The Somerford Podcast

In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, John Dee is joined by Peter Pugh-Jones, Field CTO at Confluent, to explore why so many organisations are struggling to turn AI ambition into measurable business value. As boards and executives push for accelerated AI adoption, Peter argues that many organisations are focusing on the technology itself while overlooking the data foundations required for succ...

In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we’re joined by James Ashley, General Manager for Somerford Middle East, to reflect on Somerford’s journey expanding into the Middle East and the key technology trends shaping the region. Recorded in Dubai, the conversation explores the realities of building a new market presence, from establishing trusted partnerships and community-led conversations to ad...

In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we’re joined by Phil Lea, Vice President & Head of Privacy and Cyber Security at Landmark Group (UAE), to discuss what it takes to modernise retail security at scale. With more than 20 years of experience, Phil shares his view of security and privacy as business enablers, not barriers. The conversation covers Landmark Group’s transformation journey, in...

In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we sat down with Andy Slater, IT Observability and Automation Lead at Specsavers, to explore how the organisation is modernising its digital operations ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact So...

In this episode, John Dee (Somerford) is joined by Rob Finn (Chainguard) to discuss the critical challenges of securing the software supply chain in modern software development. They explore how open-source vulnerabilities can slow developer velocity, create friction between security and engineering teams, and increase operational and compliance risks. ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements...

In this episode, we welcomed technology leader Linoy Kidd to the podcast for a deep dive into modern business enterprises and digital transformation.  Linoy, who spearheads large-scale technology functions across the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Turkey, discussed the complexity of leveraging technology to drive value in a high-growth region, amongst other fascinating topics. ━━━━ Keep notifie...

In this episode, we’re joined by Ewald Munz, Head of Manufacturing, Automotive and Sustainability EMEA at Splunk, to explore the evolving landscape of Operational Technology (OT).  As the lines blur between IT and OT, organisations face growing challenges—from securing legacy industrial control systems to gaining visibility across hybrid environments. John and Ewald unpack these challenges and dis...

In this special episode of The Somerford Podcast, John Dee hosts a powerful conversation with Dame Alison Rose, former CEO of NatWest Group, and Major General Sarah Johansen, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence.  Together, they explore the evolving nature of leadership across sectors — from banking to defence — and reflect on decision-making in crisis, building trust, leading with authenticity, a...

In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, John Dee and James Astley sit down with Hussain Al Khalsan, Chief Information Security Officer at Zand, to explore how the UAE’s first digital bank is embracing an AI-powered, digital-first strategy to modernise banking from the ground up. Find out more about Somerford Middle East: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/somerford-middle-east/ ━━━━ Keep notifi...

In this new episode of the Somerford podcast, John Dee and James Astley are joined by Phil Westgarth (Network International) and Steve Foster (Netskope) to explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, AI integration, and the value of context-driven visibility. With real-world examples and practical insights, the conversation highlights how organisations can maintain control, improve threat det...

TGW (Transportgeräte Wels), a leading systems integrator of automated warehouse solutions, embarked on a journey to data-driven operational resilience powered by Splunk and Somerford.  In this special case study episode of The Somerford Podcast, we dive into how TGW adopted Splunk Cloud to transform its operations. Hear from TGW and Somerford experts as they unpack the challenges, successes, and k...

AI governance is evolving fast, and so are the risks of getting it wrong. As organisations embrace AI and machine learning, they face emerging regulations, heightened scrutiny, and the challenge of building trust in rapidly changing systems. In this episode, Tahir Latif, Global Chief Privacy and AI Governance Officer at Securiti.ai — one of Somerford’s key partners — joins us to explore AI governa...

DORA is here. The Digital Operational Resilience Act impacts every financial entity, and understanding its implications is crucial. Driven by escalating cyberattacks, geopolitical instability, and even the increasing impact of climate change, this legislation demands attention. Join us as we unpack DORA's complexities with Charles Adriaenssens, Financial Services Strategist at Splunk, and Ada...

In this episode of the Somerford Podcast, we explore the growing importance of Data Observability in today’s data-driven world. Robert Castley from Splunk joins us to discuss how businesses can unlock the full potential of their data through advanced observability practices, with a focus on AI resilience and how Splunk helps deliver actionable insights to build robust, adaptive systems. Dan Gray,...

In this special episode of The Somerford Podcast: Stories of Success — Motivation, Diversity, and Resilience, join John as he converses with two inspiring leaders: Brigadier Melissa Emmett MBE and Sarah Self.​  Tune in to hear their insights on believing in one’s work, fostering camaraderie, and finding purpose, and discover why these elements are crucial for sustaining resilience and motivation....

Italo Nesi, Solutions Engineer at Confluent, joins John Dee, Head of Strategy & Engagement at Somerford, for a conversation about the transformative world of data streaming.  Listen in on why real-time data handling and the efficient architectures provided by Kafka and Confluent are becoming critical for driving innovation and operational efficiency across industries.  📊 Streamline your cloud...

Lerry Wilson and Becca Lambert join John to discuss The Splunk Edge Hub.  Splunk's Senior Director for Platform Ecosystem and Innovation, Lerry Wilson, explains their latest IoT data access and processing innovation. Also joining the conversation is Becca, Somerford's Splunk Edge Hub Technical Expert, who explores the processor's current and future use cases. 📊 Find out more about...

James returns, this time joined by Jonathan Mepsted, Vice President of Middle East & Africa at Netskope for a discussion on Netskope's past, present and future.  Jonathan talks about the foundational principles shaping Netskope's enduring vision, highlighting the future applications of GenAI in the workplace and sharing his philosophy on team culture.  🇦🇪 Find out more about Somerfor...

John and James are joined by Shaun Cooney at Splunk to talk about all things resiliency.  They explore organisational operational resilience, underscore the importance of personal resilience, and share their individual experiences, touching upon both current and previous professional endeavors.  🇦🇪 Find out more about Somerford in the Middle East on our website: https://www.somerfordassociates.com...

 Listen to the story behind why Somerford is expanding into the Middle East.  Find out how we are replicating our UK processes in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and building a community of trust for organisations across a breadth of industries.  🇦🇪 Find out more about Somerford in the Middle East on our website: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/somerford-middle-east/  ━━━━  #middleea...

In this special customer case study episode of the Somerford Associates Technology Podcast, our Chief Cyber Strategy and Innovation Advisor, Bill Balfour, is joined by a special guest from Specsavers, one of the leading providers of eye care services worldwide. Join us as we discuss our successful partnership in deploying Splunk for Cybersecurity and IT Operations. Graham Dawes, Service Tooling an...

In this podcast, join Anne and her expert panel of security strategists as they analyse how organisations can plan to achieve security maturity with Splunk. The panel shares their insights on the importance of proactive security maturity planning and offers guidance on avoiding common mistakes when implementing Splunk for security. Featuring Matthias Maier, EMEA Director of Product Marketing at Sp...

Join Somerford's Anne Mundy for a discussion about the importance of your digital identity.  Imprivata's Andy Wilcox adds his background and familiarity in exploring why digital identity is so important, as well as delving into tangible workplace examples and how businesses are able to rapidly assess the effectiveness of their current strategy through Imprivata's solution suite. Som...

Join Somerford's Grace Dolby in our final "Women in Tech" podcast of 2022.  In this series finale, Grace is joined by Sarah Lucas, Head of Core Platform & Migration Services at Lloyds Banking Group, in examining key pitfalls organisations should evaluate before migrating to the Cloud.  They also explore how Sarah started in the tech industry, and how this experience puts her in...