The IT Pro Panel

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 post-COVID future of tech conferences

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has put the usual calendar of tech events and expos on hold for most of 2020, with organisers exploring options like virtual or hybrid events. But what form will conferences take when they do eventually come back, and how can they use their learnings from the past year to ensure that attendees get the most out of it? In this month's IT Pro Panel discussion, we look at the future of events, and how they could change as a result of COVID-19.

Featuring: 

• Peter Donlon, Moonpig CTO
• Ritam Gandhi, Studio Graphene founder
• Gavin Scruby, SmartDebit CIO
• Liam Quinn, Richmond Events director of IT
• Graeme McDermott, Addison Lee CDO

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, implenting a GDPR-compliant email marketing system and designing and developing a bespoke CRM solution.

• Panel Profile: Richmond Events Director of IT Liam Quinn
• 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

Paul Watts

Chief Information Security Officer - Kantar (formerly Domino's UK)

After two years in the CISO chair for Domino's UK & Ireland, Paul has now left the famous pizza chain to join data and research specilists Kantar, helping to protect the company's 30,000 global employees and the vast troves of consumer data that they analyse and process.

• Panel Profile: Domino's CISO Paul Watts
• Taking the pain out of networking
• Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
• Eight ways to manage your technology teams
• Why agility is vital for security professionals
• The loneliness of the long-distance worker
• The truth about talent
• Why is patch management so difficult?

Peter O’Rourke

Director of IT - University of Suffolk

A long-time industry veteran with over 30 years’ experience, Peter leads 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?

Killian Faughnan

Group CISO - William Hill

Protecting one of the country's largest betting and gaming companies from attackers is no easy task, but it's a challenge that William Hill Group CISO Killian Faughnan relishes. With operations in multiple countries and a huge number of customers and partners to defend, it's a job that ensures Killian's never going to be bored.

• Panel Profile: William Hill Group CISO Killian Faughnan
• 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?

Kevin Fielder

CISO - Just Eat

Security is never an easy game, but it's perticularly hard when you're trying to protect one of the most popular and widely-used food delivery apps in the UK. For Just Eat CISO Kevin Fielder, however, this task goes beyond the technical, and is fundamentally about building a culture of security with a focus on people as well as process. 

• Panel Profile: Just Eat CISO Kevin Fielder
• Coping with COVID-19
• Achieving agile at scale
• The IT Pro Podcast: Breaking out of the security bubble
• Return to sender

Marc Pell

CTO - 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
• What's the value of IT partners?
• The IT Pro Podcast: How to redesign a platform
• Return to sender

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
• Coping with COVID-19
• Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
• The loneliness of the long-distance worker

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
• Return to sender
• The IT Pro Podcast: Digitising dinosaurs

Graeme McDermott

Chief Data Officer - Addison Lee

Data is the lifeblood of any digital-centric company, and it's especially crucial for Addison Lee as the company fights off challengers like Uber and Gett. It's Graeme's job to make sure not only that Addison Lee is using data to grow revenues and improve efficiencies, but also that it's using data in a responsible way.

• Panel Profile: Addison Lee CDO Graeme McDermott
• The post-COVID future of tech conferences
• The loneliness of the long-distance worker
• Building a data-driven business

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
• The post-COVID future of tech conferences
• Achieving agile at scale
• Building a data-driven business

Peter Donlon

CTO - 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
• The post-COVID future of tech conferences
• Achieving agile at scale

Gavin Scruby

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 post-COVID future of tech conferences
• Return to sender

Dan Jacobs

CTO - TRX.tv

As CTO of TV licensing marketplace TRX, Dan Jacobs is in charge of managing a cadre of Ruby developers and maintaining a large and complex tech stack which supports high-value transactions from the likes of BBC, Sky, Lionsgate and more. A career CTO, Dan is firmly embedded in the IT world, and brings an abundance of experience to bear on the challenges of the role.

• Panel Profile: TRX CTO Dan Jacobs
• Achieving agile at scale
• Five minutes with... Dan Jacobs, TRX CTO

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