The Tech Leaders Podcast

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 PointsDyslexia 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)LinksMade By DyslexiaFacebook Boost Your BusinessEY on the value of dyslexiaGCHQTED Talk: Benjamin Zan - The Transformative Power of Classical Musichttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsThe 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)LinksThe Octopus GroupOctopus EnergyGreg’s TwitterThe Octopus Energy Podcasthttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsThe 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)LinksDan Pink Ted Talk: The Puzzle of Motivation‘My Autobiography’ by Alex Ferguson‘Grit’ by Angela DuckworthThe FounderJack’s LinkedInhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsWhy 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)LinksLondon Tech WeekNet ZeroFuture FiftyApplied AIJob and Skills Report 2021‘Principles’ by Ray DalioTech Nationhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsSky’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)LinksRichard’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/RichardRosenberg1https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsAdvice 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)LinksPensionBee: 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/1781254435https://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsCultural 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)LinksHughenden Valley Football ClubB Corporation The NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator‘The Test of Courage’ by Christopher Robbins‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor FranklNatWest Business HubNeil’s LinkedInhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsTaking 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)LinksCharles Ewen’s interview on One Zero One PodcastMet Office Hadley CentreNatural Environment Research Council‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ by Philip K. Dickhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsBlair’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)LinksInsights DiscoveryPeter McCormack, Podcaster and Journalist - Bitcoin SpecialCameron & Tyler Winklevoss on What Bitcoin DidMicroStrategy‘Legacy’ by James KerrNifty Gatewayhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/

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 PointsThe 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 ChangThe RSA FellowshipDidem’s LinkedInDidem’s Twitterhttps://www.bedigitaluk.com/