromising data centre business across emerging
sustainability commitments? markets. Based in Dubai, she leads
For Schneider Electric, this challenge the business in all markets outside
represents an opportunity to demonstrate of Europe, US and China.
its extensive leadership in sustainable The scope of her responsibility reflects
the global nature of the AI revolution, as
events from the rise of DeepSeek to US
“We’re experts in tariffs have impacted the wider industry.
“We have many markets that are still
power and cooling developing their digital infrastructure,”
she explains. “We see a continued overall
and are providing positive outlook. It’s been a tumultuous

technology six months in the industry, but what

fundamentally hasn’t changed is the
solutions from overall outlook in the demand for digital
infrastructure across the regions.”
Grid to Chip and How power demand is reshaping
Chip to Chiller” infrastructure requirements
AI continues to change rapidly
NIRUPA CHANDER, as adoption rises.
SVP FOR SECURE POWER
& DATA CENTRES INTERNATIONAL, For instance, ChatGPT acquired
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC its first 100 million users in just two

250 September 2025

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Nirupa Chander,
Senior Vice President,
Secure Power & Data
Name Surname,
Centres International,
Job Title,
Schneider Electric
Company Name
(Use this caption for
bleeding images)
Pod and rack
infrastructure for AI and
accelerated computing

months, compared to nine months for “The market is overall very

TikTok. Likewise, the market for Gen dynamic and still positive.”
AI is expected to hit US$1.3tn by 2032, Despite a very interesting start to
according to Bloomberg, which PwC this year, Gen AI is set to hit US$1.3tn by
says could add up to US$15.7tn to the 2032 in terms of market value. However,
global economy in 2030. Nirupa explains that the other challenge
So in just the last few years alone, with AI concerns energy consumption.
surging demand for AI has to be served Nirupa adds that where Schneider
by the physical infrastructure – data Electric’s expertise comes in is in
centres – which take time to build. relation to energy demand: “Energy
“That’s where we come in because density for AI infrastructure is very
we’re a deployer of physical high – up to 10 times for every single
infrastructure to enable a lot of this query which needs to be served. Power
AI demand that we see in user usage availability and capacity and how that
and applications,” Nirupa explains. energy is most efficiently deployed

252 September 2025

 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

NIRUPA CHANDER
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,
SECURE POWER & DATA
CENTRES INTERNATIONAL

Nirupa Chander is the Senior Vice

President, Secure Power & Data
Centres, International Operations
at Schneider Electric, leading over
1000 seasoned professionals to
deliver innovative solutions for
channel partners and customers
in digital transformation and
sustainability.
The Secure Power Division
provides complete infrastructure
solutions for data centres and
industrial applications. Based in
Dubai, UAE, she oversees operations
in East Asia, Japan, Pacific, India,
MEA, and South America.
Joining Schneider Electric in
when you’re building this vertical 2021, Nirupa has a background
infrastructure is a key topic as well.” in Power Generation in India and
As it looks ahead, Schneider Electric Renewables, Mining, Transport
is looking to balance sustainability and Microgrids in Australia and
with growing power demands, Singapore, focusing on energy
especially when it comes to data technologies and building diverse
centres and AI. This is particularly teams for industry partnerships.
important, as average rack densities
have moved from 10-15kW to more
than 100kW per rack – an extreme
transition in a short space of time.
“It requires a lot of technology
to help deliver the power and
cooling requirements for these
machines to work,” Nirupa says.
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

“That’s where Schneider comes in. architectures, particularly when it

We’re looking at how energy comes to inference applications. With
consumption in a data centre can be this in mind, Nirupa explains that the data
reduced. So what we’re telling the market centre industry is going to see a rising
is that it’s not only energy for AI, but demand for more edge applications
it’s also how you can use AI to improve and Schneider Electric suspects most
energy efficiency within data centres. will be hybrid architectures.
“We’re experts in power and cooling “Across multiple markets, we’re seeing
and are providing technology solutions more applications at the edge, so closer
from Grid to Chip and Chip to Chiller.” to where the demand is,” Nirupa says.
“So, while data gets trained in these
Accommodating both traditional mega data centres in the US or in other
and emerging workloads locations, the inference applications
Transitioning to a new approach within tend to be typically closer to where the
the data centre will require hybrid applications are being used.

254 September 2025

 CREDIT: XXX
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

“
“To confront this, we are delivering
solutions for both air and liquid hybrid
Motivair
cooling systems to help manage the
thermal load of these data centres.”
completes our
She adds: “It’s about managing the
thermal load generated by AI servers
solution portfolio
and chips, but also about how you save
every single watt of power or cooling
around AI and
that is possible to ensure the most Chip to Chiller
efficient way to build AI infrastructures
– that are then being used for delivering for data centres”
productivity gains, improving quality of
life, doing things like cancer research NIRUPA CHANDER,
SVP FOR SECURE POWER
and supporting some very mission- & DATA CENTRES INTERNATIONAL,
critical applications.” SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

[Link] 255
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

“It’s about having efficiency across

design, architecture and at product
level as AI workloads continue to
demand more energy”
NIRUPA CHANDER,
SVP FOR SECURE POWER
& DATA CENTRES INTERNATIONAL,
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Schneider Electric has doubled down

on its commitment to sustainability
and now wins multiple awards, including
the recognition from TIME, for its
environmental strategy. A significant
part of this is thanks its liquid cooling
solutions, which help data centres meet
their sustainability goals.
“Liquid cooling is the most efficient
way to cool this level of thermal load
that we’re seeing in AI compute now,”
Nirupa explains. “High workloads
generate a lot of heat and need a lot
of cooling. The acquisition of Motivair Cooling distribution units
marks an important step as its unique (CDUs), are also working to
liquid cooling portfolio completes manage heat load transfer from
our Chip to Chiller portfolio bringing the IT load and enhance its liquid
decades of experience in AI together cooling solutions for customers.
with Schneider Electric’s sustainability In addition, Nirupa explains that
expertise for our customers.” Schneider Electric has modular
The Motivair acquisition closed solutions and reference designs
at the start of 2025, with Schneider that prioritise efficiency. There are
Electric now harnessing its liquid a number of white papers to help
cooling solutions as part of its portfolio customers design the topology that’s
to support continued AI growth. right for them more sustainably.
“Motivair completes our solution “With these solutions, what’s
portfolio around AI and Chip to important is to understand the overall
Chiller for data centres.” design of the system,” she says.

256 September 2025

 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

ChatGPT acquired its first AI-ready infrastructure, sustainability

100m
and grid coordination to respond to the
European Commission’s ‘AI Continent
Action Plan’ – an initiative that outlines
users in just two a shared mission to set up at least
months, compared to 13 AI factories across Europe, while
nine months for TikTok establishing up to five AI gigafactories.
“We’re working on reference
architectures in terms of how to deploy
Schneider Electric is partnering with high-powered machines with high
chip manufacturers like NVIDIA, having cooling requirements in a standardised
announced at GTC Paris that they design architecture at scale,” Nirupa
would be working together to power explains. “Our partnership with NVIDIA is
AI Factories. Both companies are eager very important because it’s a technology
to leverage their shared experience in partnership. As technology changes

[Link] 257
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Geographies experiencing
high-density demands
and growth

• Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and

other countries across Africa are
seeing data centre investments
supported by continent wide efforts
to improve connectivity and networks

• Nairobi, Dakar, Johannesburg,

Cairo, Kampala and more have been
acknowledged as centres of digital
development and incubation as
young, educated populations are
coming into entrepreneurship

• The Singaporean Government digital

infrastructure investment plan has
seen US$3.3bn in 2024 alone

• UAE and Saudi Arabia governments very fast, it requires the industry to work
looking to deploy gigawatt-scale together to build solutions that can
AI infrastructure to support global be deployed at scale and at speed.
AI demand “We’re also working with internet
giants, cloud providers, universities and
• Brazil currently has strong investment
academia partnerships to make sure that
potential given interest in data centre
we’re educating the industry and the
infrastructure across the country,
up-and-coming generation in terms
given its green power availability
of how things are changing.”
• India is one of the fastest-growing
markets in the world today and is Staying competitive as
investing heavily in renewables, a digital transformation leader
prompting strong interest in Looking ahead, as data centres face
data centre deployment greater pressures on account of AI,
Schneider Electric remains conscious
• Japan and South Korea have
of its position to bridge the gap
their own major investment
between innovation and sustainability.
plans around AI infrastructure
“The key is always staying a step
ahead in terms of how technology

258 September 2025

 “You can see that a lot of the
An AI assisted search new architectures are moving
is thought to be up to from alternating current (AC) to

10 times
direct current (DC) because it’s
more efficient, which means that
the way the electrical infrastructure
needs to be designed is changing
more energy intensive as well,” she adds. “This means we
than a regular text-based have to keep up with what’s happening
search engine query (IEA) with server manufacturers and the
chip manufacturers to stay ahead
of the game.”
is evolving in the IT space,” Nirupa As AI moves towards inference
says.“This is critical for us to deliver workloads, data centre design
solutions to meet future demand.” is also expected to evolve.
She credits the company’s partnerships “We can see architectures will
like those with NVIDIA and other become more decentralised, closer
manufacturers as essential in charting to where the demand is,” Nirupa
how AI architectures are changing. adds. “We therefore expect edge

[Link] 259
 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

260 September 2025

 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

The market for Gen AI

is expected to hit

US$1.3tn
by 2032 (Bloomberg), adding
up to US$15.7tn to the global
economy by 2030 (PwC)

data centres to become more popular

as demand for overall infrastructure
continues to grow.
“Likewise, modularity in design
so that infrastructure can be deployed
at speed and at scale is another key
change – and that is how we’re evolving
our portfolio as well.
“We are also making sure that we’re
delivering products that drive the highest
level of efficiency, whether it’s on the
cooling side or on the power side. One
example is that Schneider Electric has
just released the world’s most efficient
UPS (uninterruptible power supply), which
has the highest rate of efficiency and the
lowest footprint in the market. Our new
Galaxy VXL UPS combines a compact,
innovative, and highly efficient design
with enhanced safety features, providing
world-leading power protection for a
wide range of AI, data centre and industrial
applications. This ensures the high-density
workloads of the future are supported by
unparalleled levels of reliability.”
She adds: “It’s about having efficiency
across design, architecture and at
product level as AI workloads continue
to demand more energy.”

[Link] 261
 HOW THE HACKETT
GROUP GUIDES
COMPANIES INTO
REAL AI ADOPTION
WRITTEN BY:
KRISTIAN MCCANN

PRODUCED BY:
TOM VENTURO

262 September 2025

THE HACKETT GROUP

[Link] 263
 THE HACKETT GROUP

The Hackett Group’s Vin Kumar

explains how the company uses a
mix of experience, IP and insight to help
enterprises meaningfully implement AI

W
ith enterprises large and
small racing to implement
AI into their operations, the
risk is that many may get
caught up in the excitement
and promise of optimisation without a clear
picture of what they want out of it, nor how
they are going to implement it. Indeed, a
Gartner study highlights that up to 30% of all
Gen AI projects will be abandoned by the end
of 2025 because businesses lack clarity on ROI.
Organisations must therefore establish
clear value propositions and strategic goals
before embarking on AI initiatives, especially
as many organisations implementing such
change are not tech companies, but seek to
introduce tech to their processes. The key for
such organisations is to have a dedicated AI
department on hand to prevent things veering
off course. This is why external specialists
skilled in implementing AI across multiple
sectors and industries are at hand. The Hackett
Group is at the forefront of those offering
expert guidance in this area.
“Our role as an advisor is to simplify the
complexities of AI for our clients,” explains
Vin Kumar, MD and AI & Digital Operations
Practice Leader at The Hackett Group.
“We are constantly bombarded with
information about technology, and it’s
our job to help clients understand how to
leverage these advancements to optimise
their operations.”

264 September 2025

 77%
of companies are either using
or exploring AI technologies
Source: San Diego National University
266 September 2025
 THE HACKETT GROUP

Vin Kumar: As a result, Vin takes a hands-on

An experienced implementer approach to his work. Describing him and
Vin heads up The Hackett Group’s AI his team of consultants as a ‘SEAL Team
and Digital Operations Advisory Practice, Six’, he says they “come in with precision,
and oversees revenue generation and AI identify what has to be done and do it”.
and digital operations service delivery. He adds: “To do that we need the latest
His extensive career spans engineering, tools, both to help our consultants deliver
finance and management consulting, a great service to clients and also for the
providing him with a unique perspective clients to get maximum benefits in the
on the challenges and opportunities in shortest possible time,” Vin explains.
digital transformation.
At JP Morgan, he focused on How Hackett ushers
risk management. At Gemini (now in AI implementation
Capgemini) he worked on mergers The Hackett Group’s primary goal when
and acquisitions. Such experience it comes to implementing AI is to assist
helps him understand the challenge of clients in streamlining operations.
advising large, complex organisations, The first step is demystifying
while finding ways to achieve targeted technologies like Gen AI for clients and
outcomes with minimal disruption. helping them understand its impact on
“I come from the old school of back-office functions such as finance,
consulting where I want to be sitting in HR, IT, procurement, sales, marketing
my client’s seat and see the world from and supply chain.
their view,” Vin explains. “Then, when “Showing clients what Gen AI is
I come back to them, I can advise and how it works is very different than
them much better.” explaining how it’s going to impact your
R&D and your product side of the house,”
Vin explains.
“Our clients require This begins by building a roadmap

an AI roadmap that
for AI adoption, which involves several
key steps. Vin and his team work closely
reflects the current with clients to identify their needs and

environment and also

challenges, which includes assessing
existing processes, understanding the
prepares them for current technology landscape and

future developments”
determining the organisation’s
AI readiness.
Vin Kumar, “Our clients require a roadmap that
Managing Director / Principal reflects the current environment and
– AI Enablement & Digital
Operations Practice Leader,
prepares them for future developments,”
The Hackett Group Vin explains.

[Link] 267
 THE HACKETT GROUP

The roadmap typically includes To achieve this, The Hackett Group

three categories of use cases: employs a proprietary platform solution
called AI Explorers. This tool aids
• Breakthrough clients in recognising breakthrough,
• Transformative transformative and incremental
• Incremental opportunities across various processes.
By leveraging pre-trained models,
Breakthrough use cases involve the firm ensures that clients can build
significant innovations that can solutions without the need for extensive
change the way a business operates. data investments, making AI adoption
Transformative use cases are when AI more accessible and cost-effective.
is integrated into existing processes to The Hackett Group is able to do this
enhance performance. Incremental use because its platform bristles with all
cases, meanwhile, focus on replacing the IP it has collected from years of
manual tasks with automated solutions. benchmark best practice, metrics

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268 September 2025

and process flows. Clients are able to “As we move towards a more
draw upon this when implementing it automated future, the structure
into their workflows. of organisations will need to change,”
“We built a platform using this IP, says Vin. “The talent required to
and now Gen AI can help identify support these new processes will
opportunities where they exist, be this also differ significantly from what
an efficiency gain or plugging experience is needed today.”
gaps,” Vin explains. “Then it’s trying to This shift emphasises the importance
identify what sort of technology will help of careful planning and consideration to
you resolve a particular issue. All of this ensure a smooth transition.
capability is built into our platform.”
One such example is taking a Managing risk and governance
company’s process flows and identifying With the adoption of AI comes the
ways to optimise. Where a company need for robust risk management and
doesn’t have a standard of practice, Vin governance frameworks. Organisations
and his team can identify best practice must be aware of the regulatory
based on similar use cases, and then implications of using AI, particularly
load this onto the platform for the client. in highly regulated industries such
The key is to dynamically manage as healthcare and finance.
change as it evolves. To this end, the Equally, with the new EU AI Act
Hackett Group’s strategy is to educate coming into effect, users of Gen AI
both its own team and its clients on the systems will have to follow protocol
potential of digital technologies. and ensure they act within the law.

[Link] 269
 83%
of companies are considering
AI a top priority
Source: San Diego National University
 THE HACKETT GROUP

“We help clients navigate these Utilising The Hackett Group’s IP on vital
complexities by providing guidance areas such as best practices, Infosys uses
on risk governance and compliance,” its metrics and incorporates that into its
Vin explains. client-facing services and solutions.
This includes establishing protocols In turn, when The Hackett Group wants
for data management, ensuring to build systems for a client, Infosys is
compliance with industry regulations available to tailor that solution to the
and defining roles and responsibilities client’s needs.
within the organisation.
“How you use Gen AI, they [regulators] An AI enabled future
define, but it’s different depending on In a world of shifting sands, it’s important
whether it is on your customer side that The Hackett Group helps clients be
versus internal consumption,” he says. adaptable, and to this end it crafts agile
roadmaps to help clients adjust to change.
A give and take “The technology landscape is changing
approach to partnerships so rapidly that we need to adapt our
To help steer its clients through strategies accordingly,” says Vin.
regulations, and to provide a better He notes that where traditional
service generally for clients, The Hackett transformation roadmaps spanned five
Group partners with IT leader Infosys. years, today’s. The firm is working with
“We work with Infosys to understand clients on roadmaps that span two-to-
what they are doing and where they are three years, with a focus on the adoption
going,” Vin explains. “This is what clients of Gen AI and other digital solutions.
value in service providers.” A vital element of these short-term
roadmaps is provisions for helping

“As technology
companies manage AI once it is
implemented.
continues to evolve, “Over the next 12 to 18 months we will

we remain committed
be helping companies build the role of
Chief AI Officer, because this can be an
to guiding clients extremely technical challenge ”

through the challenges

He adds: “Gen AI adoption is going to
transform how companies are working,
and opportunities that and so building this centralised role within

lie ahead”
an organisation will remain crucial, as use
expands beyond initial implementation.
Vin Kumar, “As technology continues to evolve, we
Managing Director / Principal remain committed to guiding our clients
– AI Enablement & Digital
Operations Practice Leader,
through the challenges and opportunities
The Hackett Group that lie ahead.”

[Link] 271
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

PROCUREMENT
FROM LAND’S END
SCOTTISH HIGHLA
WRITTEN BY:
AARON MCMILLAN

PRODUCED BY:
JAMES WHITE

272 September 2025

 PARKDEAN RESORTS

D TO
ANDS

[Link] 273
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

Amey Fairbrother leads a bold

transformation at Parkdean Resorts,
tackling seasonal, digital and
geographic complexity across
65 UK-wide holiday parks

P
arkdean Resorts, the
UK’s largest holiday park
operator, presents unique
procurement challenges.
It runs 65 parks, which
operate more like small
towns spanning the entirety of the UK,
from the north of Scotland to near
Land’s End in Cornwall.
Head of Procurement,
Amey Fairbrother, heads up the
company’s sophisticated supply
chain management whilst ensuring
the team caters to diverse
geographical and seasonal demands.
Under Amey’s leadership,
the procurement function has
undergone significant transformation,
moving from complexity to
simplification whilst simultaneously
navigating an ambitious digital
transformation programme.
With Amey at the helm, Parkdean
Resorts has addressed the unique
challenges of seasonal operations,
remote locations and evolving
customer expectations whilst
building a resilient and innovative
procurement function that
contributes billions annually
to the UK economy through
the staycation sector.

274 September 2025

PARKDEAN RESORTS
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

Rolling out infrastructure “We’re not just 65 parks,

across 65 ‘small towns’
Parkdean’s digital transformation came we’re 65 parks with
with all the challenges of a traditional shift multifaceted outlets
in operations, but with the added difficulty
of implementing technology across with 30,000 individual
a geographically dispersed operation. accommodations spread
across topography
Amey explains: “We’re not just 65
parks, we’re 65 parks with multifaceted
commercial outlets and 30,000 across the country”
individual accommodations spread
across a range of topography across the AMEY FAIRBROTHER,
HEAD OF PROCUREMENT,
country. So, a seemingly straightforward
PARKDEAN RESORTS
digital transformation like rolling out
WiFi actually becomes incredibly
complicated – it is like rolling out “We have holidaymakers and holiday
infrastructure for 65 small towns.” home owners that just want to talk to
The procurement team’s role somebody on the end of the phone and
in this transformation extends far we need to make sure we can still offer
beyond traditional purchasing that service for our guests. Others may
activities. It is not just a case of building just want to talk to a chatbot because they
specifications to ensure appropriate want quick answers, while somebody else
technology, one size doesn’t always may want to book online and not talk
fit all here – with parks situated from to a person at all,” Amey explains.
woodland areas to the beach. This customer-centric approach has
Parkdean is also operating slightly significant procurement implications,
differently from traditional procurement requiring the maintenance of multiple
functions. While procurement often technology platforms and service
operates in a business-to-business delivery methods simultaneously.
environment, the organisation works in The procurement team must resist the
the business-to-consumer space too. temptation to drive efficiencies purely
Parkdean’s digital transformation had through technology adoption and continue
to keep the three million holidaymakers to meet the needs of their customer base.
it welcomes annually in mind. That “We don’t want to alienate anybody
means a wide range of customer who can come on holiday with us,” says
preferences, which span a broad Amey. “From a procurement perspective,
spectrum due to the fact that the we understand efficiencies might be
company maintains multiple service driven through technology, but that’s
channels to accommodate varying on a spreadsheet, not necessarily in
comfort levels with technology. reality. We’ve got to understand the

276 September 2025

 PARKDEAN RESORTS

AMEY FAIRBROTHER
HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
AT PARKDEAN RESORTS

Amey Fairbrother is the Head of

Procurement at Parkdean Resorts and
has spent over 15 years in Procurement,
spanning several hospitality and leisure
businesses. With an in-depth industry
knowledge and innovative approach,
Amey consistently drives value and
efficiency for large EBITDA businesses.
Amey is passionate about bringing
Procurement to the forefront of business
thinking, alongside building strong
supplier networks and continually seeking
innovative solutions to enhance operational
excellence and guest satisfaction.
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

real-world situation that we find This back-to-basics philosophy

ourselves in and ensure that when extends beyond internal processes
we’re leading procurement tenders to stakeholder engagement. The
or scoping out different technologies, procurement team recognises their
we continue to put the customer impact on how stakeholders interact
at the forefront of those decisions.” with suppliers, working to simplify these
relationships across the organisation.
From complexity to clarity The transformation has delivered
When Amey joined Parkdean Resorts, tangible results, with Amey reporting
she encountered procurement that “over the last couple of years, we’ve
processes that were more complicated seen significant improvements in the
than necessary. Her approach focused effectiveness of our procurement team.
on fundamental simplification: “It’s very We’ve delivered innovations and we’ve
easy to overcomplicate simple tasks. delivered savings, which are still crucial
So we’ve gone back to performing the for procurement.”
basics well, whether that’s having clean Central to Parkdean’s procurement
data sets or having consistency in our success is intensive stakeholder
approach where possible.” engagement. The team works

278 September 2025

 PARKDEAN RESORTS

Cayton Bay
Holiday Park,
Scarborough

closely with internal partners to This seasonality creates massive

understand transformation needs peak trading requirements in locations
across marketing, call centres and that can be challenging to service.
individual parks. This collaborative The procurement team manages these
approach includes leveraging partner challenges through various strategies,
expertise, particularly in IT specification including business continuity plans and
development and understanding dual sourcing arrangements. However,
evolving guest requirements. the key to success lies in maintaining
“open and transparent conversations
The unique challenge with our suppliers and regular relationship
of seasonal operations management with them,” says Amey.
Few businesses face the extreme “We want to ensure that our supply
seasonality that characterises holiday chain can provide their products and
park operations. Amey describes this services so our guests can have an
as “one of the biggest learning curves absolutely fantastic holiday. And we as a
anyone joining the team has”. Few other team have to understand what impact our
businesses close their doors for months seasonality can have on our supply chain
on end to then reopen and start again. and how we alleviate those pressure points.”

[Link] 279
PARKDEAN RESORTS
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

This has allowed the procurement team

to build stronger relationships with
Breydon Water
on-site stakeholders and suppliers,
Holiday Park,
Great Yarmouth allowing them to mitigate and minimise
risk closer to the cause of impact. Amey
believes this face-to-face engagement
provides another crucial insight into
operational realities which might be
Rather than centralising missed in a purely centralised model.
procurement in a single location,
Parkdean has embraced a distributed Collaborative innovation
model with team members spanning through on-site engagement
Newcastle (where the company’s Parkdean’s approach to innovation
central office is based), London and centres on bringing suppliers directly to
Glasgow. This approach delivers multiple operational locations. Regular supplier
benefits, as Amey explains: “Having that meetings on parks facilitate collaborative
kind of diverse procurement function, problem-solving and idea generation.
allows us to attract the best talent for This approach creates what Amey
the role because we’re getting the best describes as “a symbiotic relationship
people no matter where they’re located. and it brings all our stakeholders and
It also means we can support the categories together on the journey of
business face to face.” what we’re trying to develop.”

[Link] 281
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

“Having that
kind of diverse
procurement
function... allows
us to attract
the best talent
for the role”
AMEY FAIRBROTHER,
HEAD OF PROCUREMENT,
PARKDEAN RESORTS

Connectivity Leaders for

Holiday Parks and Resorts
4/5 top brands use Wifinity

In partnership with

Let’s get you connected! Contact Wifinity now

Get in touch
sales@[Link] | [Link] | 020 8090 1290
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

Cayton Bay
Holiday Park,
Scarborough

30,000
The benefits of this collaborative
approach are significant: “I can think of
innovations, our supply chain can think
of innovations and our internal teams
can think of innovations. They might individual accommodations
not be the same, but bringing those across the parks
ideas together really cements the ideas,
develops the strategy to move forward
and brings that essential stakeholder “There were two main transport
buy-in as well,” Amey adds. partners in the industry, a lot of small
ones, but nobody that could really service
Vertical integration strategy Parkdean, who is the biggest operator.”
Parkdean Resorts vertically integrated
its supply chain by acquiring transport Eight-pillar ESG strategy
partner, Hanson. This decision addressed Parkdean has developed a
specific market limitations in the holiday comprehensive ESG framework built
park sector. around eight priorities, ranging from
Amey adds: “We saw the need in the energy, waste and water reduction,
market. There’s a limited supply chain, to protecting wildlife on its parks, to
particularly in our industry, in specific supporting the wellbeing of its people.
category areas because it’s a relatively small The procurement team plays a crucial
market in some instances, especially when role in implementing these priorities
it comes to transporting holiday homes. across the supply chain.

[Link] 283
 PARKDEAN RESORTS

:
Proud Partner Behind
Parkdean Resorts'
Distinctive Team “Uniform Express is proud to be
Look the trusted uniform supplier to
Parkdean Resorts. Working
together in partnership to
create and deliver practical,
high quality uniforms with
exceptional service”

[Link]
sales@ [Link]

284 September 2025

 PARKDEAN RESORTS

Cayton Bay
Holiday Park,
Scarborough

3 million
Given the diversity of suppliers across
different categories and maturity levels,
the approach to ESG integration is
necessarily flexible. The team works
closely with supply chain partners to
holidaymakers
understand their sustainability strategies welcomed annually
and goals, creating opportunities for
mutual learning and development.
One of the unique aspects of
Parkdean’s sustainability efforts involves This challenge requires creative
encouraging customer participation. approaches to sustainability
Unlike traditional B2B environments, implementation, including infrastructure
the company must influence guest changes like introducing all-electric
behaviour during their holidays. fleets and working with suppliers
“When you’re on holiday, you’re on holiday to develop innovative products that
from your normal life, you’re on holiday, support environmental goals whilst
enjoying new exciting activities,” Amey says maintaining guest satisfaction.
“So we’re trying to bring some of that
thinking that you might have at home, Flexibility and adaptability
like recycling, which again sounds really as core competencies
simple, but when you have a customer The unique challenges and environment
facing opportunity, we’re not in direct in which Parkdean operates requires
control of that.” procurement professionals with adaptability.

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 PARKDEAN RESORTS

It also needs a culture of curiosity

and constructive challenge within the
“Pre-COVID is gone.
procurement team. Team members are We define what
normal is now by
encouraged to ask probing questions
about processes and outcomes.
“The effect of that is that it brings how we’re reacting to
these cost pressures”
efficiencies, delivers value and builds
the credibility and integrity of the
procurement function,” Amey adds.
AMEY FAIRBROTHER,
Recognising the steep learning curve HEAD OF PROCUREMENT,
faced by new team members, Amey PARKDEAN RESORTS
created a comprehensive procurement
guide specifically for the Parkdean
environment. This resource draws on Adapting to the ‘new normal’
diverse experiences across the team, There is also a shift seen across the
combining perspectives from seasoned industry, with pre-COVID benchmarks
professionals with 20-30 years of no longer relevant for the sector.
experience alongside newcomers “I’ve seen a number of businesses talk
to procurement and individuals from about pre-COVID as a norm, but in reality
various industry backgrounds. the new norm is right now,” Amey says.
“Pre-COVID is gone. We define what
Understanding discretionary normal is now by how we’re reacting
spending patterns to these cost pressures.”
Parkdean’s success depends heavily on This perspective requires active
understanding discretionary spending management of supply chain
patterns in the leisure sector. The relationships, understanding that cost
procurement team focuses on identifying pressures across the supply base are
the distinction between what guests and permanent rather than temporary
owners want versus what they’re actually challenges. The procurement team
willing to pay for - recognising these as focuses on developing robust and efficient
often being “two different things.” responses to these ongoing pressures.
This understanding influences Parkdean Resorts demonstrates how
procurement decisions across all procurement excellence can be achieved
consumer-facing products and services, in complex, seasonal and geographically
from food and beverage offerings to distributed operations. Under Amey’s
holiday homes. The team works closely leadership, the function has successfully
with suppliers and marketing teams balanced technological advancement with
to ensure products and services meet customer service requirements, seasonal
genuine market demand rather than complexity with operational efficiency and
perceived requirements. innovation with risk management.

286 September 2025

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Barmston Beach
Holiday Park
GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

GOLDEN
DIGITAL
GATEWAY
BATAM’S DATA
CENTRE POTENTIAL
WRITTEN BY:
MARCUS LAW

PRODUCED BY:
LEWIS VAUGHAN

[Link] 289
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

Gaw Capital & Sinar Primera

combine global expertise with
local knowledge to deliver
first facility in Batam and target
Southeast Asian expansion

T
he Southeast Asian data
centre market faces a
capacity problem. Singapore,
the region’s dominant hub,
closed its doors to new
developments in 2021 due to power
constraints, forcing hyperscalers and
enterprises to find alternatives quickly.
This challenge has created
opportunities for operators willing to
invest in less proven locations. Asia-
based Gaw Capital Partners and Jakarta’s
Sinar Primera have placed their bet
on Batam, a small Indonesian island
30 minutes by ferry from Singapore,
where they launched the Golden “It’s a fantastic joint venture that
Digital Gateway facility in February brings together two partners and allows
2025 as the first operational data the various parties to complement each
centre in the Nongsa Digital Park. other in terms of skills,” says Nicholas Toh,
Singapore’s data centre market Managing Director – Head of Data Centre
generates US$1.4bn in annual revenue Platform, Asia (Ex-China) at Gaw Capital
from a population of just five million, Partners. “Gaw Capital has a deep history
demonstrating the revenue density and experience in designing, building,
that makes proximity to the city-state owning and operating data centres.
valuable. The moratorium, implemented “Within Gaw Capital’s data centre
to address electricity grid constraints, portfolio, we have assets in Kuala
has redirected investment flows Lumpur, Malaysia, Tokyo, Japan,
across Southeast Asia as customers Seoul, Korea and Ho Chi Minh,
seek alternative locations that Vietnam with investments in Chinese
can deliver similar connectivity operators Centrin and Jinke that
and latency performance. serve Chinese hyperscalers.”

290 September 2025

 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

Sinar Primera, meanwhile,

provides local market knowledge “Data centre
essential for navigating Indonesia’s
business environment.
rack density has
Kah Jin Hong, Head of Sinar Primera increased almost
tenfold in a matter
Group, explains how his firm’s entry
into data centres was a strategic

of two or three
response to accelerating market
conditions. “About three to four years

years. It’s just

ago, the market was really heating
up in Indonesia, and we were looking
for partners to reach out to, as it’s
not an easy space to enter,” he says. going so rapidly”
“We came across Gaw Capital and Kah Jin Hong,
it was a good partnership. We’re able Head of Sinar Primera Group,
Sinar Primera
to bring different things to the platform.”

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GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

KAH JIN HONG

HEAD OF SINAR PRIMERA GROUP

Currently, Kah Jin Hong serves as

the leader of Sinar Primera Group
and is a seasoned real estate expert
with over 25 years of experience.
His expertise spans mergers and
acquisitions (M&A), financing,
real estate investment funds
(REITs), and asset management
across various sectors, including
industrial estates, residential, retail,
hospitality, and data centres.
Kah Jin Hong previously worked
at Lippo Group, overseeing a 3,000-
hectare industrial estate and
leading the divestment of assets
into two Lippo REITs in Singapore.
Prior to that, he played a key role
in Keppel Land’s expansion and
development in Vietnam and the
establishment of Ascott Residence
Trust during his time at CapitaLand. Singapore moratorium
creates Batam opportunity
Singapore’s position as a regional
hub stems from decades of
infrastructure investment. The city-state
hosts 27 submarine cables connecting
to international networks: the largest
submarine cable hub in the Asia-Pacific
region. Power consumption from
data centres reached levels that
prompted government concern
about grid stability, leading to the
2021 moratorium while authorities
evaluated infrastructure capacity.
This forced customers who previously
would have deployed exclusively in
Singapore to evaluate alternatives.
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

Malaysia’s Cyberjaya and Johor regions “As a data centre customer today,
have attracted significant investment, it’s very difficult to get capacity in
along with Thailand, the Philippines Singapore, which is why customers
and Vietnam. will start to look at options beyond.”
Batam offers advantages that Batam’s submarine cable
distinguish it from other alternatives, infrastructure includes 12 cables with
though. The island sits approximately direct links to Singapore, enabling sub-2
20 kilometres south of Singapore with millisecond latency connections.
established ferry connections. More “We think Batam is very strategic,
importantly, its Special Economic Zone given it’s got 12 submarine cables
designation provides tax advantages of its own, directly connecting with
including zero import duties, value- Singapore, and can offer less than 2ms
added tax exemptions and reduced of latency,” says Nicholas. “Customers
corporate tax rates. could potentially come here to Batam
“Our view is that it’s not a question and then leverage that location and the
of if Batam will blossom, it’s a strategic position of Singapore as one
question of when,” Nicholas says. of the key data centre hubs in APAC.”

[Link] 293
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

“Our view is that it’s not

a question of if Batam
will blossom, it’s just
a question of when”
Nicholas Toh,
Managing Director – Head of Data
Centre Platform, Asia (Ex-China),
Gaw Capital Partners

Golden Digital Gateway construction “One of the challenges for us

addresses logistics challenges in Batam was that while it’s near
Data centre construction in established Singapore, a lot of the construction
markets benefits from mature contractor expertise is in Jakarta,” he says.
ecosystems and established supply “One of the main issues was to find
chains. Batam, therefore, presented the right construction partners to
logistical challenges that required work with that would be able to
adapting construction approaches execute [the project] on the island.”
to an island environment with The solution required convincing
limited local expertise. Jakarta-based contractors to establish
Indonesia’s data centre construction temporary operations in Batam.
capabilities are concentrated in Jakarta, The nine-month timeline from
leaving Batam without established groundbreaking to operational status
contractors familiar with modern facility required careful coordination while
requirements. Kah Jin describes this as maintaining construction schedules that
the project’s most significant challenge. would enable first-mover advantages.

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“We managed to deliver the facility Site conditions added complexity

within nine months from the point to the project. The park required
we went in, which was in May, and we extensive land preparation and
commenced operations in February,” infrastructure development. Nicholas
says Kah Jin. “That was pretty fast, and describes the transformation: “When
that’s why we were able to complete that project first started, as I understood,
this and open up as the first data centre it was literally just forest land. All of that
to open in Batam at that point in time.” has now been cleared for a number
The first-to-market advantage of other data centre operators that
provided early access to power are all within the Nongsa Digital Park.”
allocations and established relationships
with local infrastructure providers. Eaton partnership delivers
Multiple operators have since integrated power solutions
announced developments in Nongsa Data centre power systems represent
Digital Park, validating the location one of the most critical infrastructure
while increasing competition. components, where failures can cause

[Link] 295
Digital transformation
and energy management
in the wake of AI
Five trends that will most impact
data centre operations in 2025

Connect with us to explore

how we can help you prepare
or an ever-changing future

Adjust to meet exploding capacity demands

40%
of data centre operators
say they are chellenged to
meet growing infrastructure
demands, with 28% specifically citing the need to
understand and deploy capacity for Al workloads

Use Al to optimize data centre operations

38%
use or plan to use an energy
power management platform
(ie. BMS, EPMS, DCIM) to manage
their data centre operations, among this group many
believe Al and machine learning will help them better
monitor data centre equipment (55%), network/IT
systems (46%) and power/ cooling equipment (45%)

Improve sustainability and energy efficiency

41% plan to increase their use of

renewable energy sources

Plan for edge and decentralisation

22% plan to devise/deploy edge

data centers and strategy

Ensure data security and compliance

56%
cite managing concerns,
such as cyberattacks or data
theft, as their top challenge
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

NICHOLAS TOH
MANAGING DIRECTOR
– HEAD OF DATA CENTRE
PLATFORM, ASIA (EX-CHINA)
GAW CAPITAL

Nicholas Toh is Managing Director

& Head of Data Centres for Gaw
Capital. Nicholas has over 20 years
of global investment experience customer service breaches and potential
in the data centre, finance and real data loss. Traditional construction
estate industries and has been in involves assembling power components
the data centre industry for the last from multiple manufacturers on-site,
15 years, based in Singapore. Most creating risk where incompatibilities
recently Nicholas was GM, Asia at can cause commissioning delays.
Edgnex Data Centres and Group The partnership with Eaton addressed
CEO at DCI Data Centers. this through factory-integrated power
Nicholas was previously CEO, train units that combine uninterruptible
Northeast Asia for STT GDC power supplies (UPSs), switching
and was instrumental gear and distribution equipment
in the growth of the in pre-tested configurations.
business having been a “Everyone knows Eaton is a household
founding member since name in this business. We worked with
its inception in 2014. them on the power train units here,”
Prior to joining says Kah Jin. “The beauty is that they
STT GDC, Nicholas at were able to provide us with an end-to-
Securus Data Property end solution. With new data centres,
Fund, now listed as a lot of testing is done on-site. But now,
Keppel DC REIT. we work with Eaton on these power

[Link] 297
 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

“Data centres train units, where the UPS and all the
different components are connected.”
are actually being Factory testing eliminates uncertainty

built next to
about system functionality during
commissioning. “This ensures that

where the power is everything works coming out of the

factory, which reduces a lot of our
because power is construction risk. If things don’t work

such an important
and can’t be commissioned on-site,
there’ll be a major issue with our

consideration” timeline,” says Kah Jin.

Beyond power systems, the facility’s
Nicholas Toh, connectivity strategy required
Managing Director – Head of Data
Centre Platform, Asia (Ex-China),
partnerships with multiple fibre
Gaw Capital Partners providers. Kah Jin describes these

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 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

construction waste and carbon footprint.

Golden Digital Gateway targets Building
and Construction Authority Green
Mark certification from Singapore’s
green building programme.
“At Gaw Capital, whenever we’ve
designed our data centres, sustainability
is extremely important, and we try
to embed it into every phase of the
DC design, construction and operations,”
Nicholas outlines. “Specifically at Golden
Digital Gateway, during construction,
we used recycled materials and
repurposed some of the excavation
waste into the landscaping.”
Taking a modular approach to
data centre construction has helped
reduce on-site waste through factory-
controlled manufacturing. “We made
sure that we constructed the building
on a very modular basis,” Kah Jin
describes. “A lot of the things we built
were tested in the factory before
we shipped them out. For our project,
we were able to achieve BCA
Green Mark certification.”
as essential: “We work with different The facility’s cooling design
fibre connectivity providers into our site. prioritises air cooling over water-
We have an understanding with SPTel, intensive systems. “What’s unique
which is a local provider that provides about our facility in its first phase is
fibre connectivity from Batam right that we are air-cooled, so we have less
to Singapore via the government gas reliance on water, which is becoming
pipeline link between Indonesia and more of a scarce resource,” says Kah Jin.
Singapore. We also work with different What’s more, the infrastructure
partners as well, like SEAX and Moratel.” incorporates flexibility for future
requirements as AI workloads may
Sustainability features target require liquid cooling systems. “We’ve
certification standards tried to ensure the design we’ve come
Environmental considerations have up with is as future-proof as possible,”
evolved beyond energy efficiency says Nicholas. “We’ve got quite a lot
to encompass water consumption, of flexibility in tweaking the design

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 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

BATAM vs SINGAPORE:
THE NUMBERS

Singapore data centre market:

$1.4bn annual revenue from
5 million population

Singapore submarine cables:

27 international connections

Batam submarine cables:

12 direct links to Singapore

Latency Batam to Singapore:

Sub-2 milliseconds

Construction timeline:
9 months from groundbreaking
to operations

Phase 2 capacity: in the future to effectively account

20MW additional power for changes that are potentially coming
in terms of high-density racks and
the liquid cooling that is potentially
Batam Special Economic required for AI workloads.”
Zone (SEZ) offers corporate
tax efficiency through How AI is driving
0% import tax, 12% VAT infrastructure evolution
exemption, up to 100% The rapid adoption of AI applications
corporate tax holiday for has transformed data centre
a maximum 20 years, infrastructure requirements. GPUs
and 22% tax allowance, designed for AI training consume
delivering higher savings substantially more power than
than nearby SEZs conventional server processors
– generating heat that requires
enhanced cooling systems.

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 GOLDEN DIGITAL GATEWAY

Hardware evolution cycles the mechanical and electrical elements

have accelerated from traditional just constantly change,” says Kah Jin.
three-to-five-year refresh patterns AI infrastructure requirements
to annual upgrades. Kah Jin describes are reshaping site selection criteria
the challenge: “That’s always a challenge globally. Nicholas describes how
with this business. Every year, Nvidia’s power requirements are influencing
Jensen Huang is up there on stage, location decisions: “With what’s
one-upping himself and coming up happening with AI, especially across
with a new chip, and every chip Europe and the US at the moment,
increases the number of kilowatts data centres are actually being built next
it needs. Data centre rack density to where the power is because power is
has increased almost tenfold in such an important consideration.
a matter of two or three years. It’s rewriting the rule books.”
“That’s why building something quick Nicholas expects older facilities to
and on time is key. Getting up the core serve applications that don’t require
and shell is really important because the latest hardware rather than becoming

[Link] 301
obsolete. “The analogy I have is akin more than double the facility’s capacity
to iPhones. I’ve got an iPhone 15; my while establishing the joint venture as
daughter has an iPhone 10 from five years a major operator in Indonesia’s
ago. That doesn’t mean the iPhone 10 emerging data centre market.
can’t do the same things,” he says. “The “Our immediate priority is to develop
analogy I would take to data centres is that Phase 2, which is the adjacent parcel of
as long as they are properly maintained, land,” says Nicholas. “That’s 20 megawatts
there will be different use cases for in addition to what we have there already.”
the older data centres in the future.” Beyond Batam, longer-term expansion
plans target Jakarta, where Indonesia’s
Batam Phase 2 expansion targets data centre market is most developed
Jakarta industrial park development and where Sinar Primera maintains
The partnership’s immediate focus strategic land holdings. The capital
centres on the 20MW Phase 2 offers established power infrastructure,
development on adjacent land within water availability and proximity to the
Nongsa Digital Park. This expansion will country’s largest enterprise market.

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“We’ve got more sites available in cater more to data centres, akin to
Jakarta. That’s the other hub where most what you see elsewhere,” says Kah Jin.
of Indonesia’s data centre build-out “We hope to replicate that model in
is,” says Kah Jin. “We definitely hope to Jakarta and definitely hope to grow with
expand and leverage that. Jakarta has a Gaw Capital to build more and meet
lot of power, we’ve got land and we’ve got more of our customers’ needs.”
water, so that’s a potent combination.” The partnership model that enabled
The Jakarta strategy extends beyond success in Batam could be replicated
individual facility development to across Indonesia’s fragmented market,
creating purpose-built data centre where local expertise remains essential
industrial parks that could provide for navigating regulatory requirements
economies of scale and attract multiple and establishing operational relationships.
operators to shared locations. “From our perspective at Gaw Capital,
“We are developers doing our own we’re very excited about the partnership,
industrial park, and we hope to build and we think that there’s a lot that we can
a data centre industrial park that will do together in Indonesia,” says Nicholas.

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