Afzal Ballim

Director in Geneva, Switzerland

Afzal Ballim

Director in Geneva, Switzerland

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Author of "The Global CIO" column for CIO.com.

Professional: Irish-Swiss transformational CIO. I gained experience through positions in Switzerland, the UK, USA and Ireland for multinationals and NGOs in strategy development, change leadership and creative solution delivery.

Devised and obtained adoption of enterprise IT strategies at executive committee level, leading design, development and implementation across all continents. Led and managed large teams across the world. Managed budgets of up to $80M. Created operational service centres, and offshore support. Knowledgeable in all areas of business through owning and running a software company. Holder of a PhD in Computer Science.

Employs an intuitive understanding of business priorities to establish bottom-line focused IT strategies. Highly effective communicator and team leader with proven ability to work effectively with individuals at all levels and in all functions. Adaptable and resourceful with a strong aptitude for learning new domains, able to bring enthusiasm and a high level of creativity to projects and initiatives thus ensuring superior delivery.

In my private life I'm science fiction. For a lot of people sci-fi is flashy tech, space wars, and B-grade films. Luckily the last 30 years or so has seen an increase in meaningful sci-fi being brought to the small and big screen.

Since the age of 8 I've been mesmerized by photography and the ability of photos to touch us in such intimate ways. I'm overwhelmed by the creative talents that I've seen.

Another of my loves is music, just about any type, but I have to admit to really loving classic, rock, blues and jazz. I'd love to be able to play an instrument and although I started learning the piano, my busy work schedule made it too hard to continue. I've not given up hope however.

I also love to cook. It's a zen experience, offering a peaceful opportunity to relax and distance yourself from the troubles of everyday life. And who knows, maybe create a piece of ephemeral art.

I'm happily married with 3 kids.

Factoid: I've got an Erdos number of either 2 or 3. What do I mean either 2 or 3? Well I co-authored a technical note with Frank Harary (Erdos number of 1) while at CRL in the 1980s. The thing is, I'm not sure technical notes count. Otherwise I've got an Erdos number of

  • Work
    • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • Education
    • Doctorate
    • Master Degree
    • Bachelor of Science