Today’s businesses operate in a world where traditional, rigid structures are being replaced by fluid, rapidly changing models. Individuals who inspire new ways of thinking will power the businesses that succeed as they embrace this new dynamic environment.
Smart CIOs are stepping up to the challenge. They are the catalysts for change, harnessing the transformative power of technology to change the way a business operates. VMware’s Agents of Change initiative shines a spotlight on these important contributors.
Here’s the next individual in our Agents of Change Series: Blair Wright, CIO at London Capital Group.
“Savvy CIOs need to be risk intelligent.” This is the firm belief of London Capital Group’s (LCG) Blair Wright. When appointed as CIO at the online financial trading services firm, he immediately embarked on the formidable task of rebuilding its entire network infrastructure—from scratch.
With LCG’s network supporting tens of thousands of financial customers, all of whom required an uninterrupted service throughout the transition period, it is easy to understand why initiating such a project would be considered too risky by many.
Hear from Wright in the video below, then read on to learn more about how his calculated risks paid off for London Capital Group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9mYvRu7b6s&feature=youtu.be
Calculated Risks
Wright elaborates, “In general, the financial sector is risk averse and struggles to change something that isn’t broken. But this can lead to complex systems, which become increasingly hard to manage and ultimately hold us back.”
However, calculated risks are an integral part of the trading industry, and this is reflected in the culture of LCG. Wright knew replacing the network was the right thing to do, and he was certain he could bring his team with him. The new network would enable the company to launch a fresh trading platform, as well as achieve much more in the future.
Encourage Curiosity
With a clearly articulated vision that everyone got behind, Wright then had to lead his team through this potentially risky transition period. “My approach is to give my team confidence and encourage them to be as curious as possible. That way, they embrace change rather than run from it.”
With the new network in place, LCG has launched its new trading platform and is able to innovate at a pace that it simply could not have achieved before. Wright concludes, “This initiative has been really successful for London Capital Group. It demonstrates that to be strategic, businesses need to take advantage of new technology. And that means intelligently taking on risk through IT.”