The IT Pro Panel
Everything you need to know, including panellist details, upcoming themes and how to apply

They say experience is the best teacher, and nowhere is this more true than in the trenches of business IT. While analysts, academics and experts can offer valuable perspectives on the various issues facing IT teams, there's no substitute for the wisdom gained by working at the coalface.
That's why we created the IT Pro Panel - a network of top CIOs, CTOs and technology leaders who unite to share their hard-earned insights on the challenges, trends and opportunities facing modern IT departments.
Organisations of all stripes are represented, including charities, schools, startups, enterprises and more. Every month, we'll be asking our panellists about the topics that really matter to modern IT professionals, such as cloud migration, digital transformation and cyber security.
How to join the IT Pro Panel
To apply to join the IT Pro Panel, please click here to enter your details. Please note that we are not accepting applications from technology vendors at this time.
Latest IT Pro Panel Discussion - The secret art of networking
Building out a personal network of professional contacts is a vital part of any business leader's role, offering not only the opportunity for camaraderie and collaboration, but also a range of perspectives that can be called upon to aid in problem-solving. This month, we asked our panellists about their top strategies for forming new connections, as well as their attitudes to virtual collaboration, and what it is that makes in-person networking so compelling.
Featuring:
- Liam Quinn, Richmond Events Director of IT
- Marc Pell, Tempcover CTO
- Graeme McDermott, Tempcover CDO
- Gavin Scruby, former SmartDebit CIO
Panellists
Liam Quinn
Director of IT - Richmond Events
For more than a decade, Liam has managed IT systems for Richmond Events. Over his tenure he has led a number of projects, including migrating from multiple on-premise data centres to a DaaS solution, implementing a GDPR-compliant email marketing system and designing and developing a bespoke CRM solution.
- Panel Profile: Richmond Events Director of IT Liam Quinn
- The secret art of networking
- Why BYOD is (sort of) here to stay
- IT leaders' new year's resolutions
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Coping with COVID-19
- Taking the pain out of networking
- Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
- How to manage your supplier relationships
- Can AI help CIOs do their jobs better?
- Dreaming of IT and avoiding data nightmares
- The CIO's guide to software
- The truth about talent
Ritam Gandhi
Founder - Studio Graphene
As founder of digital design agency Studio Graphene, Ritam is responsible for leading a diverse team of developers, designers, engineers and creatives. The firm helps build apps and other digital products for the likes of Heineken, Mars and Coca Cola, so staying on the cutting edge of digital development is crucial for him and his team.
- Panel Profile: Studio Graphene founder Ritam Gandhi
- Planning for 2022
- What’s stopping diversity in tech?
- Can you build a business on blockchain?
- Why IT leaders need soft skills
- Why BYOD is (sort of) here to stay
- Defining DevOps
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Achieving agile at scale
- Building a data-driven business
Marc Pell
Chief Technology Officer - TempCover
Part of Marc Pell's role when he joined TempCover as a lead developer was to redesign its platform to support more agility. Fast-forward to today, and he's leading the company's technology strategy as CTO, helping institute policies like remote working, agile development and a cloud-first mentality.
- Panel Profile: TempCover CTO Marc Pell
- The secret art of networking
- Planning for 2022
- The road to Windows 11
- Why IT leaders need soft skills
- Defining DevOps
- IT leaders' new year's resolutions
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- What's the value of IT partners?
- The IT Pro Podcast: How to redesign a platform
- Return to sender
Manila McLean
Chief Information Officer - Newcastle Building Society
In the high-stakes world of financial services, IT excellence is more important than ever, as traditional institutions compete with digitally-native new challengers. As CIO for one of the north's biggest building societies, Manila McLean is responsible for ensuring that Newcastle Building Society is delivering the experiences that its customers demand.
- Panel Profile: Newcastle Building Society CIO Manila McLean
- Tackling technical recruitment
- What’s stopping diversity in tech?
- Why IT leaders need soft skills
- Why BYOD is (sort of) here to stay
- Defining DevOps
- IT leaders' new year's resolutions
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- Salary matters
Peter Donlon
Chief Technology Officer - Moonpig
A personalised gift is always going to be more meaningful, and Moonpig has made a name for itself as the go-to source for customised cards and gifts. Developing and maintaining the infrastructure behind that service, however, takes some work - and that job falls to CTO Peter Donlon and his team of developers and engineers.
- Panel Profile: Moonpig CTO Peter Donlon
- Building your backup strategy
- Planning for 2022
- The road to Windows 11
- Why IT leaders need soft skills
- Why CIOs have embraced hybrid working
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Achieving agile at scale
Gavin Scruby
Former Chief Information Officer - SmartDebit
A raft of compliance regulations and high levels of customer expectations means that fintech is always a challenging space to work in, but SmartDebit CIO and director Gavin Scruby meets that challenge ably, navigating the complexities of both technology infrastructure and financial technology.
- Panel Profile: SmartDebit CIO Gavin Scruby
- The secret art of networking
- Planning for 2022
- Can you build a business on blockchain?
- Defining DevOps
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Return to sender
- Salary matters
Killian Faughnan
Chief Information Officer - William Hill
Managing the infrastructure for one of the country's largest betting and gaming companies is no easy task, but it's a challenge that William Hill CIO Killian Faughnan relishes. With operations in multiple countries and a huge number of systems to oversee, it's a job that ensures Killian's never going to be bored.
- Panel Profile: William Hill Group CISO Killian Faughnan
- Tackling technical recruitment
- Does AI have a place in security?
- The Battle of the Budgets
- Taking the pain out of networking
- Building a data-driven business
- Why is patch management so difficult?
- What's the value of IT partners?
Graeme McDermott
Chief Data Officer - TempCover
After spending four years at Addison Lee shaping its data strategy, Graeme has now joined insurance company TempCover, working alongside CTO and fellow panellist Marc Pell to drive its continuing growth. Graeme is responsible for working with the board to set strategy around data protection, CRM, analytics, optimisation, and more.
- Panel Profile: TempCover CDO Graeme McDermott
- The secret art of networking
- The road to Windows 11
- Building a data-first culture
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- The loneliness of the long-distance worker
- Building a data-driven business
Chris Madden
CTO and operations director - Kreston Reeves
As well as looking after the IT strategy for accountancy and financial advice firm Kreston Reeves, Chris Madden is also in charge of operations. This includes things like physical building upkeep, logistics and more, ensuring that he's got plenty to keep him busy.
- Panel Profile: Kreston Reeves IT and Operations Director Chris Madden
- Building your backup strategy
- Planning for 2022
- The road to Windows 11
- Do we still need certifications?
- Building a data-first culture
- How COVID accelerated Kreston Reeves' agile transformation
Jon Smart
Chief Technology Officer - RoosterMoney
Building a fintech company from the ground up is challenging enough as it is, but when it's a fintech aimed specifically at helping kids manage their money, the task becomes even trickier. RoosterMoney CTO Jon Smart has faced these challenges head on, building out the company's infrastructure to support a debit card and real-time transaction processing.
- Panel Profile: RoosterMoney CTO Jon Smart
- Building your backup strategy
- Planning for 2022
- Can you build a business on blockchain?
- Why IT leaders need soft skills
- Building a data-first culture
- Five minutes with... Jon Smart, RoosterMoney CTO
Craig York
Chief Technology Officer - MKUH NHS Foundation Trust
As CTO of Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Craig York has one of the most simultaneously challenging and rewarding roles an IT professional could ask for: helping to support and safeguard the trust's staff, clinicians in their vital work caring for patients. Craig has been serving the trust for almost two decades, seeing it through countless technological changes.
- Panel Profile: MKUH NHS Foundation Trust CTO Craig York
- Planning for 2022
- Do we still need certifications?
- Why CIOs have embraced hybrid working
- Defining DevOps
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- The IT Pro Podcast: Technology in healthcare
Gerard McGovern
Chief Information Officer - The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
As the CIO of a leading UK charity helping train and allocate service dogs for blind and partially sighted people, Gerard McGovern is using IT to deliver some truly transformational benefits to people. In particular, he's been exploring the many ways in which data can be leveraged to help make the charity more efficient and effective.
- Panel Profile: Guide Dogs CIO Gerard McGovern
- Tackling technical recruitment
- The road to Windows 11
- Do we still need certifications?
- Building a data-first culture
- The IT Pro Podcast: Data-driven doggos
Alison Davis
Chief Information Officer - Natural History Museum
With a background in research chemistry and years of experience working the dreaded IT helpdesk, working at the Natural History Museum was a dream come true for Alison Davis. Not only does she get to lead a truly IT strategy for a truly dynamic and engaging organisation, but she also helps it fulfill its vital goal of research and conservation.
- Panel Profile: Natural History Museum CIO Alison Davis
- What’s stopping diversity in tech?
- Why CIOs have embraced hybrid working
- IT leaders' new year's resolutions
- Return to sender
- The IT Pro Podcast: Digitising dinosaurs
Patricio Colombo
Founder & Director - CIO On Demand
After almost 15 years heading up the IT departments of HELLO! Magazine and the Jamie Oliver Group, Patricio has struck out on his own, offering his services to organisations as a freelance CIO-for-hire. The fluid nature of this role has given him a wide range of experience across world-class brands like the European Tour.
- Panel Profile: CIO on Demand founder Patricio Colombo
- Why CIOs have embraced hybrid working
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- Coping with COVID-19
- Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
- The loneliness of the long-distance worker
Peter O'Rourke
Former director of IT - University of Suffolk
A long-time industry veteran with over 30 years' experience, Peter led the University of Suffolk's IT team in supporting the University's 5,000-plus students and teachers, as well as helping shape the education sector's attitude to technology through his role on the executive committee of UCISA.
- Panel Profile: University of Suffolk IT Director Peter O'Rourke
- How to manage your supplier relationships
- Eight ways to manage your technology teams
- How IT leaders are preparing for GDPR
- Why is patch management so difficult?
- What's the value of IT partners?
Tash Norris
Head of cyber security - Moonpig
Working alongside fellow panellist Peter Donlon, Tash Norris is responsible for securing the personal and financial details of Moonpig's customers as they make meaningful connections with friends and family. In pursuit of this goal, she has turned her talents towards accelerating the adoption of AppSec, threat modelling and security automation.
- Panel Profile: Moonpig head of cyber security Tash Norris
- Tackling technical recruitment
- What’s stopping diversity in tech?
- Does AI have a place in security?
José María Labernia
EMEA CISO - LafargeHolcim
Created by the merger of two major industrial manufacturing giants, LafargeHolcim has offices, staff and projects all over the world. José María Labernia is responsible for cyber security within the EMEA region, and is charged with protecting those employees and sites. As part of that, he has to deal with some challenging factors, including distributed workforces, a constantly-changing attack landscape and the confluence of IT and OT.
- Panel Profile: LafargeHolcim EMEA CISO José María Labernia
- Tackling technical recruitment
- Why BYOD is (sort of) here to stay
- Does AI have a place in security?
Rita Bullivant
Director of IT and change - Melton Building Society
With a focus on cloud enablement, process modernisation and workforce agility, Rita Bullivant's task of transforming Melton Building Society's digital infrastructure is already well underway. In addition to accelerating the adoption of new technologies within the business, Rita is also keen to ensure that data and insights are being used to drive effective and sustainable growth.
- Panel Profile: Melton Building Society director of IT and change Rita Bullivant
- Building your backup strategy
- The IT Pro Podcast: Transforming a business from the ground up
Andy Macharg
Chief technical officer - Hello Magazine
Managing two decades of legacy technical debt is no easy task, but Andy Macharg's long history in the fast-paced publishing industry ensures that he's well-equipped for the job of rebuilding Hello Magazine's platforms and processes to fit the modern age. Specialising in web and cloud technologies, Andy is exploring the possibilities of new frameworks and infrastructure models for modern UX.
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