Sunny Side of Tech

How do you adopt AI and data in one of the most human-centred sectors — without losing sight of the people you serve? In this episode of  The esynergy Podcast , Ulrike Eder, CMO at esynergy, speaks with Mike Cadden, CTO of Marie Curie, about how charities can use technology to support care, not replace it.  Marie Curie operates at the frontline of end-of-life care, where demand is growing and pres...

What does it take to modernise credit decisioning in a fast-moving fintech and deliver measurable impact? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Grant Ongers speaks with Dan Kellett, Director of Lending and Data Analytics at Carmoola and former UK Chief Data Officer at Capital One, about applying data and AI to real-world lending challenges. After 24 years at Capital One, Dan made the move to a...

What does it take to modernise one of the most relationship-driven industries in the world? In this episode of The esynergy podcast, Ulrike Eder, Chief Marketing Officer at esynergy, speaks with John Mason, CEO of Placing Platform Limited (PPL), about how digital trading, APIs, and AI are reshaping the London insurance market. PPL supports 80–85% of specialty placements in London, making it a crit...

What does it really take to move AI from experimentation into everyday business operations? In this episode of  The esynergy Podcast , Grant Ongers speaks with Mike Jones, CTO of Loveholidays, about how one of the UK’s largest online travel companies is embedding AI across its organisation — from engineering and operations to customer service and content.  Rather than creating a separate AI lab, L...

What does product leadership really look like inside a platform serving 60 million customers? In this episode of  The esynergy Podcast , Ulrike Eder speaks with Roland Butler, Head of Product Content Solutions at Zalando, about leading products at scale — and ensuring they deliver on the promises the business makes to customers.  Drawing on his experience across Zalando, Just Eat, and Book a Table...

What does it really take to operate customer-level analytics at global retail scale — and where does AI genuinely add value? In this episode of  The esynergy Podcast , Ulrike Eder sits down with Ben Burdsall, CTO of Dunnhumby, to explore how one of the world’s leading retail data science organisations puts the customer at the centre of every decision.  Dunnhumby operates within a complex three-sid...

What does it take for data and technology to deliver real social impact in the third sector?  In this episode of  The esynergy Podcast , Neil McIvor, Head of Data for the Public Sector at esynergy, speaks with Ryan Preece, Deputy Chief Technology Officer at The King’s Trust, about how third sector organisations can use data, collaboration, and architecture to improve outcomes at scale.  They explo...

What does it take to modernise legacy technology, scale teams, and embed security at the heart of product development — all while navigating growth and regulation? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Grant Ongers, Head of Security Practice, speaks with Ravneet Shah, CTO of Allica Bank, about her journey from Lead Developer to CTO and the realities of building secure, scalable technology in a...

How do you adopt AI in a highly regulated environment —without losing the human touch? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Paul Shiu speaks with Mike Downing, CIO of WPA Healthcare, about WPA’s evolving AI journey, from early experimentation to today’s use of generative AI and intelligent agents. They explore how organisations can build AI capability responsibly, balance automation with human...

How do leaders make confident decisions in a world of constant disruption, rapid technological change, and growing complexity?   In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Ulrike Eder (CMO, esynergy) sits down with Simon Wardley , renowned strategist and creator of Wardley Maps , to explore why so many organisations struggle with situational awareness — and how mapping can change that. Simon shares...

How do you tackle transformation when your platform, processes, and commercial pressures all need to evolve at once? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast, Andy Bold (Head of Cloud & Platform Engineering, esynergy) speaks with Lee Provoost (CTO, Flagstone) about leading a major replatforming and migration programme — and the realities behind delivering large-scale change. Key topics covered:...

How do you make decisions when your data isn’t certain? In this episode of The esynergy Podcast , Neil McIvor (Head of Data for Public Services, esynergy) speaks with Simon McLellan (Head of Data Engagement, Met Office) about how the Met Office transforms weather forecasts — inherently uncertain — into actionable insights for organisations and the public. Key topics covered: • Managing uncertainty...

In this week's episode, we welcome Julia Bardmesser, CEO of Data4Real LLC. With over 20 years of experience in delivering cross-platform solutions in the financial services industry, Julia is renowned for her expertise in maximizing value from data, digital transformation, cloud computing, and AI. She has also been recognized as a Global Data Power Woman. Join us as we explore the challenges of da...

Join us this week as we welcome Dave Wilson, a Payments & Technology Transformation Consultant with 23 years of experience in the payments industry. In this episode, David shares his insights on what makes a good engineer and leader, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning, delivering value to customers, and incorporating ethics and empathy into engineering. We also explore AI, discu...

In this week's episode, we welcome Joerg Guenther, President and CTO of Exafluence, to discuss digital and cultural transformation. We begin by exploring the essential role of culture in successful transformation projects, with Joerg sharing his global implementation experiences and highlighting the importance of psychological safety in fostering innovation. In the second part of the episode, we d...

This week, we welcome Daniëlle Bourgondiën, Product Owner of Data Platforms at PGGM Investments. Daniëlle shares her personal data journey, highlighting the crucial role of data accuracy and the importance of advocating for her team. Join us as we explore the challenges of data management, ownership, and governance, and tune in to discover how federated governance can prevent data silos and ensure...

Tim Howard, Deputy Director, Major Projects, Cross-Cutting Technical Services at The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), joins us this week. In this episode, Tim talks us through his extensive experience of working in the public sector and the evolving parity between the private sector. Get ready to explore the challenges of digital delivery within DEFRA, including how to...

In this week's episode, we dive into the fascinating world of Wardley Mapping with our special guest, the creator himself, Simon Wardley. Wardley Mapping is a powerful method for visualizing competitive landscapes across economics, technology, and politics, providing crucial insights before making strategic decisions.

Join us this week on our podcast with Atul Agarwal, Director of Personalisation Financial Services, as we delve into unlocking business value at John Lewis. In this episode, we’ll explore the evolution towards data mesh architecture, product thinking in data management, the impact of GenAI in retail, and the critical need to continuously learn and adapt. Tune in for actionable insights on leveragi...

Join us this week as we delve into the intricacies of the EU AI Act with two distinguished guests alongside our host, Sunny. In this episode, Alex McKeown, the Head of Data Ethics at Information Governance Services, and Prasad Prabhakaran, the Gen AI Practice Lead at esynergy, will guide us through the implications of the EU AI Act for your business. Tune in to gain insights on navigating the fine...

Join Sunny this week as he sits down with Neal Venables, Head of Data Engineering at Marie Curie. In this captivating episode, Neal unravels the intricacies of how Marie Curie remains at the forefront of innovation by harnessing cutting-edge technologies. Tune in as Neal navigates the challenges and triumphs of transitioning data to the cloud, harnessing the power of CRM systems to optimize operat...

Tune into this week's episode as Sunny is joined by Simone Rabie, Data Governance Manager at Close Brothers. Simone takes us on a deep dive into the realm of climate reporting, sharing her personal journey into the space and illuminating its current landscape. Explore with Simone as she navigates the complexities of international regulations, greenwashing, and greenhushing, shedding light on the v...

In this week's podcast episode, Sunny is joined by Jinto Jose, a seasoned Product Manager and Product Area Lead at ING. Discover the unique blend of inspirations—from cricket to NASA and Netflix—that ignited Jinto's passion for all things data. Gain valuable insights as Jinto shares the significance of incorporating product disciplines into your data projects. Drawing on his extensive experience a...

Join Sunny as he welcomes Jimmy Kozlow, Product Manager, Data Mesh at Northern Trust. Jimmy will unravel the core elements of a successful data mesh implementation, delving into the challenges surrounding organizational structure and the decentralization of data. Explore the current maturity landscape of data mesh patterns and gain insights into navigating the adoption curve while transforming tea...

Embark on a fascinating journey with Sunny as he welcomes Neil McIvor, the Chief Data Officer at the Department for Education, to the spotlight. In this episode, Neil leverages his profound experience in the public sector to unveil the omnipresence of data – from mundane tasks like painting your house to the high-octane world of Formula 1! Get ready for a deep dive as Neil simplifies the complexit...