Venturi's Voice: Technology | Leadership | Staffing | Career | Innovation

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Carl Austin, the UK CTO at BJSS. On the show they discuss the new industrial revolution being brought about by Artificial Intelligence. They chat about how society can embrace this change and what it could mean for people whose jobs may be taken over by machines. Carl and Andy also speak about how technology is now been driven more by consumer demand. Show Notes: 1.12 How close do you think you can to predicting the future 10 years ago? 3.40 Is the gap between the creation of a new technology and it being available to the public shrinking? 5.55 Technology is being more tailored for public demand and it’s being built with more of a purpose. 8.15 Carl’s background and career progression. 10.43 What aspects of technology do you find most compelling? 13.37 Cryptocurrency and bursting bubbles. 16.43 What are some of the common things people ask you? 19.29 Is there a slight panic around machine learning and AI. 21.46 The move to AI should be celebrated.

In this episode Andy Davis talks Paul Pop, Senior Data Scientist and team lead at huddle. On the show they discuss creating a collaborative environment for your data team and talk about how a varied team can provide better insight for your business. They also chat about the best practices for onboarding Data professionals. Andy asks Paul how he determines the ROI of his Data teams and whether that’s actually possible. Show Notes: 1.53 Is it a necessity to have an analytical and mathematical mind to be good at data? 4.04 The creative side of Data. 5.57 Is it more typical for Data Scientists to come from an engineering background. 7.48 Do you feel that from a business perspective you’re more pressured in a data role than a software role. 9.21 Is it a collaborative environment in your data science team. It there a lot of different perspectives and what’s it like working in an environment like that? 12.01 Do you think people would be surprised when they see how a Data Science team works. 15.02 The hiri

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Graeme McDermott, Chief Data Officer at Addison Lee. On the show they discuss how the CDO fits into the C-suite. Andy asks Graeme how a Chief Data Officer can collaborate with a Chief Finance Officer. They also chat about how best to align Data with the goals of your business. Graeme tells Andy how he manages the different personalities in his Data team Show Notes: 1.06 How do we determine whether a company needs a CDO. 4.34 Defining the role of a CDO more closely and the evolution of a CDO. 7.29 The goals of your business have a significant impact on the role of a CDO. 10.38 Is there a skill in being able to align the capabilities of data with the goals of your business. 12.31 There’s not enough time in the day be the both technical and a manager. 13.47 What were the team dynamics like when you were progressing through your career. 19.07 Having the ability to get things done. 20.05 Managing the different motivations of your team. 23.51 It’s important fo

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Joel Burgess, the Founder & CEO at Nutrifix UK. On the show they discuss the advantages of working in a corporate environment. Joel tells Andy about founding Nutrifix UK and some of the challenges he encountered when starting his own venture. Andy asks Joel about the startup scene in London and how the city is fueling young entrepreneurs and creativity. Show Notes: 1.06 The advantages of working in a corporate organisation. 3.33 The startup mentality boils down to a numbers driven approach. 5.50 Why we shouldn’t glorify being busy and transparency in business. 8.08 Are you protective about your company culture? 9.34 What skills have you started to acquire in your startup journey? 11.43 An exciting time to be building a startup in London. 12.43 What’s the next phase for Nutrifix?

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Paul Laughlin, Founder and managing director at Laughlin Consultancy. On the show they discuss the creative side of data analytics. They also chat about the way companies are now creating alternative career ladders for people who don’t want to be in management. Andy asks Paul about his career progression and how he got into the data space. Finally the chat about the concept of deep and shallow learning. Paul help companies make money from customer insight. He helps them maximise the value they can drive from using data, analysis & research to intelligently interact with customers. Paul also enables them to sustain their own value generation, through coaching customer insight leaders. Customer Insight has the potential to grow the bottom line, increase sales, improve retention and sustain better customer satisfaction or advocacy. He has led teams that have added over £10m to the bottom line of their companies each year by removing common barriers to realising that value

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Rahul Rao, Director of engineering at yieldmo. On the show Rahul explains why many people have a negative opinion of AdTech and what he’s trying to do to change that. They also discuss how to keep up with the rate of change of technology. Andy asks Rahul about how he made the transition to management. Show Notes: 1.10 The negative perceptions of AdTech. 2.56 Does the ethical objections to AdTech come from a tech culture standpoint? 6.07 Monetising platforms with adverts. 8.08 Improving the AdTech space, educating the end user and putting the control in their hands. 10.21 Building a great customer experience into AdTech. 12.45 Managing the rate of change in technology. 16.05 Being proactive in the technical world even if you’re in a management position. 16.57 Being able to figure things out and always be constantly learning. 21.53 Creating an environment where you can “Give people a go” and learn from their mistakes. 24.20 How your goals change when you step in

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Steve Coulson, the CFO at JustPark. On the show they discuss balancing culture and bureaucracy in business. Andy asks Steve how he quantifies the ROI of a positive company culture. They also chat about the fears startup founders get when their companies start growing rapidly. Show Notes: 1.31 Steves Background in startups and SME’s. 6.09 The misconceptions around culture and bureaucracy in business. 8.12 Investing money back into your staff. 10.40 Quantifying culture. 12.14 Do you find people are more concerned with ROI than culture. 14.07 Having a high level vision so everything you do makes sense. 18.14 Do you ever worry about your startup getting too big? 21.34 Having the maturity to let go of some aspects of your role as you move up in your career. 23.19 Was it an easy decision for you to be based in London?

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Lachlan Ratjens, Head of Data Science and Engineering at Collinson Group. On the show they discuss managing the expectations around data. Andy asks Lachlan if there is such thing as a typical data scientist. They also chat about the growing importance of the CDO in the C-suite. At the end of the podcast Lachlan details how he sees data evolving in the coming years. Show Notes: 1.06 All the different backgrounds present in data science. 2.57 Creating more consistency in developing Data Science talent. 4.04 Lachlan’s background and career progression. 5.50 Problem solving with data. 7.20 Are we still in the data science hype. 9.16 Managing expectations around data. 11.58 The classic archetype of a Data Scientist doesn’t exist yet. 14.01 When you scope out a project what do you find exciting and what do you like working on? 15.47 The cultural shift that needs to take place to fully utalise data. 19.13 Should the responsibility for cultural fit be down to individu

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Ryan Den Rooijen, Head of Data at Dyson. On the show they discuss the new wave of talent entering the data space. Andy asks Ryan about how he goes about instigating a cultural change in a company. They also discuss why it’s important for technical people to be able to articulate their work. Ryan has spent years at the forefront of big data analytics. He is currently working with a team of 30+ talented data experts to develop the analytical capabilities of one of the world's most exciting companies. He frequently deliver keynotes on topics such as building data-driven organisations, managing change, and uncovering insights at scale. Conferences he has spoke at include the Data Insight Leaders Summit, the Chief Data Officer Summit, and Big Data LDN. Show Notes: 1.10 The youthful energy that is prolific in the tech space and the importance of an individual's approach to their job. 7.14 Having humility and transparency in business. 10.01 How to instigate a cultural chan

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Andrew Speakmaster, the CTO and Founder of SiO4 Ltd. On the show they discuss the what effects GDPR will have on business. Andy asks Andrew about the state of the security market. They also chat about the direction and growth of SiO4. Andrew is a 20 year multi organisation technical & business ICT Consultant, with business development, service delivery, project and departmental management, compliance, cyber security, ethical hacking, infrastructure solutions & architectural experience. Show Notes 1.03 The continuing need for security. 2.08 Security professionals as a finite and sought after resource. 4.47 Fostering rapid growth by throwing yourself head first into your projects. 8.44 What are the typical questions people ask you as a security professional. 14.09 The effects of having your business compromised by hackers. 16.44 Why you need to have the right mentality when looking at your computer security. 18.07 Why you need examples to justify the spend on

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Dominic Aslan, VP of IT operations at ShipServ. On the show Andy asks Dominic about his best practices for keeping a company secure. Dominic tells Andy all about bug bounties. They also discuss the growing influence that Data is having on business. Dominic started on the telephone for CompuServe in 1997. He has worked his way through many different roles within IT departments ever since. He has had roles as user support, server support, technical engineer, team manager, architect, project manager and CIO. He is currently head of IT for a commodities broker and trader. Show Notes: 1.06 Dominic’s career progression and professional background. 5.14 Companies offering alternative paths to management. 7.27 Promoting the wrong people and a management position basically being a new role. 9.53 Keeping up with the technical world as a hands off manager. 13.50 Soft skills are now as important as technical skills. 16.25 Shifting your company culture onto a security footing.

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Pete Williams, a Data evangelist and the founder of The Decision Playbook. On the show they discuss the hype around the CDO position. Andy asks Pete how he gets the most out of his data teams. They also chat about the diversity present in a data team. Pete is an active member of the UK CDO community. He’s passionate and inspirational on an outcome focused data and analytics strategy to drive commercial performance. Over 20 years experience in premium UK retail have created deep experience in empowering decision makers with data driven solutions for faster, better decisions. He’s an innovative and strategic thinker, motivated to disrupt and ‘make a difference’. Show Notes: 1.07 The hype around Data and the CDO role. 5.34 Is the CDO the last piece of the puzzle in regards to the hype around data? 10.57 Is there a potentially a hierarchical issue with the CDO role? 13.13 Effectively executing on a CDO role. 19.32 Needing a vision in order to hire a CDO but you would

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Dr Peter Appleby, Head of Data Science at AutoTrader UK. On the show they discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding roles in Data Science. Andy asks Peter about what he looks for in a potential employee. Peter explains to Andy how a company can best leverage a data team to achieve a good ROI. Show Notes: 1.07 clarifying what data science actually is. 4.11 Is there a hype surrounding Data Science? 5.19 What questions should an organisation be asking candidates if its looking to build a data science team? 6.46 Misconceptions around the roles and titles of data professionals. 9.00 Defining the ROI of a project. 10.47 Pathways into data and Peters background. 13.05 Is the opportunity to interact with lots of different people a good selling point for a career in data? 14.10 What competencies do you emphasis for your team? 15.46 Data from a leadership perspective. 17.13 The direction Peter see’s the data space heading. 19.15 Being commercially aware as

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Fayeez Ahmed, the QA Team Lead at WeSwap.com. On the show they discuss routes into QA. Andy asks Fayeez about his transition into a leadership position. They also chat about the direction quality assurance is heading in. Fayeez is a firm believer in automation, where necessary. He thoroughly enjoys creating pipeline tools to optimise workflows and is constantly improving his skills in a range of areas, such as Scripting, Lighting and Texturing. Fayeez also has a strong interest in web design and development. Show Notes: 1.07 Quality Assurance is becoming an in demand skill. Do we have the supply? 3.09 How did you get into Quality Assurance? 4.41 How easy is it to drastically shift your career trajectory and do you think it’s possible to acquire a base set of skills that make this transition easier. 7.08 What skills are best suited for a career in Quality Assurance? 9.28 Transitioning into a leadership position. 11.07 If you were reliving your career would you

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Jon Wright, Founder at Emmkit LLC. On the show they discuss Jon’s move to America and how he adapted to the cultural differences in his working life. They also chat about the education system in the US and how companies are still placing emphasis on traditional educational routes such as university. They go on to consider how online courses and self taught tech professionals are disrupting the traditional ivy league colleges. Andy also asks Jon about the qualities he looks for in new starters to his company and asks Jon about the methods he used to determine which candidates are the best fit for his business. Show Notes: 1.10 Jons experiences moving over to America. 3.37 Why isn’t America approaching different ways of on-boarding staff. 8.53 Instigating a cultural shift in companies to change their on-boarding practices. 12.20 Apprenticeships and internships and the education sector being prime for disruption. 14.48 Educational curriculums always playing catch up

In this episode Andy Davis talks to John Kelly, Director of Analytics at QxBranch. On the show they discuss the excitement around Quantum Computing. Andy asks about the skills a person's needs for a career in Data Analytics. They also chat about the projects John is working on. John is an experienced practitioner and leader in data analytics, with a passion for applying these skills to automate complex processes and discover new insights that can impact people's quality of life. He is currently directing the development of data analytics solutions at QxBranch and he was previously the Technical Lead for Corporate Data Analytics Initiatives at Lockheed Martin. Show Notes: 1.08 Discussing the in’s and out’s of Data and how the sectors changed over the years. 3.38 Is it a challenge staying disciplined on the projects at hand? 5.47 From your perspective when you’re dealing with a new client/ customer do you have to educate them on the applications of Data? 9.41 Tackling the inherent bias people have

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Tom McLaughlin, Founder at ServerlessOps. On the show they discuss the difficulty of hiring for a DevOps role. Andy asks Tom about his career progression. They also chat about Tom founding ServerlessOps and some of the challenges he had to overcome. Tom likes to ask what does Ops mean in a serverless world? He founded ServerlessOps to help you to design, build, and run reliable serverless systems. Show Notes: 1.05 From a recruitment perspective how do you articulate what the DevOps role requires and how do you identify what you’re working towards? 3.49 How do you manage to bring on the appropriate people for your team? 5.08 Toms career progression and background. 9.26 Having a disciplined approach to staying on your career path. 11.42 The consumer dictates the pace that technology move at. 13.08 Tom’s current projects. 17.57 Do you think we still need to educate people about the serverless market. 21.07 Still learning about ServerlessOps.

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Nav Dhutti, the Technical Lead / Data Scientist at Acrotrend. On the show they discuss how to excel in your career. Nav touches on the disruption caused by technology on the education sector. They also chat about how to find the employees with the best cultural fit for your company.Lastly Andy and Nav discuss what it takes to succeed in tech. Show Notes: 1.06 Looking to the year ahead in technology. 4.55 From your perspective have you had to accommodate changes into your career due to changes in the tech industry. 12.17 The effectiveness of education to technology people and the continual learning needed to be successful in tech. 16.31 Determining what you should value in an employee. 23.08 How, in interview, do you determine who has a fundamental understanding of coding? 25.54 Do you have to sacrifice personally and socially to succeed in engineering.

In this episode Andy Davis talks to James Packer. James is a Cyber Security Consultant at a Big 4 professional services firm. He is also President of the London Chapter of (ISC)2 whose mission is to bring together a community of Information Security Professionals to share knowledge in order to drive innovation and inclusion within the wider community. On the show they discuss how the security sector has grown and changed over the past 20 years. Andy asks James what the industry can do to get more people interested in a career in security. James also details how different companies and groups view cyber threats. Show Notes: 1.10 How did you reach the point in your career where you felt you wanted to write and blog about your sector. 7.10 The different ways people respond to security threats. 9.15 What efforts have you seen from a macro perspective of people trying to raise awareness of security issues. 12.10 Being conscious about your own cyber security. 15.52 Will we see a rise of people seeing security

In this episode Andy Davis talks to Michael Michelis, the Co-founder at Intelistyle Ltd. On the show they discuss the links between Data Science and mathematics. Andy asks Michael about the effects Data is having on a companies structure and culture. They also discuss Data and its role in retail and the challenges of building your own startup. Michael is a Data engineer and mathematician with extensive experience leveraging technology to solve Big Data problems. He is experienced in managing and growing communities, founded one of the largest online communities for mathematics in Greece. Michael was also the winner of the LSE Business Week pitch competition and finalist in a number of other pitching events. He has also launched a few indie apps in App Store and Google Play. Show Notes: 0.59 The implementation of Data teams in a company. 3.06 What are the large challenges for you and your company? 4.49 Building a Data team with people from a variety of backgrounds. 6.33 Data’s far reaching effects on soc