5 questions to...
Ileana Pavia
Interview with the Cloud Services Director of Engineering.
Ileana Pavia is the Cloud Services Director at Eng Cloud, where she oversees the design, delivery, and management of services, supporting companies in their journey of adoption and optimization of this technology.
After earning a degree in Electronic Engineering, she began her career in the ICT sector within a consulting firm, working on Enterprise projects in the technology domain. Ileana later joined one of Italy’s leading systemic financial groups, taking on roles of increasing responsibility within the global IT Infrastructure division.
With solid experience in managing complex cloud environments, Ileana now heads a constantly evolving business area, aiming to transform the cloud into an innovation engine for companies through governance strategies, automation, and advanced operational management.
1. CLOUD HAS BECOME THE BACKBONE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, BUT ARE COMPANIES TRULY LEVERAGING IT TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN UNEXPLORED?
Many companies have adopted the cloud, but they don’t always fully exploit it. Often, they simply migrate workloads without rethinking applications and processes, thus missing key opportunities.
Leveraging cloud-native services such as containers and serverless functions can enhance scalability and reduce time-to-market. Additionally, AI and automation help optimize resource management and reduce costs.
Another area that remains largely unexplored is FinOps, one of the biggest challenges companies face in cloud adoption.
We at Engineering support businesses with a strategic approach to cloud financial management, helping them balance investment and value to ensure more efficient resource utilization.
Our FinOps model integrates advanced processes such as chargeback, granular spending monitoring, and automated optimization to improve cost-benefit ratios, making cloud management more sustainable and value-driven.
2. FOR SOME COMPANIES, CLOUD IS A "NECESSARY COST," WHILE FOR OTHERS, IT IS AN ENGINE OF INNOVATION. WHAT DRIVES THIS DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH, AND HOW CAN BUSINESSES MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF CLOUD SERVICES?
The perception of cloud depends on the approach taken. If used solely as infrastructure, it becomes an operational cost. However, cloud can become an innovation accelerator when integrated with data-driven business models, enabling faster and more strategic decision-making based on real insights.
Value is maximized by combining FinOps, AIOps, and automation, optimizing both costs and performance.
The most advanced companies adopt a data-driven model, leveraging scalability to rapidly test new services and integrating AI to enhance operational efficiency. Cloud should not be seen merely as a technology but as a strategic lever to transform business operations in a flexible and sustainable way.
3. HYBRID CLOUD AND MULTI-CLOUD ARE NOW THE NORM, BUT HOW CAN BUSINESSES CHOOSE THE RIGHT MODEL FOR AN EFFECTIVE MIGRATION?
Hybrid e multi-cloud serve different needs. Hybrid cloud is ideal for those who need to maintain on-premise systems for compliance or operational constraints, while multi-cloud allows organizations to diversify providers, reducing lock-in risks and optimizing workloads.
The choice should be based not only on a technological analysis but also on security posture, governance, and cost considerations. For an effective migration, companies need clear roadmaps, orchestration and automation tools, and a solid application modernization strategy.
Adopting unified management platforms simplifies operations and helps businesses get the most out of cloud without compromising control and performance. Cloud is transforming security, governance, and sustainability.
4. WHAT ARE THE MOST RELEVANT TRENDS, AND HOW CAN COMPANIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM?
Cloud is redefining three key aspects: security, governance, and sustainability. In terms of security, zero-trust models and AI-driven security are emerging to counter advanced threats.
At the same time, cloud governance is increasingly based on automation and policy-as-code, ensuring greater compliance and more efficient management. Sustainability is also gaining momentum: both hyperscalers and enterprises are adopting tools to measure and optimize the cloud's carbon footprint.
Consequently, businesses that integrate these trends into their processes not only enhance cloud management but also strengthen their competitiveness and resilience, balancing innovation with responsibility.
5. AI AND AUTOMATION ARE REVOLUTIONIZING CLOUD MANAGEMENT. WHAT CONCRETE IMPACTS ARE THEY HAVING ON COMPANIES, AND WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE FUTURE?
AI and automation are transforming cloud management into an increasingly intelligent and proactive system. With the adoption of AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations), companies can not only enhance monitoring but also enable predictive management to reduce downtime and optimize performance in real time.
Supporting this evolution, technologies like Infrastructure-as-Code and hyperautomation accelerate deployment and management, minimizing human errors and increasing operational efficiency.
However, the real breakthrough will come with even deeper integration between AI and cloud. Advanced models will dynamically optimize costs and resources, while generative AI will simplify the design of increasingly sophisticated cloud architectures.
The future of AIOps will go beyond mere monitoring, leading to the rise of autonomous cloud ecosystems capable of dynamically adapting to business needs and enabling new operational and business models.
Companies that embrace this transformation will gain a significant competitive edge in resilience, efficiency, and innovation.
Cloud can become an innovation accelerator when integrated with data-driven business models, enabling faster and more strategic decision-making based on real insights.
Ileana Pavia
Cloud Services Director, Engineering
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