Sign of the times as call for digital sovereignty in Europe grows louder along with the desire to reduce dependency on US hyperscalers
Christine Knackfuß-Nikolic (pictured right) begins the the newly created role of Chief Sovereignty Officer at T-Sytems on 1 September. T-Systems is an international IT services provider, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, specialising in digital transformation and end-to-end solutions including consulting, cloud services, AI, security, and connectivity. Its primary areas of activity are automotive, healthcare and the public sector.
Knackfuß-Nikolic was formerly Chief Technology Officer, but now will focus in particular on developing differentiated value propositions across DT’s portfolio to address the sovereignty challenges faced by all customers. Knackfuß-Nikolic will continue to be responsible for T-Systems’ entire security business and remain part of the management team.
The appointment is a sign of the times. “The call for digital sovereignty is growing louder. Due to geopolitical uncertainties, more and more companies in Germany and Europe are demanding sovereign cloud solutions. They want to free themselves from dependence on hyperscalers and regain control over their own data,” says Ferri Abolhassan, CEO of T-Systems and member of the Telekom Board of Management.
“With the appointment of Christine Knackfuß-Nikolic as Chief Sovereignty Officer and the launch of our new T Cloud offering, we are underscoring that we take this need very seriously and are driving our efforts in this area with full commitment. Our aim is to become the leading provider of secure and sovereign cloud and AI solutions across Europe,” he adds.
Andreas Schlegel joins the team
Andreas Schlegel (above left) joins the T-Systems management team as Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer on 1 September 1, picking up Knackfuß-Nikolic’s former responsibilities including portfolio strategy, market intelligence & relations and partner management. His position includes the development and implementation of a comprehensive corporate strategy.
This covers innovation leadership, competitive differentiation, and lean portfolio management. Schlegel was formerly deputy head of the Group Strategy & Transformation department at Deutsche Telekom. He worked in that department since 2014, serving as its interim head for eight months in 2023.
Perviously, from 2001, he worked for the management consultant Bain & Company, becoming a partner and vice president in 2010 responsible for technology strategies for international telecommunications companies. Schlegel holds a degree in business administration from the University of Mannheim and an MBA from the University of Oregon in the US.
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies, with more than 261 million mobile customers, 25 million fixed-network lines, and 22 million broadband customers.
