Digital Cookbook:
Characters
The adorable comic presented in our book is full of various protagonists. Get in touch with these characters by learning more about theier backgrounds, believes, drivers and ideas.
Management Perspective
In this book, we both review the transformation from a senior management level and describe the impacts on day-to-day business. Ivonne Truffant is the CEO of BOOK EXAMPLE CORP. and describes her digital journey to her friend Bob.
Ivonny Truffant (51, French)
Ivonne is the CEO of BOOK EXAMPLE CORP. The company has been experiencing a dramatic downturn due to digital competition. While convinced that digital is vital for her company‘s sheer survival, Ivonne recognises immediately that it will be a tough journey, yet one without alternatives. She feels a responsibility to deliver the transformation in her role as the CEO. In all honesty, she wants the best for the employees and the customers. On her digital journey, Ivonne establishes the organisational conviction that making traditional companies such as BOOK EXAMPLE CORP. fit for the digital age is also a civic duty; it is the process of preserving socially relevant assets for the next generation. Consequently, she regards digital transformation and sustainability as closely related concepts.
Bob Franton (53, American)
Bob and Ivonne have been friends for many years, ever since their paths crossed at business school. Bob is leading a business unit of a major global corporation that is also facing the digital challenge at this moment, and he is truly confused about the path he should take in his company. He knows that he has to act. Bob is meeting Ivonne in a pleasant setting to discuss with her the critical success factors of her digital transformation story. Bob is very pragmatic. While he is fascinated by his schoolmate’s digital transformation success, he wants to learn what was at the core of her success and what obstacles she had to face so he can apply that experience to his own situation. Bob recognises that leading a digital transformation in his company is a stepping-stone for the job as a CEO.
Team of Business Unit 1
The required digital transformation is a huge upheaval with various obstacles. Günter – as the head of BU1 – needed some time to realise the advantages and execute the digital change. BU1 manages to capitalise on the experience of the digital native team members to pull off important changes
Günter Baumann (47, Swiss)
Günter is the head of BU1 and a married father of three. Due to his 15 years of experience in BOOK EXAMPLE CORP., he took over the responsibility of implementing the digital strategy. He was not convinced initially that they were doing the right thing in sacrificing its established business model for a bet on the future. However, over time he understands the necessity and becomes a fervent and dedicated promoter and executer of digital change, being given the role of Chief Digital Officer.
Sebastian Miller (25, British)
Sebastian is a young and enthusiastic developer in BU1. He is a solution-oriented person and believes that all new technology is cool, representing opportunity rather than threat. He is a true digital native, making full use of modern social networks, both in his private and professional life. Digital offers not only efficiency but also fun. Furthermore, it enhances everyday life. Sebastian is used to exploratory approaches to development.
Svenja Pettersen (31, Danish)
Svenja is a product manager. In her previous job, she worked in a start-up from its early days, when all involved shared the same vision. She is convinced that new possibilities will open the way to success. Svenja has not even been exposed to the ‘old corporate business context’ yet. Belonging to Generation Y, she is a strong promoter of a service-oriented business model.
Team of Business Unit 2
Digital transformation is much more difficult for BU2. The stubbornness of the old-timers is a massive barrier to the change process. Old-fashioned ways of thinking need to be essentially uprooted to execute the necessary changes.
Hans Teubner (50, Austrian)
Hans is in many respects the antagonist of Günter. He is the head of BU2 and very successful after 20 years in the company. Hans is convinced that digital is just a trend and will not take off, until he is collecting his pension. He thinks that digital transformation is a threat to what he has achieved as a traditional manager and regards digital as an annoying disruption of his personal situation. Expecting to continue his success due to his huge contribution to the company’s profit in a ‘classical way’, he does not believe in digital transformation at all.
Ian Fenroit (48, Belgian)
Ian is an old-school developer. He remembers how it was before the Internet, and has a comprehensive understanding of solid system architectures. He seeks clear results using an architecture-oriented point of view. He feels uncomfortable without solid structures and procedures and is unable to appreciate the idea of agile working. Two-speed IT approaches disturb him as a quality-focused person, because he is used to delivering well-planned, stable and secure code for any type of project.
Hao Fen (40, Singaporean)
Hao is a product manager of BU2. Clinging to the ‘classical business model’ and exploiting existing approaches, he has been a provider-centred instead of customer-oriented professional. Although he is suspicious of and does not prefer interconnected processes, he does go through a learning curve and gains an understanding of the digital process – he realises that the low prices of sensors and skyrocketing computing capacity enable radical technical solutions. He recognises during the digital transformation that his new skills will be very relevant in the ‘new world’.
