CIO of the Year: Brose IT boss in 3rd place

Christian Ley, Vice President Information Systems at Brose, the international automotive supplier, has come third in a vote for the CIO of the Year 2013. The prize is awarded every year by Computerwoche, a specialist German IT magazine, in three categories and is regarded as the Oscar of the IT industry. In the large organizations category, the first two places went to
representatives from Airbus and Adidas. Companies like Emirates, Vodafone and ADAC also came in the top ten.

“This is a recognition of the hard work of all Brose IT employees,” Ley declared at the award ceremony and gala in Munich. “This prize is a reward for their commitment and staying power even when working on the most complex tasks.”

Next Generation Workplace: Greater flexibility for Brose employees

In their summing-up, the panel of top-class judges paid tribute to Ley’s “Next Generation Workplace” project. The Brose IT specialist spent two years improving the effectiveness of workplaces and communications tools for staff at Brose’s locations worldwide. “We are a company with activities all over the world,” Ley explained. “So place and time are no longer relevant for
communication. We have responded by introducing new tools.” In particular, Brose has systematically implemented a computer telephony system, which not only selects the cheapest connection, but also allows employees the greatest possible level of mobility. All Brose IT users can take their telephone number with them – to all Brose locations and wherever they take
their laptops. An HD video conferencing system makes it possible to dial in via an iPad from anywhere, and the My Desk system lets Brose employees log in to their personal user interface from other devices, including tablets.

Jürgen Otto: Brose IT sets new milestone

Brose CEO Jürgen Otto congratulated Ley and his team on behalf of the Management Board: “The Next Generation Workplace project is a milestone in the further development of our Brose Working World because the new communications options give our employees even more flexibility. The CIO of the Year award shows that Christian Ley’s team is one of the top IT teams in Germany.”