The GBS Masterminds Podcast

● Unique Organizational Setup
Ball Corporation has a unique organizational setup where the Global Business Services (GBS), data services, and technology are all combined under a single umbrella. This allows the company to effectively address business needs and prioritize demand across all business functions. The GBS team closely collaborates with IT to focus on incremental improvements rather than large-scale transformations.
 ● RPA to Generative AI and Citizen Developers
RPA in GBS started as a centre of excellence, focusing on establishing governance structures and saving manual work through automation. It saved costs and served functions like HR and finance. However, as the value and potential grew, it was transitioned to the IT team. In the coming months, the company plans to explore applications of Generative AI  for business. It also plans to create citizen developers to accelerate technology adoption across business functions.
 ● GBS Authority on IT Decisions
At Ball Corp., GBS owns processes, data, technology, and services. It uses an annual operating plan for a high-level investment strategy and regularly collaborates with its functional counterparts monthly. An annual roadmap exercise is conducted to ensure alignment and effective resource allocation, considering investment requests at global, regional, and lifecycle levels. By involving key stakeholders and following a structured approach, GBS takes ownership of shaping the investment strategy and driving impactful decisions.

● ERP v/s Best of the Breed
ERPs and large enterprise solutions are potentially at risk of becoming obsolete. The future belongs to fit-for-purpose applications and low-code/no-code platforms that allow organizations to develop purpose-built applications – avoiding the need to rely on costly solutions. Migrating custom codes into a software extensibility framework and focusing on clean cores is critical for achieving more flexibility and cost-effectiveness as compared to traditional ERP systems.

Quotes

1. “I actually think that as we look out towards some of the emerging technologies, citizen developers are going to be an inherent important part of how we deliver business capabilities.” 
   -  Brian Gabbard, SVP, CIO, and Head of Global Shared Services, Ball Corporation
2. “I do think that there's a level of authority that GBS needs to play because in deciding what technology is involved, but it has to be in partnership with IT.”
   -   Trista Fisher, Vice President, Global Business Services, Ball Corporation

Episode resources● Brian Gabbard on LinkedIn● Trista Fisher on LinkedIn● Sashi Narahari on LinkedIn● The GBS Masterminds Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:● Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts● Follow on Spotify● Check out The GBS Masterminds PodcastThe GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

GBS organizations are relatively newer than other functions like Corporate Finance that have been existing for centuries. GBS organizations should focus on developing the internal function before considering external opportunities. Evolution of Shared Services to GBS involved different operating models and increased integration, transformation, and digitalization. The future of GBS is an integrated operating model - where it is placed at the center of all global and functional operations. This makes talent development critical for GBS. Internal promotions, career mapping, and skill development programs will be important levers to boost talent engagement and retention. Additionally, a balance must be ensured between internal growth and external hiring to bring in fresh ideas and expertise. Quote
 “GBS have a long way to evolve to become a standalone function.”
- Felix Bailer, VP of Global Business Services, Vertiv 

Episode resources●      Felix Bailer on LinkedIn●      Sashi Narahari on LinkedIn●      The GBS Masterminds Podcast
 If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:●      Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts●      Follow on Spotify●      Check out The GBS Masterminds PodcastThe GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

● RPA Governance Framework
There was hype around RPA as a solution for automation. It cannot improve bad processes and will instead make them more complex. Strict RPA governance should help evaluate opportunities, process execution, and RoI. To avoid falling for the hype around new technologies, including Generative AI - there is a need to understand capabilities, create business cases, and implement them in a phased manner. 
 ● Best of Breed vs ERP solutions
SaaS offerings come with extensive functionalities that are often underutilized. Unutilized capabilities that are already present in the system must be explored for possible business cases. Though, best-of-breed solutions do promise greater benefits than ERP platforms. This creates a discussion about whether to stick with what organizations already have or opt for the best-fit technology, considering the potential increase in complexity and inefficiency. This decision is majorly influenced by the need to deliver higher value to justify the increased costs associated with best-of-breed solutions.
 ● Process-Led Tech Transformation
 Centralizing technology spending under the CIO's oversight can improve budgeting and investments. GBS and IT collaborate on business cases, research, and process design – driving merit-based budget allocation. There is a need to align technology with process requirements and ensure effective integration within the architecture.
 ● Enterprise Architecture Team
There is a struggle between the technology-focused product organization and the process-focused GBS. A joint decision-making process between business and technology partners is necessary. Establish an architecture board to oversee and validate the solutions’ connection within the overall value chain. Therefore,  investment in the enterprise architecture team can ensure seamless integration and communication between technologies. 

Quotes

1. “An architecture board where we really move one level up in the process, not looking on the actual requirements, but looking into the solution as well, how is it connected in the overall value chain within the company.” 
   -  Annette Hamann, CIO and Managing Director, BSS IT, Beiersdorf
2. “The problem with those hypes (around RPA) is that it sometimes becomes a very expensive hobby.”
   -   Michael van der Ploeg, Chief Financial Officer, Head Global Business Services, Amway
    
    

Episode resources● Annette Hamann on LinkedIn● Michael van der Ploeg on LinkedIn● Sashi Narahari on LinkedIn● The GBS Masterminds Podcast
 If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:● Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts● Follow on Spotify● Check out The GBS Masterminds PodcastThe GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

David discusses the critical role and capabilities of GBS within Experian that is focussed on supporting internal operations and delivering value to the parent enterprise. GBS plays a vital part in data and analytics software products. Experian aims to develop a customer-focused and multifunctional GBS model operating from global talent hubs. David talks about Experian’s  people-first strategy and highlights how they use tactics like competitive pay, career paths, benefits, and learning opportunities to overcome talent challenges. He also perceives an evolving use case of generative AI for talent acquisition. Operationally, they have made a conscious choice of following a landlord model. This vertical GBS model ensures accountability while maintaining flexibility. For the future, David advises GBS leaders to prioritize internal services, attract, retain, and develop top talent.

Quote“With the advent of AI and Generative AI, I think there's a great use case within talent acquisition.” 
-  David Palmieri, Managing Director, Head of Global Business Services


Episode resources

• David Palmieri on LinkedIn
• Sashi Narahari on LinkedIn
• The GBS Masterminds Podcast
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts:
• Follow on Spotify:
• Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

Is GBS's Digital Transformation on top of your priority list for 2023?

Collaborative approach is key to successPartnership between IT and GBS is needed to bring value to the organization. While GBS strategy is focused on efficiency and maximizing ROI, IT brings realism by considering integration, sustainability, and the long-term impact of tech solutions. A strict business case approach to technology adoption yields positive returns for the business, and a collaborative approach is necessary for the success of both IT and GBS objectives.

IT should be accountable for GBS’s tech integrationIT should have control over tech decisions but work closely with GBS as strong partners. GBS has the greatest need for IT support, and IT must understand GBS's need to make the best use of technology. IT should also be accountable for ensuring GBS’s tech solutions are linked to the wider organization. Understanding organizational needs, driving value, and working together is crucial for successful GBS initiatives. Prioritizing resources and budgets for the benefit of the organization is essential. A win-win approach is necessary to avoid rifts and achieve organizational goals.

Experience with RPA is complicatedThere is hype around RPA benefits, the need to automate processes, and drive efficiencies. But implementing it requires a well-thought-out strategy and involves identifying the benefits and business case around RPA before investing resources and efforts. IT experts are crucial to RPA development and execution. Implementing RPA can also bring challenges around finding the right people with the necessary technical and process understanding and, assessing the business case's return on investment. Upfront investment plus the sustainment required can keep these RPA initiatives from taking off.

Technology investments are inevitableThere is a growing need for technology investments to ensure future success. It is important to match digital transformation strategy and its investments with strategic priorities to ensure that projects have a solid business case. Though, GBS often comes with strong business cases, providing confidence and trust to the organization. Critical GBS projects around digitalization and transformation initiatives are long-term initiatives that benefit the overall organization along with the GBS itself. Explicit digitalization teams can be instituted to drive organization-wide initiatives, such as implementing a procurement tool that benefits procurement, finance, and GBS organizations. The overall business case needs to be considered to ensure value generation. 

Aligning global and regional business prioritiesRegional IT heads have their regional priorities to consider causing natural skepticism about GBS-initiated projects. Concerns might be around the business case or the way of implementation has alignment with the regional priorities. For times when GBS has to achieve its priorities despite IT teams having multiple projects. GBS and IT need to sit together to address the challenges and ensure projects’ deferral does not cause undue pressure on resources or budgets.

Quotes

1. “I absolutely do not think they(GBS) should have control over those tech decisions, that absolutely should sit within the realm of the IT organization and the CIO.” 
   -  John Hobson, CIO, Europe at Kellogg Company

“This(GBS) is not a fairy tale perception, this is actually a reality. Global Business Services in which the industry is living for the last 30 plus years”
-   Ajay Wadhwa, Head - Global Business Services at Indorama Ventures PCL
 
Episode resources● John Hobson on LinkedIn● Ajay Wadhwa on LinkedIn● The GBS Masterminds Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:● Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts● Follow on Spotify ● Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

Michael Zill, CIO & CAO at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, candidly converses with Markus Baumgartner, Head of Global Business Services for Miba Group, and our host Sashi Narahari, Founder & CEO at HighRadius. Join this episode as it unlocks many secrets from the world of GBS and IT.
Episode resources

• Michael Zill on LinkedIn
• Markus Baumgartner on LinkedIn
• The GBS Masterminds Podcast
  
  

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify
• Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

Is GBS's Digital Transformation on top of your priority list for 2023?Normally, GBS Heads and CIOs from various enterprises partner to accomplish organizational tech adoption goals. Yet, occasionally the urgency, the significance of form vs function, or even the two leaders' vision may differ. Here’s the conversation summary between Ingo Elfering, CIO at Fresenius, and Robert Weltevreden, Former Head of Novartis Business Services.

Episode resources

• Ingo Elfering on LinkedIn
• Robert Weltevreden on LinkedIn
• The GBS Masterminds Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify
• Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

Is GBS's Digital Transformation on top of your priority list for 2023?Normally, GBS Heads and CIOs from various enterprises partner to accomplish organizational tech adoption goals. Yet, occasionally the urgency, the significance of form vs function, or even the two leaders' vision may differ. Here’s the conversation summary between Ingo Elfering, CIO at Fresenius, and Robert Weltevreden, Former Head of Novartis Business Services.

Episode resources

• Ingo Elfering on LinkedIn
• Robert Weltevreden on LinkedIn
• The GBS Masterminds Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify
• Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

Transforming GBS into a value delivery hub for the enterprise is the top priority of every GBS leader. This transformation is powered by cultural overhauls, workforce upskilling/reskilling, and, most importantly, technology upgrades. Typically, to achieve enterprise tech adoption goals, GBS Heads and Chief Information Officers (CIO) across enterprises work together. However, sometimes the world of the two leaders may vary in terms of urgency, the importance of form versus function, or simply the vision.

Episode resources

• Reto-Urs Sahli on LinkedIn
• Ulla De Hondt on LinkedIn
• The GBS Masterminds Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, then please either:

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts
• Follow on Spotify
• Check out The GBS Masterminds Podcast

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American

The GBS Masterminds Podcast is hand crafted by our friends over at fame.so
Previous guests include: Caroline Basyn, Angela Mangiapane, Richard Dobbs, Deanna Adler, Michael van der Steen, Natarajan Gopalan, Tony Saldanha, Peter Mitchell, Steve Rudderham, Andy Walter, Sandy Khanna, AJ Wijesinghe, Rob Bradford, Stephen Hosley, Jamesetta Strickland, Cindy Gallagher, Pavan Pamidimarri, Manoj Kalra, Suzanne Leopoldi-Nichols, Gavin Ifield, Puneet Uppal, Jay Cheedella, Maciej Piwowarczyk, Liliana Becerril Ovalle, Manny Korakis, Tracey Schaefer, Mattijs Backx, Oyin Oke and Carla Sarti.

Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes: 

• Jamesetta Strickland, SVP & Head of Global Business Services at Iron Mountain
• Andy Walter CEO at AJW Advisory, Former SVP of IT & Shared Services at P&G
• Sandy Khanna, Global Head of Shared Services at Anglo American