INTERVIEW

been a journey without maps . Telcos have been transforming with varying degrees of success , but it ’ s widely , if grudgingly , accepted that Telefónica is one of the leaders in the race to provide a fully digital , endto-end customer experience . Since Jordan took up his post in September 2011 it has developed a bold global IT transformation strategy . To set the scene , revenues from simply connecting customers to a fixed or mobile network have been hit hard and will continue to dwindle – future growth has to come from far more intuitive and collaborative relationships with customers , whether corporate or private . As Jordan told me when we previously met in 2015 : “ Of course networks have always been important to us and remain our number one asset , but IT has become mission critical because it ’ s driving our business to be digital in its DNA , creating omni-channel digital experiences and also creating worldclass virtual shared infrastructures right across the group .” The outcome for customers will be access through a single digital interface , wherever they want , for whatever they want in a personalised way .

The CIO role has emerged from the shadows , says Phil , and there ’ s no doubt that in the last three years those CIOs who stay in the back office are missing the opportunity to lead their business through transformation . In his case he really begins to sound like Merlin at Camelot as the era of the ‘ sense maker ’ dawns . “ I think digital transformation demands that the CIO become chief story teller and sense maker for the business . All the boundaries are blurring ; people are confused , excited , but also bewildered . If everything is merging and connecting , they ask , what is our role ? What do we prioritise ?” The CIO who can make sense out of these uncertainties is a real asset to any business – but only if he or she understands that business to its core . While he wouldn ’ t claim to be the only person in the business with a broad vision , as CIO he is in a unique position to navigate through its complexities – and this is a highly complex organisation . “ My role requires an understanding of both the business and of the technology . Technology

10 May 2017