“Of course I’m delighted to receive this award! It’s very pleasing to be recognised as chief information officer of the year. For me, but also for my team and for all the work we’ve done.” Jesper Nielsen clutches the trophy in his arms as if Luxair’s CIO were dreading someone taking it from him, as he is congratulated in turn by each of his peers.
In sixteen editions, Emilie Mounier has succeeded in making the Golden-i the meeting place for those men and (still too few) women who often work in the shadow of their CEO. “I love you, Gilles,” says the former consultant, who joined Luxair in May 2021. “Gilles Feith is an extraordinary CEO, who encourages you, challenges you and supports you! He understands the things I say to him.”
Trying different approaches to find talent
Faced with the challenges and changes in the world of work brought about by covid-19 and the scarcity of talent, the man in charge of 90 people has to deal with a new reality. People. “Finding people, making sure they have the skills you’re looking for, especially in the most modern part of IT where there are very few people who really have the right skills. Bringing them to Luxembourg is really very complicated.”
It’s a challenge to which he aims to respond in a different way, with a new “workforce that’s tighter and able to work with people abroad. Of course, reducing costs is important, but it’s not the whole story. We are trying and will try several approaches. I don't think any one approach can solve all the problems. Sometimes you’re driven to reinvent yourself by necessity. You don’t have to look any further.”
After 20 years in Luxembourg, Nielsen discovered a “company that needed to transform,” which had “always had a very traditional way of dealing with IT.”
A mobile application to come
“If you look at the strategy for the next five years, it’s really about three things: modernising the fleet, cargo and digitalising our services. We’re focused because digitalisation is a really big piece.”
Many projects are on the table of the CIO of the year, including the imminent launch of a new mobile application, which will be constantly updated, or the modernisation of the website, which will take place within a year. He pauses, the trophy given by PwC’s technology partner, Patrice Witz, in his arms. “We need to find the people to deliver,” he says.
Other candidates for the CIO of the year award--Pascal Bughin (La Mondiale), Pascal Decker (Dennemeyer), Adolfo Gutierrez (Bankinter) and Benoît Depoître (Intesa Sanpaolo Bank)--were also present at this lively evening event attended by over 300 people.
The Golden-i awards
CIO of the Year: Jesper Nielsen (Luxair)
APSI Start-up Award: iHub
APSI Flagship Award: Bitstamp
Cloud Community-Cloud innovation Project of the year: Alsego by Letzrelo
Cloud Community-Cloud technology of the year: Divizend
This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.