Premier Tech

Seasoned entrepreneur since a young age, Wilhelm Bielert has emerged as an internationally recognized executive in the realm of digital transformation. Currently acting as the Senior Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, his journey with Premier Tech goes back to 1995. Over the years, his expertise and dedication propelled him to the positions of Vice-President and Chief Digital Officer in 2017, and to his present role since November 2022.

Throughout his career, Wilhelm has held leadership positions and spearhead technology-driven projects for giants like Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Corporation, Mercedes-Benz and Deutsche Telekom. Having worked in Asia, Europe, and North America, he has developed a keen ability to lead diverse teams. His expertise and his interpersonal skills allow him to drive a passionate and innovative team at Premier Tech, always creating value for our clients.

Wilhelm also teaches Technology & Digital Transformation since 2014 in master courses at the University of Hamburg. Currently, he is collaborating on a book set to be published in early 2024, exploring the concept of value creation with Artificial Intelligence.

Following is the conversation that we had with Bielert.

As the chief information officer (CIO) andsenior vice-president at Premier Tech, could you provide an overview of your role and responsibilities within the company?

I am responsible for everything related to information technology within the company — structures, implementation as well as use of different processes, and the alignment to our strategy. 

This means having a comprehensive understanding of every element regarding information technology for all Premier Tech’s business groups. I also oversee teams responsible for standardizing information technology and integrating digital enabled processes within our different business units across 28 countries.

As a CIO, what are some of the key challenges you face in leveraging technology effectively?

Premier Tech is a dynamic company that faces the same challenges as many others, like time and resources constraints. It’s no secret that the market for skilled team members in our field is very competitive right now. The biggest challenge is indeed the changemanagement to really create value with the technology solution we have chosen to work with.

​  ​“Our ambition to build and our entrepreneurial spirit fuelled our organic and external growth.”   

Premier Tech is a multinational company present in more than28 countries. This means that we have to be compliant with local regulations in each of these countries and make sure that our processes comply in all countries where we are present, knowing that there is variety of different laws and regulations. So how can we standardize and be local at the same time is a key challenge.

A good example is theEuropean Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A European regulationthat also impacts our business processes in Canada. We must provide the infrastructure in Canada to be compliant in Europe.This situation is subject to constant change. Law 25 in Québec (in force in September 2023) is a good example as it modernizes legislative provisions regarding the protection of personal information in our Canadian home province.

Being a company that’s been around for 100 years comes with a legacy. Our ambition to build and our entrepreneurial spirit fuelled our organic and external growth. This external growth is achieved by partnering and integratingother companies, which means integrating and adoptingtheir systems.

With the rapid pace of technological advancements, how to stay informed about emerging technologies and assess their potential impact?

There is no secret shortcut to staying informed on technological advancements. You must be curious and read a lot — not only on the new advancements, but also on their impact and their interaction with existing technology and how it might change it.  I, personally, read a lot and I have a great network that keeps me informed.  In addition, I continue to teach at a leading University which forces me to stay at cutting edge.

At Premier Tech, we pay particular attention to innovation in all areas.Innovating to create value for our clients is at our heart. For digital innovation, we are in constant conversation with our internal and external clients as well with internal teams.We have an application architecture team that constantly watches our systems and their efficiency. They also keep an eye on technological advancements in the systems and processes we use and the new trends.  We even created a community about business analysis practices that recently received a special mention from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).

The different applications we use are organized around various areas such as operations. In this case, for example, our Operation team would work closely with team members in our plants to determine the best solution to put forward in order to remain at cutting edge for our clients.

What advice would you give to young professionals who are interested in pursuing a career in technology, and what qualities do you think are essential for success in this field?

If you are interested in a career in technology, of course training and academics are important, but I would say that developing a set of soft skills is essential. It also helps to have additional certification such as a process of interest, like project management, or a specific technology as “Salesforce”.

Contrary to popular belief, working in technology does not meansitting alone in front of a computer all day. You must interact with clients and co-team members:so effective communication isessential.

To be able to find the best technological solution for the company you work for, you needstronglistening, problem-solving and emotional intelligence skills. Sometimes, your clients might ask you for a solution and by listening to them and engaging in a constructive collaboration, you will be able to better identify their real needs. Then you can suggest a solution that would best fit their problem and maybe this is different compared to the initial conversation.

Information technology is not always easy to understand for everyone. Whether it’s a client with a complex problem or a team member that needs training on new process, you must make complex information accessible. By doing so, you make sure people will understand not only how to do something, but also why it is important to do things a certain way.