CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

Being a leader is not just about innovating new technologies that make people’s lives easier – following the newest trends and emerging technology is also important. These can help tech leaders get a better feel of what the next big thing in the world of tech will be, and how they can help make their businesses better and more efficient. One such leader that does both is Hanna Helin, Global Head of Tech Innovation at London Stock Exchange Group, who sat down for a chat with me in November 2022, sharing her experience, know-how, and leadership secrets! Key takeaways from the podcast are: - adaptation and perspective are important in growing companies, as they require different approaches - Maintaining close connections with clients can help tremendously in your work - Being flexible in changing roles can help you grow tremendously Our Guest: Hanna Helin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahelin/ Website: https://www.lseg.com/en Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Tech leaders are people that reach for the stars – some literally, some do it by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to ensure that the lives of humans become easier and simpler. And then, there are those that have done both, but have found the “earthly experience” with technology to be far more important. Noy Grisaru, R&D Group Manager at Optimove, belongs in the latter – and he sat down for a chat with me to talk about his journey in tech, the work he’s been doing for Optimove, and how he leads his teams. Key takeaways from the podcast are: - Why sometimes going with your gut feeling can be counterproductive; - The path to learning something new starts by asking a question - The importance of putting customers first Our Guest: Noy Grisaru LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noy-grisaru-994bb810b/ Website: https://www.optimove.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Tech leaders are known for tackling hard issues – ones that require a lot of work and know-how in order to solve them, and in turn, help improve the livelihoods of people, and help businesses grow! Well, meet Simon Munch-Andersen, CTO at Ultimate, a tech leader of the type I described above, and one who sat down for a chat with me, as he shared everything from how he started out in tech, through his experience around the industry, all the way to the amazing work he’s doing now for Ultimate! Key takeaways from the podcast are: - Projects need to be handled and approached on a team level, not an individual, as this way all team members will have the sense of being part of something; - Why having more smaller decisions is better than making big ones that can destabilize your project and your team - The true value of leadership comes when your teams are capable of making decisions on their own; Our Guest: Simon Munch-Andersen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonma/ Website: https://www.ultimate.ai/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

You don’t become a tech leader by just having the skills and then one day you decide you’ll take on a leadership or C-level position and that’s it. Well, it takes a lot more than that. It takes the willingness to tackle issues but also enable people to grow and develop, and become leaders of their own making. Marcus Campbell, CTO at Hermes Logistics Technologies, is one such tech leader, and of course, I had to have him on CTO Confessions. With 20+ years of experience in tech, Marcus covered in depth all the work he’s doing for HLT, how his road has been so far, and gave his advice worth its weight in gold. Key takeaways from the podcast are: -Collaboration is the one way that teams can move forward and achieve success and growth at the same time; -Patience is key – as a leader you’ll need it in order to ensure your focus stays on point, and that your team stays on course; Our Guest: Marcus Campbell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcuscampbell100/ Website: https://www.hermesworld.com/int/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Getting early into new, emerging technologies is a double-edged sword – it means that you might strike gold, or you might specialize in technology that might become obsolete. Well, in the world of tech leaders, all knowledge is golden, and it can help leaders become drivers in their own niches, and provide real value to both companies and teams. This is the perfect way to describe the path that Richard Billington, CTO at Netcall, has been on, as he sat down for a chat with me to talk all things tech – from what Netcall does, all the way to his leadership style, how he’s developed, and what his experience as a CTO has taught him. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Why sometimes suffering from imposter syndrome can have a positive outcome • How flexibility and open-mindedness can help you endure hardships • Why partnerships and relationships are crucial in growing quickly Our Guest: Richard Billington LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbillington/ Website: https://www.netcall.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

An architect turned techie, Petr Mitev had his head turned by technology, as this allowed him to create the things he wanted – the way he wanted. Growing in both skills and experience, he decided to make the lives of architects a bit easier – by working on providing solutions that are simpler, better, and less time consuming. So, how does a tech leader like Petr reach the point at which he’s at? How did it all go down? What sort of a leader is he? The answers to all of these questions and many more can be found in this episode, as I sat down with him and we had a good chat on all things! Key takeaways from the podcast are: • How injecting technology can help drive businesses and industries; • Why sustainability is important in the world of design and construction Our Guest: Petr Mitev LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petr-mitev/ Website: https://enscape3d.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

How many times have you heard someone in tech say that they hate tech or computers, yet they’re all into it and are using their skills and know-how for the betterment of mankind through their work by helping develop services and technology that are good? Us neither, but here’s Eddie Flaisler, Head of Products Engineering at Lob, whose journey, experience, and motives are not fitting of your standard tech leader and tech maverick, but it’s a story that you’ll definitely want to hear – a story that is just as exciting, motivating, and inspiring as you’d imagine. A full-on exchange between me and Eddie, right on that click button. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Effective leadership is about balancing business needs and the human ideals that drive a company; • Making people decisions in a vacuum is a risky business; • Resource planning is more about taking into consideration the effects it can have on people, rather than just the business itself; Our Guest: Eddie Flaisler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-flaisler-660a9039/ Website: https://www.lob.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

As tech leaders are curious people and interested in everything tech-related, their mind is not fixed on one area – but rather on an idea. The idea is that they can put their skills and experience to use and provide value to communities and people worldwide – a vision that can drive communities forward. And one such tech leader is Ed Alford, the CTO of New Look, who sat down with me for a short but deep chat that involved it all – from the start of his career, through his development as a leader, and into the now – on what his company is doing – and also the future. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Remember that as leaders we’re not ‘in charge of people’, but ‘we have people in our charge’, meaning we have to take care of them, and that’s our main job. • Omnichannel Experience • How vision is the one thing that can give you the drive to move forward no matter what Our Guest: Ed Alford LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-alford/ Website: https://www.newlook.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

When one operates in an extremely sensitive, heavily enforced, compliant environment, there is lots of work to tick the boxes and jump through required hoops. This is the case in the social services that are there to care for the well-being of people. This often results in many people who should be delivering care being redirected to administrative tasks, such as updating records and ensuring the correct steps are taken. A process on steroids that has to be fully auditable. In this episode, TC Gill, the Chief talking Officer (CtO) of the podcast series, sits down with a tech leader with a passionate mission in this space. Gary Pyke joins us to describe the challenge he and his teams address for the benefit of the people that deliver care and those that receive it. A really insightful discussion, with many takeaways for tech leaders and leaders in general. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Getting clear and agile on the outcomes you are trying to solve • The magic of big-hairy-audacious goals • Avoid being data-rich and insight poor • Getting creative around compliance Our Guest: Gary Pyke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-pyke/ Website: Vale of Glamorgan Council: Overview

Tax compliance, it turns out, is an edgy space to operate in. For example, at scale, manual handling of receipts and invoices can be a costly endeavor, and many large organizations default to safer shortcuts that prevent tax that could be claimed from being processed. It's a complex problem to solve with many variables that are at play. The scream for automation has been heard by "Blue dot." A Fintech company that has solved the headache through elegant automation. i.e., automated tax compliance systems that create healthier bottom lines. TC Gill, the host of CTO confessions, sits down with David to dig a little deeper into the details and the "why's" of why this is such a challenge. He also gets to go deep with David on his leadership insights and the art of enhancing communications in service of the collective work. A deep and thoughtful tech leader with some great insights to take away. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • The concept of "Forcing communications" to create transparency and better understanding in and around the teams • An anthropological view on the art of communication • Inspiration to be more grateful for the world around us and the work we do as technologists Our Guest: David Guedalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-guedalia-565a374 Website: https://www.bluedotcorp.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)