Patrick Donovan - Axway’s CEO says unlocking data is the key to opening new possibilities

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Technology and innovation are the expertise of Patrick Donovan, CEO of Axway. The company is specialized in APIs, software that enables systems integration and is the key behind market and technological revolutions, such as “Open Banking”. The executive offers an accurate vision of the trends that should guide the future, while structuring Axway to offer the best solutions to customers. With more than 10 years of experience in the international company, Donovan is American, but spent many years in France. During his time in Europe as CFO of Axway, he contributed to the successful spin-off of the company in 2011. In addition, he has previously served supervising the group’s financial and legal functions. A member of the Executive Committee, he has a deep knowledge of Axway’s business model and, more broadly, of the enterprise software industry. Donovan has been in the CEO position since 2018, leading in the midst of major global challenges such as the pandemic. Additionally, he has helped the company to achieve exceptional results, such as being recently positioned as a Leader in the 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Full Life Cycle API Management report. In November, Donovan was in Brazil for a series of professional commitments and spoke to The Winners about his vision of the market, his company’s concept of innovation, and more. Check it out!

The Winners – Much is said about the importance of innovation for technology and business. However, what does the term really mean to you in the context of your professional vision, especially at Axway?

Patrick Donovan – It’s about creating a new experience - an exceptional experience. That’s what drives us! At the end of the day, it’s not enough to just have great products and great prices. In today’s world, companies compete for the customer experience, the partner experience, the developer experience, and even the employee experience.

TW – But what is the path to innovation? In your experience, what is the starting point for companies that want to innovate?

PD – I believe that data, information, is the key. You need to better understand and serve your customers, partners, employees and developers using data. You have data about your customers and what their preferences are, you have data about your partners and how they interact with you. You have data from IoT (internet of things) sensors, location data for mobile apps. And it’s all growing at an exponential rate. That data may be stuck in your legacy systems or other hard-to-reach places, but the reality is that it’s there. The beauty of Axway is that we help companies to securely unlock that data. This adds value to your company. But Axway goes one step further. We help companies to integrate with third-party data and ecosystem data to provide better insights and new solutions for an exceptional customer experience.

TW – In a fast-paced world, how do you innovate quickly and securely?

PD – I think a lot about our innovation and how we can innovate faster and lead the market with our products. I believe there are two key points. The first is “transform the core business to be digital.” We have changed the core of our business to be digital and we must be innovative to do that. Innovation is a process that requires accountability to partners, customers and customer experience. At Axway, we seek to bring digital innovation with new products that lead companies to digital transformation safely and efficiently. The other point is “providing the modern tools that customers need”. We are a technology company that provides the tools our customers need to transform their business now and in their future. In other words, we aim to be the best partner we can be for them.

TW – Some people can be insecure when we talk about sharing data. How do you see this issue? Are consumers ready for all this?

PD – We see the need to educate people more and more about the possibilities of Open. However, in our experience, consumers primarily value the frictionless digital experience. In other words, an enjoyable digital experience. Recently, Axway released a study pointing out that 82% of Americans would like to know what specific data has been collected about them by companies and 77% report feeling like they are constantly being watched by large online companies. However, 59% of people agree that it is worth giving companies access to personal data if it results in a better user experience.

TW – The world has gone through a turnaround with the pandemic. With many services and workers moving to the digital universe, Axway’s customers needed the company even more. What was that period like?

PD – Those were challenging times for all of us. Many companies had to transition to a remote workforce almost overnight. It was clear to us at Axway that we wanted to somehow help the global community get through this challenging time. We decided to temporarily offer our file sharing and content collaboration solution, Syncplicity, for free. In addition, we also offered free training and resources to help support teams that were becoming remote. Fortunately, the world has met this challenge and we are hopeful for the future.

TW – In the midst of all this, there has been the Open Banking revolution in Brazil. How do you see this change?

PD – I believe it is very positive for the market and also for consumers. Open Banking is changing the economic landscape in Brazil. The system promotes the sharing of customers’ data between institutions, when they request it. With their data, consumers have more negotiation power, while companies open up new business possibilities. However, to operate safely and efficiently, companies need to be properly structured. Axway has international expe rience with Open Banking in several countries, supporting banks and financial institutions to operate Open Banking through advanced solutions. It is important to emphasize that Open Banking is only the beginning of this revolution.

TW – What can we expect after Open Banking?

PD – We already have experience providing data sharing solutions for clients around the world in various segments, such as healthcare, for example. I can say that the future is Open Everything, that is, sharing customer data across industries. This should really change the way consumers behave when requesting services, making them empowered by being in possession of their data. As I said earlier, I see that data is the key to innovation, and to use it, you need efficient tools to manage that information and provide the necessary security.

TW – When it comes to innovation, how would you evaluate Brazil and our markets?

PD – Our teams in Brazil develop really differentiated, advanced and customized solutions for customers. Axway has the expertise of professionals from various regions of the world who work together to achieve excellence. The Brazilian market is in full digital transformation and we are ready to meet these demands. We work not only with financial institutions, but also with important partners in areas such as logistics and retail. We see companies eager to promote changes and offer the best experiences to their clients.

TW – Talking about developing innovations, Axway has a very interesting work with the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Can you talk a bit about that?

PD – Axway is one of the patrons of the MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). The institution provides insights from academic research to enterprise technology leaders. Its global research team studies highperforming companies and shares findings on digital transformation in papers, monthly briefings, and events. Our patronship of MIT CISR is a testament to our “Open Everything” motto: we are helping to broaden the reach of high-quality research that improves the entire business ecosystem.

TW – We know that the company also fosters various debates and content about technology. How can people follow all this?

PD – We pride ourselves on being a knowledge driver for the market, professionals and society. The Axway Summit is one of the most important events in the industry, bringing together the professionals who are at the forefront of change. I believe that tomorrow’s winners are built today, with a lot of preparation and knowledge.