The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sense of urgency around digital transformation, leading to previously stonewalled projects getting greenlit and sighs of relief from executives knowing employees can help keep the corporate ship running from their homes.
IBM Canada Claude Guay took over as the head of IBM’s Canadian business in the middle of a global pandemic in 2020. He sat down with ITWC president Fawn Annan to discuss the changes he’s seeing from clients both culturally and digitally.
IBM research shows that 55 per cent of respondents to a 2020 survey – mostly C-Suite executives – say the pandemic has created “permanent changes” to their organizational strategy. Roughly 60 per cent say COVID-19 has “adjusted our approach to change management” and “accelerated process automation,” with 64 per cent acknowledging a shift to more cloud-based business activities. More data from Microsoft suggests that just over half (54 per cent) of Canadian business leaders feel confident their company will be able to adapt to whatever the upcoming year might hold.