CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

Blockdaemon is all about blockchain nodes – the plumbing behind all blockchain operations. What was once a complex procedure to launch, is now a piece of cake. Businesses can now dip their toes in the world of blockchain, and Blockdaemon is here to empower them. TC sat down with Blockdaemon’s VP of Engineering, Lloyd Moore to talk about his journey in the tech world, his leadership style, and of course- more about Blockdaemon. Key Takeaways: • How creating a simpler blockchain infrastructure can help improve business usage • Why getting bigger is not about going slow - it’s about delegating • How trust is the one thing that underpins leadership and the decisions we make Our Guest: Lloyd Moore LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moorelloyd/ Website: https://blockdaemon.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/iolloyd?lang=en Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Sometimes tech leaders don’t have the technical expertise or knowledge as you’d expect, but they have the business acumen and understand technology, and do what all tech leaders should – be catalysts for other to succeed and enable them to be better, day in, day out. Michael Okwusogu, Founder and CEO at Value X Partners is one such tech leader. An investment banker by making, he’s been involved in technology from day one, and has only gone deeper ever since. He sat down with our TC Gill to talk leadership, what drives him, and spill the beans on his experience throughout the ages. Key takeaways: • How communication is all about comprehension, and not just exchange of information • Why bringing external partners onto projects needs to be justified and very clear • Why data should give you insights, rather than just indicators Our Guest: Michael Okwusogu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelokwusogu/ Website: https://valuexadvisory.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

In the world of tech, the things you can do for research, for development, for creation – are simply limitless. And Michele Nati, Head of Telco and Infrastructure Development at IOTA Foundation, is working on the things that are right up there with some of the most exciting tech, IoT and blockchain. Our TC Gill sat down with him for a chat to learn more about Michele’s journey, his leadership style, and what keeps him up at night. From his beginnings in the industry, all the way to how he leads his team now at IOTA, there was a lot to learn from Michele – a conversation we’re sure will blow your mind when you learn more about how he approaches everything. Key takeaways: • How flatness in company structure opens dialogue and enables alignment • The importance of “minimum viable ecosystems” • Why work-life balance is important for long-term success Our Guest: Michele Nati LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelenati/ Website: https://www.iota.org/

A software engineer by training, but a tech leader by making, Jayant Chaudhary, CTO at Eproxim, threaded a path that is as interesting and amazing as you’d expect from someone who first planned on studying literature and history. But he didn’t, and what the world of literature may have lost, the world of IT has gained. With more than 30 years of experience in the world of IT, there was loads that Jayant talked about when he sat down with our TC Gill - from his beginnings, through his current job, all the way to what has and hasn’t worked for him as a leader. Key Takeaways from the podcast: • How facing fears and putting them into perspective can get you performing at your best • Why transparency is a huge enabler • How focusing your work on helping people will pave your way to success Our Guest: Jayant Chaudhary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchaudhary/ Website: https://eproxim.com/

We’ve all seen techies turn into tech leaders, but professional sports players? Now, there’s a story right there, and Andrew Gomarsall, Executive Chairman at N2S, is here to tell it. From making his first steps on the rugby fields, all the way to what he does now, Andrew’s story as a pro athlete turned eco warrior is one that will show athletes and aspiring techies that there’s always a way, and that when it comes to leadership, business and sports have a lot in common! Key takeaways from the podcast are: • New problems can be solved with existing solutions, one just has to look; • Why are circular economies the future • Threading the path less taken is all about values, character, and doing it the right way Our Guest: Andrew Gomarsall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgomarsall/ Website: https://n2s.co.uk

Tech leaders are not just people who know how to lead. They’re people with an affinity for technology who enjoy helping others reach their goals, guiding them through projects and through their own professional journeys. And one such leader is Eric Harrison, Director of Engineering at Marketplacer, who sat down with our TC Gill to talk about his journey to becoming a tech leader, his leadership techniques, how well-being plays a role in success, and what can be done about it. Key Takeaways: • How the sense of belonging in teams can spur them to perform better • Why the concepts and procedures that you put in place are only important if they work for your team • How breaking down concepts and projects in smaller bits can help better delivery and better performance Our Guest: Eric Harrison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubyeric/ Website: https://marketplacer.com/ Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

The second story in our Amazonian Tribe series is here! For this one, we have Kristin Toth, currently the President & COO at Fernish. But we’re here now to talk about her close to 8 years with Amazon, during which time she had a hand in delivering some of the flagship services which have made the company what it is today. From joining the company in its formative years, all the way to its meteoric rise, the insight Kristin has in the how’s and why’s of Amazon are pure gold! Key takeaways: • How to be an organizational “athlete” and make things happen • Why measuring success is important, and can spur you to do better • How going back to your own type of drawing board can help you recalibrate, and refocus Our Guest: Kristin Toth Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristintoth/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ktothsmith Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Some leaders are great at enabling change and providing a platform for others to grow, and of course, there are those that can see change, anticipate it, and help others integrate and adapt. Henrik Hvid Jensen belongs in this latter group. As the CTO of DXC Technology, he’s leading teams that provide services for companies, mainly modernizing them in ways that help them prepare for the future, but also retain what has worked for them best. Henrik believes that a global shared digital backbone for the circular economy ecosystem is a prerequisite for an efficient global circular economy and therefore for reaching the climate goals on time. For more info about his journey, invaluable leadership advice and his thoughts on new technologies such as blockchain, all you have to do is click play.  Key Takeaways: • How making your business highly integratable with the business ecosystem can set you up for long term success • Why blockchain might not be the future as some claim • How digitization of circular economies pave the way for the future Our Guest: Henrik Jensen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrikhvid/ Website: https://dxc.com/us/en Twitter: https://twitter.com/henrikhvid Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

Tech leaders are life-long learners, and as such, they have their fair share of experience accrued through good, but also many bad experiences. In the crazy world of tech, burning out is not uncommon, but more often than not, it can be a lesson – which once learned, can help you become a real driving force, a leader. One such leader is Brian Leonard, CEO at Grouparoo, who sat down with us to share his journey in the tech world, what he does now, and spill some advice on leadership and teams that will definitely be worth its weight in gold. Key takeaways: • Why creating teams is like creating a functioning marriage between strategy, vision, and direction • The reverse ETL – how collecting data and using it to create concepts can help growth • How focus on I/we/it is important, and while the ‘it’ seems the more important, the I and we actually define it Our Guest: Brian Leonard LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianl429/ Website: https://www.grouparoo.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bleonard Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)

We usually see techies turn into tech leaders by first earning their badges, and then moving on to create something of their own, but not many separate from the mothership as a company, and take that giant leap into leading. But for Matthew Bull, CTO at Elanco, did it and not only did he suceed, he managed to grow the company, and all of that in the space of two years! From having a clear vision on what needs to be done, all the way to ensuring teams are aligned, Matt’s path to becoming a tech leader, and his story with Elanco, will captivate you. Key takeaways: • How to set your business for success while digitally transforming • Why divesting/acquisition can be a blessing in disguise in terms of technology and organization • How start-up culture helps businesses grow and deliver by energizing everyone in a company Our Guest: Matt Bull LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mswbull/ Website: https://www.elanco.com/en-us Twitter: https://twitter.com/mswbull Intro and background music: Craig MacArthur - Power Shutoff (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x74iB_jtauw)