Interview with Paul Cameron, Executive General Manager, Infrastructure, Suncorp

Baxter: What are the key technology enablers you see emerging in the financial sector during 2008 and beyond, and why?

Cameron: I see the application of AGILE principles and methodologies as key enablers, resulting in faster and cheaper solutions for the business. Simplification is also key – removing the myriad of systems that enable (or too often inhibit) the business from innovating. Finally I see the use of innovative collaboration to bridge the tyranny of distance and develop greater communities of practice.

Baxter: Web 2.0 is increasingly becoming part of CIO strategies in the banking arena. Is there a place for it in the insurance sector as well and if so, how do you see it impacting on the way Suncorp presents and delivers its product offerings?

Cameron: Suncorp is a diverse financial services company across banking, insurance and wealth management and now uses a common infrastructure base across its entire enterprise. We leverage common collaboration systems to communicate more effectively with our staff. For instance, our developers are now using wikis, our staff are using Sharepoint in all sorts of ways from blogs to creating communities of practice and participating in online forums. We're making greater use of instant messaging and corporate as well as desktop video conferencing. The next step is to extend these web 2.0 technologies to our customers.  

Baxter: Some insurers have recently introduced online only sub-brands. What is your opinion of this strategy?

Cameron: It makes sense. Suncorp's business incorporates a ‘house of brands’ model particularly across our insurance and wealth management businesses. We've developed some internet only brands which are a 'no frills' offering which we can pass on at a lower cost to our customers, due to our own lower overheads.These lower costs are also being extended to our premium brands through greater use of shared technologies and operations as a result of our merger with Promina.

Baxter: What are your thoughts with respect to SOA? Is it just marketing hype for an approach to IT that has been around for years or is it the silver bullet for disparate systems?

Cameron: Certainly not a silver bullet. I think SOA in its simplest form could be defined as cost effective re-use of software assets. It can only be successful if asset re-use is well managed and exploited across all business lines. We're currently using SOA technologies within our claims processing, intermediaries channel and our internet based transactions, with many new projects seeking to further leverage re-use. Done correctly and managed well, it can significantly reduce the cost of developing and operating both emerging and legacy product offerings

Baxter: Business intelligence is touted as an essential discipline for data rich organizations like insurers and financial institutions. Do you agree and what does your BI infrastructure do for your business?

Cameron: I agree. BI is a key component in providing Suncorp with a competitive advantage. We use it in all aspects of our business for example the matching of weather patterns with the location of our policy holders so we can provide rapid claims assistance. We use BI in also determining our pricing models to analyse the ever-changing factors which impact risk profiles. Our marketing teams use BI to ensure we're not cannibalising our customer base and we're continually seeking new and innovative ways to leverage the information we have access to.

Baxter: How has increased regulation impacted the way Suncorp approaches its business?

Cameron: It's an overhead all of us in financial services must manage. We've used some aspects to our advantage particularly with Basel II in banking. The challenge is to modify or design products which remain regulatory compliant whilst causing minimal impact on our customers.

Baxter: When customers make insurance claims they are usually at a point of personal crisis. How can multi-channel service strategies alleviate their personal stress without driving up the cost of service?

Cameron: What our customers want are quick and satisfying solutions. Our technology architectural roadmap seeks to consolidate the technologies that provide access to the myriad of information sources required to service our customer claims. This way we can deploy a multi-channel services strategy using re-useable technology components, providing customers with access to our claims staff via internet, face to face, instant messaging, video and of course the plain old telephone. Whatever suits the customer.

Baxter: An outstanding leader is only as good as his or her team. What would be the three core skills you would look for in a protégé?

Cameron: Leadership with confidence to deliver in good times and bad, energy and enthusiasm to motivate and go the extra mile and core values that permit innovation, listening and continual learning.

Baxter: What do you do in your ‘down time’ to balance the stresses of your job?

Cameron: I travel a lot and enjoy the 'downtime’ that brings. Outside of that I'm pretty active and enjoy riding motorcycles, snow skiing, surfing, bit of golf and tennis and of course enjoying most of these activities with my family.

Baxter: Every IT leader, particularly at your level, has a legacy they wish to be remembered for. What is yours?  

Cameron: With the merger between Suncorp and Promina well underway, my focus has been on execution and delivery of the benefits the merger will bring. To that end I would like to be remembered as having delivered upon that, but more so I’d like to be known as being a contributor towards building a scalable and sustainable technology and operations that allows the business to grow and exceed its shareholder’s expectations.