I have been doing video interviews with a number of CIOs, software executives and practitioners about acrobatics they have been seeing in various vertical sectors during the COVID-19 crisis and the "New normal" they can expect as the economy wakes up.
This time it is Andre Blumberg, Senior IT Director at CLP Power. Based in Hong Kong, he is the first executive in this series who did the interview from his corporate, not home, office. He is able to speak from the vantage point of being in the recovery/reopen stage, while most of US is still planning for that. Hong Kong and Asia also benefited from their experience with SARS in 2003 and Andre describes that advantage.
He describes how energy consumption patterns have evolved over the last few months - consumer v. commercial, across Asia-Pacific. He also describes the 3 Ds driving their business - decarbonization, decentralization and digitizing - and how the crisis has influenced their thinking
He also describes their recent annual shareholder meeting - a hybrid physical and streamed one. Only 50 shareholders were picked via raffle to be physically present. Directors on the board were split to provide physical distancing.
Just because they are a utility, they don't waste energy. Half way through our conversation the lights in the board room went off. The motion sensor had not detected enough activity in the room. That's ironic since Andre is an ultra-marathoner - full of energy!
Very educational talk. And hopeful to all of us stuck in home offices and eager to get back to physical worksites and on the road to watch him talk from his corporate office.
