CANADA we ’ ve recently aligned them closely with our different business groups ; this blurs the lines between what would traditionally be a technical or a business role . This alignment helps us be more agile and outcome based . It allows our business to better leverage technology to meet the future needs of our customers .”
The changing face of technology Technology has always been Armstrong ’ s first passion . He began his career working on the frontlines of technology in England in 1979 , before the personal computer arrived on people ’ s desks . He quickly rose through the ranks , becoming the CIO of a leading Toronto based financial services company at the age of 29 . Since then , his technology career has provided him opportunities to visit and work in 48 different countries .
Armstrong has seen first-hand how technology has evolved over several decades and how each new wave of advancement has influenced business models . He argues that one of the most significant changes has been how we now perceive technology ’ s potential .
“ In the early days , I watched as technical solutions were positioned with rampant overselling , which led to unrealistically high expectations and the inevitable disappointment of broken promises ,” he says . “ Today ’ s technology platforms are so powerful that their potential is often ahead of what most companies need . There ’ s never been a more exciting time to work in the technology field and turn that potential into a reality .”
Armstrong joined Lifeco as Global CIO in 2016 to advance the company in how they could leverage technology across their group of companies .
“ It ’ s about changing how we apply technology to provide modern timely services for our customers ,” he says . “ We believe strongly in putting the customer at the centre of what we do , and that translates into the decisions that we make around what technologies and services we intend to roll out .”
Lifeco ’ s Canadian companies
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