CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

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)

The stereotypes say that sports and tech don’t go well together, but the reality is, that tech has taken all sports to the next level. From gathering game data to performance analysis all the way to getting insight into what’s happening on a field – the marriage between sports and tech has been rather spectacular. In this episode, I talked with Ben Burdsall, CTO of one of the biggest sports technology companies in the world, Sportsradar – and we talked about it all: from his beginnings, through his learning process, and how he was shaped as a leader, all the way to what he does now with Sportsradar. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Why putting people first will help reduce potential depersonalization in big companies • How the concept of “mean time to innocence” can actually help businesses locate issues and respond faster • Why diversity in all its forms can help growth and well-being at workplaces Our Guest: Ben Burdsall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-burdsall-6ba2bb/ Website: https://sportradar.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

In today’s vastly connected – almost intertwined – world, we know that transportation and mobility play a crucial role in maintaining the flow of life as we know it. So, is it any wonder that the technology and operations that are at work in the industry are the brainchildren of some of the best tech leaders out there? I got one of these tech leaders to sit down for a friendly-but-insightful talks – meet Kirk Franzen, the CTO at Cargo Chief, a company that works in the freight market, using tech to reduce headaches that stem from logistics. I and Kirk talked in depth about Cargo Chief, his journey to becoming a tech leader, and the way that he likes to get things done. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Why allowing people to make mistakes can be very benefix`cial in the long run • How helping people learn what they want can be a catalyst for real change • Why taking a step back or just being patient is sometimes better than just going for something Our Guest: Kirk Franzen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfranzen/ Website: https://cargochief.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Time – it's the one thing that no one can’t control, no matter their skill or know-how. And for small and medium businesses, getting the needed protection and insurance in time is essential. Meet Shay Mandel, VP of Engineering at Next Insurance, a company that provides insurance to small and medium-sized businesses at the click of a button, instead of waiting for weeks as it usually goes in the market nowadays. So how is Next Insurance doing this? How did Shay get to where he is? The answers to these questions and many more were answered in this episode, as our TC Gill sat down with Shay to dive deep in all matters of business and tech.> Key takeaways from the podcast are: • Why technical debt is not something that should be overlooked • How code has a way of showing you where progress and development can hit a snag • How technical debt can actually influence people’s decision to come on board Our Guest: Shay Mandel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaymandel/ Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextinsurance/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

As any tech leader looking to make their own path and do their own thing know that all their experience and knowledge will be fruitless, unless the idea they build on doesn’t improve the livelihood of people. In an age where everything seems to be already discovered, tech leaders like Brent Williams, CEO at Benekiva, come to the fore to show us that we’re wrong, and that there’s still much that we don’t know. Listen to his convo with TC, as they dive deep into Benekiva’s doings, as well as Brents journey to becoming a tech leader. Key takeaways from the podcast are: • How you can find opportunities in problems • Why going against nay-sayers can actually be more rewarding than just falling in line • How learning from great leaders can help you develop your perspective and approach Our Guest: Brent Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentewilliams1/ Website: https://www.benekiva.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)