FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
TOM
Global VP , futurist , and innovation evangelist at SAP
RAFTERY
SAP ’ s Tom Raftery talks about pandemic-driven step-changes in supply chain tech , and how plant science was the springboard for his current future-gazing role
Q . YOU STUDIED PLANT SCIENCE . HOW DID YOU GET FROM THERE TO YOUR CURRENT ROLE ?
» I like to be at the cutting edge of things . In the 1980s and early 90s , a lot of groundbreaking stuff was happening in biology , which is why I chose plant science at the University College Cork , because it had a very good molecular genetics department .
My third- and fourth-year project was to find a way to genetically fingerprint plants . It was really interesting stuff . And of course to do a lot of that , I had to get familiar with computers , and that ’ s when I caught the computer bug .
When I later returned to the university to do a PhD my hobby became computers , and I started teaching people in the university how to use them , and then did the same for local companies . What began as a hobby then overtook the PhD project . I ended up setting up a computer company and everything went from there .
Q . YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION ISN ’ T SOMETHING YOU TYPICALLY SEE ON A BUSINESS CARD . HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DO ?
» A lot of what I do is to observe what is happening in technology , and then I project trends . Another way of looking at it is I foresee the logical conclusion of things . Take the energy industry , for example . Think of where it was with oil , gas and coal up until very recently , and how now it ’ s transitioning to renewables . I will study this sea change and project forward , to chart where it ' s likely to go from there .
Similarly , if you look at the automotive space . Until recently most cars had internal combustion engines but now , electric vehicles are just starting to take hold and things will change quickly from this point .
So it ’ s all about charting the future , by drawing on the past and present . That ' s what it is to be a futurist .
20 December 2021