On the lighter side of things, we ask Mario Cifuentes, Director of ICT Services and Datacenter of Claro Colombia, what makes him tick.
What would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
I feel fortunate to have several memorable achievements in different fields. Personally, it’s building, maintaining and uniting our family around our beliefs, collaboratively with lots of love.
Professionally, it’s achieving sustained and consistent growth in the leadership of teams and technology areas. At work, my most memorable achievement is gathering and leading teams with specific purposes that support the business, always challenging them to find different paths to perform tasks.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
My affinity and ease with the basic knowledge of engineering and the great curiosity for the emerging technological issues in the 1980s.
What style of management philosophy do you employ in your current position?
My management style is in line with the general purpose of the company and leveraged on the values of trust, empowerment and permanent collaboration. This philosophical framework makes it easier for collaborators to know their opinions and ideas are valued and considered to seek the best result. Fostering trust allows achieving the respect and commitment of the group, in this way, good performance is recognized and we learn from mistakes.
What do you think is the current hot technology conversation topic?
Data is the new oil. Data can be turned into information, intelligence and analytics to recognize and extract patterns and act accordingly.
How do you deal with stress and relax outside of the office?
It is difficult for me to identify that moment in which stress sets in and how much I feel really overwhelmed. My escape is exercise and being in the company of my wife and children.
If you could go back and change one career decision, what would it be?
I feel comfortable with the decisions I’ve made. Perhaps I would change the speed of rotation in professional challenges in the same company or in another.
What do you currently identify as the main investment areas in your industry?
Migration to new and efficient technologies leveraged in the cloud and efficient capacity management in the services demanded and delivered to customers.
What are the specific challenges of the region when implementing new technologies?
Availability and immediate access to the latest technologies, duly trained personnel for its implementation and operation, as well as legislation that enables its use.
What changes have you seen in your job role in the last year and how do you think they will develop in the next 12 months?
There has been a total change in the field with the de facto digitization of all economic sectors, offers of services. Adaptations to changing market conditions are expected in the coming months.
What advice would you give someone aspiring to a C-level position in your industry?
Always keep an active curiosity about technological issues and their uses, understand and adapt to leadership to the behavior of a new generations of professionals.
