Starter for 10: Meet Magnus Manders, Nordcloud’s EVP, Head of Global Delivery

When people start working with Nordcloud, they generally comment on 2 things. First, how friendly and knowledgeable everyone is. Second, how fast Nordcloud is growing.

This blog series gives you insight into both those elements – the great people and the supercharged growth. In this article, we talk to Magnus Manders, our new EVP, Head of Global Delivery, about his first impressions as a Nordcloudian and the cloud-native future.

Q1: First impressions, Magnus: what struck you about your first week at Nordcloud?

The entrepreneurial spirit – there’s this sense that anything is possible. Decision making is really fast, which makes it a dynamic environment to work in. You really feel the momentum.

Q2: What made you decide to join Nordcloud?

I was inspired by Nordcloud’s hypergrowth agenda and relish the opportunity to expand a team with the top cloud talent in the market.

The second reason was Nordcloud’s cloud-native leadership. I joined Nordcloud from Nordea, where I was Group CTO. I had worked with Nordcloud and liked their laser focus on cloud native and public cloud. I think this is the future, and if you want to be pioneering in this area, Nordcloud is the place to be.

Q3: So you came from Nordea. Tell us a bit more about your background.

Nordea is the biggest Scandinavian bank, and as Group CTO I managed all the IT – from infrastructure to end-user services. This included driving the bank’s cloud agenda.

Before that, I was at Capgemini for many years in various global roles. When I left, I was vice president leading the cloud transformation division. Prior to Capgemini, I was at Ikea running a large transforrmation programme and driving the global production unit.

Q4: What do you see as your most exciting challenge as Nordcloud’s new Head Of Global Delivery?

Attracting and retaining top talent. I want Nordcloud to be the hub for the best cloud migration and modernisation people in Europe. And I want to build on Nordcloud’s current Talent Acceleration Programme and development schemes to give the best opportunities for people to grow.

Nordcloud has a strong skills base already, and the way we maintain our cloud leadership is by building on that. That way, no matter what migration or modernisation challenges customers have, we have the skills and the creativity to solve them.

Q5: What should Nordcloud customers look out for over the next 12 months?

I’m focused on helping customers accelerate their cloud journeys, and there are 2 elements to this.

The first is around making it easier and faster for customers to exit their on-prem data centres. I want to ensure we’re in the strongest position to help customers overcome whatever barriers are preventing them from moving to the cloud – whether it’s resolving technical issues, developing a compelling business case or overcoming compliance issues.

The second is about helping customers accelerate value from the cloud, which is where the modernisation piece comes in. The biggest growth area for companies is in modernisation, because that’s what opens the door to using cloud-native functionality, boosting agility, enabling faster time to market and increasing savings. Whatever monolithic applications you have, however tangled the code and no matter what the status of your documentation is – we’re the people who will make it easy and cost-effective to modernise. That way, the organisation gets more effective and can focus on managing the business instead of managing the infrastructure.

Nordcloud’s Managed Cloud Migration and Managed Application Modernisation services are part of this. They remove barriers around capex, because you can migrate and modernise with zero upfront costs. They also ease the transition to operations because managed services considerations are integrated into the migration and modernisation process. In the next 12 months, customers can expect to see more creative approaches like this as we support their cloud journeys.

Q6: What does the term ‘cloud native’ mean to you?

We’re 100% cloud and only do migrations and modernisations to public cloud. This means we’re 100% focused on helping clients achieve cloud benefits. We don’t operate data centres, so there are no mixed loyalties or hidden agendas.

Multi-cloud is the other aspect, because the future is definitely multi-cloud. Being cloud native means you’re in a position to leverage the best cloud capabilities, from the right hyperscaler at the right time. And that’s when you get true agility and can develop next-generation products and services.

Q7: How do you see the IBM and Nordcloud philosophies working together?

I come from an enterprise background, so to me, the Nordcloud/IBM combination gives customers access to a stronger partner. Nordcloud brings that dynamic, agile, cloud-native approach to migration and modernisation. And IBM brings the resources to help Nordcloud scale for large enterprise requirements.

Q8: How would you describe the characteristic ‘Magnus Manders’ style?

My style is about finding the right people, delegating and trusting them to get on with the job. I see my role as making sure people are working as a unified team to achieve common goals and overcome common challenges. It’s also about empowering people with responsibility, so they’re challenged and can grow and develop as individuals and leaders.

Q9: What do you like doing outside of work?

I’m an outdoorsy person and love anything that involves being in nature – whether it’s being in the forest or scuba diving.

Q10: How can people connect with you?

Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me a message.