{"id":598671,"date":"2023-01-18T06:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T12:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/18\/benelux-cio-interview-richard-ventre-shv-holdings\/"},"modified":"2023-01-18T06:50:00","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T12:50:00","slug":"benelux-cio-interview-richard-ventre-shv-holdings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/18\/benelux-cio-interview-richard-ventre-shv-holdings\/","title":{"rendered":"Benelux CIO interview: Richard Ventre, SHV Holdings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>In his role at Netherlands-based SHV Holdings, Richard Ventre is tackling the challenge of enabling a diverse set of digital transformations across a range of industries<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"Karl Flinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Karl-Flinders\">Karl Flinders,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>17 Jan 2023 16:42<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>The diversity of Dutch multinational SHV Holdings attracted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-ventre-3713427\/?originalSubdomain=nl\">Richard Ventre<\/a> to its group CIO role and presented him with the challenge of supporting different business strategies and digital transformation needs.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shv.nl\/\">SHV Group<\/a> operates in a diverse range of industries, with six operating companies, including retail brand Macro along with heavy lifting, engineering, animal feed, financial services and energy businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Ventre joined the 126-year-old Dutch company in January 2022 after a long period in IT leadership roles in the ports and logistics sector.<\/p>\n<p>Today, he is tasked with creating the foundation to enable each of the group\u2019s businesses to apply industry-specific know-how to autonomously pursue their own digital transformations.<\/p>\n<p>Ventre, originally from Liverpool, gained his first degree in computer science in 1999 at Liverpool John Moores University, before joining IT supplier CSC as part of a graduate programme. He went on to spend 10 years at the company.<\/p>\n<p>During his time at CSC, as well as completing his master\u2019s in computer science, he held various roles, including heading up database capability globally and working on the company\u2019s NHS contract for the north-west cluster.<\/p>\n<p>His final role at CSC was working on its contract with financial services giant Zurich Insurance, based in the Swiss city. When his wife was expecting triplets, the couple decided to head back to the UK, to be near family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat made us rethink. At the time, I had been at CSC for 10 years and was the service management director on the Zurich account,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He was approached by Network Rail to become head of IT operations, an opportunity he seized and spent seven years there.<\/p>\n<p>Working in Zurich gave Ventre a taste for work outside the UK so, after leaving Network Rail, he was back on his travels. He joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252465699\/Shipping-giant-Maersk-on-taking-a-cloud-first-approach-to-disrupting-the-competition\">Maersk as global IT director<\/a> for the shipping company\u2019s terminals business, based in The Hague. Ventre says he loved the Netherlands and the people, and the job was going really well, but after three years in the Hague, he received \u201can offer I couldn\u2019t refuse\u201d from Adani Group conglomerate in India. \u201cThey were doing some really interesting stuff,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<figure data-img-fullsize=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Richard-Ventre-and-family-800px.jpg\">\n <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Richard-Ventre-and-family-800px_half_column_mobile.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Richard-Ventre-and-family-800px_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Richard-Ventre-and-family-800px.jpg 1280w\" data-credit=\"Richard Ventre\" height=\"232\" width=\"279\" ><figcaption>\n  <i data-icon=\"z\"><\/i>Richard Ventre in India with his family<br \/>\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ventre became CIO for the Adani Ports and Logistics business. Working directly for the son of billionaire Gautam Adani, he began leading the digital transformation of the business and the move from \u201canalogue ports into smart ports\u201d, he tells Computer Weekly.<\/p>\n<p>But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit India and his children\u2019s school closed, Ventre and his wife decided to relocate back to Europe. \u201cWe got the company working remotely, were delivering things remotely, and achieved quite a lot, but in about June 2021, my wife and I decided the kids couldn\u2019t do the remote schooling any longer, so I put the feelers out for a new role,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Cross-industry focus at SHV\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Cross-industry focus at SHV<\/h3>\n<p>Six months later, Ventre was offered a job at SHV Holdings and the opportunity to move back to the Netherlands. He joined in January 2022 and now spends the week in Utrecht and weekends with the family in Liverpool.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunity attracted us because we knew the Netherlands and we liked the place. It also got me out of the ports and shipping sector, which is a good sector, but I didn\u2019t want to become pigeon-holed,\u201d says Ventre. \u201cAs the group CIO, [I work] across several industries, which was a big attraction for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At SHV, Ventre has seven people reporting directly to him. These include heads of architecture, information risk and security, and the head of digital data, who all have their own teams.<\/p>\n<p>The businesses within SHV Holdings also have their own IT teams. \u201cWe are a holding company and each business within SHV is completely independent with its own CIO and management board,\u201d says Ventre.<\/p>\n<p>The diversity of the businesses in the group means there is no one-size-fits-all digital transformation approach. \u201cThis is a really key point,\u201d according to Ventre.<\/p>\n<p>A diverse set of businesses has diverse digital transformation strategies. \u201cEach business has its own digital strategy, and as a CIO at a group level that can be difficult. I am working with seven very different business strategies,\u201d said Ventre.<\/p>\n<p>To address this, the group has established a strategy, known as Better Together. \u201cWhilst we are very different in terms of our operating models, businesses and industries, we have got a lot of commonalities in what we do around the classic commodity IT like networks, servers, service desk and application support,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Better Together strategy is looking at consolidating the supply chain for global partners who can introduce standards across commoditised IT. That created the platform to allow CIOs to focus on digital transformation of the business,\u201d adds Ventre. \u201cIt will be low-cost, repeatable and based on standards, allowing CIOs across the group to focus on what\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He says he can\u2019t drive digital transformation at group level, but can support the CIOs in their endeavours. His strategy is to reduce the cost of commodity IT, set architecture principles and guidelines, and allow CIOs the freedom to execute their digital transformation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe try not to get too involved in part three beyond governance. We respect the decentralised nature of our business, and the CIOs need autonomy, but there are some things that are non-negotiable, such as commodity IT and governance around certain digital transformations if a certain size,\u201d says Ventre.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Digital transformation in train\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Digital transformation in train<\/h3>\n<p>Digital transformation across the group is well underway. For example, SHV\u2019s testing, inspection and certification business, Kiwa, is using digital technology to improve business operations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of that can now be done remotely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252525441\/IoT-success-fuelling-further-expansion\">using internet of things (IoT) technology<\/a>. Component parts are hooked up to the internet and sending messages to enable predictive maintenance,\u201d says Ventre. \u201cPredictive maintenance is already being done, but eventually there will be remote certification and no need for the engineer to go onsite to check maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SHV\u2019s Eriks business, which manufactures equipment, is also using IoT technology to offer digital services. With customers such as large beer manufacturers, Eriks would traditionally sell parts and equipment, but it now sells services on top. \u201cThe product now comes with software that allows the user to understand the product\u2019s health through IoT technology.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ventre adds that maintenance teams at Eriks are also using virtual reality for training and support during maintenance.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in its Mammoet cranes business, the use of digital technology is improving projects. \u201cA lot of time is wasted debating whether a job can continue during high winds,\u201d says Ventre. &#8220;In the future sensors can determine the wind speed and allow for fact based decision making \u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is also using data to forecast, plan and risk assess jobs, which would have been done less efficiently on spreadsheets in the past.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on CW500 and IT leadership skills<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/feature\/The-changing-role-of-CIO-in-Sweden\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/softwaredevelopment-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/softwaredevelopment-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/German\/article\/softwaredevelopment-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>The changing role of CIO in Sweden<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineImages\/brans_pat.jpg\" alt=\"PatBrans\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Pat\u00a0Brans<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/searchcio\/feature\/The-effect-of-digital-transformation-on-the-CIO-job\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img 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srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/searchCIO\/enterprise_recovery\/cio_article_008_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/searchCIO\/enterprise_recovery\/cio_article_008.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>The evolving CIO role: From IT operator to business strategist<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineImages\/tucci_linda.jpg\" alt=\"LindaTucci\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Linda\u00a0Tucci<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/searchcio\/news\/252513837\/Digital-leaders-open-gap-on-digital-laggards\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/strategy_g1227074505_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/strategy_g1227074505_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineimages\/strategy_g1227074505.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Digital leaders open gap on digital laggards<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineImages\/moore_john.jpg\" alt=\"JohnMoore\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>John\u00a0Moore<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252529177\/Benelux-CIO-interview-Richard-Ventre-SHV-Holdings\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Rubi Coby<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In his role at Netherlands-based SHV Holdings, Richard Ventre is tackling the challenge of enabling a diverse set of digital transformations across a range of industries By Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA Published: 17 Jan 2023 16:42 The diversity of Dutch multinational SHV Holdings attracted Richard Ventre to its group CIO role<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":598672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44665,22316,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-598671","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-benelux","8":"category-interview","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/598672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}