Welcome to you both, could you introduce yourselves and tell us about your respective roles within Talan?
Cindy Wyart: I joined Talan in September 2020. I have a Master’s degree in Management from the IAG (Louvain School of Management) and I have been working for more than 10 years in commercial positions in the fields of Consulting, Recruitment and IT Service Consulting. As a sales manager, I manage all the sales activities by supporting the teams and ensuring they have the tools and skills to carry out the group's strategic ambitions and to deploy our expertise in Luxembourg. I have always had an operational role and it is important for me stay close to my clients to understand their actual needs for solutions. I thoroughly enjoy doing my job. I am challenged to grow each day by learning new things as well as adapting to change internally and externally.
Jonathan Samaras: I joined Talan over a year ago following the acquisition of the companies MBR & Digital Motion Luxembourg that I founded in 2013. I am originally from Brussels, I started my studies at the Haute École Libre of Brussels, then continued in Metz where I obtained a Master MIAGE at the University of Lorraine and a Master in Business Administration at the IAE of Nancy. My career started as a BI consultant in Brussels before moving to Luxembourg in April 2008 where I remained. Following the integration of MBR & Digital Luxembourg, I became the Managing Partner for Luxembourg and as such, I aim to effectively strengthen our service offerings and to accelerate our development strategy in Luxembourg and to develop Belgium in the future.
What were the highlights of the year 2020?
Jonathan: Without a doubt the health crisis. We all have someone close who has suffered some consequences from the COVID19 crisis one way or another. Some of our employees have lost a loved one, especially in Luxembourg. 2020 will remain a special year for everyone.
What were the successes of the year 2020?
Cindy: From a commercial standpoint, we have set up strong partnerships with our private and public clients via framework contracts or the establishment of the Center of Excellence and a Managed Services based in Luxembourg. We have won several local and European public framework contracts.
Jonathan: 2020 has allowed us to experience growth despite the COVID crisis. This is proof that we have been able to adapt and reinvent ourselves... The main success is that we have achieved it with the help of our employees. Proximity management plays an important role at Talan and allows employees to be autonomous and responsible. From March 2020 on, this has become even more meaningful...
What lessons have you learned ?
Cindy: In a context of permanent change and faced with this unprecedented situation, we had to adapt and organize ourselves differently. Proximity is an intrinsic element of our business. In these times of social distancing, we had to reinvent the means of communication. The mobilization of our teams has been a key factor in maintaining our relational and commercial dynamics. Our clients are changing, and it is important that we know how to adapt, to be at their side to guide them, to share our knowledge and to co-construct the models of tomorrow. Thanks to all the efforts of our ecosystem, and above all, our teams, we have been able to start 2021 with a positive business outlook, and this is what we will remember: agility, valuing effort and collective intelligence.
What are your business priorities for 2021? How would you focus your business strategy for 2021?
Cindy: Change management is a key factor in all our service offerings. The digital workplace, systems governance, and information availability are the challenges that our clients must overcome. We must understand their needs so we can advise our clients with a clear definition of their vision as well as the all the strategic elements from controlled governance, adapted uses, implementation of appropriate tools to the implementation of operational solutions. These are expertise that Talan can support for our clients.
In the same logic of adaptability, we propose different modes of commitment including the implementation of industrialized solutions as dedicated (Software Factory, Service Center, Management, Mandate, etc. ....).
Jonathan: We want to focus our efforts on data, which is an important area of expertise within the Talan group. We have a strong Data expertise in Luxembourg with over 50 employees specialized in Business Intelligence, Data Analytics & Platform. Our ambition is to be a market leader.
How will you implement them?
Cindy: Taking advantage of the synergies within the Talan Group and drawing on our international experience. They are organized through different business lines, each expertise is identified and carried within different business units. We have different specializations depending on the country and the subject. In Luxembourg, we are already recognized as a Center of Excellence for Data. This year we will expand the Service Centers dedicated to SharePoint and DevOps activities.
To capitalize on the complementary nature of our expertise, we have opted for a GLOCAL positioning and have agreed internally to bring together complementary geographical areas.
Jonathan: We have redefined our geographic division at the international level and created a new region within Talan that combines Luxembourg and Switzerland for now and will include Belgium in a future state. The reason for this new region is to capitalize on the common value propositions and management activities which are in Data Intelligence, Smart Automation, Smart Software Factory and Service Centers. This strategic merger will enable us to go even further in supporting our customers.
What are your long-term ambitions?
Jonathan: In the region combining Luxembourg and Switzerland, we aim not only to become a leader in data services, but also a major player in the public sector while expanding our offer to Belgium.
At the group level, Luxembourg is a driver of Talan's international presence. Our ambition is to consolidate our leadership position and continue our growth. Founded nearly 20 years ago, Talan's ambition is to achieve €350 million in revenue by 2021 throughout all of its locations. The international market is one of the group's key development areas and a part of the ambition 2024 plan.
