3 questions to… Ilario Corna
In the last IKL newsletter edition, we briefly introduced Ilario Corna, the IOC’s new Chief Information Technology Officer. Now, after his first few months in the new role, we have touched base again to learn about his experiences in a new working environment during the pandemic, his objectives for the department and his views on IKL’s future.
With the ongoing pandemic, this is an interesting time to begin a new role in any organisation. How was your start in the IOC and what has your experience of these last few months been like?
It was definitely difficult to start my new role in the midst of the pandemic, with everybody working from home. Naturally, there are always challenges when you join a new team. Everybody has a different style, and it’s not easy to get to know each other if you can’t spend time together. Also, implementing changes from afar is not an easy task. I am all about collaboration and partnership, and it has been tough for me not being able to meet my peers in person, only virtually. What I miss the most are those impromptu coffee break discussions where you can talk about personal matters and how things are going, brainstorm new ideas and so on. But, like everybody else, I have tried to make the best of it.
What are your ambitions for the Technology and Information Department?
For me that’s very clear: our immediate and main focus must be on the successful delivery of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022. These are both extremely important Games for the Olympic Movement, but also for the public. They have the power to lift the morale of the people by indicating a return to normality during these difficult times. Then, it’s also my ambition to tackle some internal challenges in our mission to provide the best customer service to our internal staff and departments. This includes providing user-friendly technology that enables everybody to work from literally anywhere. The pandemic has highlighted that this is more important than ever, and it’s a necessity that will certainly sustain.
How do you see the future of IKL?
I often compare IKL to a rough diamond. It’s precious, but people may not yet have fully understood the benefits it entails, with IKL delivering a wealth of valuable data and information regarding Games operations. Together with Chris’s team and some external partners, I have started to explore how we can best showcase IKL’s huge potential and the innovative solutions that come with it. A good and exciting example is our collaboration with IOC TOP Partner Intel and their support in ensuring smart data capture during Tokyo 2020.