Meet the Expert, Alain Couniot

“Technology is powerful, but how we choose to use that power remains a human decision”

Technology changes at breathtaking speed, but according to Alain Couniot, good IT architecture is about much more than keeping up with the latest technology. It requires structure and creativity at the same time, as well as an understanding of both business and technology, and the ability to make choices that will continue to make sense years from now.

You are Director Financial Services at Sopra Steria. What exactly does that role involve?
“I am responsible for the commercial strategy within Financial Services. Together with my team, we work with banks and insurers and constantly look ahead: what developments are taking place in the market, and how can we help our clients prepare for them?

“It goes far beyond sales alone. We also look at the impact of new technologies. AI, for example, is fundamentally changing how software is developed. In the past, you would put together a team covering a wide range of roles: developers, testers, an architect and a product owner. Now, we increasingly see a single developer being supported by multiple AI agents that take on different roles, with the human acting as the controlling factor, monitoring those agents and ensuring that everything works as intended. This changes not only how projects are delivered, but also how we advise our clients.”
As an Enterprise IT Architect at Sopra Steria he works on complex architecture and integration challenges, helping organisations translate business needs into sustainable IT solutions. We spoke to him about his career and why critical thinking and ethics matter in IT.

What exactly does an IT architect do?
“There are different kinds of IT architects, but I think they all have something in common: we bring structure and order to situations that can initially look quite chaotic. At the same time, an architect needs creativity. You often have to be able to think outside the box and find innovative solutions.”

“In my case, I am mainly an enterprise architect for the last twenty years. That means working at a strategic level and, importantly, acting as a bridge between business and IT. Technology specialists can sometimes become very focused on the technology itself. You might have a wonderful new tool, but if the business does not need it, it is not the right solution.”

“So you have to listen carefully to all the stakeholders: the business, the IT specialists and the people who will eventually operate the solution. It requires a lot of insight, staying current with the new technologies, but also being aware of the most common pitfalls. And you also have to consider costs and practical constraints. It is really about maintaining a 360-degree view.”

How did you get into IT and why?
“I originally studied mechanical engineering at the Université catholique de Louvain with the intention of becoming an aeronautical engineer. But this was also the pioneering era of computing, and I started programming on mainframes while I was studying.”

“I was fascinated by it. You imagine an algorithm that could solve a problem, turn that idea into code and then see whether the program actually behaves as you intended, including in its corner cases. Even today, there is something almost magical about that.”

“My final university project combined fluid mechanics with IT and produced very promising results. My supervisor subsequently invited me to pursue a PhD, so my plans to design aircraft abruptly disappeared and I embarked on a career in science (applied mathematics and mechanics). Later, when opportunities in scientific research were limited, I moved into the private sector and joined Siemens in IT consultancy. From there, I worked in in the financial sector, social security, public transport and eventually returned to consultancy.”

How long have you been working at Sopra Steria?
“It will be seven years in November. Today, I work as a senior Enterprise IT Architect, with much of my work focused on the transport sector. Now I work on a project at a regional public transport operator. At the same time, I am a senior reserve officer in the Belgian army.”

Can you share one or more real-world examples of the work you do?
“A lot of my work involves integration and automation. Organisations often have legacy applications that are still valuable and cannot simply be replaced, while at the same time they need to introduce new applications and technologies. Bringing those worlds together is much more than technical ‘plumbing’. Good integration can create entirely new possibilities.”

“For one of my current assignments with a public transport operator, for example, the focus is more on developing architecture principles and guidelines that fit the organisation and its culture.”

“Another area I find particularly interesting is making people’s daily work easier and more efficient through automation and better access to information. Earlier in my career, I specified and deployed business process management and case management solutions. A good case management system brings the relevant information, participants and history of a case together in one place. That can make a tremendous difference to the people doing the work.”

Which projects are you most proud of?
“There are several, for different reasons. One was a business process management project at a regional public transport operator. We implemented the solution in just six months, which was exceptionally fast at the time. What made me particularly proud was that everyone was satisfied: management, users, key users and even the trade unions. That is not something you see every day.”

“Another memorable project was the selection and implementation of a salary management system for the Flemish government during my time at Siemens. It was a complex project involving many different stakeholders, whose requirements had to be consolidated into a consistent solution.”

“For me, projects have something fundamental in common: listening, stakeholder involvement, honesty and transparency. When something goes wrong, tell the project owner and work together on a solution. Trying to hide problems or doing a little window dressing is not only unethical; in the long run it destroys trust. And once you lose a customer’s trust, it is extremely difficult to regain it.”

As an IT architect, you make decisions that may have an impact for years, while technology evolves incredibly quickly. How do you prevent today’s design from becoming obsolete tomorrow?
“You cannot eliminate that risk, so the first thing is to recognise it. Technology and obsolescence risks should be part of your risk management from the start.”

“Then you need abstraction. In enterprise architecture, for example, we focus strongly on business capabilities because they are much more stable than specific technologies. A transport organisation will continue to need planning. It will continue to need to track vehicles, freight or passengers. Whether the underlying solution runs in a particular cloud or on-premises is much more likely to change.”

“The same principle applies inside a solution. You want to decouple higher-level functions from lower-level technical details wherever possible. I sometimes compare it with LEGO bricks: at certain points in your architecture, you should be able to remove one block, replace it with one or two equivalent blocks and still have a functioning solution with minimal friction. That ability to evolve is an essential part of future-proof architecture and of an architect’s work.”

What do you enjoy most about your work? What inspires you?
“I enjoy solving difficult problems that can have a significant impact on customers, organisations or society. The best result is when you take something that initially seems extremely complicated and, through hard work and teamwork, create a solution that exceeds what the customer thought was possible. For me, technological evolution alone is not necessarily progress. It becomes progress when it improves somebody’s professional or private life or even the society. That is what motivates me: finding a simple solution that is technically sound but also genuinely makes things better. That’s why I like Mark Twain’s quote: ”They did not know it was impossible, so they did it”.

How do you keep your knowledge and skills sharp in a field that changes so rapidly?
“First and foremost, you have to remain curious and motivated throughout your career. Keep asking questions: why is this problem so difficult? Could we approach it differently? What alternatives are there? You also must keep looking for information, but finding reliable sources is becoming increasingly difficult, but that’s crucial. I try to look at different sources, compare them, question them and determine how much confidence I can place in them. With so much hype around areas such as AI or quantum computing, critical thinking is essential. You should never simply believe something because it appears in an advertisement, on social media or even in a publication. Indulge in what if-questions from many angles as possible.”

Finally, what advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in IT?
“Stay open-minded and keep a critical eye. Do not automatically believe every claim you hear about the latest technology. Ask what it contributes and to whom.”

“Be creative in using the possibilities technology gives you but also think about the consequences of what you build. IT professionals have a responsibility. A solution may be technically possible, but that does not automatically make it desirable.

“For me, ethics should therefore remain important throughout your career. Also, stay human-centric, consider environmental impacts and take a 360-degree view. Ask yourself who benefits from your work, who might be disadvantaged by it, and whether you are ultimately contributing to something worthwhile. Technology is powerful, but how we choose to use that power remains a human decision.”