No Ordinary Tech Podcast

From tokenised homes to faster, simpler customer journeys, digital assets are beginning to move beyond money - into deeds, contracts and other forms of value.  So, what happens as more of what we own, manage and exchange becomes digital and programmable? And what needs to change to make that a reality at scale? In the third and final episode in our mini-series, Lloyds Banking Group COO Ron van Kem...

Two defining tech trends of 2026 - AI-driven decision-making and the tokenisation of financial infrastructure - are already reshaping finance. But what happens when they converge? From near real-time settlement to systems that act on our behalf, the potential is huge. So is the challenge: ensuring everything remains safe, secure, reliable and trusted. Lloyds Banking Group COO Ron van Kemenade is j...

Cut through the hype to explore trust, programmability and the forces shaping the future of finance. Join host Ron van Kemenade as he sits down with industry experts to unpack the rise of digital money - from stablecoins and CBDCs to tokenised deposits - and what it could mean for customers, businesses and banks. Featuring Peter Left, Head of Digital Assets at Lloyds Banking Group, Tony McLaughlin...

What does it really take to become a Chief Information Officer? In this episode of the No Ordinary Tech Podcast, Dr. Shini Somara sits down with Amit Thawani (CIO, Lloyds Banking Group) and Allan Cockriel (Chief Information and Data Officer, ASML). Discover their journeys to the top, how the CIO role has evolved, and the skills - both technical and human - that drive innovation and resilience in t...

What does it take to lead in the age of AI? From scaling innovation to shaping ethical frameworks, today’s AI leaders are redefining how organisations adapt to transformative technology. How do you build the skills and mindset to thrive in a world where learning never stops? And what does responsible innovation really look like?  Join Dr Zara Nanu MBE, CEO and co-founder of GapSquare, and Ranil Bo...

The role of the Chief Security Officer has evolved from a back-office IT function into a strategic business enabler. How are today’s security leaders balancing the challenge of protecting assets while driving innovation? From operational resilience to boardroom influence, discover why security is now at the heart of business growth. Join Lindsey Bateman, CISO at M&G, and Manija Poulatova, secu...

The title of distinguished engineer originated in large tech organisations – most notably IBM – 30 years ago. But why is the role gaining more attention now and what does it actually mean to be one? In this episode, recorded live at Leeds Digital Festival, Martin Borrett, Distinguished Engineer at IBM, and Leena Sharma, a technology leader at Lloyds Banking Group join our host Dr Shini Somara to e...

What does it take to transform an entire nation?  In this episode, Nandan Nilekani shares the inside story of how he led the creation of Aadhaar and India Stack. Hear how his team overcame scepticism and technical hurdles to build a digital public infrastructure that now powers instant banking, mobile access, and digital payments for millions - making India one of the world’s most inclusive digita...

A visit to Kennedy Space Centre as a child instilled a life-long passion for space in Tejpaul Bhatia - one that would inspire his journey to the very top of Axiom Space. Under his leadership, Axiom is transforming the future of space exploration - enabling countries to send astronauts to space for the first time and inviting new players to enter the industry. Join Tejpaul and Lloyds Banking Group&...

Lloyds Banking Group, a 250+ year-old institution, is currently in the midst of the largest digital transformation in the sector, investing over £4bn in its people, processes, technology and data. Leading the charge of this major transformation is CEO Charlie Nunn. What was the vision that sparked this change? And how has Charlie coped with the inevitable challenges that come with transforming a b...

According to KPMG, the UK fintech sector attracted over $3.6 billion in investment in 2024, making it the second-largest fintech market in the world. What can big businesses learn from UK fintechs to help them transform their futures?   To find out, Dr Shini Somara talks to William Tunstall-Pedoe - CEO of Unlikely AI and Founder of Evi, the tech that became the foundation for Amazon’s Alexa - and...

A recent Deloitte report showed that microchips could be on course to become a TRILLION dollar industry by 2030. But what are the technologies that will unlock this growth - and power the future of businesses? Discussing AI, Moore's Law, Neuromorphic computing and more are this week's guests Paul Williamson, a Senior Vice President at compute platform company Arm, and Admir Dedic, Head o...

The World Economic Forum names six strategic pillars for nations wanting to build their own sovereign AI capability. But what are the key pillars for businesses wanting to build their own 'sovereign' AI capabilities? To unlock the answers, we've invited David Hogan, VP of Enterprise for EMEA at NVIDIA, and Trystan Davies, Head of Data Science at Lloyds Banking Group, in for  a coffe...

Cyber security is high on the agenda for business leaders around the world. So, what are the key areas to focus on? How can your workforce form part of your defence in depth? And is there a role for artificial intelligence? To find out, we've asked Rachael Todd, Head of Cyber Security at Vodafone, and Matt Rowe, Chief Security Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, to share their experiences and in...

For this week's podcast we take a special look back at our episode from December 2024 on the big tech trends for 2025. Which came true? Which did we miss? What's yet to come? Have a listen to the episode and let us know how we did?

Serverless computing is growing at an incredible pace with the market expected to increase by 15% each year over the next five years. Today’s guest, Sheen Brisals, saw these benefits first-hand when he helped Lego go serverless in just 10 months, before going on to become an AWS Serverless Hero. Joining him is Paul Gledhill, Lloyds Banking Group’s Serverless Engineering Lead, to talk efficiency an...

With its roots in Alan Turing’s work and named as a top emerging technology for 2025, Agentic AI is fast approaching - and not something businesses can afford to ignore. That’s why Dr Shini Somara has asked Craig Suckling (Chief AI Officer, Europe at Capgemini) and Rohit Dhawan (Group Head of AI at Lloyds Banking Group) to share a coffee and chat through the technical, cultural and organisational...

In this special episode, we’re looking at the biggest tech trends to look out for in 2025. Will AI continue to dominate the headlines and the business world, or are there other technologies that will steal the limelight? Marc Esmiley, from Microsoft, Hari Shetty from Wipro and Martyn Atkinson from Lloyds Banking Group, join host Dr Shini Somara to discuss some of the biggest advances in technology...

Technology has been growing at a rapid pace, from smartphones and digital connectivity to AI and the Cloud. All of these have made a huge impact on the way we live and work. But with any powerful new technologies there can be downsides too. How can we ensure safety, maintain privacy and make tech a force for good? In this episode, Michael Conway from IBM, Aman Kohli from Evolv Technologies and Kim...

The last few years has seen huge progression in the development of technologies such as AI that are set to have a huge impact on industry and increase automation. What tech and engineering skills do businesses need now, and in the future, and how do we bridge the digital skills gap? In this episode, Anna Brailsford, CEO of Code First: Girls and Amit Thawani, CIO Insurance, Pensions and Investments...

Once hailed as the future of digital interaction, the Metaverse promised to revolutionise how we connect, work and play. But has it lived up to the hype? Join our experts, Suresh Balaji CMO of Lloyds Banking Group, Dr. Christina Yan Zhang CEO of The Metaverse Institute, and Michael Litman Senior Director Emerging Tech Innovation Strategy of Monks... as they discuss the current state of the Metaver...

The advancement of quantum technology could lead to a golden age of discovery, but while it has the potential to solve complex problems we can’t today, it also has a dark side. In this episode Adam Hammond from IBM, Simon Benjamin from the University of Oxford, and Meera Sarma from Cystel, discuss the development of this technology and the incredible power of quantum computers. Will quantum open u...

Just a few years ago, blockchain was the tech trend on everyone’s lips. But where is blockchain now? In this episode, experts Simon Taylor from Sardine and Elise Soucie from Global Digital Finance explore blockchain’s past, present and future - and discuss whether regulation, new use cases or a rebrand will be what brings blockchain back to the forefront.   Want to be part of making blockchain and...

What makes new tech fly or fail? With all eyes on AI, this episode shifts focus to the tech that never was (or might soon be!). Join experts Pascal Finette from be radical, Chris Green from Microsoft and Patrik Zekkar from Enigio as they discuss why Google glasses were so ‘rubbish’ and if next year is really THE year for quantum computing. Want to be part of the UK’s largest tech transformation? V...

In the last of our episodes on Generative AI, we explore how AI is shaping the future of work. Our expert panellists – Bryan Hancock from McKinsey, Brent Hecht from Microsoft and Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma from Cambridge Spark – dive into the big questions for today’s workforce: Will AI take my job? How can I use AI to work faster and smarter? What AI skills do I need to build for the future?  If you’...