At a time defined by relentless technological innovation, the adage “adapt or perish” has never held more significance. The digital revolution has woven its way into the fabric of businesses, governments, and organisations worldwide. At the heart of this transformative wave lies a singular imperative: digital transformation.
With businesses constantly seeking innovative solutions to navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape, many are turning to technology players that can enable them to build a robust IT infrastructure to support their transformation journeys. Enter Kyndryl, a name that has been making waves in the technology industry. Born out of IBM’s decision to spin off its managed infrastructure services division, Kyndryl emerged in late 2021 as a standalone company with a singular focus: empowering organisations to thrive in the digital age.
With a name derived from the words “kin”, Kyndryl embodies a commitment to fostering strong bonds with its customers. Subsequently, “-dryl” is coined from “tendril,” which means evoking new growth and connections. With these being the pillars of the company’s identity, Kyndryl is focused on driving innovation and enabling shared success.
Since spinning off from IBM, Kyndryl has undoubtedly built a strong foundation for long-term progress by leveraging its distinct growth strategy. Headquartered in New York, Kyndryl serves thousands of enterprise customers in more than 60 countries. Leading the charge in this strategic endeavour in the region is the company’s vice president and managing director for the Middle East, Fionnuala Morris.
Three A’s: Kyndryl’s strategy for success
“Our strategy is focused around what we call the Three A’s, which is accounts, alliances, and advanced delivery,” Morris explains. “Customers are the backbone of everything that we want to try and do in terms of our innovation and transformation as Kyndryl, and that’s where we start.”
Accounts, the first ‘A,’ is all about customer-centricity. Kyndryl places great emphasis on understanding its clients, and working closely with them to foster innovation and transformation. This approach aligns with the company’s core belief that customers should be at the forefront of its endeavours.
The second ‘A,’ alliances, which signifies the company’s shift towards a more open ecosystem, is marked by collaboration with hyperscalers and technology partners. Morris explained, “We’ve signed multiple agreements with the big hyperscalers as well as technology providers in areas such as cloud, data and AI, and security and resiliency, which are our three main practices. This allows us to advise customers well on complex technology integrations and deliver value to their businesses.”
Finally, advanced delivery, the third ‘A,’ pertains to Kyndryl’s expertise in managing mission-critical customer environments. “We had nearly 4,000 clients after our spin-off, which provided us with extensive experience and a wealth of intellectual property related to managing critical customer environments. Consequently, when we adopted the Kindle strategy of ‘advanced delivery,’ it was essentially Managed Services 2.0. This transformation involved integrating automation and artificial intelligence (AI) into our managed services to alleviate the substantial personnel and capital costs associated with SG and A (Sales, General, and Administrative expenses) within our organisation.
“Our ability to deliver automation and AI through our managed services is a direct result of the knowledge and insights we have gained over our extensive history as one of the world’s largest IT service providers. By reintegrating this intellectual property into our customers’ operations, we empower them to drive innovation,” she says.
For the fiscal year that ended in March 2023, Kyndryl reported a global revenue of $17 billion, which is a testament to the success of the company’s strategy. With customers across various mission-critical industries in the Middle East including banking and finance, government, aviation, and transportation among others, Morris noted that the ‘Three A’ strategy is also proving pivotal in Kyndryl’s growth in the region, according to Morris.
“Our customers love it,” says Morris. “It’s clear that they’ve noticed a significant transformation in how we operate. Some of my interactions with customers in the field have been truly eye-opening. They often compare it to getting a brand-new Kindle, describing our company as entirely different from what it used to be. For me, this is the litmus test for the effectiveness of our strategy, and it’s all thanks to our direct engagement with our customers and partners.”
Morris further highlights that the Middle East is one of the key strategic markets for the company for a number of reasons including access to talent, digital-driven government initiatives and innovation-focused leadership.
“When we were deciding which countries and regions to include in the initial launch of Kyndryl, the UAE was among the first, and we also extended our presence to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where we have offshore operations. When we witness this level of innovation from the leadership of the countries we serve, it creates an ideal environment for Kyndryl to not only survive but thrive,” she explains.
Championing diversity
As one of the few female executives in the male-dominated tech landscape, Morris is deeply committed to championing diversity within the industry.
With a career spanning 16 years in the tech space, Morris has faced the unique challenge of often being the only woman in the room. “I’ve often been the only woman in the team,” says Morris. Yet, rather than letting this isolation deter her, she embraced it, citing her upbringing as one of six children with four brothers as preparation for navigating such environments. This helped her understand that diversity is not just about numbers but about harnessing different viewpoints, experiences, and voices.
“We need women to come into the team because they have a different perspective. They have a different voice, a different way of solving problems,” she says.
She points out that this perspective highlights the fact that diversity isn’t just about fairness; it’s about creating better solutions by tapping into a wealth of perspectives.
Addressing the challenges faced by women in the workplace, Morris emphasises her commitment to retaining female talent and women’s professional growth. “For instance, when female professionals take maternity leaves, organisations need to ensure that they can come back and still have the same career path that they were on before they left,” she explains.
Morris further highlighted that driving diversity initiatives within workplaces isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavour. “However, it needs to be intentional. Leaders should make sure that they are committed to hiring women and ensuring diverse perspectives in projects. It’s not only about quotas,” she says emphatically. Instead, it’s about fostering an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.
“You have to be intentional,” Morris says. “You need to create space for diverse perspectives, whether it’s in recruitment, project scopes, or daily collaboration. Inclusivity should be a core part of your culture.”
