In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode, Adam Marciniak, CIO of PKO BP, the largest and oldest Polish bank, talks with Hendrik Deckers about how he has successfully led his IT team of over 2000 people through the digital transformation. 

Throughout this conversation Adam talks about how PKO BP became leader in digital in such short time: his journey to the cloud, using the newest technologies in the field of automation and implementing the culture of trust and transparency. 

"I believe in people”, Adam says and underlines the importance of team work. 

Dive into this interview to learn and be inspired by Adam Marciniak!


Table of contents

01:22 | Introduction and Adam Marciniak’s background

Fascinated by technology since early childhood
Choosing banking sector was an opportunity to work with the best and also where the innovations takes place

05:13 | About PKO BP

Established in 1919, it’s the oldest and largest bank in Poland
10 million customers, 20% market share in all segments

07:15 | Banking sector: current challenges and drivers for change

Competition (fintech and bigtech)
Stricter regulations
Low interest rates
More demanding customers

11:02 | Meeting customers’ demands

Fully customer-oriented
Offering tailored services to the customers
Moving everything to mobile

13:55 | PKO BP: leader in going digital

Great mobile app (everyday 5.4 million active running of the app)
Example for other companies
Inside-out transformation
In parallel “Road to cloud Program” – first bank to go to hybrid cloud in such a structured way

16:45 | Cloud strategy

Establishing the Polish Cloud Operator which operates as intermediary between the global key cloud players and local companies 

21:45 | Role of PKO BP in the Covid-19 vaccination process

Developing the central schedule system for the vaccine roll-out

23:48 | Reinventing workplace

90% of the headquarters employees work remotely

30:55 | Workforce and Adam’s IT team

Trusting people and not controlling
“Working in a bank is not cool, but working in a digital bank is very cool”


34:00 | Culture of trust & transparency

Collaboration between IT & business
Reorganizing the team, hiring new talents (100 – 200 people more very year)

39:40 | Workflow: automating the business

PKO BP implements all the newest ideas in terms of automation
RPA: over 100 robots
Citizens development: building the framework and delegating it to the Operations teams
Analytics & machine learning is the future

44:15 | Future of robots

Over 1 million conversation with PKO PB app chatbot in 1 year 
AI is becoming more popular & common

46:35 | Managing new technologies

AI will support what we do & make our work more efficient
It will also be crucial for cybersecurity
RPA: UiPath robots are easy to use & standardize

50:08 | IT organization & Adam’s role as CIO

IT team of almost 2000 people
Traditional organization, yet flat structure: all have their responsibilities 

53:30 | Adam’s leadership style

“I believe in the people” 
Impossible to micromanage 2000 people so Adam has to trust 

55:50 | MBTI profile: the Consul

“People master”
Relying on people

01:01:38 | Adam’s core values, passions & mistakes

“You have to be the good guy”
“Work on yourself and work with others”
“If you do something, you have to do the best”
Biggest mistake: trusting wrong people

01:10:28 | Advice for people starting out

Try to understand how the world & business are running and then drive the change
“Use the opportunity when you see it”

Adam Marciniak - CIO of PKO BP - Hungry for change: transforming banking sector

What is the new style of leadership and why does it challenge you? In what way is smoking similar to changing culture in a big company? Why is Open Source default choice at Orange? Watch this interview and find out 👉🏼 

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode, Koen Vermeulen, Group CIO of Orange, talks with Hendrik Deckers about his strategy and view on Open Innovation: 

“It's a worldwide movement that is ongoing, that requires companies to fundamentally change and to fundamentally rethink and revolve towards new business models and new activities”, says Koen while commenting on the drivers of change for the Telco sector. 

Learn from Koen how Orange is organizing Innovation:
✅ Creating context where connections happen and where people have the freedom to innovate
✅Working with partners and startups (over 500 different collaborations in over 18 countries)
✅Creating 5G incubator where people can test innovation

Dive into this interview and be inspired by Koen!

Koen Vermeulen – Group CIO of Orange – Changing culture as the most difficult part of Innovation

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode, Kurt De Ruwe, CIO of Signify, talks with Hendrik Deckers about how the huge transformation that is currently in place at Signify. Throughout this conversation Kurt reflects on how this global company introduces innovation while being environmentally and culturally conscious and how it has maintained its position as market leader: 

☑️  streamlining before automating
☑️  fighting for diversity & inclusion
☑️  treating citizens development as an opportunity and not danger
☑️  putting huge emphasis on diversity & inclusion

Dive into this interview to learn and be inspired by Kurt De Ruwe!

Table of contents:

01:17 | Introduction and Kurt de Ruwe’s background

02:40 | About Signify

03:58 | Innovations in lighting

05:30 | Drivers for change in lighting

06:55 | Reinventing and approach to innovation

09:10 | Challenges of big recent acquisition during pandemic

12:07 | Reorganizing the way we work: role of the workplace & workforce

20:23 | Reorganizing & managing IT team

28:55 | Workflow: new phase of automation

38:44 | From traditional organization to tribes

40:32 | Cloud journey

43:00 | Future of ERP systems

44:55 | Data monetization

47:07 | Evolving role of the CIO 

50:25 | Collaboration between IT & Business 

52:40 | Kurt’s management & leadership style

55:20 | MBTI profile: the Entertainer

01:01:12 | Kurt’s core values, passions & mistakes

01:08:17 | Kurt’s most brilliant failure

01:11:43 | Advice for people starting out

Kurt De Ruwe – CIO of Signify – Making the most of the intellectual power of an organization

Can RPA ‘take the robot out of the human’? Are FinTech companies and startups a competition or rather an opportunity? 

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode, Mark Foulsham, COO of Kensington Mortgages, talks with Hendrik Deckers about his journey from CIO to COO and how the boundaries between functions are becoming blurry. Reflecting on the changing role of a leader, Mark believes that digital leaders need to think outwards not inwards and follow a human centered approach. 

Mark has a very clear view on workflow Automation:
✅ RPA is a vital part of Kensington Mortgage’s toolbox
✅ Minimize staffing in the back office through automation and outsourcing, leaving people to focus on customers
✅ Understanding the business model is critical for the RPA to be effective
✅ Working in a highly regulated environment requires constant feedback from customers and risk assessment

“I’m a big believer in having no regrets”, Mark says and adds “breaking down those hierarchal structures, working in a way that is more interconnected within the different layers of a firm I think is really key”.

Table of contents


01:20 | Introduction and Mark Foulsham’s background

03:25 | About Kensington Mortgages

04:24 | Drivers for change 

06:21 | Reinventing the business: workplace

11:04 | Workforce 

13:58 | Changing leadership

15:55 | Journey towards Agile way of work

17:25 | Workflow. Mark’s view on automation

25:22 | Start-ups and FinTech companies as generators of Innovation

27:55 | Kensington Mortgages’ operating model

33:06 | Internal and external data

36:09 | Mark’s secret for success

41:30 | Mark’s management & leadership style

50:03 | MBTI: the Commander

55:06 | Mark’s most brilliant failure & lessons learnt

57:41 | Mark’s core values

01:00:42 | Best & worst thing that has ever happened to Mark

01:03:37 | Ways to relax

01:05:45 | Mark’s mentors

01:08:22 | Personal mantra

01:09:58 | What Mark loves & fears most

01:13:29 | Advice for people starting out

Mark Foulsham – COO of Kensington Mortgages – Re-establishing the operating model to focus on growth

Can a highly regulated public institution deliver an MVP in 24 hours? Is it possible to prevent humanitarian crisis by managing data?

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode Sven Egyedy, CIO & CTO of Federal Foreign Office of Germany talks with Hendrik Deckers about his efforts to bring home over 200,000 German citizens home when the first wave of Coronavirus hit the entire world. 

Sven’s team implemented the „Rueckholprogramm“:

✅ a stable worldwide working system implemented within 24 hours
✅ 2 h sprints allowed for the system to be tested and fully operational 
✅ risk mitigation by providing an integrated dev-ops team
✅ full agile framework in the highly regulated public sector 
✅ strict security approach based on an individual risk-assessment

“My role is to provide an environment where as a team we can work in a really good way”, says Sven and stresses the importance of empowering people and giving them a clear goal.

Every year CIONET nominates top CxOs as finalists of the European Digital Leader of the Year. Sven represents Germany in the Public Sector category. 

Table of contents:

01:06 | Introduction and Sven Egyedy’s background

03:49 | About Federal Foreign Office of Germany

06:24 | COVID Repatriation Program 

14:14 | Lessons learnt

20:24 | Managing and preventing humanitarian crisis

27:00 | Digital & IT internal organization

28:22 | Rotation system 

29:23 | Sven’s role 

31:34 | Sven’s management & leadership style

35:48 | Attracting talents 

37:16 | What drives Sven?

38:48 | MBTI: the Entrepreneur

43:06 | Sven’s core values

44:27 | Sven’s mentors

46:38 | Personal mantra

46:56 | The best & worst thing in life

52:32 | Advice for people starting out

Sven Egyedy – CIO & CTO of Federal Foreign Office of Germany – Serving the citizens and democracy

“I love IOT, but not because I love IOT is because we love what we can do with IOT. We love what we can do with APIs. We love what we can do with the different pieces of technology.”

How is digital immersion leveraging innovation? What is more important: inclusion or diversity? 

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode Marina Bellini, CIO & CDO of BAT talks with Hendrik Deckers about the organisation’s transformation journey, creating new channels to directly connect with the customer in a company that has traditionally been an indirect business, the importance of inclusion, cloud-first strategy and practical value of data. Marina and BAT put huge emphasis on sustainability : 

✅    On the way to become carbon neutral
✅    Bringing more customers into the reduced risk products
✅    Powering data centers with green energy
✅    Reducing plastic & becoming paperless


Marina is a truly empathic leader, demanding, yet always understanding and caring. She is a visionary, who in spite of an amazing career, remains humble. “I just know how much I don't know, and I still have to learn in my life”, she says. Make sure you watch the whole interview and absorb all the knowledge of this expressive digital leader! 

Every year CIONET nominates top CxOs as finalists of the European Digital Leader of the Year. Marina represents UK in the B2C category. Join us on the special edition of #CIONEXT on November 10 at 14:30 CET where we will feature all the finalists of the B2B & B2C categories and announce winners. Register at https://www.cionext.com/

Table of contents:

01:03 | Introduction and Marina Bellini’s background

02:54 | About BAT

04:22 | Multi-category strategy to fit customer needs

06:14 | Role of technology and digital in BAT’s transformation

07:41 | New ways of getting to know the customer

15:07 | Mastering the data

18:59 | Bringing the change

22:55 | Digital sustainability

25:22 | Cloud-first strategy

27:24 | Marina’s digital team

29:39 | Becoming agile

32:14 | Changing role of CIO

36:13 | Setting up innovation

43:21 | Marina’s management style 

47:16 | Marina’s leadership style

48:33 | MBTI: the Campaigner

50:02 | Marina’s ways to relax

56:22 | Marina’s core values

57:28 | Important mentors

01:02:40 | The best & worst moments in life

01:05:50 | Advice for people starting out

Marina Bellini – CDO & CIO of BAT – Mastering the data and transforming global company

How to organise the finance department and IT collaboration to get the best results? What role do data and data governance play in a successful transformation? How to implement robotic process automation to maintain high satisfaction levels among employees?

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode Xavier Baraton, CAO of Carrefour France tells Hendrik Deckers about 4 main pillars of transformation in the finance department:
-          Evolving from traditional ERP
-          Automation & people management
-          Big data & data governance
-          Process mining

Xavier shares his experience and advice on how to manage transversal teams and what a productive collaboration between IT and finance can look like. He explains how a senior leader’s ego influences horizontal and vertical relationships in the organisation, how to overcome challenges posed by different communication styles and what he does to foster effective implementation of novelties – tools and ways of thinking - across teams.

Listen to this interview to find out more!

Xavier Baraton - CAO of Carrefour France - Building an innovative finance team

"The more we can automate menial tasks, the more we can free up our employees to do more of the value adding tasks."

In this #LeadershipDeepDive episode, Christa Koenen, CIO, CDO & Member of the Management Board of DB Schenker, talks with Hendrik Deckers about the ways to automate business processes.
Christa talks not only about the strategy and challenges of DB Schenker, but also about the benefits of automation: 
- Cost cuts
- Minimising errors
- Productivity increase
- Freeing up employees’ time

Furthermore, Christa shares her opinion on the changing roles of the CFOs and the CIOs and their input on implementing enterprise automation. 
Get to know Christa's experience and advice! Listen to the full interview now.

Christa Koenen - CIO and CDO at DB Schenker - Automation is a driver for change

How is Carrefour going to realise their ambition to become a digital retail company by 2026? Is implementing an in-house-built point of sale for the entire Group a good strategy? Are fully automated stores and instant delivery service - Bringo - the future of Carrefour?

In this #LeadershipDeepDive interview Hendrik Deckers discussed with Gabriela Stanica, CIO & CDO at Carrefour Romania, their journey to a cloud-based, data-driven company and implementing the product mindset. Gabriela explained what strategies have been adopted to battle the talent shortage and monetise data from one of the biggest data lakes in retail (over 8 billion transactions). She also shared how Carrefour is using algorithms to predict over 80% of customer basket choices using AI.

Watch the full interview to find out how the use of RPA and AI can foster digital transformation and how Gabriela’s experience at Carrefour in New York shaped her leadership style!

Table of contents:
01:02 | Introduction
01:50 | Gabriela’s background
06:21 | About Carrefour Romania
07:55 | About Carrefour’s delivery service - Bringo 
08:58 | Business challenges
12:21 | Journey towards product mindset
14:10 | IT solutions at Carrefour
15:21 | Development of group point of sale
16:57 | Cloud migration
17:39 | Data strategy
21:09 | Solutions to talent shortage
23:18 | Use of automation & bots
26:40 | IT & Digital organisation
28:40 | Gabriela’s role as CIO & CDO
32:27 | Women in digital leadership 
35:09 | Management style
38:28 | Personality
42:55 | MBTI profile | development areas
44:44 | Motivation
45:13 | Core values
46:01 | Personal mantra
47:02 | Gabriela’s projects in New York
51:04 | Mentors
53:13 | Hobbies
54:56 | Failures & lessons learned
57:22 | Best things in life
58:53 | Worst things in life
1:00:19 | Loves and fears
1:01:30 | Advice for aspiring digital leaders

Gabriela Stanica – CIO & CDO at Carrefour RO - Bringing value to the retail business with RPA & AI

Niklas Sundberg – Senior Vice President & CIO at ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions & author of  “Sustainable IT Playbook for Technology Leaders”, an innovative and practical guide for CxOs on Sustainable IT – was our keynote speaker at the Race To Net Zero CIONEXT Conference on 7 December 2022, sponsored by @BT and @PaloAltoNetworks. In this #LeadershipDeepDive interview, Hendrik Deckers asks Niklas about the relation between IT and the Sustainability Agenda.

“Just within the ICT sector today, we’re consuming roughly 3-4 percent of the world’s electricity”, says Niklas Sundberg in an attempt to illustrate how important the role of CIOs may prove in environmental challenges.

Big questions were the motor of this captivating interview packed with precise data. With Niklas’ playbook having the potential to be a gamechanger among digital leaders, the gentlemen tackled world-important issues such as circular economy, green reporting and legal solutions, or hyperscalers and their influence.

How to move to the cloud without punches of conscience as to your impact on the environment? What is the process to assess sustainability progress in a business? Is the future about limiting more than just carbon emissions? You will find answers to these questions and more on Niklas Sundberg’s personal story, including his adventure with ice hockey, in the full interview.   

 #DigitalLeadership #CIO #CXO #CTO #Sustainability #Government #CIONET #innovation #technology #data #GreenIT

Niklas Sundberg – Senior Vice President & CIO at ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions – IT & Sustainability

Antonio Queiroz, Chief Digital Officer at Euroclear, is a panellist at CIONEXT | Mastering the Cloud on the 29th of November! It’s the last moment to register 👉 www.cionext.com/ and join us for the discussion on:

✅ How complexity impedes progress. How do we optimise processes and maximise value? 

✅ How to align business goals with coherent IT and cloud strategies?

✅ How to navigate the challenges of hybrid and multi-cloud setups and how to keep our options open? 

In this #LeadershipDeepDive interview, Hendrik Deckers discussed with Antonio
Euroclear’s transition to cloud computing, emphasising the need for a cautious approach and alignment with regulatory and client expectations. Antonio explained the complexities introduced by cloud integration and the challenges in security management but underlined the long-term benefits, such as indirect financial gains from process rationalisation. He dispelled misconceptions about cloud computing, stressing the importance of strategic planning and cost awareness and shed light on the role of data and AI in Euroclear's strategy - aiming to develop new solutions, while ensuring the alignment with business needs and regulatory requirements.
Watch the full interview to find out more don’t forget to book your virtual seat at CIONEXT | Mastering the Cloud: www.cionext.com !

#CIONET #CIOcommunity #CIO #CXO #CDO #CTO #DigitalLeadership #Cloud #Multicloud @Red Hat #googlecloud #microsoftazure #redhat 



Table of contents:

01:06 | Introduction
01:16 | Antonio’s background
03:15 | About Euroclear
07:10 | Complex versus complicated
10:28 | Main challenges for the company
12:37 | IT strategy
16:48 | Cloud strategy
25:50 | Applications used in the cloud setup
31:08 | Increasing or decreasing complexity?
36:47 | Selecting partners
41:29 | Security
42:52 | Cloud is like a free lunch
44:45 | Agility roadmap
48:04 | IT organisation
50:18 | Data and AI
54:18 | Antonio’s role at Euroclear
57:31 | Antonio’s team   	
01:01:41 | Management & leadership style
01:07:27 | Personality: the Commander
01:17:59 | Core values & mentors 
01:21:57 | The most brilliant failures
01:26:09 | Antonio’s passions
01:29:54 | Advice for aspiring digital leaders

Antonio Queiroz - Chief Digital Officer at Euroclear - Modernising finance through cloud integration

This February, CIONET hosted CIONEXT | Mastering Complexity, powered by Hitachi Vantara. We’re thrilled to present a new episode of our #LeadershipDeepDive series, featuring Kalman Tiboldi, CTO and Founder at GemOne–TVH.

In this insightful conversation, Hendrik Deckers explores why mastering technological complexity is essential to future-proofing businesses. Kalman shares how TVH is transitioning away from legacy systems toward a capability-based architecture, built on a composite model that focuses internal development on core differentiating systems.

He emphasizes the importance of simplification—untangling legacy “spaghetti” architectures and removing unnecessary layers. Data, he says, must be treated as a strategic asset: governed centrally and managed via data fabric and virtualization to ensure AI readiness without duplicating datasets.

On the infrastructure side, TVH is executing a cloud-first strategy, gradually moving toward full cloud adoption while currently operating in a hybrid environment.

For Kalman, AI is not the destination, but a tool—used to improve decision-making, boost productivity, and turn static manuals into intelligent knowledge sources. Looking ahead, he envisions AI agents automating business logic and enabling autonomous enterprises, while preserving the unique role of human intuition.

Curious to learn more? Watch the full interview now!

Kalman Tiboldi - Founder at GemOne-TVH - Why Complexity Is the Real IT Challenge

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews Hanna Huber, CTO of Flix Tech, who is a nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 (Applications & Architecture). Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!  


Hanna Huber, CTO of Flix Tech, shares her career journey and the transformation at Flix, which operates in 44 countries. She discusses the need for a new tech operating model to support business growth and the importance of managing tech costs. Hannah emphasizes collaboration with tech teams and business units, the value of visual communication, and the significance of understanding complexities in leadership. She also identifies future challenges and offers advice for leaders.


Don’t miss the panel where Hanna will share her accomplishments: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!

Hanna Huber - CTO at Flix Tech - Transforming Technology at Flix

In this episode, Hendrik Deckers sits down with Rajat Dhawan, Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Soho House, who is a nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Data & AI category. Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!

Together, they explore how Soho House - one of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands - transformed into a data-driven, AI-powered global leader — without losing its uniquely human, high-touch identity.

Over his six-year journey, Rajat has led a wholesale cultural, digital, and technological transformation, modernising over 300 legacy systems, building a world-class data and AI capability, and reshaping how Soho House understands, engages, and serves its 200,000+ members worldwide.

Don’t forget to join the online Awards Ceremony that we’re organising together with our partner - Splunk - where Rajat will talk more about this impressive journey https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!

Rajat Dhawan - Group CDTO at Soho House - How Data & AI Enhance Member Experiences

Watch the newest episode of the CIONET Podcast, where Claudio Balbo, Senior Director and Head of IT Architecture at Intesa Sanpaolo, discusses one of the most ambitious core banking transformations in Europe. Claudio is a Nominee in the Applications & Architecture category and a speaker at CIONET Awards: Part 1 on 9 December 2025 at 15:00 CET. Save your seat now to find out who wins this prestigious title  👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1

In this episode, Claudio shares his journey in tech and his pivotal role in designing and implementing isytech – a cloud-native core banking platform that is revolutionizing the way Intesa Sanpaolo operates. Watch the full episode to find out more about:

🔹 Cloud-Native Core Banking: The strategic shift from legacy systems to modern, scalable cloud solutions.
 🔹 AI Adoption: How AI is becoming a critical part of the transformation, driving productivity and enhancing system capabilities.
 🔹 Leadership in Large-Scale Digital Transformations: Insights on leading teams, managing change, and balancing innovation with feasibility.
 🔹 Building the IT Future: How the bank is future-proofing its infrastructure, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Claudio emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking, team empowerment, and consistency in execution to successfully navigate digital transformations.

Secure your spot to discover who will win the CIONET Awards 2026 — and hear from Claudio and other Europe’s top digital leaders at CIONET Awards Part 1, powered by our partner Splunk 👉  https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1

Claudio Balbo - SD & Head of IT Architecture at Intesa Sanpaolo - Revolutionizing Core Banking

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews Angélique Bidault-Verliac, the Chief Data & Performance Officer at SNCF Connect & Tech, the nominee in the Data & AI category during the #CIONETAwards2026.

Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!  

Angélique is the force behind the evolution of SNCF Connect & Tech from its strong digital foundation to becoming a data-driven and AI-augmented organisation. This transformation powers the SNCF Connect platform, which is used daily by millions of people in France. Angélique's work spans critical areas including customer data, performance management, and AI innovation, driving significant business impact. Angélique shares her career journey, which is rooted in a core conviction: data must be used to solve an issue or fix something important, not collected merely for pleasure5. This problem-solving approach is central to her belief that data should help people make better decisions.

The conversation spotlights two major, impact-driven applications her team delivered:
- My Retrainspective: This initiative, which began as an internal hackathon, provided customers with a "year-in-journey" retrospective. It compared the kilometres travelled by train to the CO2 emissions saved versus driving. The result was phenomenal, with over 5.6 million visits in one day, showcasing its high customer engagement and reputational return.
- The Full Train Alert: Developed to address customer frustration over full trains, this feature allows users to subscribe to an alert for when a seat becomes available. The project was a great success, boosting client satisfaction, with one in two subscribers later booking a train.
- She concludes by identifying the next big challenge as moving from mass segmentation to true one-to-one personalisation using AI, a goal that places even higher demands on data quality. She also stresses the ongoing need to challenge and test the output of AI tools to ensure accuracy and responsibility.

Don't miss this inspiring talk about driving transformative change in the heart of French mobility!

Angélique Bidault-Verliac - CDPO, SNCF Connect & Tech - Data, AI, and Customer-First Transformation

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews, Carla Milovanov, the Group CIO at Landal, the nominee in the Applications & Architecture category during the #CIONETAwards2026 powered by Splunk.

Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!  

Carla Milovanov shares her experiences in integrating two holiday park brands. She discusses the challenges of cultural integration, the need for a unified architecture, and the role of technology in enhancing customer experience. The conversation covers the importance of governance, stakeholder management, and strategic decision-making in managing large-scale transformations, while also addressing the impact of digital transformation and AI in the hospitality industry.

Don’t miss the panel where Carla will share her accomplishments!

Carla Milovanov - Navigating Transformation: Insights from Landal's CIO

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews, Gunter Van Craen, CDIO at Bekaert, the nominee in the Applications & Architecture category during the #CIONETAwards2026 . Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!



A highly accomplished C-level executive, Gunter has built a distinguished international career leading complex, high-stakes digital transformations. With senior leadership roles across Manufacturing & Distribution, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, and Banking, he has repeatedly delivered measurable business value in environments marked by turnarounds, growth acceleration, and greenfield innovation.



During the interview Gunter talks about Bekaert's five-year digital transformation, evolving from basic IT to a modern architecture focused on business outcomes and customer engagement. The company modernises its manufacturing systems across 75 factories, enhancing efficiency and data-driven decision-making. The transformation includes integrating AI, data architecture, and cybersecurity while fostering a culture of collaboration. Key insights emphasise trust, knowledge management, and the changing role of CIOs in navigating new market

Gunter Van Craen - CDIO at Bekaert - Embracing Digital Transformation

In the latest CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken (COO, CIONET) sits down with Aleksander Gawroński (Head of IT Infrastructure, mBank) - who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category -  to discuss a transformation that turned a 25-year-old legacy landscape into a streamlined, automated, and AI-ready powerhouse. Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony on February 12, to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Aleksander shares the "no exceptions" strategy that allowed mBank to build its own private cloud and adopt a dual-vendor public cloud policy—all while maintaining the strict security standards of a highly regulated financial institution.

Watch the full interview for a deep dive into key leadership Insights:

- Infrastructure as Code (IaC): At mBank, IaC isn't just a tool; it's a discipline. No system enters the cloud without meeting this quality gate.
- The "Build vs. Buy" Culture: With 90% of their software built in-house, mBank chose to build its own Kubernetes-based private cloud to maintain full control and elasticity.
- Operational Resilience: Why a dual-vendor strategy is essential for cost negotiation and mitigating geopolitical risks.
- Leading by Example: Why Aleksander was the first person in the organization to get cloud-certified.
- The "Best Mistake": Lessons learned from underestimating the cultural shift required for such a massive technological leap.

As Aleksander puts it: "Build the foundations right, or your life will be a constant nightmare of running legacy."

Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Aleksander Gawroński - Head of IT Infrastructure at mBank - Architecting Cloud for the AI Era

In the latest episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken, Partner and COO of CIONET sat down with Paul Mukherjee, CTO at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). As a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee for Cloud & Infrastructure, Paul shares his transition from the private sector to driving large-scale innovation in the public sector.

Key themes explored in this episode: 

🔹 Strategic AI: Moving beyond the hype to implement a real-world, scalable AI strategy. 

🔹 Infrastructure Modernisation: Lessons in building agility and resilience through cloud adoption. 

🔹 Future-Proof Leadership: Why leading in 2026 requires a focus on both technological courage and organisational culture.



Join us for the CIONET Awards 2026

Want to see the results? Paul is one of the standout nominees being recognised for his impact on the digital landscape.



Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on February 12th. Join our global community to hear from all the nominees and find out who will be crowned the winner in the Cybersecurity and Cloud & Infrastructure categories!

👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2



#CIONET #DigitalLeadership #CTO #GovTech #CloudStrategy #AI #CIONETAwards #DigitalTransformation #UKTech

Paul Mukherjee - A Journey Towards Cloud Strategy and AI Integration

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken - Partner & COO at CIONET -  sits down with Stefan Latuski, the CIO of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and CEO of its IT-Systemhaus, who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category! Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Managing one of Europe’s largest public institutions with over 113,000 employees, Stefan shares the "brave" journey of moving a massive legacy infrastructure into a cutting-edge multi-cloud broker platform. Learn how the agency is tackling a demographic change (losing 35% of its workforce to retirement) by leveraging automation, generative AI, and a groundbreaking cloud strategy that sets a new standard for digital sovereignty in Europe.

In this episode, Stefan explains why delivering a multi-cloud broker platform in under 12 months required more courage than code. By ignoring the "naysayers" and focusing on a clear vision, they built Germany’s first sovereign cloud framework involving seven different providers.

Don’t miss the panel where Stefan will share more about his journey, powered by our trusted partner, Splunk 👉  https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Stefan Latuski - CIO at Federal Employment Agency - Public Sector, Private Speed

In our latest podcast, Laura Garrido, CTO at Ferrovial, who is as a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category, sits down with Daniel Eycken to pull back the curtain on Ferrovial’s "Industrialized Digital Foundation"—a massive multi-year transformation that synchronized technology across 15 countries and 25,000 employees.

Register for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on February 12th to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

In this episode, Laura shares how her team balanced rigid compliance with the flexibility needed for innovation - from the high-stakes pressure of a NASDAQ listing to achieving a 30% reduction in data center costs.

Highlights of the conversation include:
- Industrialization at Scale: How the "X-rators" and "Infinity" programs unified a fragmented global footprint.
- Empowering Developers: Building a framework that prioritizes autonomy without sacrificing security.
- The AI Foundation: Why meticulous documentation is the secret to moving from human-in-the-loop to autonomous AI agents.
- The "Best Mistake": Why shifting from total centralization to a "service flavor" model was the key to business buy-in.

Don’t miss the panel on February 12th, where Laura will share more about her journey, powered by our trusted partner, Splunk 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0

Laura Garrido - CTO at Ferrovial - Preparing for the Next Wave

In the next CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken (COO, CIONET) sits down with Francesco Ciuccarelli (Chief Innovation & Technology Officer at Alpitour World) - who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category.

Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony on February 12, to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Francesco discusses his role at Alpitour World and the company's shift to a cloud-native architecture. He emphasises the importance of innovation and the successful decommissioning of a mainframe. The conversation touches on Alpitour's growth, pandemic challenges, and AI-driven solutions. Francesco shares insights on leadership, motivation, and future technologies like blockchain and quantum computing, stressing the need for business engagement in transformation efforts.

 Watch the full interview for a deep dive into key leadership insights!

Francesco Ciuccarelli - CITO at Alpitour World - Embracing Cloud and Innovation

In the highly regulated and rapidly evolving world of banking, how do you maintain a competitive edge while ensuring impenetrable security?



In the latest CIONET Podcast, we are joined by Krzysztof Słotwiński, Chief Security Officer at BNP Paribas Bank Polska and a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee in the Cybersecurity category. With over 20 years of experience across international financial institutions, Krzysztof is a leading voice on the intersection of innovation and resilience.



Key takeaways from this episode: 

🔹 Resilience by Design: How BNP Paribas integrates security into the very fabric of its digital transformation projects. 

🔹 Navigating Complexity: Strategies for managing cybersecurity, business continuity, and open banking in a multi-market environment. 

🔹 The Human Element: Why fostering a security-first culture is as vital as the most advanced technical defences.



🏆 Join us for the CIONET Awards 2026

Krzysztof is a finalist in the prestigious Cybersecurity category. To hear from him and our other visionary nominees—and to find out who will take home the top honours—make sure to join our online celebration.



Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on 12th February. Connect with our global community, engage with the nominees, and be there when the winners are announced!



👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2



#CIONET #CyberSecurity #DigitalLeadership #FinTech #BankingInnovation #CIONETAwards #DigitalTransformation #CSO #TechLeaders

Navigating Cybersecurity in Banking: Insights from BNP Paribas

In this compelling episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken, Partner and COO at CIONET is joined by Major General Pierre Ciparisse, Commander of the Belgian Cyber ​​Force and a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee in the Cybersecurity category. From his background in satellite communications to leading the modernization of national defense capabilities, Pierre provides a masterclass in building a culture of "security by design." 

Key insights from this interview: 
🔹 The New Command: Lessons from standing up a dedicated national Cyber ​​Force. 
🔹 Adaptive Security Culture: Why technology alone isn't enough to mitigate modern risk. 
🔹 Sovereign Capabilities: Strategies for maintaining control over digital assets and infrastructure in a globalized world. 

Join us for the #CIONETAwards2026 Part 2! Major General Pierre Ciparisse is a finalist in the prestigious Cybersecurity category. To hear more about his vision and the groundbreaking work of our other finalists, don't miss the official ceremony. 

Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on February 12th. Join our global community to hear from all the nominees and find out who will be crowned the winner! 

👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2


 #CIONET  #CyberSecurity  #DigitalLeadership  #CyberForce  #TechNominee  #NationalSecurity  #DigitalTransformation  #CIONETAwards

The Evolution of Cyber ​​Defense with Major General Pierre Ciparisse

How do you protect critical infrastructure that millions of people rely on every day? In this episode, Olga Forné, Global CISO at Abertis - who is a nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cybersecurity category - sits down with Daniel Eycken to discuss her journey transforming cybersecurity from a fragmented, reactive function into a "nervous system" for global business resilience. 

Don’t miss the panel where Olga and other CIONET Awards 2026 nominees will share more about their cybersecurity journeys 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!
Abertis operates high-capacity roads and mobility services across Europe, the Americas, and India. Managing a complex mix of IT and OT requires more than just technical fixes—it requires a deep understanding of human culture and business risk.

Make sure you watch the full conversation for key insights:
🚀 The Three Pillars: Why Governance, Operational Resilience, and Cultural Change must be sequenced for long-term success.
🚀 Alignment Without Imposition: How to build a global security community across 12 business units without relying on hierarchical authority.
🚀 IT/OT Convergence: Protecting legacy industrial systems while maintaining the continuous flow of traffic and tolling operations.
🚀 Speaking the Language of Risk: Moving executive conversations away from "vulnerabilities" and toward "business continuity."
🚀 Human-Centric Leadership: Olga’s unique approach to preventing burnout and building trust-based teams.

Register for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on February 12th - powered by our partner, Splunk - to find out who wins CIONET Awards in the Cloud&Infrastructure and Cybersecurity categories 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

Olga Forné - Global CISO at Abertis - Building a "Nervous System" for Global Cyber Resilience

In the newest CIONET Podcast episode, Simone Rizzo, CISO at CCR Commercial Refrigeration, who is a nominee in the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cybersecurity category, sits down with Daniel Eycken to discuss the journey leading a high-stakes "clean, controlled, and compliant" separation following the acquisition by Haier Europe.

Don’t miss the panel where Simone and other CIONET Awards 2026 nominees will share more about their cybersecurity journeys 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!
Operating across 20 countries with over 3,000 employees, CCR faced a monumental challenge: rebuilding a security stack from scratch while maintaining total operational stability. For Simone, this wasn't just a technical migration—it was an opportunity to replace complexity with a "simple and clean" architecture designed for the future.

What you will find in this interview:
🚀 The "Simple & Clean" Mantra: Why avoiding complexity is the ultimate defense in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. 
🚀 Security by Design: Using regulatory pressures like NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) as catalysts for independent, modern architecture. 
🚀 The Power of Co-Design: Moving away from "imposing" controls to working side-by-side with networking and infrastructure teams. 
🚀 Identity as the New Boundary: How re-establishing identity services and segregation of duties dramatically improved CCR’s risk posture. 
🚀 From Remediator to Predictor: Why the next generation of CISOs must focus on protecting the service-based business models of tomorrow.

Don’t forget to register for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on February 12th — powered by our partner, Splunk — to find out who wins CIONET Awards in the Cloud & Infrastructure and Cybersecurity categories 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

Simone Rizzo - CISO at CCR  - Rebuilding Security: Simple, Clean, and Independent

From Greek Gods to 35% Cost Reductions: How Vanessa Escrivá is Rewriting the Insurance Playbook!

What do Zeus, Athena, and a 35% reduction in TCO have in common? They are all part of the massive digital revolution led by Vanessa Escrivá, Group Chief Technology and Data Officer at Mapfre!

In an industry often tethered to legacy, Vanessa has steered a global giant present in over 100 countries through a transformation that is nothing short of legendary. Forget "IT as a support function"—Vanessa has turned technology into the very heart of the business.

 The Mapfre Masterclass:

The "Reef" Ecosystem: Moving away from monoliths to a modular, microservices-driven "SaaS" model for global operations.
Atena (Athena): A global data platform powered by Snowflake that treats data as the "visionary key" to the future.
Zeus Engineering: A Greek God-inspired platform standardising how internal and external providers develop software.
Hybrid Cloud Mastery: Balancing the best of on-prem and cloud with a strict 50/50 split to avoid vendor lock-in.
 

The Secret Sauce?

Vanessa isn't just about the tech; she’s about the people. Her philosophy is simple: The team comes before the strategy. By fostering an "ESFJ" leadership style—open, transparent, and intensely practical—she has bridged the gap between complex IT languages and business goals.

 "I really believe that IT is not support anymore... it is the company."
 

🏆 Meet the Nominee & Get Inspired!

Vanessa’s journey from IT Auditor to Group CIO is a blueprint for the next generation of digital leaders. Want to hear more about how she decommissioned legacy systems with "Big Bang" courage and why she believes the days of massive outsourcing are over?

Don’t miss out! Watch the #LeadershipDeepDive interview as we celebrate the visionaries shaping our digital world.

Leadership Deep Dive with Vanessa Escrivá - Group Chief Technology and Data Officerat Mapfre

Is your CIO a "Swiss Army Knife" or just a cost center? If you're still viewing IT as a back-office "black magic" shop, you're already behind. Meet Michał Paprocki, Group CIO at Euroclear and a #CIONETAwards2026 nominee, who is fundamentally redefining the role of the modern digital leader. Michał isn't just "running systems"; he's managing 35% of the total workforce and oversight of 40% of the cost base for a global settlement house moving the GDP of Belgium twice a day. How does he do it? By becoming the "Great Enabler." 🚀 The Euroclear Transformation Masterclass:

D² FMI Strategy: Moving beyond traditional settlement into a "Data and Digital" powerhouse using blockchain and AI to satisfy evolving client needs. 
The "Obeya" Method: Implementing a visual management "cockpit" for the entire Executive Committee to ensure total transparency and strategic alignment. 
AI for the People: Rolling out Co-pilots to every single employee with a bold target of 20% productivity savings. 
Digital Native Bonds: Launching a production-grade blockchain platform that issued a €1 billion digital bond for the World Bank. 


💡 Michał's Secret Sauce for Leadership: Michał recruits for two non-negotiable traits: Curiosity and Courage. As he puts it (channeling his inner Master Yoda), "You must unlearn what you have learned." In a world of generative AI and quantum leaps, complacency is the only true knockout criterion. 🏆 Witness the Future of Digital Leadership Want to hear more about how the world's top digital leaders are pivoting from infrastructure to innovation? Listen to the full #LeadershipDeepDive interview!





 #CIONET #DigitalLeadership #CIO #CTO #Innovation #FinTech #Blockchain #AI ​​#Euroclear #Leadership #CIONETAwards2026 @CIONET Belgium

Leadership Deep Dive with Michał Paprocki - Group CIO at Euroclear

What happens when you take an organization with 600+ siloed projects and 150+ decision-makers and distill it down to a laser-focused, value-driven engine? 🚀

Meet Esmeralda Waterreus, the current CIO at Pharming and former VP & Global Head of the Enterprise Portfolio Group at Philips and a nominee for the European CIO of the Year at #CIONETAwards2026.

Esmeralda stepped into a massive challenge: transforming how a global giant invests in digital. By shifting the accountability from IT back to the business and moving from annual budgets to a quarterly "agile cadence," she didn't just cut noise—she tripled cost savings and drove massive top-line growth.

Hendrik Deckers, Founder of CIONET, sat down with Esmeralda in Amsterdam to uncover the "human side" of high-stakes digital transformation in this latest #LeadershipDeepDive.

💡 What you’ll find in this episode:
- The 96% Success Rate: By discontinuing 75% of existing projects and focusing only on what delivered true patient and consumer value, Esmeralda’s team at Philips boosted on-time delivery from roughly 50% to a staggering 96%. 📈
- Predictive over Reactive: Esmeralda believes the future of AI isn't just in delivery—it’s in prediction. AI will help leaders decide what to build before a project even starts by calculating where the most value lies. 🤖
- The "Umbrella Effect": A leader’s job is to provide trust and protection. Esmeralda uses the "umbrella effect" to shield her teams from corporate noise, allowing them to focus, experiment, and—most importantly—be brave enough to fail. ☂️

🏆 Join the Celebration of Top Digital Leadership!
Want to hear more from the leaders redefining the digital landscape? Don't miss the big reveal of the winners!

📅 When: 25 March 2026
📍 Where: London
Register here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-3

Let’s see who takes home the trophy! 🥂

Esmeralda Waterreus - former VP, Global Head of EPG at Philips - The New CIO Playbook

What happens when you take the "Challenger" mindset of Revolut and plug it into a global banking giant like Santander? ⚡️

Meet Felipe Peñacoba Martinez, the CEO of PagoNxt Payments Hub. After helping scale Revolut to over 50 million customers and securing its status as a "significant bank" supervised by the ECB , Felipe has returned to his roots to lead one of the most ambitious transformations in the financial world.

Hendrik Deckers, Founder of CIONET sat down with Felipe to uncover how he bridges the gap between "move fast and break things" and "highly regulated global banking" in the next #LeadershipDeepDive interview.

Here are three "Golden Nuggets" from our deep dive:

- The "Hammer and Nail" Trap: Don't look at AI just for the sake of it. If you start with the solution before you've defined the problem, every tool looks like a hammer and every project looks like a nail. 🔨
- The 80% Rule: At Revolut, Felipe saw how AI-powered chatbots now resolve 80% of customer queries instantly. That’s not just cost-saving; it’s a total reimagining of customer satisfaction. 🤖
- The "Lucky" First Time: Getting it right on the first try is often just luck. 
Felipe argues that you learn more from failing three or four times because then you actually understand why it eventually works. 📈
 

Felipe is a nominee for the European CIO of the Year at #CIONETAwards2026, and his insights on cloud-native architecture, talent acquisition, and digital transformation are a masterclass for any tech leader.

 

🏆 Join the Celebration!

Want to hear more from the leaders redefining the digital landscape? Don't miss the big reveal!

📅 When: 25 March 2026 📍 Where: London

👉 Register here to join the CIONET Awards 2026

 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-3

Let’s see who takes home the trophy! 🥂

 

#DigitalLeadership #Fintech #CIO #CTO #Innovation #BankingTransformation #PagoNxt #Revolut

Leadership Deep Dive with Felipe Peñacoba Martinez - CEO of PagoNxt Payments Hub

Miguel Teixeira has been at Renault Cacia for the past 14 years, having advanced from Business Unit Manager to head of Information Systems, Technologies and Digital Manufacturing.

In the 4th episode of Leadership Deep Dive, Miguel and Hendrik Deckers talk about Miguel's impressive accomplishment integrating multiple data and application ecosystems across the Renault IT organisation, about blockchain-based project for managing the supply chain  and production. They also talk about attracting young talent to a company that's been operating for over 120 years, being an introverted leader and values that guide Miguel in work and in life.

Table of contents:
00:01:05	-	Introduction
00:02:17	-	Miguel's digital transformation program at Renault
00:02:17	-	Integrating all digital bricks for all business units
00:09:37	-	Results of the transformation
00:11:32	-	Second project: geolocalised info for logistics
00:18:24	-	Why use blockchain for a project like this?
00:20:27	-	Filling the talent gap for advanced technologies
00:22:34	-	How easy is it to attract top talent in manufacturing?
00:23:30	-	What makes people want to work for you?
00:24:35	-	How is IT and digital organised at Renault?
00:27:12	-	Where are you on the hype curve regarding Agile and new ways of working?
00:28:12	-	What is your main role and focus as head of IT?
00:31:48	-	What is your management style?
00:31:50	-	Keeping the young talent engaged.
00:33:22	-	Your role as a CIO at Renault
00:34:32	-	How would your co-workers describe your leadership style?
00:35:39	-	Your MBTI profile
00:38:59	-	Work-life balance
00:40:19	-	What is the most important thing you want for your children?
00:41:35	-	Who do you look up to? Who are your mentors?
00:42:16	-	Your personal mantra
00:42:44	-	Advice to future CIOs
00:44:01	-	What have you learned from your mistakes?




LEADERSHIP DEEP DIVE

In the Leadership Deep Dive series we meet with the top CIOs in Europe. We are exploring what makes great digital leaders tick: how they lead and manage people, how they approach the intersection of business and technology, how they make decisions. What are their personality types and management styles? How do they manage the demands of their complex and challenging role?

Subscribe to our channel to watch in-depth conversations with Digital Leaders!



CIONET

CIONET connects over 8000 ambitious digital leaders and businesses in 15 countries around the globe. Our community is built by CIOs from hundreds of global brands like Coca-Cola, Renault, Maersk, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Bulgari, Daimler, Randstad, GE, Roche, as well as leading local companies in EU, South America and Asia.

https://www.cionet.com/

Miguel Teixeira, Renault Europe - Blockchain, Unifying Ecosystems and Attracting Talent

In this Leadership Deep Dive episode, Francois Locoh-Donou, CEO of F5 (www.f5.com), takes us inside his leadership philosophy and demonstrates in a hard to refute way why diversity, open company structures, constant learning and ongoing transformation are not just values to look into, but crucial strategies to adopt if a company wants to stay competitive in its (ever evolving) market.

Francois has become CEO of F5 in 2017 and from this conversation, you can find out why in this time F5 has made a conscious and strategic decision to only acquire two companies (nginx and Shape security)

Francois also talks about growing up in Togo and living in the US, why he decided to invest in agricultural industry in his  and what his background taught him about identity, pride, privilege and perseverance.


About F5

03:15 About F5 - Enabling 24/7 delivery and security of applications
04:40 Challenges of application delivery
 - multi-cloud
 - microservices and distributed architecture
 - automation of continuous improvement
07:04 Telemetry-based security (Shape security)
11:47 Application capital economy
13:58 Code To Customer - integrated view across silos
15:47 How F5 has been evolving with IT architecture trends


Building Successful Teams

17:22 Company culture at F5
  - humility
  - loyalty
  - embracing rapid transformation
18:36 How to make successful acquisitions
21:47 The roles that CEO has to play
 - vision 
 - leadership
 - strategy
 - building relationships with clients

24:47 Developing and driving vision for the company with diverse perspectives
28:12 Building and supporting successful teams
  - traits of a good leader
29:00 Using humility to grow and listen
31:00 How hierarchies kill innovation
31:40 The value of diversity and nurturing passion and commitment
36:57 Francois' fundamental values
  - sense of identity and awareness of privilege
39:40 "Development in Africa will come from agricultural revolution"
  - Francois' investment in developing Togo's economy
42:48 Mentors in Francois' life
  - The driving force of drive and transformation
48:25 Francois' most memorable failure and what he learned
  - persevering despite self-doubt and learning from mistakes
51:05 "Once you go through a period of severe adversity and self-doubt, your confidence and desire to take risks is greater."
51:29 Advice for future CIOs and digital leaders
  - managing your time investment into risks and learning
  - nobody gets anywhere on their own

Francois Locoh-Donou - CEO of F5 - Open Culture, Staying Humble and The Application Capital

CIONET is the leading community of senior digital and IT executives around the world. With a membership of CIOs, CDOs, CTOs and IT leaders from the world’s leading companies, CIONET has the expertise and pioneering vision to solve or address any digital or IT management challenge. CIONET develops, manages and moderates a global community and next-generation platform with an integrated array of both offline and online tools and services designed to provide real-time support for digital and IT executives.

CIONET

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