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Z CIO Lois van Waardenberg: Pure energy

Z CIO Lois van Waardenberg: Pure energy

Lois van Waardenberg is a classical pianist, has degrees in law and information science, established a professional services startup, and has held several business and consulting roles. She mines this multifaceted background as head of business technology and information services at Z Energy.

Photo by Divina Paredes
Photo by Divina Paredes
As Head of Business Information and Technology Services at Z Energy, Lois van Waardenberg’s focus is to meld people leadership with the business and technology aspects of her role.

As she puts it, technology is an inextricable part of solving what matters to Z Energy’s customers.

Very little transport fuel (or core business) gets delivered without the assistance of information and communications technology of some kind, says van Waardenberg.

Digital services are integral, she says, from our fuel deliveries using a mobile POS in a mini-tanker to service station customers paying at the pump or inside the store.

“The bottom line: business challenges are created and solved by people, sometimes using technology.”

Being in the highly competitive retail sector, (Z Energy took over the local operations of Shell) her goal is using technology effectively to win, serve and keep loyal customers. This includes simplifying the IT systems environment, with an ERP as a core component – and a focus on what’s now and what’s next in the “experience” we provide our customers.

Read more: ANZ teams up with WelTec to encourage women into tech careers

The bottom line: business challenges are created and solved by people, sometimes using technology.

Lois van Waardenberg, Z Energy

We have to serve our customers fast, in a friendly way, and hassle free, while achieving financial and operational targets, she says.

Her team continues to work across business units on a raft of projects with major business technology foundations. These include the ‘Pay at Pump’ services and speedy point-of-sale on retail sites. Z Energy also refined its commercial offers by teaming up with the team at Xero to provide invoice data directly into their Xero feed for free.

The business is constantly moving, she states. “We are proactively looking at ways to provide unique customer experiences that go beyond the current technology or industry trends.” .

Read more: Expect tech spending outside the CIO’s department to rise in 2015: Forrester

Next: Music and IT

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