Navigating Bytes and Business for the Best IT Strategy

After having earned their stripes in IT, Goran and Vincent decided to take it up a notch. They both now work as enterprise architects for Air France-KLM. A formidable challenge with significant impact: thanks to their strategic planning, the organization's digital infrastructure remains future-proof. They explain what makes this role so special here.

Born for IT

Goran's love for IT began when he was around seven years old, he says. 'And I've always been crazy about aviation, I even wanted to become a pilot when I was younger. That dream never took off, but I did pursue my IT ambition. I worked as a hardcore software developer and engineer for years. At some point, I wanted to apply all that knowledge at a more strategic level. And that's what I've achieved. As an enterprise architect, I have an impact on the entire IT operations. My passion for the two worlds comes together beautifully in this role.'

Vincent has been working for Air France-KLM since 2018. First as an enterprise integration architect, and since mid-2023 as an enterprise security architect. 'After having worked on the operational side for a long time, I wanted to learn more about the cybersecurity landscape - zoom out to discover the bigger picture.'

Technological Infrastructure

But what does being an enterprise architect actually entail? 'You have to see it this way,' says Vincent. 'Within Air France-KLM, countless systems are used. We have one for our website, but also for ticket sales and business applications for employees: everything has its own IT solution. Our main goal is to ensure all these systems work well together. But also to keep them flexible, so we can respond to technological developments or changes within the business - without costs spiraling out of control.'

More than Just Aviation

'What makes working at Air France-KLM special is that your scope extends much further than just aviation,' Goran tells us. 'I started in Cargo, for example, where the focus was on freight movements.' Vincent nods: 'Flying is our core business, but the organization is actually much more than that. From HR to Engineering & Maintenance and Flight Operations: every department works with completely different systems. You don't find that kind of diversity at a bank, for example.'

The Best of Both Worlds

Not only the variation in departments, but also the cultural mix makes working at Air France-KLM interesting.

Very valuable: thanks to this varied group, we approach issues in different ways and can learn a lot from each other.'

The Art of Compromise

What do you need to be successful in this role? 'With passion comes stubbornness,' Goran laughs. 'But you have to learn to compromise and set aside your opinion to look at the bigger picture. You deal with so many stakeholders, so you simply won't always get your way. That's something I've had to learn over time. Just like the fact that there isn't always one solution to a problem - sometimes to the frustration of the business. They ask us a question, and the answer is always basically: "it depends". Not to annoy them, but because we're looking for solutions that work for everyone.'

Vincent emphasizes: 'People skills are essential. We make long-term decisions and work closely with operational teams for that. They don't all have the same short-term goals, though. Sometimes I see ourselves as the glue that holds everything together. It's up to us to make the IT landscape work - one way or another.'