LEADERSHIP
Evening
15.05.25. 5:30pm - 9pm
About the EVENING
WPP Manchester, 1 New Quay St, Manchester M3 4BN
Join us on the 15th May at the offices of emCode as we bring together Manchester’s brightest tech minds for an evening all about leadership, innovation, and the future of AI.
Thanks to our sponsors at CD Lawyers and Counter, we’re thrilled to be able to welcome Ron Thompson, former Chief Data Officer at NASA, who will be joining us live from Washington D.C for a live Q&A about his time at NASA to the rise of Artificial Intelligence and how leaders can embrace and prepare for change. Amongst our speakers we will also be joined by David Lindop Founder of Anterospective.ai and former Global Chief Data Officer for Consulting at EY who will be delving into how to unlock human-AI synergy at scale during the rise of the hybrid organisation.
The evening will culminate in facilitated networking over canope’s and drinks – and as out guest list is purely invite / application only you’ll be surrounded by some of Manchester’s most influential tech leaders – ensuring meaningful connections, bold ideas, and conversations that matter.
HOW TO APPLY
This event is designed for senior leaders in the tech industry, tickets are allocated on an invite / application only basis. If this event is suitable for you please complete the application form below.
Please note: To ensure guests can make the most of the networking opportunities available we will not be admitting more than 2 guests per company. We would also like to advise that if you are from a recruitment company our PSL for the event is full for those attendees and we kindly ask you do not apply for a ticket to allow us to keep the event balance.
SPEAKERS
Ron Thompson
Former Government Executive & Chief Data Officer, NASA
David Lindop
Founder of Anterospective.ai & Former Global Chief Data Officer for Consulting at EY
Emma Green
Managing Partner
CD Lawyers
Amul Batra
Managing Director at Counter and Co-founder at Northcoders Group PLC.
Louis Georgiou
VP Engineering Agentic Intelligence at Choreograph, WPP and Co-founder of EM Code.
Kenny Skelton
VP Adoption of Agentic Intelligence
Choreograph
AGENDA
Ron Thompson
Former Government Executive &
Chief Data Officer at NASA
SESSION OVERVIEW:
Ron Thompson is a distinguished technology leader with over 30 years of experience in the U.S. Federal Government. He has served in pivotal roles, including Chief Data Officer at NASA and Chief Information Officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
His contributions have earned widespread recognition: in 2023, he received the Technology Lifetime Achievement Award from the Government Business Executive Forum. He was also named one of the Top 100 Worldwide Data Activators in 2022 and featured on the Leading Data Executives list in 2021.
Ron will be dialling in from Washington, D.C. to do a 30 minute Q+A from the Manchester based tech leaders on everything from his time at NASA, the rise of Artificial Intelligence and anything else you might fancy asking him!
Emma Green
Managing Partner
CD Lawyers
SESSION OVERVIEW:
Emma is a Managing Partner at CD Lawyers and is a specialist in Data Protection, Cyber and AI, and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio and national press on issues affecting business leaders in the technology space. Emma will be giving us real life example of where AI has already caused technology and business leaders headaches from a Cyber security perspective and what you can do to stay ahead of your competitors in this space.
David Lindop
Founder of Anterospective.ai &
Former Global Chief Data Officer for Consulting at EY
SESSION OVERVIEW:
As AI comes out of the lab and into the mainstream and the agentic revolution brings us one step closer to the autonomous enterprise, most businesses have not yet grasped the level of change that will be needed to stay competitive in this new business environment.
While data and technology are critical, the final key to unlocking value will lie in our ability to adopt new operating models, develop new skills and create an integrated workforce, where humans and algorithms work together in harmony. In this session, David Lindop, founder of Anterospective.ai and former Global Chief Data Officer for Consulting at EY will explore some of the opportunities and challenges involved in adopting new business models and rebuilding our traditional organisation structures for an AI powered world.
Louis Georgiou
VP Engineering Agentic Intelligence at Choreograph
WPP and Co-founder of EM Code
Kenny Skelton
VP Adoption of Agentic Intelligence
Choreograph
SESSION OVERVIEW:
2025 is the tipping point for AI in business. The smartest companies aren’t just adopting tools – they’re reimagining how work gets done. In this talk, we’ll explore how AI is shifting from assistant to autonomous agent, and what that means for your teams, processes, and leadership. You’ll learn how to build an AI-ready workforce, escape pilot purgatory, and lead the shift from using AI to managing it — before your competitors do.
MENU
During the evening there will be time to network over drinks and canapés, including:
Jerk Chicken Skewers with Pineapple Salsa
Pork & Chorizo Sausage Rolls with Chilli Jam
Pancetta and Parmesan Croquette
Hot Smoked Salmon Tacos with Avocado and Spiced Tomato Salsa
Tempura Szechuan Squid
Halloumi & Beetroot Sliders with Chilli Jam
Pea & Mint Falafel, Scorched Pepper and Garlic Aioli
SPonsors
Thank you to our sponsors Counter & CD Lawyers for making this event possible
