Tech Leaders Unite in Leeds: A Night of Insight, Connection, and Peer Support

On February 26th, we hosted the latest of our exclusive leadership dinners for digital leaders,at the private dining room of renowned eatery Restaurant Bar and Grill in City Square, Leeds. The evening, designed to foster connection and knowledge exchange among CTO’s and technology leaders from across the North, proved to be a resounding success.

The event, part of our ongoing "Executive Edge" series of gatherings, focused on how leaders navigate the balance between continuously implementing incremental value and investing in long-term evolutionary initiatives, and aligning short-term goals with strategic needs.

Our aim with our events is to create a "safe space" where leaders can connect, share experiences, and build a supportive network of peers. Of critical importance is this peer support in today's rapidly evolving landscape where the demands of constant innovation and adaptation, often lead to feelings of isolation and burnout. Statistics from studies like the Workforce Institute and Deloitte reports paint a stark picture of stress, fatigue, and burnout among C-suite leaders. Our "Executive Edge" cohort aims to combat these issues by providing a platform for leaders to thrive, not just survive.

We were privileged to welcome two exceptional speakers who shared invaluable insights into their own lessons in leading organisations through change.

Renee Hunt, CTO of Compare the Market, brought her 30+ years of experience and strategic vision to the table. She spoke eloquently of bringing people on the journey, creating great teams and coaching and learning. 

Neil Bennett, CISO at the Post Office, shared his story of working within some of the most challenging environments within the public sector and the pride of bringing people together to deliver some huge, complex pieces of work, over his career of 22 years of technology, security, and people leadership experience.

The key themes emerging from the presentations and discussions were:

The need as a CTO to be a business-person first, and a technologies person, second - all investment decisions need to be framed in the context of ROI or risk.

Renee spoke of how she justified a major legacy upgrade, early in her career at Compare the Market, based on risk, the Risk and Compliance team were, she said, her, “best friends”.

Both talked about the stresses of the role and the need to separate work life from home andmake time for family and recreation. Neil discussed some of the challenging situations he had encountered in new roles, not least joining Post Office when The Post Office v Mr Bates programme first aired on TV. Neil finds solace and relaxation in running and cycling.

Coincidentally, Neil will be joining us at the 100km Axiologik Summer Cycle in June. If you’d like to join us, then email rae.evans@axiologik.com.

The evening provided a relaxed and engaging setting for attendees to network, share perspectives, and discuss the key priorities impacting their roles. 

Our work across multiple sectors and organisations has made it clear that there's a real need for an executive safe space—a community where leaders can come together, share their challenges, and build meaningful relationships across sectors. This is what "Executive Edge" is all about: creating a sanctuary from the pressures of the role, facilitating learning and discussion on key trends, and offering an opportunity to build a powerful network of peers.

Here is what some of our attendees had to say about the event:

“A thoroughly enjoyable evening, thank you again for the invitation” Neil Bennett, CISO, Post Office.

"Thank you for putting together a great evening. Thoroughly enjoyed my time networking with everyone. A special call out to Renee Hunt andNeil Bennett for great insights with their stories. Kudos!” Nisha Hate, VP of Technology, Schroeders. 

“Thank you so much for a great evening and for inviting me to take part! Highly recommended.” Renee Hunt, CTO, Compare The Market.

If you're a leader looking to connect with peers, share insights, and build a supportive network, we invite you to express your interest in attending our next event. Spaces are limited, and we prioritise creating a diverse and engaging group of participants.

For future Executive Edge events get in touch via: executive.edge@Axiologik.com

Don't miss this opportunity to give yourself the edge and become part of a thriving community of digital leaders.