Rethinking Tech Strategy: Build vs Buy, Onshoring, and the Real-World Adoption of AI

What does a future-ready tech strategy really look like?

At our latest Tech Leaders Collective event, hosted by iO Meetups, we gathered senior technology leaders to explore some of the most pressing challenges in modern tech strategy, from the build vs buy debate to onshoring, offshoring, and the evolving role of AI in enterprise systems.

Featuring a powerful case study from Mike Downing, CIO at WPA Health Insurance, this summary captures:

• Why WPA chose to build critical systems in-house, and the ROI of that bold decision
• What’s behind their shift from offshore development to UK-based tech teams
• How they’re embedding AI across their operations (with real examples, not just theory)
• Why “legacy” isn’t just about systems, it’s about mindset
• Honest insights from the room: what other tech leaders are actually thinking

A practical, unfiltered look at the real decisions shaping tech strategy today, and what it truly takes to modernise with purpose.