MAIN STAGE

DAY 2 [7.11.24]

About the conference

Core Festival, MAIN STAGE, VICTORIA BATHS

Experience the pinnacle of tech talks at the Manchester Tech Festival Main Stage. Curated by top tech leaders from Manchester’s major companies, our stage features captivating panels and discussions on topics that matter most to the local tech community.

SPEAKERS

Check out our lineup of speakers by clicking their images below! We will be continuing to announce speakers over the next few weeks, so sign up to our newsletter to be the first in the know! 

Peter Petrovics

Product Manager
Equal Experts

Fernando Lucini

Global Data Science & Machine Learning Engineering Lead
Accenture

James Heggs

Technical Director
Counter

Colin Preston

Product and Service Design Director
EM Code

David Lawton

CIO
Informed Solutions

Jess Sherratt

Head of User Experience (UX)
EM Code

Pete Brown

Head of Engineering
Lloyds Banking Group

Suzanne Ellison

Head of Product
Lloyds Banking Group

Scott Manson

Director for Cyber Security
UKI Cisco

Sophie Valentine

Co-founder
NeurotechX

Nik Walker

Head of Data Engineering
Co-op

Masha Zakharova

Global Head of Data and Analytics
Spark Foundry

AGENDA

Woah! We’re still busy pulling together this year’s agenda, so check out the talks below and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear when new talks go live! 

Peter Petrovics
Product Manager
Equal Experts

 

SESSION OVERVIEW: The critical questions about GenAI for enterprise business leaders are around security, scaling, and measurable success. How can GenAI enable real large-scale innovation? What are the challenges in gaining customer acceptance, and winning their trust in AI conversations? How do you evaluate the performance of a GenAI tool, and what’s the most effective way to create safeguards?

In 2023, one of Equal Experts’ customers successfully launched Europe’s largest GenAI-driven conversational FAQ service, for a multinational enterprise organisation with more than 50 million customers in 30 countries. The organisation wanted a step change in their customer conversation service, and while they saw the potential of onboarding GenAI, they didn’t know how to navigate the technology in a secure, responsible, and efficient way.

Working with the organisation’s teams, the project resulted in our GenAI FAQ product setting a new standard in customer support. Our learnings and approach included:

1. The major build hurdles we encountered, and how we addressed them;
2. How we measured the performance and effectiveness of the GenAI system;
3. The safeguards we put in place to prevent hallucinations, and maintain the integrity
of generated content;
4. How we tackled significant challenges in gaining customer acceptance, focussing on
concerns like data privacy and confidence in AI-generated responses.

Fernando Lucini
Global Data Science & Machine Learning Engineering Lead
Accenture

SESSION OVERVIEW: Unlocking the power of generative AI: Insights from 1000+ client projects and our UK AI Research

How can enterprises harness AI’s true value and use it for improved decision-making and novel customer experiences rather than merely focusing on the technology itself?

Are your organisation’s people, data, and technology ready for generative AI?
Are you taking intentional actions to design, deploy and use AI to create value and build trust by protecting from the potential risks of AI?

James Heggs
Technical Director
Counter

 

SESSION OVERVIEW: Join us for a candid and insightful session with James Heggs, Technical Director at Counter, as he delves into the “7 Deadly Sins” of tech management. Expect a no-holds-barred exploration of the mistakes he’s made throughout his career and how to steer clear of them with grace (and a sprinkle of humour).

What you’ll take away:
Practical strategies for avoiding common pitfalls: Learn actionable tips to identify and sidestep the most common management blunders before they wreak havoc on your team and projects.
Real talk on team dynamics and culture: Gain insights on how to foster a productive, engaged team by focusing on what truly matters – the people behind the tech.
Adapting to change with confidence: Discover how to embrace change, pivot quickly, and lead your team through uncertainty without losing sight of your goals.
Building a vision that resonates: Understand the importance of a clear, compelling vision that not only guides your team but also keeps them motivated and aligned with the bigger picture.
Prepare for an engaging session filled with real-world advice, humour, and a few uncomfortable truths. Whether you’re a tech management veteran or an aspiring leader, this talk will equip you with the tools to lead effectively, avoid common mistakes, and ultimately drive your team to success.

David Lawton
CIO
Informed Solutions

 

SESSION OVERVIEW: Informed Solutions’ CIO and Transformation Director David Lawton reflects on the current state of AI in the Public Sector, shares his thoughts on the path ahead, and outlines how Public Sector leaders can work with industry experts to unlock opportunities for transforming the quality of services for citizens.


In the landscape of technical innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a potential game changer for a public sector, which is caught in the middle of limited investment and a plethora of new economic, societal, and environmental challenges. Yet, as we delve into the use of AI into public services, we find ourselves at a crossroads between ambition and execution.

Colin Preston
Product and Service Design Director
EM Code

 

Jess Sherratt
Head of User Experience (UX)
EM Code

 

SESSION OVERVIEW:

In this talk, we’ll dive into how you can turn customer journey maps into powerful tools that fuel growth and innovation. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to enhance your customer experience (CX), use service design to boost satisfaction, and even measure its impact on your bottom line. With real-world examples and actionable tips, this talk is ideal for anyone looking to transform great CX into long-term profitability. Don’t miss the chance to learn how to turn empathy into revenue and give your business a competitive edge!
 
We’ll cover:
  • From Insight to Innovation: How to transform customer journey maps into practical action plans that drive both customer satisfaction and business growth.
  • Service Design for Profitability: How well-designed customer experiences can streamline operations, delight your customers, and increase revenue.
  • Measuring CX ROI: Learn to measure the financial benefits of your CX efforts, turning customer empathy into real, trackable business results.
  • The Future of CX: How AI and predictive design will revolutionize customer experiences, allowing you to anticipate needs and reduce customer churn.

Suzanne Ellison
Head of Product
Lloyds Banking Group

 

Pete Brown
Head of Engineering for Smarter Journeys Lab
Lloyd’s Banking Group

 

SESSION OVERVIEW:

In today’s rapidly changing digital world, the collaboration between product and tech teams is critical for fostering innovation and delivering outstanding customer experiences.

In this exciting session, Suzanne Ellison and Pete Brown will explore how a shared vision, seamless communication, and cross-functional collaboration can transform the way teams create and launch new solutions. Through real-world examples, they’ll demonstrate the power of aligning priorities, breaking down silos, and fostering creative problem-solving to achieve faster, more impactful results.

Key takeaways include:

  • How to build a unified strategy between product and tech teams.
  • The role of communication and shared accountability in delivering better outcomes.
  • Actionable insights on creating a customer-first mindset in tech-driven environments.
 
Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies for cultivating strong partnerships between product and tech, accelerating innovation, and staying ahead in a competitive landscape.

Scott Manson
Director for Cyber Security
UKI Cisco

 

SESSION OVERVIEW: Informed Solutions’ CIO and Transformation Director David Lawton reflects on the current state of AI in the Public Sector, shares his thoughts on the path ahead, and outlines how Public Sector leaders can work with industry experts to unlock opportunities for transforming the quality of services for citizens.

In the landscape of technical innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a potential game changer for a public sector, which is caught in the middle of limited investment and a plethora of new economic, societal, and environmental challenges. Yet, as we delve into the use of AI into public services, we find ourselves at a crossroads between ambition and execution.

Peter Petrovics

ABOUT

Product Manager | Equal Experts

Peter is a seasoned entrepreneur and product expert. He pioneered social networking in Hungary, launching the country’s most popular platform in 2002 before the advent of Facebook and MySpace. He has an impressive track record of running his own software company, founding several startups, and dedicating years to ThoughtWorks and Equal Experts, where he played a key role in helping organisations develop innovative products. Currently, Peter is working on a new cutting-edge AI-based product suite designed to revolutionise customer interaction.

Fernando Lucini

ABOUT

Global Data Science & Machine Learning Engineering Lead | Accenture
Fernando Lucini is the Global Lead for Data Science Accenture. Fernando is a passionate and experienced senior leader with extensive experience in Artificial Intelligence software and business solutions. Having spent 20+ years in the enterprise software industry creating technologies to automate and understand Text, Speech and Video data. Integrating these technologies into business solutions for Fortune 100 companies including Financial Services, High Tech, Pharma, and many others. Also leading Government, Defence, Regulators and other public sectors entities.

James Heggs

ABOUT

Technical Director | Counter

Technical Director and proud Dad, James is a graduate in Software Engineering and has spent over 16 years working in the North West’s tech sector in a range of roles from software engineer to Head of Development, as well as being a DevOps consultant for both public and private sector businesses. A keen advocate for tech in the North West, James also organises the Devops Manchester Meet Up designed to bring the DevOps community together. He is also co-founder of Tech Returners and a previous holder of the Made in Manchester Awards Technology Professional of the Year.

Colin Preston

ABOUT

Product and Service Design Director at EM Code.

Colin has amassed 23 years in the design industry. As the Product & Service Design Director, Colin leads a talented team of designers focused on product innovation and service improvements for ambitious organisations.
Colin’s expertise lies in guiding the product and service design disciplines, integrating research, data, strategy, and delivery to enhance customer experiences. He has been instrumental in driving strategic initiatives for renowned brands like Amnesty International, Brother, BBC, and Bruntwood and Urban Splash helping them ship products and transform services. Most recently, Colin worked with Grainger PLC to design a new customer experience that boosts conversions and enhances the brand for customers seeking rental homes.

David Lawton

ABOUT

CIO, Informed Solutions

David is Informed Solutions’ Chief Innovation Officer with a background in digital transformation and enterprise architecture.  He has 15+ years’ experience in delivering national-scale digital transformation programmes, services, and solutions, most recently involving the application of AI and data science techniques for decision support.


He has worked across both the public and private sectors, delivering services from discovery through to live, and led the technical architecture of award-winning digital services for clients including the Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office, the Crown Estate, the National Police Coordination Centre and NatureScot.

Jess Sherratt

ABOUT

Head of User Experience (UX) at EM Code.

Jess has extensive experience in UX, focusing on research, strategy, experimentation, and service design. Jess has worked with a variety of high-profile clients, including AstraZeneca, Ombudsman Services, and Hillarys, helping them improve their products, services, and organizational challenges.

At EM Code, Jess is deeply involved in applying human-centred design principles to solve complex business problems. She is passionate about the importance of accessibility in UX design, ensuring that products and services are usable by all people. Additionally, Jess advocates for the power of research and experimentation as essential tools in understanding user needs and driving effective design processes. Her approach often includes testing assumptions through various experiments to uncover innovative solutions that benefit both businesses and their customers

Pete
Brown

ABOUT

Head of Engineering for Smarter Journeys Lab at Lloyd’s Banking Group

Accountable for the Complaints, Knowledge Management & Appointment Booking System. Leading the way with cutting edge technology, recently implementing GenAI & LLM solutions. Based out of the heart of Manchester. Putting people at the heart of everything we do whilst delivering good outcomes for our customers.

Suzanne Ellison

ABOUT

Head of Product, Lloyds Banking Group

Suzanne is a Product Leader with over 20 years of experience in Financial Services, driving innovation and transformational change. A proud Mancunian, Suzanne specialises in using Design Thinking, Agile methodologies and delivering digital solutions and AI at scale to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. With a proven track record of leading significant cross-functional teams, Suzanne is known for building strong stakeholder relationships, fostering collaboration, and embracing cutting-edge technology to deliver exceptional results. Passionate about promoting the women in tech agenda and social inclusion, Suzanne supports both the Lloyds Charity Foundation and the Breakthrough Women’s Network through education and mentorship.

Scott
Manson

ABOUT

Director for Cyber Security in UKI Cisco

Scott currently leads the go-to-market for Cisco’s Cyber Security services and products portfolio, across the UKI.  The team he leads is responsible for supporting Cisco customers ensure they are secure by design across the multitude of different Cisco architectures and products.

His team is focussed on positioning platform conversations for customers to address Cyber vendor sprawl in their environments and the complexity that comes with having 100+ of point products that are not co-ordinated.

The aim is to use Cisco’s broad expertise in Cyber Security to reduce the attack surface and raise the maturity and efficacy of customer’s cyber defences.

Scott has over 24 years of experience in Information Technology sales and consulting. His technology background includes Data Center, Networking, Middleware, Cloud and SaaS solutions and is ITIL certified and versed in the principles of Business Service Management (BSM).

Sophie
Valentine

ABOUT

Co-founder at NeurotechX

With an early background in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience research, Sophie has since spent her career on the London start-up / scale-up scene, focussing on strategic and operational product roles in the tech-for-good space, most recently in digital health. Sophie is also co-founder and London Chapter Lead of NeuroTechX, the world’s largest global community for the advancement of neurotechnology.

Nik
Walker

ABOUT

 Head of Data Engineering at the Co-op

A creative and resilient Leader of People in the Data space, with a hard focus on high-performing, psychologically safe teams working with Agile Methodologies. Nik has led data teams at CogX, Dunelm and now leads the data strategy at the Co-op. Nik has experience in the full gamut of data practices, from architecting and engineering cloud data platforms, their required governance, through to Business Intelligence, Analytics and Machine Learning. Nik is a strong voice for neurodiversity in tech and always emphasises the importance of creating psychologically safe workspaces and how these environments encourage innovation and authenticity among teams.

Masha
Zakharova

ABOUT

Global Head of Data and Analytics – Spark Foundry

Masha has worked in Data for the last 16 years in a variety of organisations – from Parliament and academia to startups and media agencies. She has experience in building up Analytics functions from scratch, delivering data-driven insights that empower senior leadership to make strategic decisions. As Global Head of Data and Analytics at Spark Foundry International, Masha manages analytics across 30+ markets, streamline workflows, and drive process automation for global clients.

Masha’s public sector experience includes working as the Data Visualisation and Statistics Lead at the House of Commons, where she helped MPs scrutinise government spending through compelling data visualisations. Masha enjoys both hands-on data science, AI, analytics and stakeholder engagement, which helps her deliver impactful, data-driven solutions and strategies – which she would love to share with you in this Webinar!

Chris
Monticolombi

ABOUT

CEO of WeShape

Chris is the CEO and Co-founder of WeShape, an award-winning technology consultancy, specialists in the advisory and implementation of DevOps, Software Engineering, Data and Cloud Native solutions, with capabilities within the UK and Eastern Europe.His goal: to build a consultancy known for excellence in tech delivery. Under his leadership, WeShape earned prestigious industry awards and is the driving force behind London Tech Leaders, creating a thriving community for tech executives to share insights and grow together. Outside of work, he has a passion for MMA, Music, Gaming and Antiques, and owns a 30,000 square foot emporium in Kent showcasing a treasure trove of Antiques, Collectables, Art, and Curiosities and recently featured on BBC 1 – Antiques Road Trip.