"Ensuring your strategy stays on course to achieve the business objectives is the real definition of success in this business".

MATT HALL
CIO
ContourGlobal

Hall is the Chief Information Officer at ContourGlobal, a global electric power generation development and operations company located in 14 countries, most emerging or frontier markets. In his role, Hall oversees worldwide IT operations and brings two decades of global IT experience, predominantly in the Finance industry. Hall has served in IT management roles in Australia, London and New York at the Australian Stock Exchange, Citigroup and Barclays. He is now bringing his experience of secure high availability systems and infrastructure to the energy industry.

Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations

Our greatest challenge is global collaboration while maintaining security. ContourGlobal is a rapid user of the Cloud and our business spans geographies which often challenge the realms of connectivity. For example we have power generating facilities in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa and wind farms in two extremely remote regions in Peru and Brazil. And to keep pace with user expectations, our delivery model must accommodate agility and security.

The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or not up to the mark, and which if existed, would've made job easier

Two key drivers to my sleepless nights; the basics and IT as a business partner. The basics can seem like they have a tick in the box, but without regular and measured attention, the most basic of service can rapidly decline. As a business partner, our seat at the table must be warranted, and not just with high quality service, but with innovation which positively impacts the revenue generating streams. KYC is the key.

Technology Trends Impacting Enterprise Business Environment

Data, it’s all about data. Manipulation, presentation, mobility, security and interpretation; applying reactive and proactive solutions to suit our multi-faceted business. My other focus is on centralized remote management power plants are an interesting business and one in which mainstream IT has been overlooked. As we move to more renewable resources for power generation, we are also looking to high speed connectivity via centralized remote solutions to enhance the ROI on renewables.

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO

My role has become more of a strategic business partner rather than one of architecture and infrastructure; no longer in the dark room or the basement, IT is now on the frontend and influencing key business decisions. Creating a culture of transparency to allow the business to see tangible results of their investment in technology – see, touch and feel the benefits. We are now true cross-functional partners, going beyond traditional IT and providing value in many forms such as project management, process design and implementation policies.

Lessons learned as a CIO

KYC and keep ahead of the pace. IT is a broad subject and with the advancement of information distribution, your business is most likely obtaining updates on new trends and revenue drivers, before you have time to blink. Pulled in all directions is part of the job, ensuring your strategy stays on course to achieve the business objectives is the real definition of success in this business.