For a man in his position, Peter Josse, global head of IT services delivery and infrastructure for ABN AMRO, appears remarkably relaxed. Following the much-publicised, not to say protracted, acquisition of ABN AMRO by the Fortis, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Santander consortium in October 2007, Mr Josse, was thrust into a role that would inspire dread in even the most experienced of CIOs and IT directors. Despite being tasked with delivering – at least from a technology and infrastructure perspective – the largest and most complex financial services merger seen in the history of the banking industry, he remains strikingly cool: it is, he agrees, a “tricky” proposition.
Responsible for ABN AMRO’s €1.8bn IT asset footprint, Mr Josse manages an extensive, complex and global network of communications and technology infrastructure across more than 50 countries, multiple-product and business lines, and 5000 full-time employees. This means the nitty-gritty, practical business of physically dismantling the Dutch bank falls to him and his team. From a technology, people and financial perspective, the task presents multiple challenges, says Mr Josse. Furthermore, he continues, things have not been helped by the strained economic climate in which all institutions are competing viciously to gain and retain clients. “We are trying to give the best customer service we can and retain business, and we are also trying to disentangle people and processes and our technology,” says Mr Josse. “The challenges of the two are sometimes in conflict.”
