Leading organizational change in support of digital transformation

Martin Wuite, Business Relationship Manager (BRM) Legal & Regulatory (CIO), has been closely involved in the digital transformation during his 20+ years (and counting) with the company. In a recent interview with Dutch IT publication AG Connect, he discusses the opportunities for personal development stemming from the continuous challenges that come with digital transformation: “I am a great example of the development opportunities one can pursue at Wolters Kluwer.”

In 2003, under the leadership of Nancy McKinstry, CEO and Executive Chairman, Wolters Kluwer adopted its first three-year strategy cycle, transforming the company’s portfolio profoundly. Digital & services revenues now account for 90% of total revenues.

Wuite’s role in this transformation is to act as the connector between customer facing businesses and IT. A potent agent for change, IT is on the front line to support 18,600 employees to carry out their daily work. The digital workplace and infrastructural responsibilities that come with it posed challenges for Wuite and his team. “While shifting from a traditional publisher to an expert solutions provider, we had to rebuild while the shop remained open, and we were committed to customer service without any interruptions. Looking back, we’ve taken our customers with us on our evolution towards digitization and the market has been appreciative of that. I’m proud of my team and their dedication to making things better.”

Matching technology

Innovation is very important to the company, reflected in its commitment to annually invest eight to ten percent in product enhancements and development. Acquisitions have also provided another way to bring in knowledge and technological expertise. Martin and his team play a huge role in making sure the technology of the acquired company matches that of Wolters Kluwer’s, before embarking on a journey to optimize and leverage it across the company. Naturally, challenges sneak up with processes like these.

Wuite: “There are several hurdles. First, people. When you buy a technology firm that needs to be integrated into a large corporation, employees need to be supported. You can ensure this by nurturing the added value they bring to the parent company and emphasize the development opportunities the large company offers. Wolters Kluwer is exceptionally good at this - I am an example of this. I never imagined I would work here for 20 years, but every two to three years I have moved to a new role. The second challenge is the status of the technology. Both product and support environments need to be integrated within Wolters Kluwer, so customers continue to be delighted with value added, cost-efficient, and reliable expert solutions without any interruptions.”