By Kevin Peesker, President Microsoft Canada
Like many events over the past year, our annual Envision conference has been reimagined as a virtual experience. In partnership with Accenture and Avanade, Envision is presented as a four-episode digital series that examines business resiliency in the era of digital disruption. Each episode brings together senior business leaders from across the globe to connect, share perspectives and discuss timely business challenges.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in Episode 2, which explores the five macro forces impacting our world today. In his keynote presentation, Jean-Philippe Courtois, EVP and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing & Operations, discusses how these forces – health, climate change, employment, global GDP and technology – will show us the path ahead. One of the biggest learnings from this pandemic is that no business is immune to crisis and no organization is 100 percent resilient – but it is clear that organizations with digital capabilities have a stronger foundation for recovery and are already reimaging success in the post-COVID economy.
During Canada’s breakout session, I sat down with Jeff Martin, SVP & CIO, Canadian Banking & Corporate Technology, TD Bank Group, to learn how one of Canada’s largest organizations transformed its operations by transitioning to the cloud, how the pandemic accelerated its journey and its commitment to building a talent stream that continues to drive innovation.
Cloud is enabling TD to build the bank of the future
In 2019, TD announced it would leverage Microsoft Azure. This opened new opportunities for TD when it came to the design and delivery of future customer banking experiences. Jeff Martin shared with me that the bank’s transition to cloud was not a rushed decision, as it needed to ensure that the cloud offered the right security options to keep data secure and protected.
“Our cloud strategy is really about fostering speed and innovation across the bank. We’re looking to drive innovation and develop deeper relationships in a digital first world,” said Martin. “Our bank works across all different channels, but the strategy from a tech perspective is to enable a digital first world and really support our customers and their changing needs going forward.”
As a bank, security has been paramount from the ground up and transparency has been a cornerstone throughout its cloud journey. With a security-first approach, TD is now at a point where it can accelerate digital adoption.
Providing employees with opportunities to grow their skills within the cloud infrastructure is non-negotiable
A fundamental part of TD’s continued success is the company’s dedication to ensuring employees have access to opportunities to grow their careers at the Bank. In addition to internal Cloud Coaches that support business units, TD recently launched the TD Cloud Academy, an online site with tools and information to empower employees with an opportunity to build cloud skills and to feel confident in the future of cloud computing.
“Since we started the TD Cloud Academy in June 2019, we’ve had thousands of colleagues attend skills training classes, with many of them now passing Azure Fundamentals exams. We are really proud of that,” said Martin. “We’re pushing certification with our teams not only because we think it’s important and effective – but we also think it’s important to build the confidence of our entire company so that we have the skills to drive banking forward.”
Microsoft Teams is helping to power TD’s remote-hybrid work culture
Prior to the pandemic TD Bank employees were using Microsoft Teams to communicate and collaborate. Since the pandemic, that number has grown tremendously with users now connecting with colleagues from all over Canada. Teams has enhanced collaboration and productivity at TD, allowing employees to thrive from anywhere, while continuing to deliver legendary customer service.
Coming out of the pandemic, we know a few things to be true: remote everything is here to stay; digitization is on the rise; and we cannot slow down on digital transformation. Thriving in this era of digital disruption means continuing to drive innovation and harnessing the power of technology like cloud to elevate individuals and organizations towards a stronger, more resilient future.
Visit the Envision website to register and select the broadcast for your region to watch Episode 2 now. And tune in live for Episode 3 on April 20.
