Christopher Tollnert
Group CIO & Head of Digital Innovation
GSF
Christopher Tollnert is the Group Digital and Information Officer for GSF, a € 1 billion and 40,000 employee multinational company. He is also a co-chair for the France CIO community.
Learn more about the France CIO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I have always been passionate about new technologies and new ways of working, and how they can help businesses evolve. Through my work for Sagem, Accenture, Amadeus and GSF, I have had the opportunity to drive digital technology-fueled and human-centered transformation across a wide range of industries and contexts.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
As a leader, I believe in building bridges within and across organizations. I value collaborative work, co-creation and exchanges around ideas and best practices. In a fast changing world, I partner with business stakeholders and other organizations to provide business agility.
With disruption being a key theme of recent years, where do you see the CIO role going in the next 1-2 years?
We are living in an incredible era of digital transformation for us as individuals, for our companies and for our society as a whole. With this unprecedented pace of change, the opportunities and risks have never been as big as today. The role of a Chief Information Officer and a Chief Digital Officer will be to make the most of these opportunities to bring value to the business, to colleagues and to society while minimizing or avoiding any negative impacts. The need to exchange with peers has never been greater than today.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out as a CIO?
Take the time to partner with the business. Learn to know your team and understand your current capabilities versus expectations. Network effectively.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
- Coming from a multicultural background myself, I am always curious about other cultures and embrace differences.
- I am passionate about history and technology.
- I recharge my batteries in summer by sailing in the Stockholm Archipelago.
What is the value of joining an Evanta community?
The need to exchange with peers has never been greater than today. Evanta provides fantastic opportunities for this in several different formats!
Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
by CIOs, for CIOs
Join the conversation with peers in your local CIO community.