At a Glance
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Kamales Lardi, Managing Partner, Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH
Thought Leader Interview
Thinkers360 Interviews profile prominent members of the Thinkers360 community who embody the power of ideas in their work. In this edition, we speak with Kamales Lardi, Managing Partner, Lardi & Partner Consulting.
Thinkers360: Tell us a bit about your background
KL: Growing up, I was a big fan of science fiction and super heroes. Today, I still believe that every individual has superpowers – the ability to affect change in the world. I feel that working in the area of disruptive technologies has afforded me the opportunity to contribute towards making the world a better place for future generations.
In 1999, my career in the Management Consulting industry started off purely by chance, when I was recruited by Accenture (still known as Andersen Consulting back then) right out of university after completing a B.Sc. in Computing & Information Systems. Initially, my work mainly involved technology implementation, coding and process optimization. A few years later, I travelled to UK to complete a Master in Business Administration (MBA) which gave me a solid foundation in business and management. From there, I joined Zurich Insurance Company in Switzerland, taking on several functional roles including IT, service improvement and internal consulting. This invaluable experience offered deep insights into corporate business functions and operations. Later, I joined Deloitte Consulting Switzerland, where I specialized in corporate strategy, business optimization and technology implementation. In 2012, I ventured out on my own by launching Lardi & Partner Consulting.
On a personal level, I enjoy breaking barriers and believe in boosting capabilities with a breadth of experiences. As such, I presented a keynote speech at over 80 major events, proactively publish articles and books, as well as lecture at esteemed institutions in Switzerland and UK. I hold the position of Chairperson for the MBA Advisory Board at Durham University (UK), start-up mentor and digital leadership coach. As an advocate for women in tech, I co-founded Women In Blockchain Switzerland (WIBS), a think tank for women leaders. This year, I have also launched a Blockchain consultancy in Asia, Bloombloc.
Thinkers360: What are your current responsibilities and what’s a typical day look like?
KL: Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH (LPC) is an experienced partner in digital business transformation. Our practice is a modular consulting firm that allows topic experts to plug in and out of projects or engagements based on the custom requirements of the client organization. This unique business model differentiates LPC as it offers high quality expertise at streamlined costs.
I work closely with senior leadership teams, business leaders and board members to help them navigate the impact of emerging trends in the global business landscape. By analyzing the disruptive patterns of consumer behaviors, technologies, competitive landscapes and other factors, I help businesses transform for the digital age. This includes assessing readiness for digital transformation, generating innovative ideas, as well as developing strategic roadmaps and plans across four crucial business dimensions – customer experience design, product or service digitization, people, process and operations, as well as business model innovation.
The great thing about my role is there are no ‘typical days’. Every day comprises of something new or exciting, and I am on a constant journey to learn, share and develop. The work I do may include executive briefing sessions or management team workshops called Vision Labs, focused on moving towards a digital-ready business environment. A unique feature of these sessions is the ‘FUTURE GALLERY’ that showcases technologies devices to create an immersive experience for participants. Project engagements typically involve turning innovative ideas into pragmatic, implementable initiatives. I utilize a combination frameworks and methodologies, many of which I developed personally to accelerate the transformation journey. One example is the Digital Maturity Assessment, an online tool that enables companies to determine the maturity level and readiness for digital transformation. The self-assessment consists 30 simple questions that assess business capabilities across 6 dimension. Such tools have repeatedly proven to be a great asset in creating a solid foundation for the approach.
At the core of digital transformation is people. I offer Digital Mindset training for leadership teams, not only providing guidance on how to stay on top disruptive trends, but also addressing fears or doubts, and honing skills to lead employees through organizational transformation.
I also travel across the globe to speak at corporate events, conferences or team events across the globe.
Thinkers360: What’s the favorite part of your current role?
KL: The best part about my role is being at the forefront of disruption. It is exciting to explore the exponential capabilities that disruptive technologies could create for business, and the world in general. It gives me the opportunity to flex creative muscles in crafting out future scenarios and innovative business models, as well as explore new ways of working and engaging with consumers or employees.
I also enjoy the dynamic yet challenging environment that pushes me to be on top of the latest information but also understand how to apply solutions in a practical way for real-world results. The best outcome is creating real value-add for companies that I work with.
Thinkers360: How do you utilize Thinkers360?
KL: Thinkers360 offers a depth of resources and access to experts that allow me to stay on top of the latest developments, trends and insights in the business landscape. This is crucial for me as a digital strategist and futurist.
Thinkers360: How do you like to work with brands who wish to engage you as a thought leader?
KL: Companies can gain the most value by engaging with me to explore how emerging and disruptive trends could impact their business, and transform for sustainable advantage in the market. Senior executives spend a significant amount of time fire-fighting internal issues or managing daily operations. This gives them little capacity to address innovation or future trends. As a starting point, organizations engage me as a keynote speaker for management meetups, corporate events or employee events. This is followed up with digital business transformation sessions over a course of 10 – 12 weeks. Additionally, I have been engaged as a digital mindset coach for leadership teams.
Thinkers360: What’s your main advice for upcoming thought leaders?
KL: My advice for any upcoming thought leader would be to stay connected with the latest content, insights, resources and experts in their focus area. In addition, identify a niche topic that could become a recognizable area of expertise to focus on.
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