Review 2011: the top 10 CIO interviews

Posted by By IT Decisions at 15 December, at 16 : 49 PM Print

As 2011 draws to a close, IT Decisions looks back at the most significant events of the past 12 months in the Brazilian IT industry and highlights the top stories, interviews and trends based on what our audience commented, read, and shared.

Today, we list the top 10 CIO interviews of the year. Click on the name of any IT leader to read the full interview.

1. Leandro Balbinot, chief management and technology officer, Lojas Renner

One of the largest retail chains in Brazil, LojasRenner is moving to a global delivery model as part of a transformation designed to support business growth and an upcoming merger. The firm’s IT chief Leandro Balbinot told IT Decisions about the company’s technology journey.

2. Cristiano Barbieri, CIO, Sul América Seguros

Sul America Seguros is one of the biggest insurance groups in Brazil, with its origins dating back to 1895. The company, which has financial services group ING as one of its shareholders, has health and car insurance as its key products. CIO Cristiano Barbieri is now pressing ahead with an expansion agenda after years of belt-tightening prompted by the recession.

3. José Geraldo Antunes, CIO, Klabin

Klabin is the biggest paper producer, exporter and recycler in Brazil with revenue of $2.3bn. The company is experiencing a renewed drive to deliver results and more value for money – and IT is a key actor in the process. The company’s CIO José Geraldo Antunes talked to us about repositioning technology as a value generator to the business.

4. Gelásio Schlup, CIO, Marisol

Marisol is one of the biggest and best-known apparel companies in Brazil. While many CIOs are choosing to focus on business needs, Marisol is experiencing a comprehensive business transformation as a result of major IT changes. The company’s CIO Gelásio Schlup told IT Decisions about the seismic changes across all business areas due to the replacement of its entire legacy systems portfolio by an off-the-shelf platform.

5. Augusto Antonio Carelli, CIO, Pif Paf

Established in the late 1960s, Pif Paf Alimentos is a traditional Brazilian firm that is fast developing from its original livestock roots to being a diversified food producer and IT had to find ways to support that growth. Chief information officer Augusto Antonio Carelli talked to IT Decisions about the firm’s IT journey and how he ensures technology aligns with the overall business strategy.

6. Marco Antonio Ferreira de Souza, IT director, Makro

Balancing the business and customer demands is an ever-present challenge for any IT leader, even more so in times of growth. The IT director at wholesale chain Makro, Marco Antonio Ferreira de Souza, spoke to IT Decisions about a wide-ranging IT transformation intended to support mounting internal and external needs.

7. Fabio Kruse, CIO, JCB

British manufacturing firm JCB supplies over 300 different types of mechanical digger and earthmovers to over 150 different countries and the company is opening a new factory in Brazil. In this interview, CIO Fabio Kruse talks about the new IT requirements presented by JCB’s expansion, as well as some words of caution around IT buyer-supplier relationships.

8. Xavier Rambaud, CIO, Rhodia

French specialty chemicals firm Rhodia, recently acquired by Belgium-based firm Solvay for $6.6bn, has an IT captive center in Brazil since 2005. The company’s chief information officer Xavier Rambaud talked exclusively to IT Decisions at the company’s offices in São Paulo about the significance of the Brazil operation and plans for the team going forward.

9. Luis Ricardo Almeida, CIO, Chubb

The CIO at insurance giant Chubb told IT Decisions about how he deals with business expectations from the IT function, the trouble swith mobile development, as well as the challenges related to managing and retaining the Generation Y.

10.  Claudio Prado, CIO, Banco Santander

Banco Santander is the fourth-largest bank in Brazil by market value and has undergone massive change due to the several large-scale acquisitions it has made in recent years. In this interview, chief information officer at Santander’s Brazilian arm Claudio Almeida Prado talks about the bank’s successful technology integration work, the bank’s interactions with its suppliers and the IT agenda going forward.

Image by B Darling licensed under Creative Commons.

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