Centrica plc is the most important provider of gasoline to the UK and one in every of its largest suppliers of electrical energy. The multinational vitality and companies firm operates Scottish Gasoline in Scotland and British Gasoline in England, Wales, and Northern Eire and is the proprietor of Bord Gáis Vitality in Eire. CIO.com spoke to Centrica Group Chief Info Officer Darren Miles about his expertise throughout his first 12 months within the position as the corporate underwent a digital and technological transformation affecting clients and employees alike.
Because the Group Chief Info Officer for Centrica, I’ve general know-how accountability for the group, working with core and distributed know-how groups to ship the proper outcomes for our clients. My focus as CIO is retaining it easy; utilizing nice know-how to our benefit so we are able to construct a office the place colleagues thrive and the place we’re nearer to our clients, constructing aggressive companies at velocity and at scale.
Throughout the know-how groups, we constantly take a look at methods know-how could make issues less complicated for our clients, whether or not on our app, web site, in a buyer’s house, or talking with our colleagues on the cellphone. All the things linked to simplicity is underpinned by know-how. Throughout my first 12 months on this position, I’ve targeted on constructing a various and inclusive crew. I needed to make a shift in our tradition and construct a brand new spirit of collaboration all through the know-how neighborhood.
I began my profession as {an electrical} engineer. I’ve at all times tried to make my work sensible and outcome-focused. Within the early years, I might spend the prepare commute studying new applied sciences and sensible expertise. It’s key to have a progress mindset to adapt to the ever-changing wants of our clients and as new applied sciences are developed.
All through my profession in know-how, I’ve had many various roles throughout a broad vary from technique and structure, growth, and programme supply by to operations. In every position, I’ve been lucky sufficient to have many nice and galvanizing leaders who’ve helped me to develop and discover new areas to evolve my information and understanding of the trade.
CIO.com: Inform us about one thing you’ve got labored on during the last 12 months that you’re pleased with?
There are two areas that I’m significantly pleased with: our digital and know-how transformation to satisfy the wants of our clients and the progress we have now made in constructing a extra numerous and inclusive crew. We created a reference structure to drive Centrica’s digital transformation journey dividing the property into layers, which has been a key enabler to understanding the place and the way we are able to rework for our clients. We have already got nearly all of our infrastructure within the cloud so we began with the digital channels first and all through 2022 into 2023 we’ll see the completion of this journey by reworking the remaining voice and chat channels, by implementing AWS Join, throughout all of the enterprise items.
Our companies enterprise is beginning its second section of transformation to merge all of the customer-centric methods onto a single occasion of Salesforce. To help the migration of our legacy billing system, this can even embody the implementation of a brand new companies billing system primarily based on Microsoft Dynamics 365. This implementation will present all our Providers clients with an end-to-end totally automated journey throughout best-of-breed SaaS functions. 2022 can even see the brand new cloud-based SaaS Discipline Platform deployed throughout the engineering workforce, lastly retiring the on-prem homegrown workforce administration system.
In vitality, we have now begun the journey emigrate the vitality clients off the legacy system and onto the brand new cloud-based SaaS providing. Underpinning these platforms is our new knowledge and analytics platform, guaranteeing that our enterprise has the information it must make choices in real-time.
Recognising that we’re stronger with a extra inclusive, collaborative crew, we set about creating an worker expertise programme, the place all colleagues might really feel that they’d a voice and that they need to be snug bringing their complete selves to work. Launching an worker expertise programme is just not the only of duties, not to mention throughout a pandemic and while the entire enterprise was going by wide-scale transformational change. We rapidly realised that this was precisely the time that such a programme was actually wanted. We created a way of contribution with a possibility for all voices to be heard.
I’m pleased with how our colleagues rallied round; not solely as they stored colleagues across the enterprise related as we moved to working from house throughout the entire property and supporting our area colleagues to maintain clients’ properties heat and dealing by the worst of the pandemic, but additionally as we supported one another.
Because of this, we’ve been recognised externally and received a number of awards together with the Actual Innovation Know-how Awards Employer of the Yr and a CIO100 UK Award. Ladies on the crew have been named 2021 TechWomen100 winners, obtained Inspiring Fifty awards, and been named to the INvolve HERoes 100 Ladies Future Leaders Listing.
CIO.com: What do you do exterior of labor?
Work-life steadiness is essential for me as spending time with my household is essential. I stay in Hampshire with my spouse Issy, our 4 kids, and two canine. In order that takes up all of my time exterior of labor, having enjoyable and stress-free. I’m dwelling in hope of someday seeing Studying City soccer crew succeeding once more!
CIO.com: What’s one of the best piece of profession recommendation you’ve ever obtained?
There are a number of that I at all times comply with:
- You could construct belief to make choices quicker and construct momentum.
- Leaders should not have to try to be the neatest within the room – usher in one of the best folks to carry new concepts and challenges.
- Decide. Don’t let concern freeze you. Admit when choices are unsuitable, be taught from them and take a look at one thing else.