Connect with fellow South West tech leaders on Thursday 13th February from 16:00 at the Tech Leadership Collective of the South West, organised by iO Associates.
Connect with tech leaders from the South West region and gain valuable insights from two thought-provoking talks:
The event will be held under Chatham House Rule, creating a trusted environment that encourages open discussion.
Lessons in Leadership – what I learnt about how to lead in a modern organisation (Rich McCloskey)
We talk about ‘Leadership’ all the time, rarely a day goes by we don’t see a blog post, a video, a podcast – it’s so frequent it’s almost become wallpaper.
So what do we really mean when we talk about leadership? What’s the difference between leading and managing, what does good leadership look like… what does bad leadership look like?
Taking on the role of Managing Director was something that I spent my whole career building towards – I had some 16 years or more to prepare. Even so, the reality was very different to my expectations, and I learnt more than I could imagine about leadership… and, of course, I’m still learning every day.
During this presentation I’ll discuss the biggest learnings, how to navigate leadership challenges, and leave you with my key takeaways that I hope will help you in your own leadership journey.
ADHD and Neurodiversity in the Workplace (Nicole Hardiman)
Discover the unique strengths and challenges of neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD, and learn how to create an inclusive environment that encourages innovation and productivity.
We’ll delve into the concept of neurodiversity, explore the benefits of a diverse workforce, and provide practical strategies for managing Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). Gain valuable insights and actionable advice for managers to support neurodivergent employees and help them thrive.
This talk will equip you with the knowledge and tools to embrace neurodiversity and unlock the full potential of your team. Don’t miss this opportunity to make your workplace more inclusive and dynamic!
Exclusively open to South West-based tech leaders, we only have limited spaces available, so sign up today to secure yours.
We do our best to make our events accessible. Please let us know if you have any special requirements by emailing hello@iomeetups.com.
13/02/2025 4:00 pm
Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by:
Managing Director, True
Connect with Rich
Presented by:
Director of Engineering, Flagstone
Connect with Nicole
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
Connect with fellow Thames Valley tech leaders on Wednesday 12th February from 17:15 at the Tech Leadership Collective of the Thames Valley, organised by iO Associates and hosted by FISCAL Technologies.
An opportunity to network with fellow tech leaders in the Thames Valley area before a thought-provoking talk from AND Digital’s Stuart Munton.
The event will be held under Chatham House Rule, creating a trusted environment that encourages open discussion.
The Convergence – how AI is changing Agile Roles, Teams, and Practices (Stuart Munton, Chief for Group Operations & Technology at AND Digital)
“The Convergence” is a future-facing interactive discussion about the profound impact of AI on Agile Product Delivery. Ushering in an era where AI Transformations become the focal point, surpassing the current realms of Agile and Digital Transformation strategic approaches. The session explores the evolution of key team roles, showcasing how currently compartmentalised roles are converging into new hybrid forms.
We will focus on specific roles, including Engineers, Product Managers, UX Designers, and Delivery Managers, providing practical examples and case studies to illustrate these AI driven changes. We will discuss how “The Convergence” of roles is changing our approach to shaping team capabilities, how it will increase in speed with which teams will need to form / reform, and how this will significantly alter the daily activity of people in these fluid AI augmented micro teams.
During the session we will touch on the wide range of AI approaches that are currently available and how you might make sense of the appropriate options in this rapidly evolving landscape. This is not a ‘one-size fits all approach’, however indecision is increasing the risk of non-AI augmented teams and organisation being left behind.
Community and Curiosity are Stuart’s core values which have led him through his 20+ year digital career. Starting with pivotal Agile and Digital transformations for major players like ASDA / Walmart and the NHS, he became an agile advocate back in 2004.
Stuart joined AND Digital as a 10 person start-up in 2014 and led the set-up and evolution of their way of working as they have grown to 1500+ consultants. He has honed practices for ~50 of AND’s clients across various industries – Retail, eCommerce, Insurance, Leisure, Hospitality, Media, Publishing etc. Currently, as Chief for Group Operations & Technology, Stuart leads AND’s internal technology functions consisting of AND’s Information Technology team, AND’s Business Platform Engineering team, and AND’s Security and Quality Standards team. He is also regularly involved in AND’s complex and scaled Agile engagements.
Alongside AND, Stuart co-founded the Agile Reading meet-up, creating a space for agile enthusiasts since 2020 and has been speaking at international conferences (e.g. Agile on the Beach, Global Scrum Gathering, ACE Krakow, XP2023 Amsterdam, ScanAgile etc.) from 2021 onwards. Stuart lives with his family in Reading Berkshire where he is a coach and semi-retired player at his local rugby club and is a lifelong Leicester Tigers rugby team fan.
Exclusively open to Thames Valley-based tech leaders, we only have limited spaces available, so sign up today to secure yours.
12/02/2025 5:15 pm
Location: FISCAL Technologies, 448 Basingstoke Rd, Reading RG2 0LP
Presented by:
Chief for Group Operations & Technology, AND Digital
Connect with Stuart
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
The ways in which financial institutions manage risk is changing. Is your organisation ready for DORA?
Join iO Associates and our sister brands, Finitas and PRG Consulting, in partnership with WA Chump & Sons, for an online webinar, sharing the details of the DORA legislation, the changes it will bring, and how you can ensure you are compliant.
The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) is a critical EU regulation coming into force on 17 January 2025, designed to strengthen the resilience of financial institutions. Its aim is to ensure organisations can withstand, respond to, and recover from operational disruptions, safeguarding both the institution and the broader financial system.
Hosted by Daniel Glynn-Jones, Head of Executive and Digital Governance, with key insights from Andrew Bird, CEO at WA Chump, this online webinar will provide real-world examples and actionable advice for preparing your organisation for DORA, including:
Andrew Bird has a wealth of experience in banking, risk management and regulatory compliance, having held senior positions at HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank. Known for his ability to resolve complex challenges, he earned a reputation as a trusted ‘firefighter’ within the banking sector.
His career evolved from retail and wholesale banking to increasingly specialised roles in regulatory compliance and risk management, culminating in his position as Chief Risk Officer. In 2003, Andrew transitioned from banking to entrepreneurship, establishing and successfully growing his own consultancy business.
In recent years, Andrew has focused on advising organisations on complex regulatory matters, particularly in the technology and financial services sectors. His current work includes guiding multiple clients through their Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) compliance journeys, leveraging his unique blend of banking, entrepreneurial, and regulatory expertise.
Daniel Glyn-Jones is a Director leading Executive Search and Leadership Advisory at iO Associates. He comes from the UK’s largest Executive Search firm where he led and executed C-Suite search mandates in Telecoms & Technology, Financial Services, Financial Regulator, Professional Services (Legal & Consulting) and Government.
As a deep technology specialist, he is extensively networked among Board, Chair and Non Exec leaders in Data & AI/Digital Governance (Technology Risk & Regulation, Cyber & Infosec and Digital Forensics)/Cyber & Information Security/Digital Forensics & Financial Crime.
In his earlier career Daniel founded his own search business and prior to that was a rugby player representing Bristol, Clifton and Gloucestershire in Rugby Union.
Don’t miss out on these valuable insights! Register now to secure your spot.
14/01/2025 8:15 am
Location: Zoom
Presented by:
CEO, WA Chump & Sons
Connect with Andrew
Presented by:
Group Head of Executive Search, iO Associates
Connect with Daniel
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
In collaboration with .NET South West, we have a wonderfully festive Meetup to finish off the year, featuring pizza, drinks, games and Lightning Talks.
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
We’re back with our next Happy Hour – the 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.
Join us on Wednesday, November 20th at the Elephant & Castle off Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC.
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!
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
Drawing on the valuable experiences of our speakers, this session encourages healthcare professionals to think of clinical safety in an agile way. As the event title suggests, when clinical safety is done well, it enhances implementation rather than creating roadblocks.
A Registered Nurse of over 30 years, Andrea has worked in a variety of roles in Primary and Secondary Care, the Healthcare Industry and IT Healthcare.
Having worked on NPfIT for 8 years in Clinical Governance/Clinical Safety for one of the major Providers, she continues to be passionate about ensuring the safe and effective delivery of any IT Solution that meets the needs and expectations of the Client and end user. After working for several different IT Healthcare companies, she set up 2Stellar Clinical Consultants with a business partner in 2023, where they have continued to ensure that Clinical Safety is at the heart of everything that they do.
Shelley is a Registered Nurse who discovered the world of Health IT several years ago.
Passionate about patient safety, Shelley found her niche in a role as a Clinical Safety Officer (CSO) where patient safety and Health IT combine. She has worked in several organisations as a CSO and served NHS Trusts on a national scale and Manufacturers on a global scale.
Natalie has been a Registered Midwife for 24 years, practicing within the UK and the United Arab Emirates.
Her career path has been guided by her passion for improving health outcomes and reducing patient harm, including research, clinical audit, quality and patient safety management. Natalie also has a thorough understanding of healthcare software manufacturing having worked as a Product Owner and is currently a Senior Clinical Safety Officer at Safehand Consulting Limited.
With 24 years as a Registered Nurse and as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visitor), Sascha Mullen brings great expertise spanning community, secondary, and emergency care.
As a Digital Clinical Safety Officer and CSO trainer, Sascha has successfully led complex clinical safety cases, proactively identifying and mitigating risks in patient-centered digital technologies. In his new role of Chief Nursing Information Officer, Sascha integrates clinical expertise with technology to promote patient safety, streamline healthcare delivery, and empower nursing professionals to engage in digital health innovations effectively.
With over 25 years of frontline NHS and digital health experience, clinical safety has been at the forefront of Charlotte John’s approach to care delivery. As the landscape shifts towards integrating technology and data in healthcare, ensuring patient safety remains the priority is crucial. Charlotte will lead the panel in discussing how the workforce can adapt to new ways of working, identifying and mitigating risks to improve patient care.
Helen Mutton, UK Director of Operations at Alcidion and founder of SheLeads Health, brings over 17 years of experience in healthcare technology and project management. Her commitment to patient safety is unwavering, having led numerous initiatives that integrate clinical safety into agile practices to achieve high standards without stalling progress. As a champion for innovation and effective care, Helen co-leads this panel alongside Charlotte John, creating a space for meaningful discussion on safe implementation practices. Her dedication to empowering others and ensuring patient safety is central to her leadership and this event.
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.
05/12/2024 12:30 pm
Location: Zoom
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
As AI continues to shape our landscape, join fellow Tech Leaders in Edinburgh, as we host a breakfast roundtable discussing how AI is transforming tech leadership.
Connect with fellow Tech Leaders over a breakfast of pastries and tea/coffee before our roundtable chaired by Paul Dunn.
This is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the opportunities, as well as the challenges, of incorporating AI into your Team Strategy, sharing valuable insights, and discussing potential solutions.
With over 20 years of experience in delivering technology solutions within Financial Services and iGaming, Paul Dunn operates at C1 and executive levels. He has a clear vision for the future of engineering talent and is known for his results-driven, energetic, and customer-focused approach. Paul excels in building strong enterprise-wide partnerships and has a proven track record in defining, setting and executing technical and organisational vision and strategy for technology transformation and organisational re-designs.
06/11/2024 8:00 am
Location: Hotel du Vin, 11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh EH1 1EZ
Presented by:
Software Engineering Director, FanDuel Group
Connect with Paul
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
Discover how to build and maintain a robust, agile supply chain capable of meeting the ever-evolving demands of Defence. Then explore the challenges and opportunities in Defence procurement from the perspective of a micro-SME.
‘Managing an Agile Supply Chain to Support Defence’ with Jaynie Davies
Supporting the Defence Supply Chain Strategy, Jaynie explores the landscape of supplier engagement, entry and through life management to enable a robust, agile supply chains with the ability to proactively respond to the demands of Defence, against such operations as the support to Ukraine.
‘Innovation in Defence: What’s holding us back?’ with Tony Reeves
Tony Reeves provides a view of the challenges and opportunities in Defence procurement, as seen from the viewpoint of a micro-SME, and how the tensions between in-flight programmes and innovations play out.
Drawing on the insights from a three-year research programme into Innovation in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, they have identified a list of ten blockers and barriers to adoption of new capabilities, and the multi-level “learning by doing” that is now required in order to truly deliver innovation based on commercial capabilities.
Jaynie Davies has over 30 years of experience in the Defence sector, leading teams in Commercial and Supply Chain environments. She is currently the Director of Commodity Support Services (CSS), a virtual entity, providing the combined operation of TVS Ltd (delivering the Inventory, Commodity, Category Management) and Leidos Supply Ltd (responsible for the Commercial Management, Procurement, Receipting and Governance) for the Leidos UK programme, Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation programme (LCST).
Jaynie also serves as the Director of Leidos Supply Ltd, a subsidiary of Leidos Europe Ltd, awarded the LCST in 2015. This programme integrates various services to transform the UK’s defence supply chain, managing over 600 suppliers and £1.5bn in military commodities. Previously, she was Head of Procurement for Babcock Defence & Security and held key roles at EADS Airbus, including Head of Subcontract Commercial and Head of Project Sourcing. Jaynie is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Chain (MCIPS).
Tony Reeves is the Chairman and Founder of MAIAR Ltd, a Northamptonshire-based small business working primarily in the Defence and National Security environments.
Tony entered industry in 2009 after a successful career in the Royal Air Force, and subsequently spent 5 years in a small Defence business based in Malvern before roles at CGI and Raytheon. He left Raytheon to start his own business in 2016, which grew successfully over the following 7 years, culminating in the acquisition of RJD Technology in 2023 and the merging of the business operations into a single whole. The business was re-branded to MAIAR Ltd in December 2023 and Tony is now one of three directors. MAIAR stands for Mission Advantage, Intelligence Analysis and Research, although there is another, deeper reference if you look hard enough…
14/11/2024 6:00 pm
Location: Online
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
In collaboration with .NET South West, we have two fantastic talks lined up on .NET Aspire and Static Sites with Astro
‘Building Cloud-Native Applications with .NET Aspire’ – Carl Sargunar (Technical Director, Mondo Media)
.NET Aspire is a relatively new but rapidly emerging opinionated framework, designed to help developers navigate the complexities of building cloud-native distributed applications. It’s built on top of the familiar .NET ecosystem, but what makes Aspire special is how it simplifies some of the trickiest aspects of cloud development—like service discovery, configuration management, observability, and modular application design—all while keeping scalability and cloud-readiness front and center.
In this session, we’ll start by setting up a brand-new Aspire application, looking at everything from local development to handling the various challenges of deployment in production. Along the way, we’ll dive into Aspire’s history, its core principles, and where it fits in the .NET ecosystem.
Now, full disclaimer—I’m no Aspire expert (and let’s be honest, with how new it is, nobody really is yet), but that’s kind of the point. Whether you’re completely new to Aspire, just starting to dip your toes in, or have been exploring it for a while, this session is about learning together. We’ll be sharing what we know, discovering how .NET Aspire can make our lives easier when building distributed cloud applications, and maybe even figuring out where we go next with it as a community.
‘Bake, Don’t Fry – Astro & The Content Delivery API’ Adam Prendergast (Technical Director, Absurd)
Are you ready to revolutionise your Website Development development with the power of Umbraco CMS and static sites? The Content Delivery API has opened a world of possibilities for headless applications, including allowing us to embrace swift, scalable pre-rendered sites.
In this session, we’ll dive into the concept of ‘Bake, Don’t Fry’ and the world of static site generation, spotlighting Astro as a leading framework.
We’ll explore how to go from a basic Astro setup to introducing the Content Delivery API for a CMS-powered static site. We’ll look at improving the developer workflow with TypeScript, streamlining the publishing process, and showcasing cost-efficient hosting solutions.
I’ll guide you through Astro code examples and show how you can enhance the development process, leaving you equipped to make informed decisions about integrating this innovative strategy into your projects.
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
Connect with fellow tech enthusiasts on Thursday 17 October from 18:00 at the Cheltenham & Gloucester Tech Meetup.
A big thank you to our hosts allpay who will kindly be providing food & drinks on arrival.
Demystifying EDA – Andy Morrell (Principal tSoftware Engineer, TelXL)
Event Driven Architecture shouldn’t be complicated. Andy guides us through pitfalls and easy ways to simplify your architecture. Andy uses a mix of on-prem and cloud providers in his day to day work so expect the unexpected.
A 20 year professional in the software development industry although a coder from the young age of 8 means Andy Morrell has a wealth of knowledge that spans decades. A dad, motor & contact sport enthusiast and LEGO builder.
17/10/2024 6:00 pm
Location: allpay, Whitestone Business Park, Whitestone, Hereford HR1 3SE
Presented by:
Principal Software Engineer, TelXL
Connect with Andy
21/04/2026 4:00 pm
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Location: iO Associates, St. Bartholomew's House, Lewins Mead, BS1 2NH
Presented by: Nick Darby
Head of Advisory and AI Inspiration , TrueBird
