Corporate Vision March 2017

40 CORPORATE VISION / March 2017 , Colin Aurelius of TDB Fusion shares his secrets to being a successful CEO and how the company’s core ethos is key in delivering consistent results following his success in receiving the UK CEO of theMonth – Technology and Software award. Cloud Innovation TDB Fusion is a software and managed services company, focused on the integration and automation of on-premise and Cloud market platforms for both IT and Data Centre operations, using the Federos™ product suite. Its customers include service providers, banks and government organisations that are looking to leverage existing investment in management systems to drive automation and innovation. One of the firm’s core principles for success is transparency throughout the organisation, extending to its customers. Colin Aurelius, CEO, explains more about the business and its ongoing strategy. “Our success is inextricably linked with the success our customers have seen in delivering operational efficiency in both IT and Data Centre operations. We are using Federos to drive automation and converged operations, putting the needs of the end user at the heart of the business by providing targeted management information from existing data sources. Our vendor agnostic approach allows customers to adopt a unique and evolving strategy which is driving tangible returns, whilst introducing greater flexibility, and in turn innovation, as the needs of the business evolve.” Colin tells us that the fundamental business principles are straightforward – how does the customer leverage existing investments in management systems to improve the end user experience? It achieves this by following three key steps: Integrate – whereby we provide cross platform integration based on industry standards to ensure flexibility and future proofing; Automate –implement workflow and orchestration that saves time and money on repetitive activities and; Innovate – with the integration and automation provided we have seen our customers embrace innovation in response to market drivers, by focusing on the needs of the user, and breaking down siloed operations. “The primary objective is to deliver concrete, measurable business value,” says Colin. “In planning any project, we are always looking for the incremental milestone activities which enable our customer to see tangible, demonstrable results. With automation as a core objective, Federos allows customers to evolve over time, allowing users to repeatedly extend and refine business processes to address the changing needs of the business. Our objective is to enable customers to adopt a policy of continuous improvement, and avoiding costly, open-ended consulting engagements which have become the norm in the industry.” Recently, Colin was awarded the title of UK CEO of the Month – Technology and Software. He comments on how it felt to receive this accolade in his jurisdiction, and the challenges he has had to overcome as an award-winning CEO. “As a software and managed services business, we are operating in highly competitive markets, and competing with some of the largest software companies in the world. This award recognises the first class team we have established at TDB Fusion, and reflects all the hard work completed to get the business to this point in its development. In this respect I am delighted that the business has been recognised.” “As with any business, there are always challenges to be overcome. As a British software company, finding suitable funding options to enable the business to invest in product development beyond working capital resources is a constant challenge, particularly when compared to our compatriots in the US. We have been fortunate to work with three key organisations – Finance South East, the Santander Growth Fund, and more recently with our partners at Barclays Bank - which has allowed us to develop more strategically in the last two years. However, the availability of funding to UK business continues to be a major limitation for growth, and can inhibit innovation, and this will continue to be a key factor in the UK moving forward.” “A second critical challenge has been recruitment, and we are constantly striving to bring in the highest quality talent in all areas of the business. I am very proud of the first class team we have put together, which has recently been further enhanced with Tim Eltze, CFO, joining from Expansys US where he held the position of president, and Rob Gould joining as Managing Director for TDB Fusion, following his most recent role of Vice President EMEA at RSA Security. Both are tremendous additions to the business, and underline the progress we have made to date. Exciting times!” Colin believes motivation as a CEO is of utmost importance, in order to keep on driving a strong team with successful results. “My motivation comes from two key perspectives: to deliver tangible, cost effective solutions to our customers and encourage innovation in an industry dominated by self-serving global players; and the enjoyment from working with a first class team in building a business we can all be proud of.” “I believe Richard Branson has been quoted as saying that the key attribute for any CEO is resilience, and who am I to disagree!” Currently, within the industry, the IT, network and data centre verticals are moving at an extraordinary pace, and Colin’s focus on innovation has put TDB Fusion right at the heart of these changes. “Moving forward, we are extending Federos to integrate the major Cloud Management platforms, providing a consistent management system for on-premise and Cloud-based operations,” comments Colin. “As 1702CV64