“What exactly is your job?” This seemingly simple question arose during a recent presentation, prompting me to reflect.
While discussing the feasibility of creating a startup within a corporation with students last week, one of them posed this question. It’s a common query, but it made me think more deeply about my role.
In the past 25 years, I’ve worked in various roles across different geographies. My journey has taken me through large global corporations and innovative startups, always focusing on transformation, innovation, technology, and human-centric design.
Reflecting on my activities over the past 1-2 years (which are easier to recall), I found examples to help answer this question:
- For a major Australian insurer, I helped design and launch a digital marketplace for agents, merging traditional expertise with digital innovation.
- I integrated a cyber product from a small tech company into an insurance fraud detection platform, showcasing cross-industry collaboration.
- I assisted a health tech VC fund map its value proposition for insurance, merging health and finance in a novel way.
- The Italian government sought my help in establishing an innovation ecosystem, bridging public policy with entrepreneurship.
- I shared my corporate innovation insights with university students to inspire the next generation.
- I worked with a Japanese financial institution to accelerate innovation, combining global insights with local expertise.
- For a leading payroll provider, we launched the first digital wellness and insurance wallet in the market.
So, what do I do at Axell? I connect the dots. My focus is on anticipating technological disruptions, exploring innovative ideas, communicating strategic clarity, building teams, and driving growth.
Throughout my career, I’ve gained multiple perspectives by working as an employee, entrepreneur, investor, consultant, board member, and lecturer. These roles have provided me with a comprehensive view of corporate innovation and navigating complex landscapes.
My role at Axell involves bringing together diverse perspectives to drive innovation. It’s about asking the right questions, fostering collaboration, and sometimes stepping back to let the magic happen.
In the past, people often stayed with one employer for decades. Their answer to “What do you do?” was straightforward. Today, we juggle multiple roles, skills, and affiliations. Summing up what I do in one sentence? Not so simple.
AI generated the visual for this blog, reflecting the message and making me think about the future power of human connections.
#Innovation #Collaboration #ServiceDesign #DigitalTransformation #DiversePerspectives
