Stuart McDonald (SM): Having served in a transformation role at Cathay I was attracted to the prospect of being in a position at CSL to really help set the direction of the business. Being a commercially-focused individual I've always found it interesting to be in a role where I could have an influence on where the company is going.

The vision at CSL is to take a step away from the traditional position of the telecoms market where the proposition is usually around a new device and the network service we offer and at a certain price. But instead really focus on the customer relationship. We have a real desire to understand who they are and how to make their experiences as good as possible. There is a clear top-down commitment to this rather than a consultant just dropping in and saying we need to do things this way.

SM: I think the importance varies depending on sectors, but one thing do I notice at CIO events that I attend, the talks often showcase or start with the technology from the bottom up, and the customer experience is almost the last area for attention.