Simon Evans, Business Performance Director, Vitality
"Our core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives."
Every business plan now includes information technology (IT) as a crucial and integral part. IT is used not only by multinational firms that manage mainframe systems and databases but also by small businesses that own just a single computer.
The UK IT Industry Awards are the largest and most well-known event in the technology industry calendar. Owned and operated by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and Computing, the awards enjoy a level of professionalism and industry knowledge not seen at other shows.
This year's winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony on Wednesday 9th November in London.
One of the finalists is Vitality, who is in the running for the Business IT Innovation of the Year.
We caught up with Simon Evans, Business Performance Director at Vitality, to find out what makes his company different from other technology firms.
Evans is a highly experienced and dynamic Business Improvement and Change Leader specialising in Lean Six Sigma, Change Adoption and Innovation. He is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and describes himself as a lean practitioner with a proven record of leading large scale change programmes to deliver tangible bottom line results.
Evans has been at Vitality since 2014 and is the Executive Business Sponsor for the company's Digital Claims Transformation programme submission.
Computing: Please provide some background on your company for our readers.
Simon Evans: Vitality are the first insurance company to reward people for healthy living. We are owned by Discovery Holdings, a leading global insurer with over 5.2 million clients and we aim to be the best at what we do, offering comprehensive and award-winning health and life cover and positively different car insurance to our members.
How is your company different from its peers?
Our core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We believe in the idea of 'shared value'. It's a unique approach to insurance which is based on the scientifically proven principles of behavioural economics. We help our members take a more active role in managing their own wellness, which can encourage the development of healthy long-term habits that are good for them, good for us and good for society.
What one company achievement in the last 12 months are you most proud of?
Discovery has joined the ranks of 50 companies recognised in Fortune Magazine's 2022 Change the World list. The seminal list features organisations from around the globe that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. Fortune writers and editors, with help from the Shared Value Initiative, evaluated companies to find those that have a demonstrable and significant positive impact on customers and society. Evaluation pillars include measurable social impact, business results, and degree of innovation. Through a rigorous process, a highly selective list of the world's best practices was determined. Discovery ranked in the top 5 on the list for our shared-value banking model, helping people to adopt better financial behaviours - and rewarding them for it.
We believe this recognition validates our ongoing focus on making people healthier in all aspects of life, in line with our core purpose, and positions us alongside other leading companies on a global stage.
What are you working on this year?
With several strategic deliverables underway, shifting from monolith legacy systems to microservices and modular apps, the roadmap is significant for the year ahead. But beyond that, the Vitality Tech Leadership team are investing in our most precious asset, our People. With the implementation of Technology Career Pathways, our Tech Tribe Team Week and our Tech Tribe Awards, the foundation to continue to deliver Award-winning products is set. Coupled with the introduction of the Vitality Intern Programme, we will be closing the gap between Academia and Industry through quality, shared value experiences. It is an exciting time to be part of Vitality's Tech Team!
Why are events like the UK IT Industry Awards important to the IT industry?
Events such as the UK IT Industry Awards show approval and gratitude for a job well done, and it makes people aware that good work will be rewarded. It shows others, such as the general public and other companies, that outstanding accomplishments are recognised. Awards help showcase the best of an industry, they highlight the passion, drive and determination from a wide range of companies, awards bring credibility and can boost business. Events such as this often leads to interest in both the industry itself as well as specific companies, they can open doors for new opportunities.
The UK IT Industry Awards will take place on 9th November in London. Click here to view the shortlist and here to book your table.
