The Tech Leaders Podcast: Recent Episodes
Gareth Davies
The Tech Leaders Podcast brings you candid conversations with established technology leaders, at some of the world's most incredible organisations. From the challenges of sustainable growth, through to continuous innovation and everything in-between. These are the behind-the-scenes stories and personal anecdotes of inspirational leaders at the forefront of the digital revolution.
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Mike Fitzgerald, Founder of Senttr. Mike shares lessons on managing AI estates, evolving consulting practices, and the skills needed for the future workforce.
On this episode, Mike and Gareth discuss the importance of governance, privacy and security when deploying hundreds or thousands of AI agents, strategies for managing enterprise AI costs and ensuring predictable licensing models, and what the future holds for AI pricing models, and the evolving MSP ecosystem.
- Personal journey: From Ireland to founding Senttr (04:58)
- The problem with Software Licensing (12:03)
- Building Businesses Around Unsolved Problems (15:21)
- AI Governance Challenges (26:27)
- Cost Management of Enterprise AI (30:19)
- Will AI Take Our Jobs? (39:11)
- The Evolution of IT Consulting (45:39)
- Advice to a 21-Year-Old Self (50:04)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for a Tech Leaders Podcast Special, where Gareth sits down with Barry Pilling, Principal ITAM Consultant and VMware Specialist at bedigital to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing Tesco VS Broadcom court case.
On this episode, Gareth and Barry discuss updates to the case, Broadcom’s wider business strategy, and the possible impact on future customer-vendor relationships across the industry.
Timestamps:
- Trial date set, and Tesco’s amended claim (1:32)
- Is Broadcom market dominant? (5:10)
- Trial timetable and legal strategies (9:31)
- The Broadcom business model (13:41)
- The broader impact on customer/vendor relationships (16:08)
- Broadcom’s 1 year offer, and Computacenter’s involvement (21:04)
- Key takeaways (25:37)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for a Tech Leaders Podcast Special, where Gareth sits down with John Abel, MD, Office of the CTO, and Alex Rutter, EMEA MD for AI, fresh from the Google Cloud Summit in London.
On this episode Gareth, John and Alex discuss how organisations can effectively deploy Agents, future skills the workforce will need to use Agentic AI, and how to simulate a virtual board meeting.
Timestamps:
- John Abel Introduction (1:25)
- Agentic AI Adoption and Data Readiness (3:39)
- Future Skills – John’s take (12:09)
- How to move beyond “Pilot Mode” (15:50)
- Alex Rutter Introduction (19:16)
- The Integrated Google Tech Stack (22:50)
- AI Automation vs Human Oversight (27:55)
- Is Agentic AI Adoption Maturing? (30:48)
- Future Skills – Alex’s take (35:48)
- Data Quality (38:35)
- The UK’s AI Position (41:01)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Nicola Mendelsohn, Head of Global Business Group at Meta, at Meta Conversations 2026 in the historic Methodist Central Hall in the heart of Westminster.
Nicola talks about the new WhatsApp for Business, the technical challenges around it, the importance of data safeguarding and the role of Meta’s Chief Privacy Officer.
On this episode Nicola and Gareth discuss the challenges around Enterprise AI adoption and governance, and her advice to UK businesses.
Timestamps:
- Introduction (1:58)
- Meta and Enterprise Messaging (4:30)
- Technical Challenges (14:51)
- Data Safeguarding and the Chief Privacy Officer (17:52)
- Enterprise AI Adoption and Governance (18:50)
- Advice for UK Businesses (26:55)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Jane Mustoe, Senior Technical Director and Head of Innovation Labs at Tesco. Jane talks about her love of transformative technologies, and how Tesco are actively applying them.
On this episode, Jane and Gareth discuss drones, robotics, staff less stores, and how AI will augment, not replace humans.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and the Credit Crunch (2:25)
- Tesco Innovation Labs: Magic Tills and Digital Assistants (17:58)
- Innovation Culture and Digital Twins (23:10)
- AI Applications: Robotics, Dynamic Pricing and Waste Reduction (30:53)
- AI Usage, Governance and Hiring (38:50)
- The Future of Tech, and Advice for 21-year-old Jane (47:45)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Cathy Mauzaize, President of EMEA at ServiceNow.Cathy talks about her journey to ServiceNow via some of the biggest tech companies in the world, unpicking the hype and reality around AI Agents, and why the Middle East is embracing modern tech faster that Europe.
On this episode Cathy and Gareth discuss how companies survive in a modern, global economy, how AI will impact human learning, and a nugget of advice from Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and early days (2:07)
- Legacy Tech and the Middle East (13:00)
- Priorities for Enterprise (21:55)
- AI Agents: Hype and Reality (25:48)
- AI and Human Learning (32:05)
- Commercial Impacts of AI (38:00)
- ITAM and AI Agents (45:43)
- Advice for 21-year-old Cathy (49:20)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
This episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast takes a different format from our usual leadership interviews.
The recent acquisition of VMware by Broadcom has sent significant ripples through the enterprise IT landscape. As one of the most widely deployed infrastructure platforms in the world, VMware sits at the heart of many global technology estates. The commercial changes that have followed the acquisition have prompted widespread discussion across the market.
The ongoing court case involving Tesco and Broadcom has brought those issues into sharp focus. What may appear to be a contractual dispute raises much broader questions around platform dependency, vendor discretion and how resilient enterprise IT contracts are when ownership changes hands.
In this special episode, Gareth Davies is joined by licensing specialist Barry Pilling to unpack the case, explore the latest developments, and discuss what it could mean for enterprise software licensing and commercial governance going forward.
For CIOs, technology leaders and procurement teams responsible for major vendor relationships, this conversation looks at the wider implications, and the questions organisations should be asking right now.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and Barry’s Background (2:04)
- VMWare and the Broadcom Acquisition (5:00)
- The Rise of Virtualisation (8:50)
- The Tesco Dispute Background (12:38)
- Organisations Exposure to Licensing Risk (22:45)
- Other Broadcom Cases (29:22)
- Death of the Middleman? (37:51)
- Potential Consequences and Advice for VMWare Customers (41:49)
- Recent Developments (47:30)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Rob Morris, Co-CEO UK and Ireland at Siemens Mobility.Rob talks about his journey to the Railways via mining, power stations and London 2012, how Siemens are managing a £340M investment, and the challenges of maintaining and upgrading the oldest rail network in the world.
On this episode Rob and Gareth discuss digitising the railways, how AI will be employed on trains, and how in another life Rob could have been an architect.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and Good Leadership (2:11)
- From Delivery to Senior Management (7:58)
- Siemens and the Railways (12:00)
- Digitising the Rail Network, and Building the Elizabeth Line (18:30)
- Technology on the Railways (32:15)
- Advice for 21-year-old Rob (41:20)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Tim Cadogan, CEO at GoFundMe.Tim talks about how GoFundMe are leveraging AI to help fundraisers, joining GoFundMe at the start of the Covid19 pandemic, and why founding a start-up is like working for two or three different companies.
On this episode Tim and Gareth discuss disaster fundraising, tips for fundraisers, and how a boy from Dorset found himself in California.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and Good Leadership (1:58)
- Dorset to California, and the early days of SEO (5:10)
- OpenX (15:10)
- Joining GoFundMe at the start of the Pandemic (18:58)
- Why GoFundMe works (22:46)
- Disaster Fundraising (26:45)
- Technology Challenges Scaling GoFundMe (34:35)
- AI and Fundraising (39:18)
- Advice for 21-year-old Tim (49:40)
- Tips for Fundraisers (53:20)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders’ Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Paul Goodhew, Partner - EY Global Assurance Innovation & Emerging Technology Leader.Paul talks about EY’s $1 Billion investment in Agentic AI, their long term AI integration strategy, and why many organisations are building their own versions of ChatGPT.
On this episode Paul and Gareth discuss guiding principles for good AI governance, the evolving regulatory landscape, and whether the education system is keeping up.
Timestamps:
- Introduction and Good Leadership (1:57)
- Early tech interests, and the journey to EY (5:00)
- AI and Auditing (11:30)
- Global Audit Consistency, Agentic AI and EYQ (16:25)
- Long Term AI Integration Strategy (22:28)
- AI Guardrails (26:10)
- Good Governance (29:55)
- Is Education keeping up? (31:44)
- AI Disruption (35:20)
- Regulatory Landscape (38:00)
- AI Hopes and Fears (40:00)
- Advice for 21-year-old Paul (43:46)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Rupy Malizia, Chief Operating and Transformation Officer, HSBC Innovation Banking.Rupy talks about transitioning Silicon Valley Bank UK into HSBC, the cultural differences between small and large businesses, and the impact AI will have on organisations of all sizes.
On this episode, Rupy and Gareth discuss whether Agentic AI is ready, what can be done to support female entrepreneurs, and if Quantum Computing might be closer than we think…
Timestamps (estimated):
- Good leadership and early years (2:30)
- Joining Silicon Valley Bank and the ensuing turmoil (6:00)
- The SVB UK acquisition and the transition (back) to HSBC (12:35)
- The AI impact on organisations large and small (21:00)
- HSBC Innovation and New Tech (31:15)
- Female entrepreneurship (38:00)
- Emerging Tech and Skills (42:45)
- Advice to 21-year-old Rupy and Entrepreneurs (46:30)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Kate Hayward, UK Managing Director at Xero. Kate talks about how AI can make life easier for small business owners, the new skills the next generation of accountants will need, and how organisations can manage maternity leave for the benefit of everyone.
On this episode, Kate and Gareth discuss how gymnastics breeds discipline, why Britons are generally lacking in financial literacy, and the three things Kate looks for when starting a new job.
Timestamps:
- Good Leadership and Early Career (1:45)
- Xero – The "Gangly Teenager Phase" (9:00)
- Career or Family, or Both… (13:00)
- Discipline and Gymnastics (20:30)
- Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship (24:20)
- Xero and AI (31:35)
- New Skills for Accountants (42:30)
- Tips to stay Organised, and Advice for 21-year-old Kate (45:45)
- Hopes and Fears for Future of AI (48:00)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Cindy Turner, Chief Product Officer at Worldpay. Cindy talks about Worldpay’s current priorities, the trade offs between structure and agility, and how Stablecoins can help make international payments quicker and easier.
On this episode, Cindy and Gareth discuss the benefits of pushing ownership down to your team, launching Apple Pay back in 2014, and why we might all have our own personal shopping agent in our pockets sooner than you think…
Timestamps:
- Good Leadership and Early Career (1:51)
- Corporates, Start-Ups and Scale (12:24)
- Worldpay Priorities (16:16)
- International Payments and Stablecoin (22:50)
- Agentic Commerce (28:56)
- AI Ethics and Governance (37:17)
- Advice for 21-year-old Cindy (45:31)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
This week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, Gareth sits down with Author, BBC / ITV Presenter, and AI Agony Aunt Lara Lewington. They discuss how AI will revolutionise personalised medicine, its impact on wearable health trackers, and what “Health-span” really means.
Join us to hear Lara talk about fist bumping card machines, wireless urine monitoring, and being invited to the Moon by a Japanese billionaire…
Timestamps:
- Intro and Good Leadership (2:26)
- Breaking into TV – Celebrity interviews and Gadget reviews (5:00)
- Presenting Click, and being invited to the Moon (10:28)
- Intro to Health-span: Brian Johnson and 103-year-old Mildred (15:22)
- AI and Personalised Medicine (21:12)
- Wearables, Trackables and AI (27:09)
- The AI Agony Aunt (40:48)
- Editing “Hacking Humanity” (44:17)
- Health-span in depth (46:58)
- Hopes and fears for Gen AI, and advice to 19-year-old Lara (54:58)
You can find details of Lara's book here: BOOK | Lara Lewington
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Chris Moore, European President at Veeva Systems. Chris talks about the impact AI will have on software development and data security, how technology has transformed the life sciences industry, and the long-term implications of Covid on drug development.
On this episode, Chris and Gareth discuss how Chris helped make Veeva Europe more European, the importance of understanding the opportunities and threats associated with new technologies, and why the Y2K bug was a beautiful anti-climax.
Timestamps:
- ICI, Kinesis and PWC (3:40)
- IBM, EY and living abroad (10:28)
- Making Veeva Europe more European (17:30)
- The impact of Covid on drug development (29:05)
- The evolution of the CIO (33:00)
- AI: Hopes, fears and the impact on software development and pharma (36:33)
- Advice for 21-year-old Chris (51:46)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Stuart Whayman, President of Corporate Markets at Elsevier, a part of RELX Group. They discuss how AI is revolutionising Research and Development, Elsevier-Reed’s shift from hardware to digital, and what the Red Arrows can teach us about leadership.
Stuart also talks about how AI can augment rather than replace humans, why an LLM is not a truth model, and delves into some of the fascinating projects for the Elsevier Foundation Challenge – https://elsevierfoundation.org/chemistry-for-climate-action-challenge/.
Timestamps:
- Good Leadership, the Red Arrows, and studying at Oxford (2:12)
- The Hardware to Digital Shift (10:15)
- The Evolution of Data (17:10)
- AI in Research and Development (21:30)
- Will AI Augment or Replace (32:38)
- AI Safety and Regulation (36:45)
- The Future, Advice for 21-year-old Stuart, and the Elsevier Foundation Challenge (40:17)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Renata Vincoletto, CISO at Civica. After facing a deeply shocking setback, Renata chose resilience over resentment. Inspired by her mentor, she pushed forward, rising through the ranks to ultimately lead cybersecurity strategy for Civica, working on high-stakes government and public sector IT programmes.
On this episode, Gareth and Renata discuss why good ITAM is crucial for Cybersecurity, the recent breaches at The Co-op and Marks & Spencer’s, and why geeks are more accepted in the UK than in Brazil.
Timestamps:
- Good Leadership, why a Career in IT, and moving from Brazil to the UK (2:02)
- Lesson learned at Microsoft (7:50)
- The Marks and Spencer’s and Co-op Cyber Security breaches (12:50)
- The importance of ITAM to Cyber Security (16:10)
- Is there a Cyber Security skills shortage? (24:30)
- Women in Cyber Security (30:24)
- The AI risks to Cyber Security (41.05)
- Advice to 21-year-old Renata (51:08)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week for The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth sits down with Dr. Nicola Hodson, Chair at IBM UK and Ireland. Dr. Hodson talks about how to manage transformations in complex organisations, how UK Enterprises are adopting AI, and why Quantum computing might be coming sooner than you think.
On this episode, Gareth and Dr. Hodson discuss why authenticity is underrated, the evolution of AI regulations, the importance of Polymaths, and how Concorde and a copy of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica inspired her to begin the journey which would lead to IBM.
Timestamps:
- Good leadership, Concorde and the Encyclopaedia Brittanica (2:40)
- How to drive change in large organisations (9:36)
- Polymaths (13:50)
- IBM and Quantum computing (20:00)
- ITAM Evolution and Hybrid Cloud Management (26:50)
- Enterprise adoption of Agentic AI (31:10)
- AI and Graduate jobs (36:40)
- AI Regulation (41:08)
- Advice for young IT professionals, and 21-year-old Nicola (43:30)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
"You can't have good Cyber Security without Economic Security.''
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth Davies sits down with The Rt Hon Stephen McPartland, former MP and author of the McPartland Review into Cyber Security. Stephen talks about his time in Parliament, the impact of AI on Cyber Security, and why the UK is both uniquely well prepared and uniquely vulnerable.
On this episode, Stephen and Gareth discuss what it’s like to work with Prime Ministers, how to prevent the widespread adoption of AI leading to “digital exclusion”, why we need to automate processes rather than jobs, and how a Scouser became Tory MP for Stevenage…
Timestamps:
- Intro and good leadership (1:33)
- Proudest achievements and lessons learned in Politics (7:54)
- Ministerial role, and working with Prime Ministers (10:09)
- Cyber Security and the Digital Economy (17:50)
- AI, Government and Cyber Security (23:23)
- Fostering a Cyber workforce (29:35)
- LLMs and Agentic AI (33:14)
- Cryptocurrencies and Post-Quantum Cryptography (38:28)
- AI concerns – Digital exclusion and Rules of Engagement (46:25)
- Stephen’s advice to his younger self (49:00)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth Davies sits down with Matt Armstrong-Barnes, Group AI Practice Director at Servita, and former AI CTO at Hewlett-Packard Enterprises. Matt talks about his new role at Servita, the lessons he learned at HPE, and how effective AI Asset Management can help you keep control of your data.
On this episode, Matt and Gareth discuss effective AI implementation and adoption, the existing AI skills gap, and the new roles and careers that will emerge, and what we don’t understand about how AI works.
Timestamps:
- Joining Servita (2:00)
- AI Implementation and Adoption (5:40)
- What “Data is the new Oil” actually means (12:00)
- What we don’t understand about how AI works (18:33)
- Lessons learned at HP (22:13)
- Sports and AI (25:28)
- AI Safety and even Blackmail? (28:19)
- Trust and transparency in practice (35:40)
- The AI skills gap and emerging careers (39:30)
- AI Summit highlights (48:32)
Brought to you by bedigital
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, as Gareth sits down with Joseph Connor, Chairman of Agentic AI specialist, CarefulAI and Professor at UCL and formerly Director of AI innovation at NHS England. Joseph talks about his allegiance to the NHS, his love of Stoicism, and his experiences building AI agents for businesses.
On this episode Joseph and Gareth discuss why innovation is difficult in the public sector, how AI can help with effective ITAM and compliance, and how to make sure everyone benefits from Agentic AI.
Time Stamps:
- Good leadership and Joseph’s early days (2:30)
- Lessons learned and musings on Stoicism (7:19)
- Allegiance to the NHS (11:10)
- Careful AI (15:20)
- What is Agentic AI? (23:48)
- Maintaining control of AI Agents (30:44)
- Always read the terms and conditions (35:55)
- Concerns around the next five years of AI (40:10)
- AI in education (49:10)
- Conclusions (53:48)
Access CriticalAIonAI podcast mentioned in the show here - https://www.carefulai.com/accelerating-safe-ai-providers.html
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
“I had a team of me…and that was it!”
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth Davies sits down with Darren Desmond, CISO at the AA, to discuss how AI will change the Cyber Security arms race, why it’s a strange time for CISOs, and how he was the most un-military recruit his training Sergeant had ever seen…
Time stamps:
- What makes effective leadership in tech? (2:32)
- Starting from scratch: "I had a team of me... and that was it!" (4:20)
- Lessons from the Army and Atomic Weapons Establishment (6:20)
- The Betfair culture shock: "Decisions made on the hoof" (15:20)
- The key cybersecurity threat: Why ransomware remains a top concern (16:50)
- How asset management strengthens cybersecurity (18:10)
- CISO advice: Why asset management is critical for security (22:17)
- The CyberSec arms race: How AI will change the game (24:58)
- Why security is a team effort, not a standalone activity (26:00)
- Ransomware evolution: "The risk of AI-driven attacks" (36:45)
- AI in cybersecurity: The future, risks, and opportunities (40:20)
- Career advice: "Pick a goal and work towards it" (45:06)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth Davies sits down with Arun “Rak” Ramchandran, President and Global Head of Consulting and GenAI at Hexaware, on the day they launched a multi-Billion Dollar IPO in India. They discuss the Indian economic boom of the ‘90s, and why Gen AI is different to previous tech revolutions.
Time stamps:
- Hexaware’s Big Day: The IPO Launch (2:25)
- US vs. India: Where to List the IPO? (3:57)
- Leadership Philosophy: “Do It for Fun” (6:15)
- Rak’s Early Career Journey: Meandering, Horizontal and Vertical (7:51)
- The Indian Economic Boom (10:51)
- From Infosys to Virtusa: Regrets and Learnings (13:12)
- Leadership Lessons from Infosys Founder, N.R. Narayana Murthy (15:54)
- Why Rak Chose Hexaware (19:56)
- How Gen AI Differs from Previous Tech Revolutions (24:04)
- AI’s Ability to Consider Alternatives Humans Can’t (28:50)
- Will AI Displace White-Collar Workers? (31:10)
- Gen AI’s Impact on the SaaS Industry (33:47)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Join us this week on The Tech Leaders Podcast, where Gareth Davies sits down with Andre Durand, Founder and CEO of Ping Identity, to discuss how early-stage entrepreneurs form a blood pact with their colleagues, what it’s like to found a company in an industry that doesn’t exist, the million dollar deep-fake risk, and why life is like a hockey stick…
Time stamps:
- Lessons from Andre’s First Two Exits (8:18)
- The True Goal of an Entrepreneur (10:00)
- Balancing Work and Life in a Startup (11:42)
- Day One at Ping: The Journey Begins (15:58)
- The Evolution of Identity & Access Management (IAM) (23:29)
- The Future Without Passwords? (27:11)
- The Rise of New Biometrics (28:51)
- Fundraising Tips for Entrepreneurs (32:25)
- How AI & Deepfakes Challenge IAM Security (35:19)
- AI, Fear & Excitement: “Intelligence Defines the Hierarchy” (38:26)
- Advice to 21-Year-Old Andre (40:49)
Book recommendation: “Good & Great by Choice”: Jim Collins
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
This fifth instalment of TTLP’s AI Series 2.0 concludes a quintet of insightful conversations about the tech innovation that’s having a huge impact on the world as we know it.
Matt Armstrong-Barnes, CTO for AI at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, joins Gareth and Kerensa for the final conversation of the series; this episode may be last but it’s certainly not least.
With a career spanning over 25 years, Matt has led game-changing transformation programmes across the public and private sector, he’s a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Chartered Engineer, and a passionate champion of open-source tools that make AI accessible for all.
Now as the CTO for AI at HPE, Matt’s role as a tech leader is marked by helping blue chip organisations navigate AI adoption.
Featuring stellar insight into what businesses need to prioritise for successful AI adoption, the surprising environmental cost of an AI query to the perils of 'AI washing,' and even how to explain AI to a six-year-old—this episode is the perfect conclusion to the AI Series 2.0!
Time stamps
- What excites Matt most about AI? (02:26)
- Matt’s favourite GenAI tools (03:50)
- The journey to CTO (06:07)
- The difference between Computer Science and IT (13:27)
- Why use cases for GenAI are problematic (15:34)
- How to ensure your data is AI-ready (22:07)
- Where are businesses failing most with AI strategy? (25:39)
- The industries most likely to be impacted by AI (37:47)
- Matt’s biggest AI fears (47:53)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Brought to you by bedigital
This week’s guest joins us for the penultimate instalment of TTLP’s AI Series to give a masterclass in how businesses can get the most out of AI. Dr Djamila Amimer, esteemed AI thought leader and founder of Mind Senses Global, joins Gareth and Kerensa and offers incredible insight into her path to becoming an AI expert.
Joining the Oil and Gas industry at the start of her career with a passion to drive change in environmental resource, Djamila’s tech journey is marked by a desire to optimise both technological development and societal impact. Using “AI for good” is a key component to her work in Mind Senses Global and her overall stance on AI usage in business.
Believing that “AI is more than a technology—it’s a way of thinking,” Djamila offers invaluable insights into how technology leaders can ethically harness AI to boost productivity and efficiency. This episode is an expert guide into AI and a perfect overview into some of the key points explored on this series so far.
Time stamps
· What excites Djamila most about the future of AI (02:27)
· Why Djamila joined the oil and gas industry (06:23)
· What is AI? (13:51)
· Corporate lessons that were key for entrepreneurship (19:12)
· What are AI hallucinations? (25:36)
· Importance of human influence in AI (31:37)
· Being more environmentally efficient with AI (36:00)
· Battling bias with AI (42:12)
· The key to AI consultations (48:41)
· Combatting job displacement within AI (54:34)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
For the third instalment of TTLP’s AI Series 2.0, we wanted to bring in a tech leader with a different outlook on AI, CTO and co-founder of PensionBee and self-confessed AI sceptic, Jonathan Lister-Parsons.
This episode marks Jonathan’s second feature on TTLP, and this time he joins Gareth and Kerensa discuss not only PensionBee and how they transformed the pension market, but also Jonathan’s unique perspective on AI innovation. Reinforcing the fact that AI exists as “the output of human input”, Jonathan explains the current AI ‘hype cycle’ and why an AI apocalypse is not on the cards.
From his role in bringing pensions to the forefront of table-top discussions, to his assurance in the stability of a human-centred labour market, this episode is perfect for leaders who want to understand how to harness technology in a safe, responsible, and genuinely impactful way.
Time stamps
- What excites Jonathan most about GenAI? (02:28)
- Jonathan’s favourite AI tools (05:20)
- Innovating the pension industry (08:55)
- Balancing dynamics between co-founders (17:42)
- Defining AI (22:20)
- How has GenAI improved PensionBee’s vision (28:31)
- Does Jonathan fear an AI Apocalypse? (39:00)
- AI in education (42:48)
- Regulating FinTech (47:12)
- Security considerations for GenAI (49:51)
- The future of PensionBee (56:00)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Brought to you by bedigital
We’re back with the second episode of TTLP’s AI Series 2.0, where Gareth and Kerensa are joined by an AI leader driving change at one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, Jair Ribeiro, Analytics and Insights Lead at Volvo.
Swedish automotive brand Volvo, approaching its 100-year anniversary, is one of the most iconic automotive brands globally and is at the forefront of AI and generative AI innovation.
Growing up in Brazil, Jair moved to Europe, where he worked with major industry players like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and now, Volvo. An expert in both traditional and generative AI models, with a deep understanding of the ethical dimensions of AI adoption, Jair is a recognized thought leader in AI innovation.
In this episode, we explore a wide range of topics, from ethical AI and the diverse applications of generative AI to how businesses can leverage data more effectively. This episode is a masterclass in the multiplicity of AI, as told by a true expert in the field.
Time stamps
- What most excites Jair about AI adoption? (02:59)
- From humanist to technologist (04:30)
- Why creativity is crucial to success with AI (06:00)
- Lessons learned from IBM (09:05)
- The biggest mistakes businesses make with their data (13:34)
- Democratising AI in education (20:52)
- The difference between American and Swedish working cultures (27:54)
- Volvo’s new ‘AI truck’ (33:00)
- Ethical considerations of AI within trade (43:00)
- How to be a good tech leader in the age of AI (53:53)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
Brought to you by bedigital
It’s finally here! We’re back and ready to delve deeper into the world of GenAI.
Over one year on from our original AI Special Series, Gareth is joined once again by the brilliant Professor Kerensa Jennings to explore in greater detail how artificial intelligence is changing the world as we know it.
There’s no better way to begin this series than with a guest who has played a crucial role in bringing new technology to the British public for over 40 years, Maggie Philbin OBE.
From hosting iconic BBC shows such as Swap Shop and Tomorrow's World to founding TeenTech, a charity dedicated to inspiring young people to pursue careers in technology, Maggie remains a leading voice in tech innovation and continues to be a champion for the technology industry in the UK.
Focusing on how GenAI can enhance the learning experiences of young people and inspire the next generation of tech leaders, this episode is full of amazing anecdotes, inspirational stories and stellar insight into the world of AI and technology innovation.
Time stamps
- The tech innovation that Maggie is most excited about (05:40)
- How Maggie joined the BBC and launched her broadcast career (07:24)
- Maggie’s first impressions of revolutionary tech in the 80’s (16:53)
- How did TeenTech begin? (21:38)
- How TeenTech changes lives (28:40)
- How Generative AI is impacting the education sector (34:48)
- Maggie’s predictions on the impact of AI on jobs (43:05)
- Advice to her younger self (49:34)
- If Maggie could have invented any piece of technology, what would it be? (51:04)
- The most outlandish ‘Tomorrow’s World’ invention (53:07)
- Kerensa’s experience with TeenTech (1:01:57)
https://www.bedigitaluk.com/
This week’s guest is part of a mission to transform how businesses access data to deliver better outcomes, as James Fisher, CSO @ Qlik joins Gareth to discuss all things analytics.
From James’ corporate beginnings, to being an instrumental leader in Qlik’s mission to disrupt the business intelligence space, the conversation explores everything from AI to software spend. Describing Qlik as an “AI engine”, James’ expertise in the realm of artificial intelligence is highlighted through his advice to “invest in innovation while also investing in governance”, ensuring that AI safety should be a priority for all organisations.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to James? (02:20)
- Lessons learned from working at SAP (07:10)
- The key milestones in James’ early career (12:53)
- What drives the culture at Qlik? (18:45)
- The emergence of ‘Big Data’ (24:00)
- Predicting the next 5 years of innovation at Qlik (25:20)
- What CTOs need to know about AI in enterprise (27:50)
- How CIOs can cut their software spend (29:40)
- Driving corporate sustainability at Qlik (36:27)
- The ways James achieves work-life balance (44:40)
- Advice to his younger self (45;48)
Book recommendation: Who Moved My Cheese?* Spencer Johnson https://www.waterstones.com/book/who-moved-my-cheese/dr-spencer-johnson/9780091816971
At TTLP, we’ve been fortunate to have numerous tech leaders from Google join us to offer stellar advice. This week’s guest, Cristina Pitarch, is no different. As the General Manager EMEA at Google Cloud Security, Cristina leads a team that is responsible for keeping not only one of the biggest technology companies in the world secure, but also their customer list containing some of the largest businesses in the world.
From moving across the world to study at the University of California with very little English-speaking ability, Cristina took the plunge to move away from her law school background and enter the innovative world of technology. Joining Salesforce at the early stages meant that Cristina was able to climb the ranks quickly and become a driving force in the company’s expansion before moving to the technology powerhouse that is Google.
This episode reveals the key aspects of Google’s Clouds security strategy, and why GCP should be the number one choice for CTOs from security standpoint. From an unlikely career trajectory to astute advice on how to prioritise security within a business, this episode is value packed!
Time stamps:
- What does good leadership mean to Cristina? (02:42)
- Cristina’s unconventional path into tech (04:21)
- The biggest cultural differences between studying in USA vs. Spain (06:36)
- Joining Salesforce in its growth phase (07:33)
- Harnessing innovation at Google (11:42)
- The core principles of Google Cloud’s Security strategy (21:57)
- Current cybersecurity trends (24:27)
- Why should CTO’s choose Google Cloud Platform? (31:52)
- Advice to women in tech in 2024 (32:22)
- How does Cristina achieve balance in her life? (43:37)
When you think of supermarkets, you probably think more about groceries than AI. This week’s guests are helping evolve Tesco into a technology-led organisation driving innovation in the highly competitive grocery space.
Head of Product, Aji Bawo and Graduate Software Engineer, Naamua Dodoo join Gareth on this week’s episode of TTLP to discuss their experiences joining the biggest supermarket in the UK as a tech graduate.
This episode explores the role of Tesco as an employer, the importance of diversity and inclusion within tech, and the key considerations for graduates looking to start a career in the industry. If you’re someone who’s looking to embark on a career in tech, or a technology leader considering hiring entry level talent, this episode provides incredible insight you won’t want to miss!
Time stamps
· How both Naamua and Aji got into tech (03:00)
· What good leadership means to Aji (06:06)
· What Naamua looks for in a leader (07:45)
· The main technology skills graduates need to know (11:25)
· How graduate recruitment has changed at Tesco (23:14)
· Is the technology industry becoming more diverse? (33:00)
· How Tesco is leveraging AI (42:28)
· Will graduates be replaced by AI? (48:40)
· Naamua’s advice to new graduates (54:02)
· Aji’s advice to her younger self (54:54)
Book recommendations: How Women Rise, Sally Helgesen amazon.co.uk/How-Women-Rise-Habits-Holding/dp/1847942253/ref=sr_1_1?crid=164GS4TGSBHLA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.arPA90K8OERoOH18pbxgFCNT4yI7xZTObt3ShCkf4yOu6ELcJ9_kKmmjm7S_kgpOvsXCDOPCFPzbfr-YdkZhZaHw_DJ_TZO4PcQsS3xY_MOXtq_2JmFWNVx-dG_NFSuaIWoAwhR_BGIcsjfVw3rFUS9Mkw--cAxEbMyOTcPG7mk2RoNAZgF8-tHwlVniJh-9cvjjcHryqIuTIaaOU3cgDR2RMT6G2hVeuD7j8ebmGPU.W6MXP5nlQURJdUjCr0QLxNd5JFckjJeldjs5jPfAODE&dib_tag=se&keywords=how+women+rise&qid=1724776577&s=audible&sprefix=how+women+rise%2Caudible%2C81&sr=1-1-catcorr
Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office, Lois. P. Frankel amazon.co.uk/Nice-Girls-Dont-Corner-Office/dp/1455558893/ref=sr_1_1?crid=S29EGCNUWI36&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DemEIEROR7o2-ucu3AZavFTXXFmHMxi661IIVRmxnHFB62YF1dD7SlN2YWSoKOvvXwtAhch5D04a36vDqxRzq1MMtPd8GvebQyigSBvLAxy4VY1VcbQ3KHyuA0TS086l3VW--U4nz5AAMkU5SRxQ7VwXrHIkEyOZmqCHKGqjatBagmJZ4sAydkT3QnmijCu_2fRu3a-jN0eBwb4umq7oHNtl1BPe4xUCYr03WFqeMj8.88jZKu3vXEm-RCdDNXOJpx2Uc22lLhT9_c2zuzLUWR8&dib_tag=se&keywords=nice+girls+don%27t+get+the+corner+office&qid=1724776632&sprefix=nice+girls+%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-1
We’ve reached (and now surpassed) 100 episodes!
To commemorate this milestone, we thought it’d be a great opportunity to recap on some of the best pieces of advice from our stellar guest list over the years.
One of TTLP’s most iconic questions, ‘what advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?’, has encouraged our guests to deliver some incredible guidance on navigating the tech space and what it takes to make it as a tech leader.
In this episode, we have compiled 14 of our favourite responses that offer advice from how to achieve work-life balance to ensuring you have one more cocktail— cheers to that!
Time stamps:
1) Jamie Bartlett - fake it until you make it (04:16)
2) Priya Lakhani OBE - keep kindness and welcome challenge (09:00)
3) Quentyn Taylor - invest in legacy tech (12:20)
4) Helen Kelisky - fail fast and learn from it (16:30)
5) Rodger Werkhoven – try fun tech (18:42)
6) Lisa Heneghan – be open to what you can do tomorrow (21:11)
7) Catriona Campbell – test and learn (25:00)
8) David Buttress – balance work life with home life (28:40)
9) Flavilla Fongang - don’t wait to be recognised (34:13)
10) Tom O’Sullivan - get out of your own way (39:05)
11) Jazz Carlin OLY – never be afraid to ask questions (41:30)
12) Greg Jackson – follow the path least trodden (44:15)
13) Joe Baguley – don’t fit into other people’s moulds (45:58)
14) Emilia Molimpakis – 70% is good enough (50:17)
What better way to celebrate TTLP’s 100th episode milestone than by featuring a guest who’s responsible for the biggest tech publication in the UK. Editor in chief of Computer Weekly, Bryan Glick, is a tech leader who has had a unique vantage point when observing the changing technology landscape over his last 14 years whilst in this role.
From starting out in tech sales to covering one of the biggest tech scandals in British history, Bryan’s career journey is unparalleled. Over the course of 15 years and 400 articles, Bryan and his team helped break the news of the Post Office Horizon scandal, which helped uncover both the systemic and technological issues within the institution.
Gareth and Bryan cover everything from leadership advice to insight into how to make it on Computer Weekly’s prestigious UKTech50 list. This episode is jampacked with interesting anecdotes and insightful advice from Bryan, making it the perfect 100th TTLP episode!
Time stamps
· What does good leadership mean to Bryan? (03:40)
· Accidentally falling into the tech space (06:35)
· Transitioning into tech journalism (09:48)
· Becoming Editor in chief at Computer Weekly (18:35)
· Breaking Computer Weekly’s biggest story (21:05)
· How the Post Office Horizon scandal got leaked (23:59)
· The role of investigative journalism in the tech industry (34:36)
· How Computer Weekly decide what to publish (38:32)
· Invention vs. innovation- what’s the difference? (43:48)
· How to make it on a Computer Weekly list (56:35)
· Bryan’s advice to his 21-year-old self (59:35)
This week’s guest was part of a vision to build a “software powerhouse” through innovating SaaS like never before. Sridhar Iyengar, MD Europe at Zoho Corporation, joined the company at the time it was founded, and over the last 28 years, has played a crucial part in its success.
Navigating the scale-up phase through the dotcom boom, Sridhar’s journey within Zoho has been marked by the shift from telecoms to cloud computing, to more recently the advancement of AI. Throughout each technological shift, one thing has remained the same: Sridhar’s passion for innovating the software landscape.
By helping create a platform that can scale up to meet the needs of a changing society, Sridhar is a leader who is driven by ensuring the sustainability of SaaS for the future.
In the UK, the housing market is a topic of conversation that’s on everyone’s lips right now. As soaring interest rates are making mortgages unobtainable for many, this has become a nation-wide crisis.
This week’s guest has designed a platform to remedy many of the issues caused by the outdated British mortgage process, as Arjan Verbeek, Co-Founder and CEO of Perenna, is revolutionising mortgages for the masses. Taking influence from Danish banking practices, Perenna offer users flexible fixed-rate mortgages which are fully protected from interest rate fluctuations.
Having worked in some of the most prominent banks across the globe, including Barclays and BNP Paribas, Arjan witnessed first-hand the financial problems within the housing market and set out to change them. Arjan’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by a desire to disrupt old systems and utilise tech for good. This episode is not to be missed!
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Arjan? (02:12)
- Arjan’s insight into the financial crisis of 2008 (08:20)
- Creating a challenger bank and securing a UK banking licence (12:20)
- What’s wrong with the UK’s mortgage market? (18:51)
- How Perenna makes mortgages accessible (22:28)
- Keeping a working culture cohesive (28:40)
- Technology trends that will innovate banking (33:57)
- Arjan’s tips for maintaining balance and productivity (40:28)
- Advice to his 21-year-old self (43:44)
This week’s guest is an extremely experienced entrepreneur, as after being a founder 15 times, Tim Levy, Founder and CEO of Twyn, has made waves in industries from insurance to entertainment. Tim joins Gareth to discuss his colourful career journey that has brought him most recently to the world of AI.
After leaving his position as director at an insurance broker firm, Tim set his entrepreneurial sights on the bright lights of Hollywood and plunged into the waters of the entertainment industry. His first company Factor 8 Films helped finance, produce and distribute many iconic movies, including Jurassic World and Pirates Of The Caribbean 2 & 3.
Now, Tim’s latest venture harnesses his experience in the entertainment industry and combines it with cutting-edge technology. Twyn is a platform that aims to ‘revolutionise digital interaction’ by creating digital twins of celebrities, whereby users can engage in conversation with them; starting with football legend, Lionel Messi. This conversation explores the interesting concept of authenticity in AI and is not to be missed!
· What does good leadership mean to Tim? (02:14)
· Making a drastic career change (06:02)
· Generating 10 billion dollars in the film industry (09:50)
· Tim’s investment strategy (14:50)
· Investing in sustainability to invest in the future (17:52)
· Tim’s top advice for investors and entrepreneurs (28:10)
· What is Twyn and how does it work? (35:09)
· Working with Lionel Messi (41:39)
· What excites Tim most about the future of AI (47:00)
· Tim’s advice to his 21-year-old self (50:38)
This week’s guest turned tragedy into tech innovation with a platform designed to transform the way we all deal with death. Sam Grice, CEO and Founder of Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel) has created a platform that manages all aspects surrounding death; from will creation to bereavement support.
Sam was always destined from entrepreneurial success, as both his parents were keen entrepreneurs, and he put his hereditary expertise to the test with a food and supplement side hustle. However, it wasn’t until the tragic loss of his mum, did the full extent of Sam’s passion for innovation flourish with the creation of Guardian Angel (now Octopus Legacy).
Being a key player in propelling the death-tech industry forward, Sam is a tech leader that is paving the way in an industry that affects each and every one of us. This episode covers an incredibly inspirational entrepreneurial journey and is not to be missed!
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Sam? (02:10)
- Early exposure to life as an entrepreneur (03:25)
- Starting out with a side hustle (06:00)
- The tragedy that shaped Sam’s tech career (08:18)
- Creating Guardian Angel (12:12)
- Overcoming the obstacles within death-tech (17:04)
- What is a founder’s ‘kryptonite’? (22:00)
- Acquisition by Octopus Group (29:12)
- The Future of Octopus Legacy (33:31)
- How Sam achieves balance (43:10)
- Advice to young founders (44:43)
Book recommendation: Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Dr, Dan Ariely - Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions: Amazon.co.uk: Ariely, Dr Dan: 9780061854545: Books
This week’s episode focuses on a groundbreaking piece of technology that aims to reshape the world as we know it, even putting supercomputers to shame. Simon Phillips, CTO at Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), joins Gareth to give us insight into the potentially groundbreaking world of Quantum Computing.
Dropping out of school early, Simon’s tech career started in the video game industry, working on some legendary games such as Championship Manager. Simon has always gravitated towards innovative technology, which culminated in him joining OQC to explore the endless possibilities of quantum computing.
The potential of quantum technology is not to be underestimated, as Simon explains that this technology can, and will, change the world. However, this conversation explores the importance of keeping a ‘human element’ within our engagement with technology; we should be absorbing technology into our lives, not being absorbed by it.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Simon? (02:21)
- “High school drop-out” to computer game innovator (04:18)
- Developing Championship Manager (08:49)
- The beginning of quantum computing (13:50)
- The reality of quantum computing today (22:40)
- Real-world applications of quantum computing (27:19)
- The next phase of human-technology interactions (38:08)
- Simon’s stellar productivity advice (40:53)
- His advice to his younger self (42:50)
Book recommendation- Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology*, Chris Miller. Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology: Amazon.co.uk: Miller, Chris: 9781398504127: Books
This week’s guest is a self-proclaimed “consulting industry veteran”, and after being in the tech space for over 25 years, Kelly Manthey, Global CEO at Kin + Carta is a tech leader with a compelling story to tell.
After delving into the corporate world straight from university and securing a role as a consultant at Accenture, Kelly trained as an applications developer before her trajectory to the top. Following the mantra that “standing still is not a strategy”, her experience within both the corporate and start-up realms has ultimately shaped Kelly’s journey to Global CEO.
In this episode, Kelly attributes her success as a leader to 3 main aspects: being a steward of the business, being a good ally, and being a futurist. This conversation uncovers not only her incredible journey as a technologist, but also Kelly’s stellar advice as a trail-blazing tech leader. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and practical advice.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Kelly? (02:00)
- The journey to becoming a consulting industry veteran (03:28)
- Lessons from joining Accenture as a graduate (05:54)
- Leaving the corporate world for success in a start-up (08:26)
- The role of a Global CEO (14:25)
- Benefits of being a B Corp? (19:00)
- The difference between British and US consulting firms (21:50)
- Are companies really embracing AI? (27:50)
- Kelly’s top productivity tips (38:08)
- Advice to her younger self (41:01)
- The future of the female CEO (42:43)
In honour of National Robotics Week, this episode features a guest who’s on a mission to create a world where people “work with robots, not like robots”.
Anders Billesø Beck joins Gareth on this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast to discuss his journey to tech leadership in the revolutionary field of robotics. From his poolside background as a national swimmer, Anders recounts how he dove headfirst into the world of robotics during his time studying at the Technical University of Denmark.
Championing the innovative Danish tech scene, Anders’ current role at Universal Robots aims to bring robotics into the mainstream through the groundbreaking creation of ‘Cobots’: robots that are designed specifically for direct human interaction.
Not only is Anders an expert in tech innovation, as he also has stellar advice for thriving as a tech leader, encouraging people to “draw the line and find your time” to ensure a positive work-life balance.
Time stamps
· What does good leadership mean to Anders? (01:43)
· Diving into the world of robotics (03:57)
· The dawn of Denmark as a tech hub (09:32)
· Universal Robots and the rise of Cobots (13:30)
· Will a robot take your job? (21:57)
· Making robots mainstream (23:58)
· How Generative AI is enhancing the field of robotics (30:47)
· How to achieve balance as a tech leader (38:23)
· What Anders would tell his 21-year-old self (42:40)
*Book recommendation - The Wide Lens, Ron Adner The Wide Lens By Ron Adner | Used | 9781591846291 | World of Books (wob.com)
This week, Gareth is joined by a leader responsible for building one of the biggest software observability platforms across the globe. CTO of Dynatrace, Bernd Greifeneder, features on this episode to tell all about his role in developing the revolutionary platform which harnesses AI and automation for unified observability and security.
Offering insight into the key milestones of Dynatrace’s evolution, including their decision to go for public investment and their role in developing and utilising AI, Bernd exemplifies his role as a key figure in the software space. The introduction of a Chief AI Officer emerges as a focal point in the conversation, as Gareth and Bernd discuss the future of AI at great lengths, highlighting the anticipation of future technology disrupting the corporate landscape.
Believing that proactively driving change is the key differentiator between managers and leaders, Bernd’s hands-on role in building Dynatrace from the ground up illustrates his influence as an established tech leader.
Time stamps
- What good leadership means to Bernd (02:06)
- The early years of Dynatrace (06:28)
- The case for taking acquiring public investment (18:35)
- The 3 emerging types of AI (21:22)
- The rise of the Chief AI Officer (20:58)
- Bernd’s biggest cybersecurity concerns (27:35)
- Dynatrace’s revolutionary new tech (35:00)
- Achieving balance to battle burnout (40:37)
- Bernd’s advice to his 21-year-old self (43:40)
Book recommendation: The One Minute Manager*, Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - The New One Minute Manager (The One Minute Manager): Amazon.co.uk: Blanchard, Kenneth, Johnson, Spencer: 9780008128043: Books
What does a house robbery and a cyber-attack have in common?
According to this week’s guest, Lianne Potter, Head of SecOps at Asda, it’s the people involved. On a mission to showcase the people-centric side of cybersecurity, Lianne is a trailblazing ‘Cyber Anthropologist’ and joins Gareth this week to discuss her journey to tech leadership.
From wedding photography to anthropology and eventually cyber security, Lianne’s road to tech is a varied one. Not only is she a cybersecurity leader at one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK, she also hosts her own podcast which aims to bridge the gap between security and innovation.
This week’s episode explores the world of cyber security through a human-centric lens, and focuses on the people behind the tech. If you’re interested in all-things cyber safety, this is the episode for you!
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Lianne? (01:30)
- Lianne’s unconventional journey into tech (10:00)
- Combatting the digital divide (12:34)
- Switching careers in your 30’s (17:31)
- The current, most concerning cyber threats (24:00)
- What is Cyber Anthropology (25:22)
- Developing AnthroSecurist (29:18)
- AI and the democratisation of productivity (33:20)
- Lianne’s Compromising Positions (41:57)
- Advice to her 21- year-old self (44:40)
“The purpose of SAP is to make the world run better— It’s designed to improve every business process”.
This week, Gareth is joined by a leader from one of the biggest software companies on the planet, SAP. Renaud Heyd, CFO of the software powerhouse in the UK, tells us all about his 25 years working for SAP and how they’ve shaped him into the tech leader that he is today.
Renaud joined SAP straight after completing his MSc in Finance, and for the last 25 years, hasn’t looked back since. He attributes his longevity at SAP to the ability to be his authentic self in a company that fosters growth and the ability to seize opportunities.
With a customer base that generates 87% of total global commerce, Renaud’s role as CFO is no small task. This episode is overflowing with stellar leadership advice and expert insight into the journey to CFO, as Renaud’s workplace mantra of “you can either change roles or change the role itself” has resulted in his success at the 3rd largest software company worldwide.
Time stamps
- What good leadership means to Renaud (02:20)
- The journey to CFO (04:02)
- Evolving the role of a CFO (09:09)
- The benefits of SAP cloud migration (14:35)
- SAP’s influence in developing nations (21:55)
- How ready are SAP customers for AI capability? (23:49)
- Renaud’s view on the future of AI (31:19)
- How to make it big in the finance industry (32:50)
- SAP’s new sustainable tech (38:44)
- Renaud’s advice to his 21-year-old self (42:52)
Once claiming to the US Senate that he could ‘take down the internet in 30 minutes’, this week’s guest gives us insight into the underbelly of the cyberworld. Chris Wysopal, founder and CTO of Veracode, tells us all about his experience as an ethical hacker and how he and his team at L0pht pioneered the way for cybersecurity.
From taking an interest in the potential of cyber hacking at the start of the online era, to being a trailblazer in the discovery of IT vulnerability as a whole; Chris and his team were at the forefront of raising cyber risk awareness. Determined to battle the ‘bad guy image’ in cybersecurity, the L0pht team were on a mission to showcase the fallibility of big vendors, such as Microsoft, and evidence they need for effective security measures.
Now, Chris’ colourful past shapes the security-led solutions of Veracode, a platform that detects flaws and vulnerabilities at every stage of the modern software development lifecycle. This interview is a deep dive into the depths of cyber security and is not to be missed!
Timestamps
- What does Good Leadership means to Chris? (02:20)
- Pioneering the start of cybersecurity (04:20)
- Starting a hacker collective (07:18)
- L0pht’s biggest cybersecurity breakthroughs (12:47)
- Challenging the US Senate with cyber risks (18:00)
- Are governments doing enough to prevent cyber-attacks? (22:12)
- GenAI’s role in cybersecurity (32:00)
- An introduction to Veracode (34:24)
- Chris’ advice to his 21-year-old self (43:24)
If you’re looking for a truly authentic insight into entrepreneurship, look no further than this week’s episode. Gareth is joined by Tom O’Sullivan, ex-army veteran and founder of software development company Animus Bytes, and the pair candidly discuss Tom’s journey from battlefield to business meeting.
Tom’s leadership journey began in Helmand Province, where he was stationed during his time in the military and led a team of 90 soldiers. After his departure, his interest in risk and security lead him to the realm of cybersecurity and the technology space. At Animus Bytes, Tom and his team are currently working on an application called Migrant Watch, where vulnerable people at sea can be detected and rescued using AI, machine learning and NLP technology.
From walking away from his own business that was no longer serving him, to realising his passions and starting over with Animus Bytes, Tom’s tech journey is emblematic of the trials and tribulations that are faced by founders everywhere. This episode is jampacked with stellar leadership advice, meditation tips and all-round interesting anecdotes— it’s not to be missed!
Timestamps
- What does good leadership mean to Tom? (02:26)
- Lessons learned from Tom’s time in the army (05:20)
- Mindful meditation (09:15)
- Starting a cybersecurity start-up (17:02)
- Facing failure as a founder (22:57)
- What is Animus Bytes? (27:45)
- How Animus Bytes is combatting the migration problem (30:35)
- The similarities between AI and nuclear weapons (45:18)
- Tom’s advice to his pre-military self (53:25)
The already evolving cloud computing space is undergoing an accelerated period of change, in light of the emergence of Generative AI technology. This week, Gareth is joined by Cloud Computing Expert and VP of Strategic Initiatives at AWS, Brian ‘Tap’ Taptich.
This episode uncovers Brian’s journey to becoming a leader in the largest cloud service provider on the market, which ultimately began with a ‘early midlife crisis’ in the form of a motorcycle trip around the US. His ability to lead tech companies is exemplified through his phenomenal career history; as he worked to save Bitcasa from insolvency on the 6th day of being the CEO, Brian’s leadership skills have truly been tried and tested.
Brian tells us what makes AWS such a powerhouse in the cloud computing space, from abolishing ‘PowerPoint culture’ to values that ‘can be learned but are mostly earned’. He offers stellar advice to CEOs, including how to be a ‘benevolent dictator’ and strike the right balance between business and culture. If you’re interested in finding out how to be successful in the cloud space, this episode is not to be missed.
Time stamps
- An introduction to ‘Tap’ (01:34)
- What good leadership means to Brian (02:17)
- The milestones that made him (03:55)
- The dotcom boom vs. the AI revolution (07:41)
- The biggest lessons from building Bitcasa (10:05)
- What surprised Brian most when joining AWS (13:39)
- The relationship between AWS and Amazon (16:00)
- Brian’s prediction of AWS’ future evolution (30:15)
- Brian’s best productivity tips (41:18)
Book recommendation- Blue Highways: A Journey into America*, William Least Heat-Moon Blue Highways: A Journey Into America : Heat Moon, William Least, McKibben, Bill: Amazon.co.uk: Books
As Christmas is just round the corner, this week’s guest epitomises the season of goodwill in the form of angel investment. Sarah Turner, CEO and Co-founder of Angel Academe, joins Gareth to discuss her role in bridging the gap to support female entrepreneurs.
In this episode, Sarah recalls the ‘lucky accidents’ that got her into the tech industry, as she is keen to dispel any preconceptions that the road to tech is a linear one. Her passion for digital media guided her on a journey from the corporate world to a start-up environment which ultimately lit a flame for entrepreneurialism, culminating in her journey to becoming an angel investor.
Sarah was recently ranked 2nd on Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Women in Tech list 2023, reinforcing her recognition as a prominent figure in the tech start up investment world. Sarah’s innovative platform challenges angel investment norms, and allows female led start-ups to access top investors.
Timestamps
- What does good leadership mean to Sarah? (01:49)
- Sarah’s transition into tech (03:15)
- First experience with a start-up (06:35)
- What is the purpose of Angel Academe? (13:06)
- Female-focused entrepreneurship (17:15)
- Angel Academe’s unique selling points (23:20)
- Sarah’s stellar advice for entrepreneurs (25:15)
- The biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make (28:55)
- Talking ChatGPT and its impact (41:00)
- Sarah’s advice to her younger self (41:40)
This week, in a TTLP first, we have a second guest from a company that’s already made waves on our podcast, KPMG. There’s no better guest to return to represent this powerhouse consultancy than Paul Henninger, UK Head of Connected Technology and Global of Digital Lighthouse.
Paul joins Gareth to discuss his journey (and return) to leadership within KPMG, as well as the key milestones that he reached along the way. From working on the groundbreaking development of machine learning for cancer diagnoses 15 years ago, Paul’s passion for automation has marked his career and driven him to be a leader in the space.
This episode delves into the intricacies of AI adoption and what that means for big organisations like KPMG, as well as the wider labour market. If you’re interested in hearing about Paul’s journey to the top, be sure to tune in to hear his incredible AI insights!
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Paul? (01:37)
- Paul’s early involvement in machine learning and cancer detection (06:05)
- The big move from New York to London (08:20)
- Keeping with KPMG (14:40)
- AI and job displacement (18:25)
- Regional differences in AI adoption (27:43)
- What Paul fears most about AI (33:45)
- Paul’s advice to his 21-year-old self (39:25)
- How Paul stays productive (41:13)
This week, Helen Kelisky, MD at Google Cloud UKI joins Gareth to discuss her leadership journey; from securing a role in juggernaut IBM, marking her entry into the tech space, to joining the powerhouse that is Google Cloud as the Managing Director UKI.
A proud advocate for diversity in tech, Helen has been recognised on Computer Weekly’s Most Influential Women in Tech list for the last 6 years, exemplifying both her career successes and her external volunteering in organisations such as Women in Telecoms & Technology (WiTT).
Helen gives us insight into her leadership success and how to manage a team in the most effective way possible, ensuring that ‘every day is a learning day’, even for leaders. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious to know more about cloud computing or anyone in need of some stellar leadership advice— we’ve got you covered.
Timestamps
- What does good leadership mean to Helen? (01:36)
- Inclusivity in tech (04:42)
- An introduction to Helen (07:22)
- Helen’s journey into tech (09:30)
- The workplace cultures of IBM, Salesforce and Google (13:15)
- What problems are Google Cloud trying to solve? (19:10)
- Helen’s productivity and work-life balance tips (29:26)
- Advice to her younger self (32:20)
- Helen’s charitable initiatives outside of work (33:44)
Book recommendations: Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box, Arbinger institute Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting... by Arbinger Institute (amazon.co.uk) / The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference: Amazon.co.uk: Malcolm Gladwell: 9780349113463: Books / Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think*, Hans Rosling & Ola Rosling & Anna Rosling Rönnlund Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About... by Rosling, Hans (amazon.co.uk)
On this week’s episode, we delve into a topic that’s a bit closer to home for us at TTLP and bedigital: IT software and licensing. Combining bedigital’s expert software services and our TTLP mission statement to uncover the stories of the biggest names in tech, this week’s guest is a leader in the software management space.
Phil Hames, MD at The Business Software Centre (TBSC), joins Gareth to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how he’s riding the wave of the Software-as-a-Service evolution. Phil and his team at TBSC utilise their expertise to help customers optimise their software usage in a quick and cost-effective way, ensuring that companies make the most of their SaaS. With an innovative focus on cybersecurity within Microsoft 365, TBSC’s unique products and services mean that they’re leaders in the software management industry.
Having been in this field since the 80s, Phil’s career has been shaped by the rise of SaaS and his career journey to forming TBSC has proven that he truly is an expert in the space. Want to smarten up your knowledge on SaaS? Then this is the perfect episode for you!
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Phil? (02:04)
- Setting up a software company (02:46)
- The evolution of Software-as-a-Service (09:95)
- The future of SaaS (11:55)
- The cybersecurity threats that are slipping through the net (14:33)
- What is Shadow IT? (16:42)
- Starting out as an entrepreneur (20:08)
- What is Smarter SaaS? (24:04)
- Phil’s outlook on AI (32:54)
- Advice to 21-year-old self (36:15)
Book recommendation- The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale
The Strangest Secret: Amazon.co.uk: Nightingale, Earl: 9781603865579: Books
At a time when we’re all looking for environmentally friendly yet efficient travel, the railway industry is booming with popularity and investment. Our tech leader this week, Milena Nikolic is at the forefront of this sector. As CTO at Trainline, she is leading the team at one of the largest companies operating in this area.
Milena joins Gareth to discuss her journey towards becoming a tech leader; from competing in coding competitions in Serbia to securing an internship at tech giant Google. Despite never initially being drawn to a leadership position, after being a part of Google’s immense growth period, Milena noticed that any problems they were facing were due to people, not technology. This want to incite change in Google’s company culture led to her becoming an Engineering Manager before ultimately being promoted to Engineering Director within her 12 years at the tech giant.
Now as the CTO of Trainline, Milena discusses her role in one of the largest sectors across the globe, ensuring that she drives her team through goal setting, trusting the process, and being able to take things one step at a time.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Milena? (03:37)
- Climbing the ranks at Google (04:55)
- What Milena would change about her time at Google (08:37)
- Google’s innovation initiative (11:04)
- The key to successful delegation (12:55)
- Milena’s backstory (15:05)
- Transitioning to Trainline (17:40)
- Transforming Trainline with AI (26:00)
- What does a CTO do? (33:10)
- Preventing burnout (35:00)
- The progress of equality within the tech industry (36:35)
- Milena’s advice to her younger self (38:30)
Book recommendation: Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead*, by Cheryl Sandberg Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead: Amazon.co.uk: Sandberg, Sheryl: 9780753541647: Books
In this digital age of hyperconnectivity, ensuring your business is cyber-secure is crucial. That’s where this week’s guest comes in. Daniel Schiappa, Chief Product Officer at Arctic Wolf, joins Gareth to discuss his top tips for tech leadership and what’s happening right now in the cybersecurity space.
Warning that the AI arms race has turned into a nuclear arms race, Daniel gives advice on what we all should be concerned about regarding AI regulations and how smaller companies can defend themselves against security breaches.
Daniel has experience working in some of the largest tech companies across the globe, including Oracle, Microsoft, and Sophos before ultimately joining the team at Arctic Wolf. With a passion for cybersecurity guiding his journey to CPO, Daniel tells us of his highlights; from working with tech geniuses like Bill Gates, to receiving a life-changing letter from the UK government stating that the western civilisation is dependent on the work of himself and his team.
Daniel is an influential tech leader with an unusual leadership mantra originating from a galaxy far, far away. He believes that ‘“there’s a time to be Yoda and there’s a time to be Darth Vader”’, and this duality of encouragement and ruthless determination is what keeps him and his leadership team ahead of the game.
- What does good leadership mean to Daniel? (02:12)
- Daniel’s key career milestones (04:33)
- Working with Bill Gates (11:28)
- The greatest engineering highlight of his career (14:00)
- Daniel’s role at Arctic Wolf (16:00)
- The cyberthreats that keep Daniel up at night (21:10)
- How to avoid cyberthreats as a smaller company (26:21)
- What is quantum computing? (34:16)
- Why cybersecurity is the perfect career path in 2023 (35:50)
- Daniel’s advice to his 21-year-old self (39:50)
Book recommendation – The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today*, Ken Blanchard The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today eBook : Blanchard, Kenneth, Muchnick, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books
When we think about the success of a business, we think about stats, popularity, and growth. But what about the employee?
Our guest this week is focused on prioritising the people, as the Director of EMEA Solutions at Qualtrics, Sally Winston joins Gareth to discuss the exciting world of employee experience (EX).
With a background in psychology, Sally is passionate about ensuring her leadership is marked by empathy, as she believes that treating each employee as an individual is the key to a successful business, no matter how big the head count.
This conversation explores how the world of EX interacts with technology, and how both AI and psychometric systems can help us know more about ourselves and how we interact with our workspace.
Time stamps
- What good leadership means to Sally (02:20)
- How Sally started out (04:30)
- Employee experience vs. customer experience (11:00)
- The greatest difference between millennials and Gen Z in the workplace (14:39)
- How much do psychometric systems reveal about ourselves? (25:25)
- Qualtrics ‘TACOS’ values (29:04)
- AI and EX (32:27)
- How Qualtrics is embracing the age of AI (37:00)
- Sally’s advice to her younger self (41:25)
*Book recommendation: ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’ by Cal Newport So Good They Can't Ignore You: Amazon.co.uk: Newport, Cal: 9780349415864: Books *
On this week’s episode, we delve into the dynamic world of e-commerce, as Gareth is joined by Aidan Corbett, the visionary CEO of e-commerce funding business, and Ireland’s 6th home-grown tech unicorn, Wayflyer. Establishing a successful venture in this rapidly growing sector is no easy task, that’s where Aidan and his team come in; to help e-commerce entrepreneurs get the kick-start they need.
This episode is jam-packed full of advice from not only Aidan’s perspective as an investor, but also through his personal journey as a tech entrepreneur himself. We get the inside scoop on the best ways to launch your e-commerce venture, including whether an MBA is actually worth the time (and money), and if coding is still a useful skill in this age of AI.
Finding ‘“what feels like work to everyone else but feels like play to you”’ is a piece of Aidan’s stellar advice and is testament to his trajectory to the top of tech leadership. He demonstrates how important it is to play to your strengths and know your niche to excel in the e-commerce ecosystem.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Aidan? (02:43)
- Entrepreneurial inspiration (05:38)
- Is studying an MBA worth it? (07:41)
- Can learning code still be useful? (11:28)
- Starting out at McKinsey & Company (14:33)
- Creating Conjura (20:20)
- The biggest e-commerce mistakes that companies make (24:55)
- How does Aidan assess potential investment opportunities (28:03)
- Why Dublin is an entrepreneurial hotspot (32:53)
- What social channel will make your start-up go viral? (35:50)
- How AI is going to disrupt the e-commerce industry (37:40)
- Aidan’s advice to his 21-year-old self (41:00)
Do you feel like the world of Crypto is a bit… cryptic?
Well, fear not, as Elke Karskens, UK Country Director at Coinbase, joins Gareth on this week’s episode to delve into this ‘digital alternative to Wall Street’ and discuss her role in one of the biggest businesses in the space.
Growing up in Amsterdam, Elke was raised to focus on the importance of the greater good, which ultimately guided her career path to join numerous tech giants and play a vital role in their worldwide influence. Professing that she still ‘bleeds blue’ to this day, Elke tells all about her 12 years at Facebook and how the innovation she experienced there spurred her on to join the ground-breaking world of cryptocurrency.
This episode is jam-packed with aspirational advice on how to become a tech leader whilst setting boundaries and rejecting the ‘disease to please’, as Elke maintains that the secret to success is prioritising the things that matter most.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Elke? (02:02)
- Joining the TomTom trailblazers (08:14)
- Scaling-up Skype (10:12)
- Elke’s stand-out career milestones (14:30)
- The Cambridge Analytica scandal (17:08)
- Joining Coinbase (19:23)
- How defi can change finance (23:38)
- The FTX collapse (27:45)
- Elke’s secret to success (33:10)
- Is Coinbase going to utilise AI? (39:28)
- Advice to her 21-year-old self (40:38)
With climate change being the hottest topic of discussion at the moment, this week we’re delving into its effects on the business world, as Tommy Ricketts, Co-founder of BeZero Carbon, joins Gareth to give us the low-down on environmental economics.
Tommy’s passion for both economy and ecology has shaped his entrepreneurial journey, ultimately leading to his creation of a service that transforms how businesses utilise carbon credits. BeZero Carbon offers an innovative solution to the lack of transparency in the current carbon credit system by rating and assessing the true emissions of corporations.
From an alternate career dream of creating a screenplay about football referees, to advice on maintaining cultural cohesion in the workplace, this candid yet captivating conversation covers all bases of Tommy’s journey so far.
The challenge to combat the carbon crisis is no small feat, so with companies like BeZero Carbon, businesses can hold themselves and each other accountable and turn intention into action to help stop climate change.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Tommy? (01:59)
- Leveraging economic history (04:44)
- A chance encounter and a life-changing text message (08:16)
- The culture difference between UK and US FinTechs (12:21)
- Being the Best (14:55)
- Cultivating the climate economy (16:50)
- Tommy’s screenplay side-hustle (19:05)
- What is BeZero Carbon’s value proposition? (28:30)
- Are big corporations guilty of greenwashing? (36:50)
- Which tech innovations is Tommy is most excited about (43:20)
- Tommy’s advice to his younger self (45:15)
Do you know the similarities between a Naval team and a successful tech team? According to this week’s guest, it’s having a “no bullshit” working culture.
Gareth is joined by Dominic von Throtha Taylor, ex-CEO at PayPoint turned Chairman and CEO iov42 as they explore his journey from submarines to tech leadership, the impact of blockchain, the danger of AI and ChatGPT - the “Rubbish in, Rubbish out” conundrum.
Dominic's success is testament to the power of diverse experiences. Growing up in West London, he was exposed to the world of commerce through his parents' antique dealing business in Portobello Road. Later, he ventured into the Navy, serving on submarines during the tense Cold War era, which instilled in him a no-nonsense leadership style with a direct purpose.
Dominic recounts his early career struggles and his fortuitous call back from Vodafone, where he played a crucial role in setting up the German branch, at a time when Vodafone was pioneering telephony and SMS messaging.
His subsequent journey as the former CEO of PayPoint revealed Dominic's innate ability to lead through the turbulent ever-changing landscape of the early Noughties, making PayPoint a trailblazer in the fintech space.
- What does good leadership mean to Dominic (02:15)
- Dominic’s tech voyage (04:35)
- Life and leadership on board a Royal Navy submarine (17:19)
- The fintech evolution (21:09)
- The dotcom boom and experiencing the Y2K issue (27:34)
- Why do people sell their businesses? (35:11)
- The benefits of working in a start-up company (40:04)
- What work is being done at iov42? (45:05)
- What is blockchain? (49:47)
- AI dangers of rubbish in, rubbish out (53:59)
- How to be more productive (59:56)
- Dominic’s advice to his 21-year-old-self (1:02:50)
If you’re looking for a snapshot of the latest in cybersecurity, then you’re in luck! In this week’s episode, Gareth is joined by Quentyn Taylor, Senior Director Information Security and Global Response at Canon, where the pair zoom in on all-things cyber safety.
Being an established expert in the information security space, Quentin rode the ‘dot com’ wave of the early noughties before ultimately landing a role in the photography manufacturing powerhouse that is Canon. From here, he’s become a renowned figure in the cyber space, not only from his seat in the office but also from his gadget-tastic YouTube channel (which you can check out here: (4) Quentyn Taylor - YouTube).
The conversation covers everything from the Dark Web and security scandals to AI and moving away from ‘the age of reality’. Quentin gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what really keeps CISO’s up at night and what we can all do to ensure we stay safe in this ever-changing online space.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Quentyn? (03:45)
- Surviving the Dot Com Bubble Burst (11:10)
- The evolution of cybersecurity threats (15:30)
- Deep diving into the Dark Web (19:00)
- What are CISO’s worried about today? (22:22)
- The SolarWinds scandal (24:40)
- What type of company is Canon? (27:38)
- How Canon is utilising AI (29:50)
- Can AI be hacked? (36:40)
- How to keep your online passwords safe (50:25)
- Quentyn’s advice to his 21-year-old self (54:40)
In this thought-provoking episode, host Gareth Davies delves deep into the world of mental health diagnostics with Emilia Molimpakis, the visionary CEO of thymia; an online platform transforming the landscape of mental well-being using a powerful combination of gamification, AI, and neuro-linguistics.
Drawing on her lifelong fascination with neuroscience, Emilia shares her compelling insights on the critical role empathy plays in effective leadership and emphasises the need for ethical guidelines in the realms of technology and healthcare.
Throughout the interview, Emilia fearlessly addresses the inadequacies of our current mental health support system, shedding light on the alarming reality that countless individuals slip through the cracks due to its inherent failures. She also discusses the bureaucracy that is ultimately preventing the NHS from adopting technological advancements within mental health diagnostics.
Reflecting on her entrepreneurial journey, Emilia imparts her most valuable lesson learned: the importance of staying true to one's vision and not succumbing to the allure of easy money. By steadfastly holding onto their goals, entrepreneurs can build impactful solutions that align with their core mission and values.
Wrapping up the episode, Emilia offers heartfelt advice to individuals facing mental health struggles. Encouraging them not to lose hope, she emphasises the significance of making their voices heard.
Timestamps
- What does good leadership mean to Emilia (03:00)
- What did Emilia want to be when she grew up (05:00)
- How much does language shape our reality? (06:50)
- Academic ambition (09:15)
- The correlation between video games and brain function (12:00)
- Emilia’s personal experience with mental health tragedy (13:00)
- NHS vs. tech modernity (18:05)
- Experience with Entrepreneur First (20:30)
- Biggest lessons learnt (24:20)
- How Thymia works (29:15)
- How effective are current mental health diagnoses? (39:00)
- Bureaucracy in the NHS (42:40)
- Emilia’s advice to those struggling with their mental health (47:30)
- Advice to her 21-year-old self (50:00)
- What is Emilia most excited about in the AI revolution (52:00)
- Emilia’s productivity advice (56:10)
Do we need to worry about extinction from AI?!
After 4 jam-packed conversations with some of the biggest thought leaders in the AI space, what better way to conclude our epic series than with someone who can give us the low-down on all things AI ethics. Sara El-Hanfy, Head of AI and Machine Learning at Innovate UK joins Gareth and Kerensa to conclude our A-list line up and discuss the importance of handling AI with care.
From entering the tech space through an unconventional route (proving that it’s possible to study a STEM subject at university even without an A-Level in Maths!), Sara has been on a quest to ensure both AI accessibility and safety for businesses nationwide. Being an Advisory Board Member for UK Parliament on the complexities of AI adoption, Sara offers her expert opinion on the ethics of AI tools like ChatGPT and tells us the major AI risks we should all be aware of.
This final episode is the perfect conclusion to our TTLP AI Series. After numerous conversations about all of the exciting prospects AI is awarding us, Sara reminds that we must approach this unprecedented technology with a degree of caution. As this series comes to an end, one thing remains certain: even AI experts cannot predict what the future holds.
Time stamps
- What excites Sara most about the AI revolution? (02:04)
- What is Innovate UK? (06:00)
- A day in the life of Sara (07:41)
- The BridgeAI programme (09:34)
- Is AI going to overrun your business? (16:45)
- Breaking tradition to get into tech (19:40)
- Is using ChatGPT cheating? (28:53)
- Investing in entrepreneurs (34:47)
- Is the UK government scared of AI? (39:10)
- Sara’s favourite AI tool (41:00)
- Advice to her 21-year-old self (42:29)
- Kerensa’s favourite moment of the AI series (41:10)
Write up
Self-driving cars: coming soon to a road near you!
That’s right, on the fourth instalment of our AI series, Gareth and Kerensa are joined by a pioneer in the autonomous driving space, Co-Founder and CEO of Wayve, Alex Kendall, to discuss all things AI automation.
After securing a scholarship from Cambridge University, leaving behind his home in New Zealand to travel to Europe for the first time, Alex’s drive (excuse the pun) to revolutionise the transportation game saw him building drones in Silicon Valley before ultimately co-founding his British-born start-up, Wayve.
This episode explores Wayve’s ground-breaking venture of using AI to create fully autonomous vehicles; from partnering with Ocado and Asda for robotic grocery deliveries, to replacing carparks with eco-friendly ‘greenparks’. “The Age of Autonomy is on its way”, so let’s all ride the ‘Wayve’ and embrace it!
Time stamps
- What excites Alex most about the AI revolution? (01:45)
- The early days of AI (07:45)
- The University of Cambridge as a hub for young entrepreneurs (09:06)
- Designing drones in Silicon Valley (13:14)
- What is autonomous driving? (15:55)
- Partnering with Ocado and Asda (19:30)
- Inside Wayve’s AI (22:25)
- Are human drivers going to be replaced? (26:25)
- The UK’s standing in the AI rankings (33:50)
- Alex’s AI fears (45:15)
- Advice to his 21-year-old self (47:49)
- What’s next for Wayve? (51:00)
“AI will not replace you, a person using AI will” is the revolutionary philosophy from OpenAI’s Independent Creative Director, and third guest in the TTLP AI series, Rodger Werkhoven. In our most provocative interview yet, Rodger, Gareth and Kerensa discuss the true impact that AI is having on today’s society, as we get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the early stages of development within the AI powerhouse that is OpenAI.
Having joined OpenAI to work on their DALLE-2 launch, Rodger discusses how this mind-bending creative software went from test-tool to trailblazer and how it’s now changed the game for artists worldwide. However, as is testament to his catchphrase, humans aren’t lost in Rodger’s AI prophecy, as he describes how we all need to learn to utilise AI to our advantage, in whatever form that may be.
This incredibly insightful, yet slightly ominous, interview is a must-listen if you’re interested in the future of AI but also what it means for us in the present. As Rodger says, “Pandora’s box is open” and now we must wait to see what it truly holds inside…
Time stamps
- What excites Rodger most about the AI revolution? (01:48)
- Rodger’s creative process (03:49)
- AI artists: fact or fake? (08:25)
- Rodger’s OpenAI opportunity (14:35)
- Inside OpenAI (16:00)
- DALL-E’s innovation journey (24:05)
- Should ChatGPT be banned? (26:35)
- Artists vs. AI (30:35)
- AI’s impact on the labour market (33:51)
- An anti-AI advantage (40:05)
- Can AI be self-aware? (52:00)
- Rodger’s advice to future AI creatives (56:15)
Scared about robots taking over the world? Worried that AI aliens will destroy humankind as we know it? Fear not! This week’s guest, Catriona Campbell, CTIO at EY, is a human-computer interaction expert, and she’s here to explain how we can co-exist in perfect harmony. In the second instalment of our AI series, Gareth, Kerensa, and Catriona discuss how the democratisation of AI has the capability to yield more value for humans than perhaps we realise.
Embracing change and disrupting the status quo isn’t something that’s new to Catriona, as being told that she was ‘“too young and too female”’ as a young entrepreneur sparked a desire to revolutionise the tech space— and wow, has she done it!
From driving Barclays’ online banking application, to being a part of Tony Blair’s taskforce team for inclusive government to ultimately setting up Ernst and Young’s pioneering Neuro-Diverse Centre of Excellence, Catriona Campbell is a true tech trailblazer.
Time stamps
- What excites Catriona most about the AI revolution? (02:30)
- Merging creatives with technologists (05:50)
- Ernst and Young’s first female CTIO (06:42)
- Leading Barclays’ first online banking service at 24yo (09:47)
- “Too young and too female” for an investment (12:53)
- Dot com boom to AI boom (14:30)
- Tony Blairs Taskforce (16:10)
- How do we regulate AI? (18:00)
- Advice for businesses on AI adoption (22:15)
- Catriona’s book ‘AI by Design’ (30:28)
- Capturing neuro-diverse talent (37:10)
- Catriona’s take on what jobs will be affected by AI (39:50)
- AI in Education (44:25)
- Catriona’s advice to young entrepreneurs (45:15)
The AI revolution is here. Are you ready for it?
What better way to kick of our brand-new AI series than with a guest who’s on a mission to change the world and spoiler alert she’s already doing it. Gareth and Kerensa are joined by Priya Lakhani, philanthropic entrepreneur and CEO of CENTURY Tech, the AI-powered educational tool that is changing the game in schools and colleges across the globe.
Priya’s captivating story of her quest to make systemic change, due to witnessing inequality first-hand on numerous occasions, pairs well with her passion for AI accessibility, as she works to bridge the barriers between AI and HI. As CENTURY prides itself on personalised pathways to give each student a bespoke educational journey, this episode largely focuses on how AI can be harnessed by humans to break down barriers and improve broken aspects of society.
From abandoning a successful career as a barrister, to setting up a cooking-sauce start up, through to discovering the endless possibilities of AI; this mind-blowing conversation demonstrates how becoming a successful tech leader in the age of AI is invariably about ensuring that fundamental human values remain the same.
Time stamps
- What excites Priya most about the AI revolution? (02:45)
- The dawn of a new CENTURY (Tech) (05:25)
- From courtroom to computer (12:20)
- Priya’s saucy venture (17:05)
- The 2 emotions of entrepreneurs (21:00)
- Fighting female in the tech space (23:30)
- Priya’s publishing project (27:20)
- The rapid growth of ChatGPT (30:00)
- The relationship between AI and HI (35:00)
- How regulation chases innovation (42:45)
- Battling bias in AI (47:35)
- Priya’s advice to her 21-year-old self (53:10)
Book recommendation- Inadequate: The system failing our teachers and your children*, Priya Lakhani Inadequate: The system failing our teachers and your children: Amazon.co.uk: Priya Lakhani: 9781912906222: Books
‘Sales is not just an art form, it’s also a science’ is a belief that this week’s guest has built a successful career on. Along with his sleeves-up, hardworking approach to leadership, it becomes apparent why he has achieved success as a leader and mentor.
Ben Dorks, CEO of Ideagen, joins Gareth to discuss his incredible journey from deciding that he wanted to pursue a career in sales aged just 14, to setting up a company with his brother and ultimately stepping into the role of CEO in 2018. In this episode, Ben uncovers the importance of building a transparent work culture that does NOT include a glass ceiling, being an authentic leader and ensuring that he avoids burnout to always be the best version of himself.
Ben also candidly unpacks how he has helped evolve Ideagen into a market leader in the compliance solution world, and one of the UK’s most recent Tech Unicorns. With fascinating insights on the critical importance of delegation, and the necessity of always having good people around you, this episode uncovers the secrets of what it means to be a successful CEO.
Time stamps
- What does good leadership mean to Ben? (02:00)
- Success in Sales (04:28)
- Early milestones (09:25)
- The Adventure of Acquisition (13:25)
- Advice to young entrepreneurs (17:45)
- Everyday AI (22:15)
- Becoming a CEO (26:05)
- The key to good delegation (28:17)
- The evolution of AI in the compliance world (31:33)
- Avoiding burnout (35:10)
- Productivity advice (36:16)
Book recommendations
Hit Refresh by Satya Nadella Hit Refresh: A Memoir by Microsoft’s CEO: Amazon.co.uk: Nadella, Satya: 9780008247652: Books / It’s Your Ship by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy: Amazon.co.uk: Abrashoff, Captain D Michael, Author: 0352719502246: Books / The New Power Base Selling by Jim Holden The New Power Base Selling: Master The Politics, Create Unexpected Value and Higher Margins, and Outsmart the Competition: Amazon.co.uk: Holden, Jim, Kubacki, Ryan: 9781118206676: Books
“Let’s make tech fun again” is the mantra of this week’s trailblazing guest, Co-founder and CEO of Nothing, Carl Pei, as he embraces the innovative technology of the future and encourages us all to do the same. In the episode, Gareth and Carl discuss the influence that Steve Jobs and Apple had on Carl in his youth, and how being a little disillusioned with the pause on hardware innovation motivated him to dream of being a disruptor.
Carl is an advocate of leading by example and describes ‘leading a team to victory’ through being the best operator possible to motivate the continuous personal development and learning of your team. As the conversation moves towards the dynamic between human and machine, Carl looks forward to the Age of AI generating ‘just another set of tools’ to aid the human experience, not replace humans altogether.
Time stamps
- Carl’s take on good leadership (02:50)
- Fascination with the internet (07:45)
- Carl’s appreciation for design, especially Apple (14:00)
- OnePlus origins (15:00)
- Creating a tech hardware brand (19:00)
- Entrepreneurial advice (21:19)
- The next big technology evolution (25:00)
- Disruptive AI (30:30)
- Recalibrating the tech labour market (36:15)
- Carl’s advice to his younger self (40:30)
Book rec- Atmanun* by Kapil Gutpa MD Atmamun: The Path To Achieving The Bliss Of The Himalayan Swamis. And The Freedom Of A Living God. eBook : Gupta MD, Kapil : Amazon.in: Books
Gone are the days of employee benefits that leave you feeling uninspired, as this week’s guest, Chieu Cao, co-founder of Perkbox and founder of Mintago, joins Gareth to discuss his role in establishing companies that are totally employee-centric. In the episode, Chieu credits his leadership success to the same ethos that drives his companies: being reactive to individualism, and to ‘listen first then make your statement’.
The conversation focuses on the global challenges faced when developing a new product, from initially producing the ‘B2B version of Groupon’ to finding his niche in the employee benefits sector. Chieu and Gareth move on to an insightful conversation on how providing financial education in schools is paramount in creating the money-savy businesspeople of tomorrow, and how ChatGPT is already a game changer for the future. This week’s episode is all about the employee: whether that be a human, or an AI personal assistant, we’ve got it covered.
Timestamps
- What good leadership means to Chieu (01:5)
- Becoming a better communicator (03:30)
- Chieu’s backstory (05:10)
- Walking with the ‘ecommerce giants’ (08:15)
- Building the ‘B2B version of Groupon’ (10:50)
- The beginnings of Perkbox (12:10)
- Change management and growing pains (16:50)
- What is Mintago? (22:05)
- Improving financial education in schools (25:10)
- Is Chat GPT a game changer? (30:15)
- How will consumer trends change in Web3? (35:28)
- Chieu’s productivity tips (39:25)
- Advice to his 21-year-old self (45:15)
Book recommendation- The Almanac of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness (Audio Download): Eric Jorgenson, Tim Ferriss, Vikas Adam, Author's Republic: Amazon.co.uk: Books
‘Wars don’t mean guns, they mean keyboards’ is the standout phrase from this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast with cybersecurity expert and CISO of Whistic, Jake Bernardes. In the episode, both Gareth and Jake discuss the IT vulnerabilities that exist in the public sector, as well as the necessary precautions needed to avoid debilitating cyber-attacks and data breaches. The conversation highlights the importance of user understanding and ‘opening your eyes to the value of your data’ to ensure optimum security.
Alongside cyber-safety, Jake describes how AI is another keen interest of his, as he and Gareth discuss the likelihood of an ‘AI Arms Race’ between search engine giant, Google, and revolutionary newcomer, Chat GPT. However, despite acknowledging the omnipresence of artificial intelligence in society, Jake notes that the key to good leadership ultimately lies within pure human interaction: as he stresses the importance of being ‘in the middle of your team’ to share success and shield from failure.
Time stamps
- What good leadership means to Jake – (01:50)
- Career overview - (2:30)
- Missionary work and learning humility (05:35)
- Retaining ‘natural obsessiveness’ (07:50)
- From Corporate to Start-up (08:55)
- Key career milestones (12:14)
- Whistic and the Vendor Risk space (13:45)
- The biggest cyber security threats (18:25)
- Growing risk of Cyber Wars (21:50)
- ‘Did you Chat GPT that?’ (26:40)
- Ethical hacking (30:05)
- The skills gap (33:20)
- Exciting tech innovations (35:30)
- Verifying things at the source (38:25)
- Keeping fit to keep you focused (43:52)
- A coffee meeting with Alexander Hamilton and Elon Musk (44:28)
-
‘Don’t be afraid to trust your gut’ (46:34)
-
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ - Viktor E. Frankl
Man's Search For Meaning By Viktor E Frankl | Used | 9781844132393 | World of Books (wob.com)
On this week’s episode, Gareth is joined by Welsh entrepreneur and businessman David Buttress to discuss his journey from disrupting the takeaway industry— by co-founding the pioneering UK tech giant Just Eat in 2006— to becoming an investor and taking on the mantle of chairman at his local Welsh rugby region, The Dragons. David speaks candidly about the formative years of his career at Coca-Cola, meeting his co-founder, Jesper Buch, and the early days of Just Eat.
The conversation expands on the ups and downs of creating an entirely new category in the technology space, and David’s role in leading one of the most valuable tech firms in the UK. This episode goes beyond the ‘typical success’ story and delves into the struggles and failures that David and his team faced on their path to success, providing valuable insights for those looking to start or grow a business.
Time stamps
· David’s 3 factors of good leadership (02:30)
· David’s formative years (06:15)
· Mother knows best! (08:05)
· Starting out at Coca Cola (09:30)
· Jesper, energy drinks and the beginnings of Just Eat UK (12:00)
· Hangry consumers (20:00)
· Offline marketing (27:00)
· Scaling David’s formula for success (28:10)
· ‘Run fast grab land’ (32:12)
· Hungry habits (39:00)
· Authenticity in the workplace (40:45)
· Leaving Just Eat UK (46:30)
· An independent Wales (53:43)
· David as the Cost-of-Living Tsar (58:05)
· Leading the Dragons (1:02:00)
· David’s advice to his 21-year-old self (1:08:30)
From entering the tech space in his early teens with a keen interest in all things IT, to becoming the Global Head of Engineering and Transformation at Vodafone, Felipe Canedo joins Gareth to recall his journey to success in one of the biggest telecom companies in the world. On this week’s episode, Felipe discusses his role in transforming Vodafone into a fully-fledged ‘tech company’, as well as promoting an effective leadership style that centres around ‘moving people together to achieve a common goal’.
The conversation shifts between candid reflections on Felipe’s former life in Brazil, to a discussion on the world of AI and how software such as Chat GPT should be considered ‘a partner, not a replacement’ to workers. When reminiscing over his career journey, Felipe concludes by offering sagely guidance to his younger self, advising young people to ‘believe in your dreams and chase them as soon as you get the chance’.
Time Stamps
What good leadership means to Felipe (01:33)
Felipe’s tech origins (02:40)
Moving to the UK (04:17)
What is a Global Head of Engineering? (05:10)
Creating a global community of developers (06:00)
What Felipe misses about Brazil (09:30)
How does the British tech industry compare to the Brazilian tech industry? (11:05)
How to answer your own questions and find your own solutions (13:49)
Becoming a senior manager (15:09)
Coding at home (16:23)
How ChatGPT is changing the game (17:01)
The ways that AI will change telecoms (20:10)
The ‘gloomy side’ of AI (25:00)
What is 5G? (26:06)
How Vodafone has changed as a result of the pandemic (34:21)
Navigating online meetings (38:37)
Felipe’s advice to his 21-year-old self (40:20)
Outside of work interests (43:40)
Book recommendation- ‘Machine, Platform, Crowd’ Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson- Machine, Platform, Crowd – Harnessing Our Digital Future: Amazon.co.uk: Mcafee, Andrew, Brynjolfsson, Erik: 9780393356069: Books
*Disclaimer: the views expressed in this episode are Felipe’s own personal views and not necessarily those of Vodafone*
This week’s guest is on a mission to bring the workforce out of the lull of solitary remote working and back into positive, people-centric workspaces all around the UK. Lucy Minton, co-founder and COO of the disruptive workspace design and management provider, Kitt, joins Gareth on this week’s episode to discuss the case for going back to the office. Amongst other things, they reflect on how organic relationships and creative innovation are often born from collaborative working and are crucial in any organisation.
In the episode, Lucy describes her personal experience pursuing growth building a culture within a start-up environment, and how important it is to ‘craft your own future’ despite setbacks that you may face. We also get insight into Lucy’s ‘workplace forecast’ as she remarks how ‘transactional’ business relationships are a thing of the past, and that the candid, spontaneous interactions— the ones that are made through person-to-person connections— are what pave the way for a ‘magical’ future workplace.
Time stamps
- What good leadership means to Lucy (02:12)
- Grabbing opportunities with both hands (03:30)
- ‘Just cracking on’ (05:47)
- From rule follower to rule breaker (06:43)
- Making an impact (13:11)
- ‘Craft your own future’ (14:35)
- The beginnings of Kitt (17:15)
- Breaking away from transactional business relationships (17:40)
- How the pandemic influenced Kitt (21:55)
- Criticisms of remote working (25:00)
- Spontaneity in the office (28:17)
- Resisting the comfortability of being at home (32:30)
- Lucy’s workplace forecast (34:00)
- Life imitates offices (36:10)
- Ruthless prioritisation (41:00)
- ‘Failure is OK’ (44:12)
- Improving the education system for the business world (44:50)
Book recommendation- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team- Patrick Lencioni
From making waves at the 2016 Rio Olympics, to turning the tide and embarking on a career in tech, Jazz Carlin joins Gareth on this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast to discuss her transition from Olympic athlete to a Woman in Tech. Jazz explains how leading by example is key to leadership both inside and outside of the pool, as implementing an ‘open-door policy’ is paramount in maintaining an effective career as a mentor.
In recalling her turbulent path to Olympic success, Jazz Carlin articulates how ‘the biggest disappointments can lead to your biggest triumphs’ and that maintaining curiosity is one of the most important aspects of career progression. Having retired from professional swimming in 2019, Jazz talks about the daunting prospect of entering the jobs market at the age of 28, and how her experience as a professional athlete has helped her flourish in the world of business.
· What good leadership means to Jazz (02:10)
· Who is Jazz Carlin? (04:10)
· Being in control of your dreams (07:05)
· ‘The biggest disappointments can lead you onto your biggest triumphs’
(08:40)
· Swim with Jazz (08:57)
· ‘Focus on the process’ (10:56)
· Becoming a professional athlete (12:00)
· The Olympic Shift (18:05)
· How to thrive in a pressured environment (21:35)
· ‘Have confidence in the here and now’ (27:10)
· Life in the Olympic Village (28:00)
· Hanging up the goggles (29:50)
· Adapting to a new career venture (36:00)
· Keeping her toes in the water with Swim Wales (39:00)
· How to keep the momentum going (42:57)
Book recommendations
-
The Chimp Paradox- Prof. Steve Peters
-
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway- Susan Jeffers
Co-Founder of the ‘Google Maps of the internet’, Mohit Lad joins Gareth on this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast to discuss his rise to success; from taking his first ever career-defining aeroplane ride at the age of 22, to co-founding the award-winning internet surveillance company, ThousandEyes. In describing what good leadership means to him, Mohit discusses why empathy is a skill that is crucial in achieving a successful, people-orientated business, and how ‘focusing on the fundamentals’ can make all the difference.
Accessibility is a theme that permeates through Gareth and Mohit’s conversation, as we learn how it’s vital in both a technical and personal sense. ThousandEye’s capability to access and display previously unknown information to companies regarding their web traffic is key to its incredible success, but also, Mohit Lad regards the importance of accessibility in another sense: by ensuring that we stay accessible to those around us.
- What makes a ‘good leader’ – 01:35
- Mohit’s humble beginnings- 03:50
- The road to entrepreneurial success never did run smoothly…- 07:30
- Lessons learned on Mohit’s journey- 16:30
- What is ThousandEyes?- 18:30
- The exciting accessibility of the internet- 20:49
- The key to keeping your product current- 24:53
- Connected cars and the technological advancement of transport – 30:31
- Cisco’s acquisition of ThousandEyes- 31:48
- ‘This journey doesn’t come without a tax’- The importance of maintaining familial relationships- 35:11
- Advice to young entrepreneurs- 38:11
- Mohit’s advice to his ‘twenty-something’ year-old self- 40:28
- Mohit’s top productivity advice- 43:38
- ‘Get yourself out of meetings that you don’t need to be in’- 44:30
- Mohit’s book recommendation- The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz- 45:24
On this week’s episode of The Tech Leader’s podcast, Gareth is joined by Adrian Condon, the CTO of B-Secur, a company that creates cutting-edge, heart health technology that is used in some of our favourite tech wearables. In this episode, the topic of discussion centres around how technology can be used to understand the human body, exemplified by the life-saving heart rate variability monitors that Condon himself has helped create.
In understanding our connection to machinery, we also find out how our stress levels mirror that of a car in first gear, and how to avoid a subsequent tech-induced burnout. However, at a time where there is frequent talk about ‘cyborgs’ replacing the organic human body, Adrian Condon discusses how technology should be used as a way of ‘aiding humans, not replacing them’.
02:16 – What does good leadership mean to Adrian?
04:00 – What did Adrian want to be when he grew up?
05:14 – Where B-Secur started
08:20 – Information we can receive from ECG signals
10:20 – Where this technology is going in terms of clinical usage
11:30 – What does HRV (heart rate variability) mean?
15:00 - Stress in relation to cardiovascular disease
16:33 - Next wave of heart problems and “Athletes Heart”
21:30 – Lifestyle impact of these wearable technologies
23:40 – Is implantable technology the future?
26:10 – Sports performance and how this technology assists athletes.
29:40 – Alcohol, drinking and seeing the changes in HRV
32:00 – What is Adrian most excited about in the world in terms of technology innovation?
36:00 – How does Adrian stay healthy working in this field?
40:00 – Adrian’s productivity advice
41:00 – If Adrian could have a coffee with anyone in the world, who would it be?
41:54 – What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?
43:10 - Encouraging start-ups and teaching schools about tech and money
Jamie Bartlett was inspired to start using social media as a research tool in order to understand the workings of extremist groups. The author, journalist and presenter of The Missing Cryptoqueen podcast is an expert in research and technology.
Jamie describes how his interest in people and their habits lead him to the world of think tanks. We also learn how social media is increasingly being used to collect data, and his thoughts on how that world should be regulated. Jamie also has some great humble advice on what makes a good leader, and for those just starting out in their careers.
Twitter: @JamieJBartlett
Jamie's new book: The Missing Cryptoqueen - https://amzn.eu/d/ave7et3
1:42 What does good leadership mean to Jamie?
3:06 The leader Jamie looked up to
4:51 Jamie’s approach to presenting
8:58 Why there’s courage in asking "stupid" questions
11:17 What did Jamie want to be when he grew up?
13:00 How Jamie ended up at Oxford University
13:50 Figuring out what to do after education
15:03 How extremism inspired Jamie’s research career
19:16 Setting up one of the first social media research hubs
22:51 How is the internet influencing democracy?
28:20 Regulating conspiracies on social media
29:35 Teaching media literacy to help navigate technology
33:05 Why to add ‘googling’ as a skill on your CV
36:55 How Jamie discovered the story of the Missing Cryptoqueen
41:55 Jamie outside of work
43:15 What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self?
46:30 The books that inspire Jamie
Matillion founder Matthew Scullion started his hugely successful tech-entrepreneurial journey in his late teens, co-founding and growing a tech services and software business.
Following a successful exit, and years in the upper echelons of tech companies, Matthew couldn’t shake the urge to delve back into the world of start-ups and business. After a pep-talk from his wife, he formed Matillion in 2011. 11 years later, the company is one of the fastest growing enterprise technology firms in the UK.
Matthew talks to Gareth about growing his current and previous companies, as well as moving from consultancy into the world of software. He gives great advice on how to secure investors, as well as reminding future and current entrepreneurs that integrity should stay at the forefront of all we do.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is Matthew’s book recommendation.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewscullion/
Twitter: @MatthewScullion
01:30 - What does good leadership mean to Matthew?
04:00 - Entrepreneurialism from age 17
09:30 - Working for a larger organisation
11:30 - Missing the energy of a start-up
14:00 - Moving from services to software
16:40 - The nudge that made Matthew start a new business
19:30 - Advise to founders on venture capital
25:00 - Matillion branches into middleware
32:30 - Manchester and the UK as a UK Tech Hub
36:00 - What excites Matthew in the world of tech innovation?
41:00 - Advice for Matthew’s 21-year-old self
43:30 - Content that inspires Matthew
Having forged her way in a male-dominated world, KPMG's Lisa Heneghan explains to us how a fully diverse workforce makes for better business.
Inspired to take a role in tech by her father, Lisa’s career path to Chief Digital Officer at KPMG UK has seen her navigate from Y2K to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lisa shares with Gareth some great advice about leadership, networking and work-life balance.
1:40 What does good leadership mean to Lisa?
2:28 Where were the female role models?
4:11 How Lisa’s dad inspired her
6’18 Lisa’s career milestones
7:20 Taking a step into the consultancy world
9:21 Saving the world from Y2K
12:11 Changes in management consultancy
14:00 The only woman in the room
19:30 Finding and maintaining a neurodiverse workforce
21:20 The future of working from home
25:30 What excites you about the future of technology?
29:00 Advice for 21-year-old Lisa
37:15 That books that inspire Lisa
Joe Baguley is a CTO and leader who lives and breathes technology innovation. This week, he chats to Gareth about his journey from self-confessed ‘1980s computer nerd’ to CTO of Silicon Valley company VMware (...after 23 interviews).
Joe’s colourful life has seen him through a spell at Imperial College, the Army Reserves and - most surprisingly - a course in standup comedy. All these things have led him to where he is today: an excellent communicator with a ferocious appetite for information.
And when he’s not making strides at the forefront of the tech industry, he’s taking on charity motorsport challenges and racing electric bikes. Tune in to get the full, fast-paced story in his own words from a man who never seems to stop!
Timestamps
- Empathy in leadership (1.24)
- Overview of background (2.45)
- Key milestones (6.21)
- Groundbreaking change (90s tech boom) (9.15)
- Gadgetry (11.57)
- Motorsport as therapy (16.44)
- The future of electric cars (20.39)
- 23 interviews in 2 and a half days for VMware job (22.59)
- Culture at VMware (26.09)
- Communicating in layman’s terms (29.54)
- How did the pandemic change things? (34.12)
- What is Joe most excited about? (38.00)
- Advice to 21-year-old Joe (40.22)
- Avoiding burnout (42.07)
- Recommendations (43.29)
- Outro (45.20)
“I know I’ve succeeded as a leader when I’ve made myself obsolete.” Striking words from this week’s tech leader, Anwen Robinson, head of UK & Ireland's cloud computing giant Infor.
Growing up in the Rhondda Valley, Anwen paved the way for her own success, calling up Cardiff University and talking her way onto a Mechanical Engineering course…and being the only woman didn’t deter her either.
From feeding punch cards into computers to teaching computer science via the medium of football, Anwen’s drive to lead and succeed has carried her up the ladder to lead one of the world’s biggest software companies. Here, she delivers her best advice for leadership and stresses the importance of curiosity to keep learning throughout life.
- Leadership (1.30)
- Young Anwen's unconventional path (2.35)
- Bags of drive and ambition (8.02)
- The importance of ‘stupid’ questions (10.42)
- Key milestones (12.59)
- First MD role (18.29)
- How to manage change (25.36)
- What makes a good salesperson? (28.49)
- Women in STEM (31.58)
- The Prince’s Trust (35.46)
- Anwen outside of work (39.26)
- Advice to 21-year-old Anwen (40.20)
- Takeaways (42.22)
Growing up on a council estate, Paul realised early on that he was fascinated by technology and dreamt of working for the RAF, however, following an early introduction to fatherhood Paul doubled down on a career in computing to provide for his new family.
In this episode, Paul talks candidly about being fast-tracked into a leadership role, handling top secret government information in the defence sector, right through to helping save lives and tackle humanitarian crises, worldwide.
Currently the Global CIO of Amnesty International, we unpack some of the amazing work Paul has been involved with and discuss why technology is such an essential component for non-profit organisations.
Council estates, cars and fatherhood 2’21
What inspired Paul to work in computing 3’23
Cutting his teeth in the defence industry 4’10
The beach day that inspired Paul to join the RNLI 7’40
How does technology help a charity like the RNLI 10’54
Technology on a charity budget 12’10
Key moments and regrets in Paul’s career 13’54
Landing the job at Amnesty International 16’55
How does the IT department help in a humanitarian crisis 18’00
How working at Amnesty International opened his eyes 21’08
Getting excited about future global technology 28’24
The digital divide 30’38
What advice would he would give to his 21-year-old self? 35’30
This week’s guest is Josie Smith: Chief Architect for Digital at BT.
From humble beginnings on the checkouts at Asda to overseeing business architecture and setting a "digital first" vision at BT, Josie has undoubtedly made her mark on the industry as a successful female leader.
**In this episode, Josie and Gareth explore architecture in the corporate world, driving AI first and building automation into BT's operations. They also chat about finding your "super powers", understanding your strengths and the importance of confidence and believing in yourself.
Josie tells us about diversity and inclusion at BT and the need to ensure people have ample opportunity for coaching and mentoring to enable them to reach their full potential
Along the way, they discuss**
- Josie’s favourite subject in school (2.01)
- Selecting IT as a career path (3.16)
- The leadership gender imbalance in tech (8.14)
- The Importance of a good mentor (11.29)
- Being a chief Architect at BT (16.20)
- What’s hot right now at BT (18.40)
- Evolution of BT (21.35)
- What is Josie most excited about? (23.59)
- Josie outside of work (25.59)
- Top Productivity tips (28.06)
- Advice to 21-year-old Josie (30.05)
From virtual-appointments, to artificial intelligence, to data management and fighting cyber-attacks, Dell's Arshad Farhad helps healthcare providers to see how technology can support their work.
Arshad is Dell Technology's Chief Technology Officer in Healthcare and Life Sciences for Europe, Middle East and Africa. He's also working towards his doctorate in Federated Learning for AI (using ML and Data Science) to improve patient care using wearable and Internet of Medical Things sensors.
In this episode, Arshad tells Gareth why technology is the future of healthcare and how medicine can be more effective if it is data-driven.
Why Arshad is passionate about healthcare and technology (2.05)
Arshad’s PHD journey and challenges (3.17)
Healthcare in the next 5 to 10 years (4.35)
Ethical dilemmas (8.35)
Robotic surgery (9.53)
Wearable technology in healthcare (11.30)
How does the UK healthcare technology compare to other countries (15.41)
The last 12 months in healthcare technology (19.17)
Smart hospitals (21.00)
What problems is the healthcare sector facing (22.28)
How Dell is helping to address these challenges (25.09)
Edge-based healthcare (25.40)
AI healthcare (26.50)
Data management (27.15)
Data security (29.52)
Cloud technology (31.30)
Arshad's role as Chief Technology Officer (33.27)
What Arshad believes makes a good leader (36.27)
Leadership in the pandemic (37.34)
Who inspires Arshad (38.27)
This week’s guest is formidable entrepreneur, investor and CEO of Goodlord, William Reeve.
After setting up his first business during the dotcom boom of the 90s, William moved on to set up pioneering media rental website LoveFilm.com in the noughties.
Since then, he has co-founded Secret Escapes, as well as served on the boards of Nutmeg, Dunelm and Graze as a non-exec. Most recently, he founded Goodlord; an award-winning lettings platform designed to streamline tenancies.
Having dipped his toe into all business sectors, William stands out as a tech leader with many strings to his bow. In this episode, he tells Gareth about his colourful career as an entrepreneur and the things he’s most excited about in the years to come.
- William’s take on the world situation right now (1.20)
- Problem-solving at Goodlord (2.58)
- Early days at Mckinsey's - (4.30)
- Setting up a business (6.37)
- The dot-com boom (8.10)
- LoveFilm.com (10.05)
- Forecast for the future of online media (15.30)
- How does William assess which opportunities to accept or reject? (17.07)
- Joining Zoopla (19.52)
- Secret Escapes (23.16)
- Milestone moments (25.13)
- What is William most excited about in the future? (28.51)
- Outside of work/advice to 21-year-old William (30.18)
- How the workplace is evolving (32.38)
- Inspirational stories (35.29)
This week’s guest is Tim Neill, Mastercard’s Chief Risk Officer for Real-time Payments and Applications. After studying Police and Criminal Justice Studies, Tim came to the UK twenty years ago straight out of university and was offered a consulting role at Goldman Sachs.
Cutting his teeth in London’s fast-paced trading environment, assessing risk, resilience and security for world-renowned banks, Tim began specialising in the payments sector, culminating in his lead risk role at global payments provider Mastercard.
Tim chats to Gareth at Mastercard’s London offices about his career journey, the UK’s global position in payments, the future innovation of real-time payments at a cross-border level and Mastercard's work to create a global standard for payments and how this is helping develop payment infrastructure in countries worldwide.
01:34 - Background
05:12 - Tim’s role at Mastercard
08:02 - Getting into payments as a specialism
08:47 - Significant changes in the last 8 years
10:55 - Getting more countries equipped with realtime payment services
14:40 - Plans to create a global standard of payments
18:31 - Kenyan M-Pesa
21:02 - What is MasterCard taking forward from the pandemic?
22:40 - Will innovation suffer from reduced workplace interaction?
24:27 - Outside of fintech, what is Tim most excited about?
28:27 - Life outside of work
31:18 - Advice to the 21 year old Tim
32:18 - Tim’s inspirations
Brett Wigdortz OBE is a philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of Teach First, an social enterprise charity addressing educational disadvantage in England and Wales. He was also recently re-elected as chairman of the board for the National Citizen Service, a UK government-backed training scheme for teenagers.
Formerly an international journalist, Brett has spent time in dozens of countries and knows education inside out. As a founder and tech leader, he’s ambitious to find innovative solutions to education inequality and help lower-income children gain access to better schooling.
In this episode, Brett chats to Gareth about his work setting up a digital community of childminders at tiney.co, the differences in education around the world and long-term challenges faced by schoolchildren due to the Covid pandemic.
Beginnings (1.10)
Defining Education (4.32)
Education and social mobility in the UK (5.55)
Education in Finland (9.04)
Long term impact of Covid (15.34)
Setting up tiney.co (16.38)
NCS work (20.53)
What are North America doing differently? (24.40)
Inequality in the UK (26.40)
Outside of work (28.49)
Combating childhood obesity with Bite Back (31.27)
Links (34.38)
Ego Obi is Head of Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa at Google. An inspiration to many, Ego is an experienced tech leader and mentor, who has done some incredible work which has improved the lives of millions.
Originally pursuing a career in accountancy, Ego felt drawn to technology and systems, resulting in a career pivot, culminating in her being approached by Google to lead an amazing venture to provide world-class education and internet access to millions of people, across many emerging nations, globally.
Furthermore, Ego is a career coach and philanthropist with involvement in some amazing charities. In this episode, Ego chats to Gareth about her upbringing, what inspires her, technology as an educational force for good, and the enormous economic potential of a truly digital Africa.
- Where did it all begin? (1.38)
- Coaching women in tech (3.22)
- Joining Google at a pivotal moment (5.58)
- Google’s 20% project (7.50)
- Move into emerging markets and education (10.47)
- Removing barriers to internet access in West Africa (13.14)
- What is Ego most proud of? (17.10)
- Potential in Sub-Saharan African nations (20.18)
- Ego’s upbringing (22.58)
- What’s next? (24.08)
- Charitable endeavours (27.09)
- How has the pandemic changed Google? (29.05)
- Advice to 21 year old Ego (31.40)
- Inspirational reading (32.49)
- Links to Ego’s work (35.43)
Trenton is a renowned business leader and qualified leadership coach with experience training digital teams for nearly twenty years.
His best-selling book Human Powered is a concise guide for cultivating a high-performance culture within digital teams through developing emotional intelligence and people skills.
Trenton speaks to Gareth about his personal business journey, including his 15 years at Webcredible from embryo to exit.
He also talks candidly about the process of writing an Amazon bestselling book, how remote working sometimes creates workplace conflict; and his three crucial tips for successful remote meetings.
Effective leadership (1.35)
The journey of setting up a digital agency (Webcredible) (3.48)
Writing a best seller (16.09)
Conflict in business teams (18.26)
Remote working and workplace conflict (19.57)
Top 3 tips for successful remote meetings (23.28)
EQ – emotional intelligence (25.50)
Teaching children EQ (32.28)
Team Sterka and leadership coaching (36.53)
Get in touch with Trenton and team Sterka (41.00)
Steve O’Hear has been providing commentary during one of the most exciting periods of tech innovation in the UK. A highly respected, prominent journalist for ZDNet and Tech Crunch, Steve covered the rise of Monzo, Wise and Starling Bank as well as other FinTech and general tech advances throughout the period dubbed Web 2.0
But Journalism wasn’t all Steve planned to achieve in his career. He tried his hand at entrepreneurship with Beepl, and talks candidly about this experience and what lessons he learned that made him a better writer and leader.
Steve is currently the VP of Strategy at Zapp - an e-commerce convenience grocery company, who are attempting to disrupt the already competitive, convenience retail space.
Talking Points
02:05 - Intro to Steve
03:43 - How did Steve get into Tech Journalism?
05:02 - Web 2.0
08:52 - What Tech Companies has Steve Seen Rise?
10:52 - Fin Tech
11:30 - What Prompted the rise of FinTech?
15:25 - Beepl
17:20 - Lessons learned from Beepl failures
19:00 - Entrepreneurial advice to those starting a venture
20:25 - Changing careers from journalism to Zapp
24:00 - Why will Zapp change the convenience retail space in the UK?
28:05 - What tech innovations is Steve excited about?
30:50 - Steve's advice to young journalists.
32:50 - Stories that inspired Steve.
The final instalment of the Women in Tech Series is upon us. And what a series it has been!
This week, branding expert, marketing entrepreneur, ‘Black Women in Tech’ founder and all-around super-woman Flavilla Fongang, joins Kerensa and Gareth for a memorable chat!
This value-filled conversation covers everything from the moment she landed in the UK, unable to speak a word of English, and then going on to complete two degrees and a MA in International studies; through to her advice on building a personal brand, overcoming adversity through confidence and perseverance.
We also talk about the formation of ‘Black Women in Tech’ and how to cultivate confidence and ambition to fulfil your career aspirations.
06:00 - Flavilla’s Personal Brand
07:50 - Challenges of the Past
11:20 - Taking Ownership
13:26 - Work/Life Balance
16:57 - What Books has Flavilla been most inspired by?
22:00 - Motivation behind setting up Black Women in Tech
28:55 - Women and STEM Subjects
31:00 - Cultural differences for women careers between UK And France
32:30 - Flavilla’s Advice
34:20 - Tips about confidence
36:50 - Branding Mistakes
Marta Krupinska is a Tech entrepreneur, diversity advocate, and current Head of Google for Startups UK, alongside a Chair role at Youth Business International.
Recognised by Forbes in 30Under30 in 2016, by Evening Standard as amongst London's Most Influential People 2017 and 2018 and by Forbes as top 60 Female Tech Executives globally, 2018.
As a female founder herself, having founded 3 startups- most notably of a global FinTech money transfer company Azimo which raised $90M+ in funding from top VC firms and serves millions of customers, globally.
Marta is helping to level the playing field for founders in the UK and EMEA with her amazing team at Google. Working with startups and founders with a particular focus on the positive impact of building diverse teams and making the world a better place.
02:45 - Marta’s background
6:05 - How Does Marta Define Success?
07:50 - Diversity of Thinking
11:40 - Diversity with Co-Founders
16:19 - Progress or PR with Women in Tech?
17:45 - What’s Slowing Progress?
21:26 - How To Promote Female Ambition?
26:24 - Youth Business International and what have we got to look forward to from Gen Z?
30:55 - What trends does Marta see from start-ups?
33:30 - What’s Marta working on now?
On this episode of the Tech Leaders Podcast - Women in Tech series, we are joined by the inspirational Alice Bentinck; co-founder of Entrepreneur First and Code First Girls - where she’s worked tirelessly to give others opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have had to become entrepreneurs, as well as encouraging more women into the tech sector.
Alice opens up to discuss how she got to where she is today, what mistakes she made along the way, how she grew her business and what advice she’d give to others as well as why she thinks ambition is key to everything an entrepreneur can achieve and shouldn’t be seen as a bad word.
02:26 - Introduction to Alice & Entrepreneur First
04:20 - Giving permission to be ambitious
07:20 - Alice’s First Startup Process
10:25 - How Networking attracted the head of LinkedIn
12:31 - The Story of Code First Girls
16:34 - Alice’s Advice on growing your network
18:15 - Gender Diversity in the Tech and entrepreneurship sectors
22:27 - Alice’s Journey into Coding
24:46 - How to stay resilient
26:30 - How Business owners can create a culture encouraging female ambition
30:42 - What is Web 3.0?
On the first of our ‘Women in Tech’ Series Professor Kerensa Jennings and Gareth Davies are joined by an inspirational woman who’s been consistently listed as one of the 50 most influential women in Tech, Naomi Timperley.
Naomi talks to us about setting up and scaling Baby Loves Disco, an immensely popular children's disco service, and getting approached to pitch on the Dragons Den. Despite turning down an offer, Naomi still struck up a great relationship with Deborah Meadon and learned a huge amount from the experience. Naomi has also inspired and mentored hundreds of young entrepreneurs and also Inspired and launched Digital Enterprising Award as well as co-founding Tech North advocates and sitting on the board at Salford University.
They also discuss some of Naomi's challenges throughout her career and her observations about the next generation of female leaders along with much much more..
02:23 - Introductions to Naomi
03:40 - Baby Loves Disco
04:15 - Dragons Den
06:30 - Youth Entrepreneurship
07:45 - IDEA Inspiring Digital Enterprising Award
11:45 - Gender Challenges
13:00 - Inspiring with Confidence
17:30 - The Education System and opening opportunities
20:40 - Mentoring Others
25:00 - Generation Z’s Perceptions on careers
30:50 - Local Businesses and Schools Connecting
32:30 - Education and Gender Stereotyping Careers
34:00 - Naomi’s Advice to Business Leaders on gender balance
36:25 - Lockdown Inspiration
Naomi’s Quoted Books Via:
https://www.strategyzer.com/
How people can connect with Naomi
https://twitter.com/naomitimperley
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/naomitimperley
https://www.wearegsi.com
Railsbank is the world’s leading Embedded Finance Experience platform. Today we’re joined by their COO of UK and Europe, Louisa Murray. Louisa joined Railsbank as one of its first employees in 2017, and built the sales function from scratch, growing the sales and customer success teams. Prior to this she worked as a trader, headhunter and ran her own recruitment business.
In this conversation, we explore consumer-driven products, legacy technology, making the tech industry more accessible to women, the power of role models – and a very important conversation she once had in an elevator.
Talking Points
- The early stages of Louisa’s banking career (04:41)
- The impact of being a woman in a male-dominated industry (08:01)
- What inspired Louisa to be a headhunter (11:33)
- Key lessons learnt from working in recruitment (15:22)
- Railsbank’s mission (18:09)
- Trends to look out for in the UK FinTech space (22:42)
- Transitioning from a sales role into a COO (25:12)
- What makes a good salesperson? (27:02)
- What Railsbank has learnt from the pandemic (30:25)
- How can we make the tech industry more accessible for women? (35:40)
- The future of Railsbank (42:47)
- On the decentralisation of banks and cryptocurrencies (44:39)
- The problem with printing more money (48:29)
- Louisa’s career advice (42:08)
Links
- Railsbank
- Louisa’s LinkedIn
Today’s guest, Mark Evans, has had an impressive IT career to date. He has overseen digital transformation projects from a range of organisations and institutions, including the government’s DVLA, and has completed his MBA. He joined Hodge Bank as the Chief Technology Officer in 2016, which at the time had very little digital presence.
As it’s clear in this interview, Mark loves a challenge. Tune in to find out more about how the bank serves its customers (and staff) digitally. We also discuss the Government Digital Service, the London wage threat, allocating your resources in-house versus outsourcing, graduate schemes – and having itchy feet.
Talking Points
- His MBA studies (07:48)
- The in-house digital transformation amongst the government departments (10:46)
- Digitising the DVLA (12:52)
- On bringing in-house versus outsourcing agency capabilities (15:20)
- Hodge Bank “playing a part in the FinTech revolution” (22:12)
- Having an employee value proposition (23:47)
- The biggest challenge with growing and retaining a team (25:28)
- The sustainability agenda at Hodge Bank (35:49)
- The future of open architecture and banking (38:19)
- The key attributes needed to be a successful CTO (42:21)
- Mark’s advice to people starting out with their careers in technology (44:30)
Links
- Hodge Bank
- Sustainability at Hodge
- Yamini Rangan – Chief Customer Officer, HubSpot
- Yoello
- ‘The Black Swan’ by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- ‘Skin the in the Game’ by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
The vice president for Meta's (formerly Facebook) northern Europe division Steve Hatch joins the show to explore all things neurodiversity and what’s in store for the social media platform. Steve is a media agency veteran and joined Facebook in 2013. Prior to that, Hatch became CEO of MEC in 2011, having been there since its formation as Mediaedge:cia following the merger of The Media Edge and CIA in 1998. He also held several planning and strategy roles at Young & Rubicam Group, PHD and DDB throughout the 1990s.
I had a great conversation with Steve to learn more about his experience transitioning from working in the media to Facebook. Tune in as we also explore dyslexia, neurodiversity, content moderation, having an open culture, building a Metaverse – and internet cafes.
Talking Points
- Dyslexia Awareness Week and Steve’s involvement with it (3:09)
- Steve’s career in advertising and key turning points (10:21)
- Transitioning from working in the media to Facebook (16:18)
- Working with Mark Zuckerberg (21:57)
- Building a neurodiverse team (25:31)
- Some exciting new technology and innovation projects at Facebook (29:59)
- The recent big outage across the Facebook network (34:51)
- Dealing with content moderation (38:04)
- What will Facebook look like in ten years time? (46:21)
- The advice Steve would give to his 21 year old self (49:26)
Links
- Made By Dyslexia
- Facebook Boost Your Business
- EY on the value of dyslexia
- GCHQ
- TED Talk: Benjamin Zan - The Transformative Power of Classical Music
Octopus Energy is on a mission to make a big green dent in the universe by building a truly sustainable energy system globally – by making power greener, smarter, and more affordable for everyone. I had a great time catching up with Greg Jackson, CEO and Founder of Octopus Energy, to find out more about how they’ve been democratising green energy.
In this discussion we explore Greg’s values-based leadership style, the impact of economic theory versus reality, his mission to clean up the energy sector, and the future of the smart grid.
Talking Points
- The impact of having studied a degree in Economics (5:58)
- His time working at Procter & Gamble and leaving the corporate world (9:38)
- Greg’s values-based leadership style (13:31)
- On supporting local communities, social justice and mobility (22:28)
- How Octopus Energy fosters diversity and inclusion during they’re hiring process (24:46)
- Why they don’t have an HR department (27:16)
- Lessons learned from the 2020 pandemic (29:09)
- Remote vs office-based work (31:24)
- The impact of eliminating carbon emissions (33:00)
- How the UK is doing with tackling climate change (37:21)
- Cryptocurrency and green energy (39:53)
- The ‘Uberization’ of the grid (42:22)
Links
- The Octopus Group
- Octopus Energy
- Greg’s Twitter
- The Octopus Energy Podcast
Jack Wearne’s financial career started more or less during the 2008 crash. Fortunately, it opened many doors for him, which we uncover in this episode. He is currently the CEO at Ve Global, the ecommerce specialist that enables brands to recreate their in-store experience – online – through a Digital Assistant. Prior to that, he spent 14 years as a city bank trader, which I couldn't wait to find out more about.
Tune in to our discussion as we explore the profound impact Jack’s MBA has had on his career and life, operating from a startup mindset, overcoming strategy overwhelm, the power of perseverance, and lockdown fitness fads.
Talking Points
- The change in banks and trading after 2008 (03:08)
- How studying an MBA has helped Jack’s position as Chief Executive Officer at Ve Global (08:02)
- Developing skills in risk management as a trader (09:48)
- Ve Global’s previous tough times (10:56)
- Turning around Ve Global (13:32)
- Advice on executing strategy (21:23)
- The impact of phasing out third party cookies (29:06)
- The future for town centres and traditional retail (32:41)
- Technological innovations and climate change (36:09)
- The hybrid model of working (37:52)
- Jack’s advice to his 21 year old self (43:34)
Links
- Dan Pink Ted Talk: The Puzzle of Motivation
- ‘My Autobiography’ by Alex Ferguson
- ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth
- The Founder
- Jack’s LinkedIn
After every crisis there’s an entrepreneurial boom – and the pandemic has been no exception. Today I explore how the tech space is massively evolving across the UK, with Gerard Grech, CEO at Tech Nation. His passion for mobile and media is shown through his impressive career, where he has worked for brands such as Blackberry World, Nokia, and Orange.
We’re recording at the Excel Centre from this year’s London Tech Week, so I’m excited to catch up with Gerard and hear more about his latest insights. In this episode we discuss unicorns – and decacorns – across the country, the impact of consumer behaviour changes, the rise of alternative currencies, the tech space in climate change and robotics, and much more.
Talking Points
- Why the UK leads so strongly with its tech scene (05:15)
- Gerard’s background and role at Tech Nation (08:02)
- How Tech City turned into Tech Nation (12:27)
- Tech changes from the pandemic that are here to stay (15:03)
- The UK FinTech scene (17:46)
- Trends in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies (20:57)
- Tech Nation’s accelerator programmes (24:48)
- What is deep tech? (29:19)
- The Net Zero Pledge (34:20)
- Keep insights from the Job and Skills Report 2021 (39:50)
- The education system’s role in technology (41:55)
- The effects of Brexit so far (45:09)
- Gerard’s advice to aspiring young entrepreneurs (49:19)
Links
- London Tech Week
- Net Zero
- Future Fifty
- Applied AI
- Job and Skills Report 2021
- ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio
- Tech Nation
As a mobile-first world, things are changing fast – and according to today’s guest, the future lies in data, privacy and trust. Richard Rosenberg was appointed CTO at the Financial Times at the start of 2021. He leads the FT’s technology strategy across the development and operations teams, and oversees the delivery of cross-platform customer experiences.
Richard previously worked in a number of positions within the Expedia Group, and spent time at Sky, where his team produced award-winning and innovative products including the revolutionary Sky News for iPad application.
I can’t wait to learn more about the technology challenges Richard is tackling under his role. We discuss the advancement of machine learning and AI, having clarity with priorities, the future of journalism, the power of positive thinking, and training for the London marathon.
Talking Points
- Sky’s product development approaches (08:38)
- The move from Sky to Expedia (12:11)
- Learning from Expedia’s A/B testing (13:04)
- The impact of the pandemic on the travel industry (18:37)
- The current technological challenges at the FT (27:53)
- The future of content through blockchain and NFTs (39:30)
- The impact of online censorship (43:15)
- Richard’s approach to changing goals and embracing failure (48:39)
Links
- Richard’s LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/richard-rosenberg-00b3a01
- Donate to Richard running the London Marathon in aid of NSPCC: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RichardRosenberg1
PensionBee is on a mission to create a future of financial freedom through their technology platform. Pensions can be overwhelming and confusing, so I’m excited to bring on PensionBee’s co-founder and CTO, Jonathan Lister Parsons, to unpack how their disruptive technology has enabled hundreds of thousands of people to be "pension confident" through their technology platform.
Join our discussion as we explore the impact of being a technology disruptor, the social impact of investing, blended learning, trusting your inner voice – and what we can learn from Japanese culture.
Talking Points
- Advice for small companies with lean teams (10:37)
- The future of work for software developers (14:44)
- Equipping the future labour market with the right technology skills (21:06)
- Launching PensionBee (26:01)
- The pension culture in the UK (31:14)
- Disrupting the pension industry (35:47)
- Upcoming projects for PensionBee (40:44)
- The future of batteries (47:00)
- What we can learn from the Japanese culture (50:54)
- Where to start with your pension savings and how to build a £1 million pension pot (53:59)
Links
- PensionBee: https://www.pensionbee.com/
- Clayton Christensen: https://claytonchristensen.com/
- How you could build a million pound pension: https://www.pensionbee.com/blog/2021/april/how-you-could-build-a-one-million-pound-pension
- ‘Other People’s Money’ by John Kay: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781254435
Neil Bellamy is responsible for NatWest’s strategy, proposition and risk appetite for the whole sector vertical. He is currently the Head of Technology, Media, Telecoms & Services, and has an impressive 26 year career in banking to date. As a leader, Neil is truly customer focused and enjoys advising tech start-ups at Natwest Accelerators and as a Mentor with Imperial Ventures.
Tune into this conversation as Neil reflects over the impact of being a purpose-led organisation. We also explore effective graduate schemes, B Corps, the future of digital currencies, NatWest’s environmental goals – and being raided at gunpoint.
Talking Points
- Cultural shifts towards entrepreneurialism in banking (03:54)
- Neil’s work at Hughenden Valley Football Club (06:14)
- Lessons from football coaching for the business world (07:31)
- NatWest’s post-pandemic reflections (12:50)
- Transitioning into being a B-Corp organisation (17:58)
- The three areas of focus for NatWest (20:21)
- Cryptocurrencies and central banks (26:24)
- Supporting entrepreneurs in the UK (30:52)
- FinTech projects to look out for (35:41)
- AI and quantum computing use cases for the banking industry (39:26)
- The future of talent and the role of education and training (41:25)
- The K-shaped economic recovery (45:58)
- Learning from your customers (49:51)
Links
- Hughenden Valley Football Club
- B Corporation
- The NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator
- ‘The Test of Courage’ by Christopher Robbins
- ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl
- NatWest Business Hub
- Neil’s LinkedIn
Recognised as one of the global leaders in weather and climate science, the Met Office is powered by advanced models and a high performance supercomputer. I was very excited to catch up with Charles Ewen, the CIO at the Met Office, to learn more about how the organisation operates on such world leading technology.
Charles is accountable for all aspects of technology within the Met Office and manages a dedicated engineering team of over 350 people. With a fascinating career trajectory delivering big transformation programs in the private sector, Charles made the jump (and pay cut) to work in the public sector.
Tune in to this conversation as we discuss delegating tasks, making data available on the public cloud, what the Met Office are doing to combat climate change, measuring productivity – and what Charles has learned from reading pulp sci-fi.
Talking Points
- Taking on a CIO role (10:24)
- Advice to choosing the right job role (13:21)
- Setting aside time for ‘mental downtime’ (18:38)
- Lessons learned from the pandemic (20:12)
- On neurotypes and how they impact leadership style (27:14)
- How does the Met Office predict the weather? (32:12)
- The Met Office’s role in combating climate change and research (54:46)
- The environment and the impact of cumulative small changes (58:08)
Links
- Charles Ewen’s interview on One Zero One Podcast
- Met Office Hadley Centre
- Natural Environment Research Council
- ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ by Philip K. Dick
Today’s guest joined the digital assets firm Gemini in 2020, when they expanded to the UK. As the Head of UK, and former Chief Compliance Officer for Europe, I’m excited to hear what Blair has learnt from the expansion, and how the digital assets market has changed over the past year. Gemini builds crypto products for both individuals and institutions to help buy, sell and store cryptocurrency. It was founded in 2014, by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, to build a bridge to the future of money.
Tune in to this conversation as we explore the role of compliance, the power of perseverance, investing in digital assets, the energy consumption of mining crypto, how Gemini are developing their work culture – and what we can learn from the All Blacks.
Talking Points
- Blair’s career at RBS (10:55)
- The compliance mindset within an entrepreneurial organisation (15:18)
- Cultural differences between large financial institutions and small startups (19:00)
- Working with Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss (27:38)
- Getting institutions to invest in crypto (31:13)
- Why the crypto market exploded in 2020 (35:29)
- The corporate interest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies (39:46)
- Energy consumption and the future of green mining (40:53)
- The impact of remote-first work (55:37)
Links
- Insights Discovery
- Peter McCormack, Podcaster and Journalist - Bitcoin Special
- Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss on What Bitcoin Did
- MicroStrategy
- ‘Legacy’ by James Kerr
- Nifty Gateway
Having worked in three countries, Didem has more than 20 years experience in the global technology industry, spanning Enterprise Software and SaaS, Big Data and AI, Managed Services and Cloud business models. Under her current role as General Manager, Data & AI Acceleration at EMEA Microsoft, she’s responsible for the Data & AI customer success strategy, readiness, and execution.
Didem’s energy is infectious. I was so excited to speak with her to learn more about her mission to empower more female leaders in technology, and what she’s doing to help combat domestic violence through technology. Tune in as we also discuss Satya Nadella’s leadership style, Microsoft’s work culture, some inspiring use cases for AI, how we can strive for more diversity and inclusion in the workplace – and bumping into Bill Gates in the office.
Talking Points
- The cultural transition moving from Turkey to USA (05:22)
- Lessons from the consultancy world when working for Capgemini (10:50)
- Cultural differences between UK and US (17:10)
- Satya Nadella's "growth mindset" and Microsoft’s transformation over the last decade (18:149)
- Didem’s role and mission at Microsoft (27:35)
- Striving for more diversity and inclusion in technology (28:34)
- What technology leaders can do to foster diversity and inclusion in their teams (36:18)
- How AI can help solve domestic violence (38:15)
- Microsoft’s remote working policy (47:33)
- Advice for young female engineers who want to pursue a career path like Didem’s (48:53)
Links
- ‘Hit Refresh’ by Satya Nadella, Greg Shaw and Jill Tracie Nichols
- ‘Brotopia’ by Emily Chang
- The RSA Fellowship
- Didem’s LinkedIn
- Didem’s Twitter
80% of under 8s have their own tablets – there’s no doubt that the impact of technology on the next generation will be huge. The Chairman of UK Finance and author of ‘Born Digital’ joins the show to distil his research on why we need to alter our relationship with technology.
Robert Wigley backs young entrepreneurs in cutting edge technology businesses and Chairs UK Finance. He spent 25 years as a banker, rising to be EMEA Chairman of Merrill Lynch and a member of the board of the Bank of England during the 2008 financial crisis.
Tune in as we discuss the impact of technology on empathy, Generation Z’s values, UK vs UK banking cultures, concorde flights – and Margaret Thatcher’s attention span.
Talking Points
- Meeting Margaret Thatcher when as a teenager (5:44)
- Lessons learnt from working at Merrill Lynch (8:22)
- Cultural differences between Wall Street and the City of London (10:43)
- Navigating through the 2007 - 2008 financial crisis (12:40)
- The stages of a digital detox (14:16)
- Research findings from his book (16:40)
- The rise of the ‘nones’ (21:22)
- What parents can do about digital overload with their children (27:19)
- What we can learn from Gen Z (33:04)
- The post-covid economy (37:58)
- The development of central bank digital currencies (39:59)
Links
- ‘Born Digital’ by Robert Wigley
- ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport
- ‘The Madness of Crowds’ by Douglas Murray
- MaPS
- Elon Musk: why we are cyborgs
- The Good Childhood Report
- Blockchain.com
- ‘Birdsong’ by Sebastian Faulks
- RobertWigley.uk
As a self-confessed former frustrated civil servant, James Herbert set himself on a mission to help scale the public sector’s digital transformation. It’s a big feat, but he launched Foundry4 to do just that. They provide teams of experts to solve complex problems for large organisations through end to end solutions across insights, strategy and delivery.
James has worked with Cabinet Office teams designing the G-Cloud procurement framework, the foundations of the Digital Marketplace and the world’s first government Cloud-First technology strategy. In this discussion we explore digital identity, working for both private and public sectors, and how to productise a service-based business.
Talking Points
- The Government’s investment in suppliers (10:44)
- The impact of the Digital Services Marketplace (16:03)
- Stress-testing an IR35 conspiracy theory (19:53)
- The digital transformation (25:44)
- The story behind Foundry4 (31:14)
- Preparing a business for IPO from day one (38:28)
- Advice for launching a service-based business (42:53)
Links
- The Digital Services Marketplace
- Tom Loosemore
- ‘Man's Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl
- Ryan Prince - VC Investor and Chairman, Realstar Group
- Foundry4
- Panoply
As an ex-contractor himself, Dave Chaplin wrote and published the first ever interactive online IR35 tax calculator. IR35 refers to the UK's anti-avoidance tax legislation designed to tax 'disguised' employment at a rate similar to employment. And as it sounds, it can get messy. I’m super excited to catch up with Dave again to hear more about how IR35 may affect you this year.
Dave is the Founder and CEO of ContractorCalculator and CEO of IR35 Shield. He assists with IR35 tax tribunals, and regularly attends those he’s not involved with to increase his knowledge. Tune in as we discuss Dave’s former campaigns, the delays from the pandemic, and working on high profile cases such as Kay Adams. It’s about having the right processes in place, so enjoy this episode as Dave shares lots of helpful resources.
Talking Points
- Dave’s key milestones and campaigns over the last 12 months (4:10)
- Lobbying in parliament in front of 30 MPs (5:48)
- The impact of blanket bans and determinations (9:03)
- The problem with the tool for checking employment status for tax (11:38)
- Lessons from high profiles cases (13:26)
- Working with agencies (19:15)
- Demystifying VAT when working inside (22:01)
- The firms that HMRC are likely to be ‘going after’ (28:07)
- The future of the Small Company Exemption Clause (35:10)
Links
- Dave Chaplin - IR35 Special
- ContractorCalculator.co.uk
- IR35Shield.co.uk
- BBC Radio 4 Money Box
- Umbrella Reclaim
Today’s guest is a serial entrepreneur focused on sustainability in the food and energy sectors. Huw Thomas is the Cofounder, President and COO at Counterfactual Ventures, a venture studio focused on filling gaps in the alt-protein industry to accelerate the 'protein transition'.
With a background in computer engineering and renewable energy, it’s been a fascinating journey for Huw. He was the COO of cultivated meat startup New Age Meats, co-founder of renewable energy consultancy SCENE, and CEO of sports nutrition startup Fuelit.
Tune in to learn more about dealing with the colossal global meat industry, how to best name the ‘meat alternative’ industry, dealing with regulations, and the need for more curiosity as leaders.
Talking Points
- Huw’s training in computer engineering (3:22)
- The stage we’re at in the mass production of alternative protein sources (12:50)
- When we can expect viable alternatives to meat on a global scale (16:09)
- Naming the industry for meat alternatives (22:25)
- The story and mission behind Counterfactual Ventures (31:50)
- Seeking outcome driven entrepreneurs (36:46)
- The role of curiosity in leadership (47:00)
Links
- ‘Doing Good Better’ by William MacAskill
- This
- The Good Food Institute
- Eat Just
- Counterfactual Ventures
- ‘The Precipice’ by Toby Ord
- Joe Rogan Experience #1169 - Elon Musk
- ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey
Embracing your uniqueness and authentic voice has been the driving force behind today’s guest success as a leader. Yamini Rangan is the Chief Customer Officer at HubSpot and is working on some ambitious goals for the leading CRM provider. Driven by the motto “helping is the new selling”, I loved learning more about Yamini’s insights into sales and marketing.
Coming from an engineering background, Yamini has learnt how sales goes hand-in-hand with technology. With over 24 years experience across sales, marketing, operations, and strategy, she has also worked at Workday and Dropbox. In 2019, Yamini was recognised as one of the Most Influential Women in Business by San Francisco Business Times.
Join our conversation as we discuss decision-making patterns, hyper-growth, gender diversity – and booking her one-way ticket from India to Atlanta in her early 20s.
Talking Points
- Her passion for technology when growing up in a small Indian town (4:49)
- The technology changes Yamini has seen in India (12:15)
- Establishing her career in the US (14:12)
- Key milestones in Yamini’s career (25:46)
- Joining Hubspot and her ambitious goals (31:05)
- The fundamentals of sales and marketing (33:56)
- Making the entire customer journey digital (36:41)
- How to get noticed as a small business online (38:57)
- Getting more women into STEM (42:07)
Links
- Hubspot Certified Training
- ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio
- ‘Trillion Dollar Coach’ by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle
- Project Potential
Bitcoin has been in the news recently, the price has hit an all-time high but opinion remains divided. Enthusiasts call it the perfect modern money system yet critics dismiss it as a bubble that resembles a Ponzi scheme. My guest today is the host of the world's #1 bitcoin podcast, "What Bitcoin Did". He isn't a software engineer or monetary economist, he is just a regular guy from Bedford who isn't afraid to ask basic fundamental questions as to why this technology is potentially going to change everybody's lives. For this reason, his content is very accessible to the average person who is looking to learn more about cryptocurrencies. He also has an incredible story to tell. His career has been full of ups and downs, which Peter reflects upon candidly. Peter talks about building a business and also speaks about a very dark period in his life where his marriage collapsed and he fought drug addiction. They also cover what bitcoin really is and what that means for the average person. A thought-provoking and value-filled conversation.
- Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3sS4Lyv
- Subscribe at:
- iTunes: https://apple.co/3ocDymB
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3qyR2KK - YouTube: https://bit.ly/3qyQLHI
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TechLPodcast
Sina left university prematurely to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours. “.. in the right place at the right time”. His company Yoello has achieved incredible growth in 2020. The app-less mobile ordering and payment solution is now used by thousands of high street restaurant and hospitality businesses, including Burger King, Subway, and The Grand, York, allowing them to serve their customers securely, efficiently and rapidly. In this Tech Leaders’ Podcast, Gareth talks to Sina about the path to meteoric success, from his arrival in the UK aged 8 knowing little more than two words of English, his early entrepreneurial projects through to being the owner and CEO of a company that is revolutionising payment systems. Not adverse to risk-taking, Sina talks about his early foray into Bitcoin, leaving university during his final year to start his business (much to his mother’s upset) finding investors, and setting up an experienced board of advisors from the global financial sector. He discusses setbacks, the milestones in Yoello’s growth, his own personal motivation, and how he built the corporate structure. Gareth quizzes him on future plans, the challenges of working remotely when building a new business, on-boarding new employees in such conditions and what he looks for when hiring talent. The future looks very bright for Yoello with expansion into Europe an imminent prospect.
The pandemic has forced thousands of Brits to overcome their fear of technology, to embrace this digital world and develop skills to stay connected, both on a personal and professional level. Gareth talks to Kerensa Jennings, BT Group Director of Digital Impact. They discuss her amazing career, working with the likes of legendary broadcasters like David Frost and David Attenborough through to the amazing work she is currently involved with at BT. Kerensa’s career path has been far from linear, holding various roles in the production of television news and documentary programmes, including writing “the Slug’ for the Big Breakfast. Five years within the Royal Household forming strategy and delivery for IDEA CIC award to inspire digital enterprise pre-empted her appointment to her current role. Kerensa and her team are on a mission to provide digital skill acquisition to the masses and upskill those seeking employment. Specific programmes targeted to primary school children, school leavers, small businesses provide the opportunity for users to develop a problem-solving mindset, a crucial skill in today’s rapid, ever-changing world, together with inspiring confidence and adaptability. Find out how Kerensa views the impact of AI and the irreversible technological legacy of Covid-19.
Gareth interviews CTO of Welsh Water, Rob Norris. Following a piece of impromptu advice from a school friend, Rob embarked on a career in IT, working on some huge projects for diverse and corporate organisations across the UK, culminating in his current position as Chief Technology Officer within a critical national infrastructure organisation. Rob speaks candidly about his humble beginnings, his experience of working in a start-up, the evolution of cyber threats and the importance of challenging conventional wisdom.
Gareth interviews Paul Clark, CTO of Ocado Group – the company transforming online groceries through a suite of technology, including robotics, AI & ML. Having joined in 2006, Paul talks candidly about the journey from being a start-up UK grocer, to becoming a global technology provider. They discuss AI, Quantum Computing, Digital Twins and other forward-looking endeavours for Ocado and the wider tech industry. Paul also gives us his views on the current situation and the lessons learned from the pandemic. A fascinating deep dive into one of the most innovative tech companies in the UK, by one of the key figures behind it.
Gareth interviews Mark Rice who is CIO at global language services provider, thebigword. With almost two decades experience leading commercial and technology departments for national and multi-national companies, Mark's career spans industries including manufacturing, logistics consultancy and most recently language services, where he was promoted to CIo after 11 months! Mark is a product-led leader and talks us through this, along with his experience of implementing efficiency, managing conflict, screening prospective hires and engaging remote teams. We also cover the objectives of thebigword, who are on a mission to make the world a smaller place by breaking down language barriers, supporting global trade and helping people access goods, commerce and services in their own languages. Some amazing anecdotes and advice from a top-of-his game, tech leader.
Gareth interviews Peter Dowds, founder of Elder HQ, an alternative to residential care homes and one of the fastest growing companies in the UK, aiming is to reshape how society looks after their elderly. Following a stint with a global law firm and couple of business ventures, Peter got involved in the later-life care sector, having seen an opportunity based the high demand for care options, driven by a rapidly ageing population. They discuss Peter's experiences of growing a company and disrupting a well-established industry, the pandemic and his outlook for the future.
Gareth interviews Ryan Prince - co-founder and vice-chairman of Realstar Group, who runs a large portfolio of commercial properties across the UK, he founded concept developer, UNCLE, who mix co-working space with, amenity-rich living space, catering to millennial and Gen Z professionals in major UK cities. He also co-founded early-stage venture capital firm, iGabriel at the age of just 21. They unpack this, his experience of investing in early-stage businesses, and Ryan's predictions for the work-space sector in light of the proclivity towards remote-working following the lockdown.
Gareth interviews Vishal Chatrath, a serial entrepreneur with an inspirational story. They discuss his entrepreneurial endeavours and what it takes to grow, autonomous effective teams in the current climate. His current venture, Prowler.io are a research-led AI/machine learning start-up who build autonomous agents for games and decision-support simulations. They focusing on behavioural learning and simulation in virtual environments and use inverse reinforcement learning and deep reinforcement learning for capturing behaviour for abstracted decision making. Quite notably they are currently working on solutions to future-proof supply chains from disruptions like pandemics.
Gareth Interviews Luke Hakes who's one of the partners at Octopus Ventures, one of the biggest VC funds in Europe. Luke did a PhD in computational genetics and unexpectedly went on to join Octopus in the early stages, in what could be described as opportune circumstances. He has since had a fantastic career in venture capital, overseeing multiple success stories with some of the UK's most innovative tech companies. He currently runs a hugely successful health-tech portfolio, at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic. We break down his criteria for investing and talk about the importance of building human capital value and having faith in your team. We also discuss upcoming macro shifts and the potential opportunity and turmoil that may arise.
Gareth interviews Carwyn Jones MS, a Welsh Labour politician who served as First Minister of Wales, and Leader of the Welsh Labour party from 2009 to 2018. An advocate of technology and progress, Carwyn was instrumental in upgrading the connectivity and network infrastructure of Wales, and has recently been advising technology businesses on strategy and governance. We also cover the current challenges for businesses in these unprecedented times, his big decision to leave politics next year, and his upcoming book release which is now available to pre-order on Amazon.
Gareth interviews the CIO of Deliveroo Will Sprunt. Following graduating from Cambridge University, Will had an early taste of starting a business and then embarked on a career in data analytics, culminating in being promoted to his current role within popular food delivery service, Deliveroo. We cover lots of ground, including the importance of being bilingual (that includes being able to code) for creativity, his crash-course in entrepreneurialism and we unpack his impressive career trajectory.
Bruce Daisley grew up on a council estate in Birmingham. Twenty years on, having worked in radio and magazines, he’s held leadership roles game-changing technology firms like YouTube, Google and most recently was Vice President for Twitter EMEA. His 2019 book on improving work culture, “The Joy of Work”, was a Sunday Times number one business bestseller and also went on to be named The Financial Times - Book of the Month. Bruce also hosts a chart-topping podcast, “Eat Sleep, Work, Repeat" and often places as the top-rated speaker at conferences in the US and the UK. Bruce is a thought leader in the workplace culture conversation, which has been disrupted so much by recent events.
Gareth Interviews Kevin Goldsmith, CTO of London based, identity verification provider Onfido. An engineer by trade, Kevin cut his teeth at Microsoft in the 1990's, and was a member of the Windows Media, Windows CE, and Microsoft Research teams at a time when they were scaling into the global behemoth they are today. He was also the Director of Engineering at Adobe Systems for nine years through a similar growth trajectory and also the VP of Engineering, at Spotify where he led, both product development and streaming delivery during a crucial time. We cover the above along with his thoughts on quantum computing, technology innovation and keeping engineering teams motivated during a lockdown.
Gareth interviews Ed Dixon, CEO of Bayezian, a talent incubator who aim to bridge the gap between education and industry by providing vocational coaching and placements services within Data Analytics and Data Science. We discussed setting up a business in 2020, Gareth interviews Ed Dixon, CEO of Bayezian, a talent incubator who aim to bridge the gap between education and industry by providing vocational coaching and placement services within Data Analytics and Data Science. We discussed setting up a business in 2020, acquiring Talent in the current climate, and adapting to change.
Gareth interviews Gareth Lewis the CEO of Delio. Gareth set up Delio 5 years ago at the age of 25 and now oversee's a trans-Atlantic operation, providing a white-label software platform to organisations like investment banks, wealth managers, and family offices. They have exciting growth plans and a very bright future. We talk about growth, culture and maintaining productivity and culture through this lockdown period.
Gareth interviews Henri Moissinac a computer science PhD from Paris who set up a highly successful e-commerce platform called iBazar in the late 90s which firstly was in competition with then got acquired by eBay in 2001. Henri then went on to work for the likes of Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook and Travis Kalanick at Uber, leading mobile strategy. Notably, Henri was instrumental in taking Facebook from 1 million to 1 billion mobile users during his tenure. His latest venture is DOTT, an exciting endeavor with a mission to make inner cities free of cars and pollution by way of their dockless, shared electrical scooters and bikes as alternatives for short-distance travel.
Gareth interviews entrepreneur and philanthropist, Michael Tobin OBE who has had a colourful career from moving pianos around Old Kent Road to leading one of the biggest data centre companies in the world. An amazing story full of value. We cover pitfalls, comebacks and the impact of the recent pandemic on UK business.
This month Gareth interviews, Gloucestershire based tech entrepreneur Chris Morling. Whilst working for Oracle and encouraged by his partner, Chris decided to take the plunge and set up his first business in 1999, a financial directory website and then went on to create over 50 websites in the early days of the affiliate marketing boom.
With ambitions to create a business that made a real difference, money.co.uk was born and Chris spent the next 10 years building this innovative company into a market leader culminating in a lucrative exit in 2018. He is now embarking on a new adventure studee.com which help's students find international university places online. Some real snippets of wisdom from a true entrepreneur.
Dave Chaplin is a prominent commentator and campaigner in the opposition to the off-payroll regulations and is the Founder of contractorcalculator.co.uk and ir35shield.co.uk. Dave has an impressive breadth of knowledge on this subject and delivers a narrative to thousands of UK based contractors through the various social media channels as this unfolds. We discuss the story and initial intent of ir35 legislation from its conception in 1999 under Gordon Brown, through to the recent changes and entrance into the private sector and how this affects PSC's, SME owners and large companies who utilise contingent worker’s.
This month Gareth interviews Chief Technology Advocate of Starling Bank, Jason Maude. Starling Bank have spearheaded a new wave of challenger banks, who have managed, through technology innovation, to disrupt an industry which has remained largely unchanged for 150 years. Jason talks about his progression from being an engineer within an asset management consultancy through to becoming a tech leader in a rapidly growing organisation, built upon the objective of disrupting a broken banking system. We cover everything from Agile v Waterfall to the social impact of a cashless society. A fascinating conversation.
bedigital bring you conversations with established tech leaders influencing UK business today. From the challenges of sustainable growth, through to continuous innovation and everything in-between. These are the behind-the-scene stories and personal anecdotes of the leaders who are turning concepts into reality.
This months guest, Timo Boldt, really did help trail-blaze a new market category in the UK, alongside his business partner, and following a life-changing holiday to Italy, he left a very successful career in an investment bank and pursued his passion for cookery and built a business from the ground up. They now have five hundred staff, based out of their head office in Shepherd's Bush with considerable growth plans for 2020. We covered everything from tech and plastic reduction targets to the rise of plant-based eating and many snippets of wisdom in-between.
An inspiring journey from a true entrepreneur who has created a unique tech-driven business with sustainability at the core of everything they do.
bedigital bring you conversations with established tech leaders influencing UK business today. From the challenges of sustainable growth, through to continuous innovation and everything in-between. These are the behind-the-scene stories and personal anecdotes of the leaders who are turning concepts into reality.