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Olivier ROBYN (who graduated the Grande École Program in 2004) describes himself as unconventional and inquisitive. We’d have to agree – his career so far points to an adventurous streak and an ability to listen to his heart. From marketing to technology, from Paris to Valencia, via Slovenia, he continued on his journey steered by the people he’s met and the opportunities that presented themselves. What will be next?

Where did your taste for travel come from?
There are three factors. Firstly, I come from a bi-national family (my father is French and my mother is Macedonian) and I grew up in an environment focused on open-mindedness and diversity. Then, my father set up one of the biggest French tour operators (Africatours) in the 1970s and my mother worked in Africa and the Caribbean. This allowed me to travel a lot from an early age. All of this made me into an inquisitive and unconventional person. Going to IÉSEG seemed the obvious choice since the School favoured travel abroad to develop its students. In particular, I was able to spend my fourth year in the Netherlands, go to South Africa for my end-of degree internship and finish my studies in Slovenia. Living abroad as soon as I left the School seemed the obvious thing to do…

Why did you choose Spain?
Meeting my wife, who is Spanish, during my fifth year in Slovenia, had a big influence on the destination. The non-linear journey that followed (see opposite) can be explained as much by choice as by necessity. In Spain, I wanted to find a job quickly, even if it meant putting my professional ambitions aside for a while. I’ve been fascinated by computers and technology since I was a child and through hard work I managed to convert this passion into skills and opportunities…

In fact, after starting your career in Marketing, you have been CIO since 2009. What does that role consist of?
Each CIO defines his role according to his background, his personality, the sector of activity and the culture of his company. I believe they must take on the role of technological partner of both the Business and the CEO, while also working as closely with the tech teams as with the business teams. A CIO constructs and implements the digital strategy to develop the business on a daily basis by optimising customer experience or by creating technological products/services, but also takes advantage of internal and external data, generating productivity gains by optimising business processes, or ensuring the sustainability of the organisation and its infrastructure in the face of cybersecurity challenges.

Your job has changed a lot in recent years. How do you explain this?
It’s the Covid effect added to two underlying trends. First of all, the rise of large companies (Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc.) coupled with the development of broadband connections and the smartphone has made us all dependent on technology on a daily basis… and more demanding. We see this in companies where employees can be impatient with tech teams. It is up to the CIO to smooth relations! The other trend is the digitalisation of the business world: subjects such as data, cybersecurity and e-commerce now touch on all sectors of business. Everyone has become aware that technology profoundly changes organisation and internal processes to make them more efficient and safer. In this context, the CIO has gone in a few years from IT manager to being a real innovator and technological partner of the Management.

In 2020, you decided to continue working as CIO on a self-employed basis. Why and who do you work for?
I left my position as CIO at Tempe, a subsidiary of the Inditex Group, to be closer to my family based in Valencia. I spent my weeks traveling between Alicante, Coruña, and abroad. After a short stint in cosmetics, I started my own business. My clients are international retail groups looking for senior people capable of leading technological projects at an international level.

What differences have you noticed between the world of work in France and in Spain ?
In France, much more importance is attached to professional success and work is synonymous with economic and social position. Relations between colleagues are cooler and more formal, roles and responsibilities are strictly defined. In Spain, more emphasis is placed on the importance of a comfortable, less restrictive life. A job is considered above all as a source of income and the aim of a large part of the population is to get a job as a civil servant, with guaranteed employment for life. Communication and hierarchy are much more open: you gain in agility what you lose in structure.

Why did you choose to live in Valencia and what do you like to do there in your free time?
Valencia is the perfect place to raise your children due to its quality of life, its climate, the people and the distances to travel. It is much more welcoming and family-friendly than a large capital like Paris. It’s a great place to live with its 300 days of sunshine a year and an urban beach which we can enjoy from May to October. As a family, we like to walk in the parks on the bed of the Turia river, which has been dry for years, to stroll around the the City of Science and Arts or to go to the theatre. As a couple, we like to eat out in the historic district of Carmen or at the new port, built after the 2004 America’s Cup.

What do you think will happen in your career in the future and with your profession in general?
I view the future with a certain amount of caution, given the current geopolitical situation, but also with the realistic optimism that has always been part of my character. My job will continue to evolve alongside the use of new technologies: virtual and augmented reality, the metaverse, quantum, blockchain and AI will offer new possibilities to companies. It will be up to the CIO to open these doors to allow companies to make good use of these innovations. In addition, due to the lack of skilled labour in the IT professions, the CIO will have to devote more attention than ever to HR and personnel management issues in order to attract the best talents and retain them for the longest time possible.sacrer plus d’attention que jamais aux problématiques de RH et de gestion de personnel afin d’attirer les meilleurs talents et les retenir le plus longtemps possible

This article was written by Luna Créations for IÉSEG Network’s magazine, IÉS #14.