In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the security of IT environments is paramount. At this Defence Meetup, we explore the unique challenges and opportunities faced by defence and national security sectors in the UK. We discuss best practices, innovative solutions, and strategic approaches to ensure robust and resilient IT infrastructures.

Watch now at the bottom of this page.

The Talks

Policy driven decision making to remove subjectivity and reduce cognitive thinking – Dan Edmunds (Founder, Espanaro Ltd.)

This concise and impactful presentation demonstrates how implementing policy-driven decision making can transform the way your organisation operates, ensuring that every decision aligns with your strategic goals. Discover how policies provide a consistent framework that enhances efficiency, accountability, and risk management, all while driving your organisation toward long-term success.

Dan explores the tangible benefits of this approach, including streamlined decision processes, clear accountability, and reduced risks, backed by real-world examples that showcase both successful implementations and common challenges. The talk shows how adopting a policy-driven approach can not only improve decision-making but also empower your organisation to adapt and thrive in a dynamic environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how policy-driven decision making can be a game-changer for your business.

PKI as a Business Enabler – Todd Beldham (Founder, Unsung Ltd.)

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a critical business-enabling technology. Understanding the value of PKI is essential as it underpins the trust and security of their organization’s digital ecosystem. By implementing PKI, businesses can enhance their cybersecurity posture, comply with regulatory requirements, and build trust with customers and partners.
Todd’s talk highlights the various business enabling technologies and innovations, that are reliant on a well-managed and maintained PKI.

The Speakers

Dan Edmunds

Dan Edmunds is the founder of Espanaro Ltd, a company dedicated to developing innovative tools that enhance organisational decision-making. With a deep background in business strategy and technology, Dan has been at the forefront of creating solutions that help organisations align their actions with their strategic goals.
Dan’s most notable achievement is the development of Consilium, a cutting-edge policy-driven decision-making tool. Consilium is designed to provide organisations with a robust framework for making consistent, accountable, and efficient decisions. Under Dan’s leadership, Espanaro Ltd has successfully integrated Consilium into various sectors, helping businesses and institutions streamline their decision processes while ensuring alignment with their core policies and objectives.

Todd Beldham

Todd Beldham is the founder of Unsung Limited, a niche IT Security consultancy specialising in PKI. With over 23 years of experience in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Todd has a profound understanding of cryptographic principles and their application in securing digital communications. They have successfully designed and implemented PKI solutions for various customers in the defence sector, ensuring robust security and compliance with industry standards. His expertise extends to managing large-scale PKI deployments, certificate lifecycle management, and integrating PKI with other security technologies.
Unsung are known for their strategic vision and technical acumen, they have contributed to numerous projects that have enhanced the security posture of organizations within the UK and worldwide. Their dedication to continuous learning and innovation has made them a respected consultancy in the field of PKI.

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Imposter syndrome, a psychological phenomenon characterised by persistent self-doubt and feelings of fraudulence despite evident success, has emerged as a significant concern among leaders within the UK healthcare sector. This pervasive sense of inadequacy not only undermines the confidence of high-achieving individuals but also poses a risk to their mental well-being and leadership effectiveness.

In this panel discussion, in partnership with SheLeads Health: Women in NHS and Healthcare IT, a vibrant community dedicated to empowering and connecting female leaders within the NHS and Healthcare IT sectors, we explore imposter syndrome from four unique perspectives. Our speakers share their own personal experiences, while sharing the techniques they have used to overcome feelings of inadequacy.

You can watch the full recording at the bottom of this page.

Our Panel

Charlotte Scott – Executive General Manager, MEDITECH UK & Ireland

Charlotte has worked for MEDITECH for over 15 years having started in the UK based team as 1 of 7 staff members to now heading up the UK and Ireland business with nearly 50 people in our team. Charlotte is passionate about ensuring staff feel supported from a mental health and wellbeing perspective, and is delighted that a number of initiatives are driven internally by MEDITECH’s MHFAs and Wellbeing Ambassadors.

In this discussion, Charlotte Scott highlights:

• The continuous challenge of imposter syndrome, often amplified by circumstances like medical menopause.
• The need to normalise discussions around imposter syndrome, recognising and addressing this common experience.
• Her own strategies for coping, including slowing down speech to calm nerves and seeking continual growth despite facing self-doubt.

Terry Murphy – Cognitive Therapist, Strat180

A Qualified Coach and Cognitive Therapist, Terry has worked in the healthtech space for 30 years. People are his business and he is motivated to help others with their life strategies.

Sharing more about his ‘life-changing’ career in healthcare, Terry recognises how imposter syndrome affects the majority of us and invites us to reframe imposter syndrome as “authentic humility” to highlight its positive aspects.

Gozie Oloye – Clinical Systems Analyst, NHS England

Gozie has spent over a decade immersed in the world of biomedical science, navigating the complexities of a bustling hospital pathology lab. Witnessing first-hand the challenges scientists face daily in delivering accurate results in a timely manner, ignited a passion for improving healthcare processes. This drive led Gozie to transition into healthcare IT, where she leverages her scientific knowledge with technology to develop tech solutions that improve diagnosis, treatment and overall patient experience.

For Gozie, imposter syndrome has been tied to biases related to gender and age. Gozie goes onto identify how these experiences have shaped her career path and response to imposter syndrome.

Charlotte John – Former COO, Meditation and Mindset Coach

With over 30 years of frontline NHS and digital health experience, Charlotte has climbed from C-Grade to the C-Suite despite having no formal education. Throughout her career, Charlotte has navigated the challenges of imposter syndrome often feeling like an outsider in spaces where traditional qualifications are expected and required.

Charlotte dives into:

• The unrealistic expectations placed on individuals to be “superwoman” or “superman.”
• Her own challenges dealing with gender bias and how it has acted both as a barrier and a motivator.
• Her strategies to manage imposter syndrome such as recognising personal cycles, gratitude, affirmations, and using support networks to manage imposter syndrome.

Chaired by Helen Mutton – Director of UK Operations at Alcidion

Helen’s career in healthcare IT has been a journey of dedication and growth. As the Director of UK Operations at Alcidion, Helen draws on over 20 years of experience, but her professional path began much more modestly as a chemist counter assistant at Boots in Clacton-on-Sea.

Like many, Helen has faced imposter syndrome, yet she has worked hard to ignore the intrusive thoughts and now leads a team committed to enhancing patient care through innovative solutions. Helen founded SheLeads Health, a LinkedIn group that promotes diversity, equality, and inclusion, as she believes strongly in these values. Her journey has taught her that by focusing on our strengths, building strong relationships, and striving to make a positive impact, we can overcome self-doubt and achieve meaningful progress in our careers.

About SheLeads Health

SheLeads Health: Women in NHS & Healthcare IT is a vibrant community dedicated to empowering and connecting female leaders within the NHS and Healthcare IT sectors. Our purpose is to provide a dynamic platform for networking, fostering meaningful connections, and facilitating professional growth. We welcome individuals of all genders, backgrounds, and orientations to join us in our mission to create a safe and inclusive space where everyone’s voice is valued. By sharing insights, exchanging ideas, and collaborating, we aim to inspire, empower, and drive positive change in the healthcare industry.

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As AI continues to shape our landscape, join fellow Data Leaders in Manchester, as we host a breakfast roundtable, in partnership with Classic Football Shirts, discussing how to leverage AI for competitive advantage while maintaining ethical and compliant practices.

Connect with fellow Data Leaders over a breakfast of pastries and tea/coffee before our roundtable chaired by Paul Heath.

This is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the opportunities, as well as the challenges, of incorporating AI into your Data Strategy, sharing valuable insights, and discussing potential solutions.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday 17th September
• Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
• Location: Dakota Hotel, 29 Ducie St, Manchester M1 2JL
• Register: Complete the registration form at the bottom of this page

Our Chair

The discussion will be chaired by Data Leader, Paul Heath. Passionate about unlocking business potential with data and insights, Paul has over 20 years experience in Data and Analytics.
Over the last 9 years, as Director of Data Engineering at Kitbag (now Fanatics), Paul’s Data strategy helped the business grow from an SME to a global player operating in Petabytes of Data.

Now at Classic Football Shirts, Paul is now looking to drive similar growth through effective data strategy.

Registration

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, robotics has emerged as a driving force, reshaping industries across the globe.

At this event, we will explore the multitude of robotics use-cases, exploring how robotics are optimised across food & drink manufacturing, healthcare, and rehabilitation with talks from three leading robotics companies.

Plus there will be the opportunity to socialise and network with professionals, academics and robotic enthusiasts across Edinburgh over drinks and food.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday 21st November
• Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
• Location: The Cambridge Bar, 20 Young St, Edinburgh EH2 4JB
• Register: Complete the registration form here to secure your spot

The Talks

Touchlab’s Vladimir Ivan discusses robotic dexterity and the ground-breaking work of Touchlab to create robots that can feel the world around them.

Leap.AI’s Ben Bamford and Ben Stuart dive into the food & drink industry, sharing how robotics that harness the power of artificial intelligence can enhance the efficiency of your food production operations.

Timothy Chamberlain, Head of Software (UK) for Launchpad, will share more about Launchpad’s AI approach to optimising the programming and control of assembly robots, for efficient manufacturing.

Timothy is currently building a team to further the next generation of www.launchpad.build Software and Digitool, an AI programmed Automation Assembly Robot.  At Launchpad, they focus on taking product assembly from CAD to automation, reducing the price and time to market for customers, no matter what they may be manufacturing.    

In collaboration with .NET Edinburgh, we welcome three speakers for an evening of lightning talks.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday 14th August
• Time: 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
• Location: Zonal, Tanfield, 1 Inverleith Row, Edinburgh EH3 5DA
• Register: RSVP on Meetup.com to confirm your spot

The Talks

Andy Lamb – Memory management in .net
James Wiseman – C# Lambdas and Expression Trees
Stewart Pavitt – One click solutions with cloud and the cost implications

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We are delighted to be supporting Azure Berkshire User Group with their latest Meetup on Tuesday 10th December, as they celebrate 1 year of the group.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday 10th December
• Time: 6:o0 PM to 8:00 PM
• Location: Microsoft Campus, Thames Valley Park, Reading, RG6 1WG
• Register: RSVP on Meetup.com to confirm your spot

Join us on Wednesday, July 31st at the Ireland’s Four Courts, Arlington VA.

These meetups are a perfect opportunity for data and AI professionals in the DC area to engage in thoughtful discussions, share insights, and network in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, July 31st
• Time: 6:30 PM to 8 PM
• Venue: Ireland’s Four Courts, Arlington VA.
• Theme: Data, AI, and Networking
• Register: Complete the registration form at the bottom of this page to secure your spot

We are excited to be growing this community in DC, making each meetup a chance for professionals, students, and anyone enthusiastic about data and AI to connect and learn.

Your hosts, Christian and Joe will be eagerly waiting to welcome you by the bar!

We are excited to be building a space for collaboration, learning, and networking for Data & AI professionals in DC. We look forward to meeting you soon!

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In collaboration with .NET South West, we welcome one of the best speakers in the international circuit with an absolutely brilliant talk on GitHub.

April Yoho, Senior Developer Advocate & DevOps Practice Lead at GitHub, will be sharing an update on what the team at Github have been working on.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday 25th July
• Time: 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
• Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew’s House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
• Register: RSVP on Meetup.com to confirm your spot

The Talk

GitHub Copilot can streamline your coding workflow in various ways. While you’ve likely experimented with Copilot in your IDEs, this talk goes beyond the basics. We’ll delve into using Copilot for writing test plans, creating documentation, and boosting productivity. Join us as we unlock new possibilities with April Yoho.

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Join us on Tuesday, July 16th at Con Murphy’s Irish Pub, Philadelphia for our latest Data & AI Happy Hour.

These meetups are a perfect opportunity for data and AI professionals in the Philadelphia area to engage in thoughtful discussions, share insights, and network in a welcoming atmosphere.

Sign up here.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, June 16th
• Time: 6 PM to 8 PM
• Venue: Con Murphy’s Irish Pub, Philadelphia
• Theme: Data, AI, and Networking

We aim to continue to grow this community in Philadelphia, making each meetup a chance for professionals, students, and anyone enthusiastic about data and AI to connect and learn.

Just remember drinks are on your tab.

Your hosts, Christie, Ed, and Joe, will be eagerly waiting to welcome you by the bar!

Secure your spot now.

In the intricate landscape of web development, security remains paramount. As professionals who architect, build, and maintain web applications, there is a delicate balance between user experience and safeguarding sensitive data.

In this talk, Rajesh Muthusamy (Engineering Manager at Cognizant) discusses the importance of security in web applications and how OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) are best practices for enhancing authentication and authorisation.

His talk explores:

• Understanding Token Types and Their Purposes: Find out more on the different types of tokens that OAuth 2.0 and OIDC utilise from access that tokens grant access to specific resources, to refresh tokens that allow for the obtaining of new access tokens without re-authentication.
• Client Registration and Configuration: Learn how to properly register your application with an authorisation server and configure client id, redirect URIs, scopes, states, and verification mechanisms, ensuring are secure and effective authentication and authorisation.
• Implementing Scopes for Fine-Grained Access Control: Scopes are an important aspect of OAuth 2.0 and OIDC, dictating the level of access and permissions for users. Explore how to carefully design and implement scopes to define and restrict access to specific resources, ensuring security and appropriate permissions are maintained.
• The Significance of Secure Token Storage: Storing refresh tokens securely is critical to maintaining the security of a web application. Mishandling tokens can lead to security vulnerabilities. Rajesh shares more on best practices in secure token storage.
• Utilising Identity Providers for SSO and Enhanced Security: Rajesh demonstrates how leveraging identity providers like Google allows for single sign-on (SSO) and reduces the need for repeated password entry. These providers help in simplifying the authentication process and enhance security by using established authentication systems.

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