Next stop – cloud?  Aspect CEO takes a ride on a London double decker bus to weigh in on the impact of the cloud, running a meritocracy and doing what you love

Digitization and cloud-based technology platforms have enabled companies to move more quickly than ever before, but for Aspect President and CEO Steve Hughes, a successful cloud transformation requires entirely new thinking.

“…One of the things that has helped the commodity trading industry with that transformation is the cloud, because of what it means in terms of cost of ownership and the time taken between ‘Yes, I’d like a system’ to it going live, which is now weeks,” Hughes told Avanade CEO Adam Warby as the two zoomed through London’s city streets in the latest edition of On the Move with Adam Warby.

Hughes, whose company provides commodity trading and risk management solutions to commodity trading firms worldwide, said Aspect “started in the cloud and we’ve always been in the cloud.” In the sixteen years since the company’s inception, though, cloud-based platforms have quickly risen (literally!) in popularity as companies seek to dramatically reduce time-to-market and deliver a more compelling customer experience.

“Companies considering a cloud move must realize that cloud apps are built differently,” said Hughes. And while concerns over security have waned, Hughes added, “It is still a major concern for our customers and prospects.”

In an industry focused intently on bringing more diversity to management roles, Hughes takes pride in the fact that he is the only male executive on the management team at Aspect. Three women work in the company’s top roles.

“Aspect is absolutely a meritocracy,” Hughes told Warby. “The reason these three people have joined me in the management team is because they are the best people in this company.”

With decades of experience as an entrepreneur under his belt and a passion for music (he owns a studio in London), what is Hughes’ secret to a fulfilling professional life?

Unequivocally, “Do something you really, really enjoy,” he said. “But when you do something you love, you can lose discipline so you have to make sure that you’re changing things every day.”

No doubt that having a conversation on a double decker bus throughout London is a good way to keep the work day interesting, but we’ll leave viewers to judge just how much fun Hughes is having while On the Move with Adam Warby.