The Tech Leaders Podcast

*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 stampsThe 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 https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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) https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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-catcorrNice 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=8-1https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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)https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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)https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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. Time stamps What does good leadership mean to Sridhar? (02:02) Growing your career whilst growing a business (03:00) The impact of the dotcom boom (09:00) Accelerating growth in a changing technology landscape (10:50) The biggest differences between the European and Asian tech markets (14:04) Identifying your competitors (16:24) The effect of AI on SaaS (18:15) How Zoho is training employees for AI readiness (22:40) Achieving balance as a leader (31:10) *Book recommendation- The Culture Map, Erin Meyer https://www.amazon.co.uk/Culture-Map-Decoding-People-Cultures/dp/1610392760/ref=asc_df_1610392760?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80401845130381&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584001419460783&psc=1 https://www.bedigitaluk.com/