In Orcon's case, Salmen explains: "We have a lot of infrastructure, a lot of capability -- and turning that all into something that people actually want to buy, into something that is actually useful for external customers, is a large part of my role as a technology leader.

"Regardless of whether you are CIO or CTO, having a really good understanding of what you are selling, what your business and the end customers want, how and what you do to translate that into end customer value is the biggest thing."

These words are not just rhetoric for Salmen, who holds the conjoined role of CIO and chief technology officer at the telecommunications company.

In this , Thomas Salmen talks about the taking on this joint role, and working with both internal and external customers.

When he was named CIO of the Year in June, the judges pointed out Salmen's "unique mix of technical capabilities combined with a strong commercial acumen and clear understanding of the benefits of solutions that delivered profits".