STRICTLY BLACK TIE EVENT
18th June, 2025 (TBC)
The DeVere Grand Connaught Rooms,
London – WC2B 5DA
STRICTLY BLACK TIE EVENT
18th June, 2025 (TBC)
The DeVere Grand Connaught Rooms,
London – WC2B 5DA
Bio: Priya is the Director of Quality at Aristocrat Technology Inc. Holding degrees in Engineering and IT Marketing, she uses her knowledge and expertise in Automation and Emerging Tech to inspire her team and improve their digital processes especially quality. Priya has a pragmatic style of leadership and is passionate about making the workplace a better place for her team, both in its culture and in its workflow. She can often be found reading up on the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation, some of her personal interests.
Bio: Darren’s 36 year career has constantly been at the heart of latest technology. Starting his career as a software developer in the days when you sat with the business, having full knowledge of business process and how this achieves customer satisfaction, developing code immediately on the back of business needs, testing and deploying on the same day. Sounds familiar, this is how banks worked in the 80’s. Darren moved away from development as the financial services industry reacted to regulatory requirements creating controls which resulted in software delivery becoming an abstract from business and customer needs. Darren has been an evangelist since a chance meeting with Gene Kim a decade ago and has been on a quest to introduce ways of working which result in the experience he had as a young developer. Job satisfaction in creating beautiful customer experiences with absolute context of business, product and customer. Creating an environment of creativity which fosters innovation.
Darren has recently started a new quest in Vanquis Bank to achieve that very outcome, an organisation serving those that create beautiful customer experiences from a blank canvas.
Bio: My name is Rob Bachan and my passion is creating value for end users through technology. Over 29 spans my experience key sectors across the globe covering product development & delivery, innovation, advisory and leadership roles focusing on Digital Customer & Enterprise solutions.
My career spans from software product companies to start-ups and just over 10.5 years with IBM GBS Europe. Global Roles over the last 8 years include VP of Digital Architecture & Strategy, Engineering & Architecture, Head of Digital Domain & Innovation Lab and CEO, CTO and MD for new entrant & corporate backed start-ups.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked on an extensive number of customer engagements in technical, leadership and product innovation roles in globally distributed teams. Starting out as an engineer and growing through various leaderships roles to my current role across multiple sectors on a wide range of solutions with varying complexity from customer solutions to large scale transformation, The key sectors have been Telco, Utilities, Insurance and Banking, Oil & Gas and Media & Entertainment.
Grew up in the sunny island of Trinidad and Tobago and based out of the UK for last 30 years working across the globe with 3 years based out of Bangkok. Happily married with two beautiful daughters and enjoy travelling and exploring. Other hobbies include music, sports, running and cooking.
Bio: Kumar Singirikonda is an accomplished professional in the field of DevOps, known for his remarkable achievements and exceptional leadership. As the Director of DevOps Engineering at Toyota North America, Kumar has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead high-performance teams and drive transformative change within organizations.
Throughout his career, Kumar has spearheaded the implementation of cutting-edge automation solutions, revolutionizing the way businesses operate. His expertise in DevOps engineering, cloud engineering, Edge compute engineering, and system performance analysis, has solidified his position as a trusted authority in the industry.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, Kumar has been honored with multiple awards, including the prestigious Inspirational DevOps Leadership Team Award and Quality Excellence Award. His thought leadership is further evident in his published works, such as “Customer Satisfaction Vs Customer Experience in the Digital Age”, “Emerging Patterns in Development Operations,” and “Ensuring Compliance and Governance in Cloud-Based DevOps Practices”. These publications offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of DevOps, demonstrating Kumar’s commitment to advancing the field and sharing his expertise.
Kumar’s upcoming book, “DevOps Automation Cookbook,” is a comprehensive guide with over 100 automation recipes, demonstrating his commitment to sharing best practices and insights.
Adding to his illustrious career, Kumar serves as an advisory board member at The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. In this role, he has provided invaluable insights and feedback on courses, enriching the educational experience for both students and the wider business community. Kumar’s dedication to mentorship and guidance extends well beyond the confines of the classroom, as evidenced by his active engagement with faculty and students through classroom visits, forums, and conferences.
Kumar not only excels in his professional pursuits but also plays a pivotal role as a Board of Director for Gift Of Adoption Funds. Gift of Adoption’s mission is to offer grants that facilitate the adoption of children facing vulnerable circumstances, thereby affording them the opportunity to find permanent families and thrive. Remarkably, every dollar raised goes toward reuniting children with their forever families in Texas.
Furthermore, in 2022, Kumar contributed his expertise as an advisory panel member at the University of Houston’s Bauer Business College. In this capacity, he offered invaluable insights and feedback on courses, enriching the program’s educational value for both students and the broader business community. Kumar’s commitment to mentorship and guidance extends beyond the classroom, as evidenced by his active engagement with faculty and students through classroom visits, forums, and conferences.
Residing in Irving, Texas, Kumar finds joy in his family life while also making significant contributions to the DevOps community. He dedicates time to mentoring aspiring professionals, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the fast-paced world of DevOps.Beyond his professional achievements, Kumar finds fulfillment in his family life, drawing inspiration and balance from his loved ones. His relentless commitment to excellence and his passion for empowering others make him an invaluable contributor to the DevOps community and a respected member of society.
Bio: Kamala Manju Kesavan is a transformational technical leader boasting over 20 years of experience in the realm of enterprise software implementation. Her expertise encompasses technology solution strategy, software development, QE, test automation, and DevOps. Kamala’s unique strength is her ability to bridge the gap between business strategy and technology, whilst fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. She has a proven track record of leading global technology teams in digital transformation. Kamala holds a Master of Science in Cloud Computing Architecture from the University of Maryland and a Master of Computer Science from Madurai Kamaraj University, India.
Bio: Max is an award-winning, creative, strategic communications and business transformation leader with wide-ranging experience, both in-house and consulting, across the public, private and charity sectors.
In February 2024, he joined FTSE 250 listed global IT and technology services provider, Computacenter, as Group Director, Business Strategy and Communications. Previous roles include Business Transformation Director at global communications consultancy, BCW, Head of Colleague Communications and Engagement at Tesco Bank, and Employee and Change Communications Director at Sodexo.
Max is also a Non Executive Director on the Boards of the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communication and Chartered Institute for Public Relations.
Bio: Ian has over 30 years’ experience in senior level roles spanning Technology Transformation, Operations and Customer Service in the professional service, utilities, and financial services sectors. This includes 16 years at Coventry Building Society spanning Customer Service, Operations, Transformation and most recently as Head of Technology, Change & Digital Practices.
Bio: Sophie Cunningham is Head of Digital Transformation at Fortnum and Mason, leading a range of technology and data projects across the commercial, operational, and international space.
As a heritage British brand, F&M has come huge strides in recent year on its journey in developing its analytical and system capabilities; and the digital transformation team are focused on ways of bringing the benefits of innovation in technology to colleagues, customers, and business operations.
Prior to joining F&M in 2022, Sophie held roles at Ocado, within UK analytics, and International Solutions; and in consultancy, where she worked with clients across the retail, manufacturing and FMCG sectors to drive operational efficiency and growth. Working at the intersection of data, ways-of-working and commercial decision-making, Sophie is passionate about the way we can maintain a constant curiosity for the way that industries can experiment with developments in the consumer technology space.
Bio: Trusted entrepreneurial and customer-centric Digital and Product leader with 19+ years’ experience coaching, directing and leading cross-functional teams engineering and delivering complex technology integrations. As a problem solver, I enjoy making complicated challenges simpler; running towards fires, dousing them quickly; formulating winning strategies by data driven experimentation, rapid prototyping and delivering great products that people love to use. I’ve learned a lot from mistakes made since my first sprint planning in 2007. Now, every day, I hope to learn more about emerging digital technologies, agile, gamification and bringing people together to deliver great products. I have a major in Artificial Intelligence (NLP) and keen to develop Machine Learning skills to apply them to solve Conversational UI development challenges
Bio: I help companies solve complex business challenges using technology and leveraging data to drive revenue growth and optimise operational cost. As a problem-led leader with over 20+ years of experience in managing complex digital and data transformation initiatives.
I have led remote agile teams of over 200+ professionals and successfully transitioned technology departments to improve collaboration, efficiency, predictability, quality, operational excellence by simplifying processes and integrating business areas to deliver sustainable business value
My expertise includes tech strategy, product engineering, team building, decommissioning legacy technology, re-architecture, cloud migration, insourcing, near-shoring, and resource optimisation, with a proven track record of reducing OPEX.
I have been recognised for implementing award-winning intelligent data platforms and excel in cultivating successful relationships with stakeholders while managing multi-million-euro budgets.
Bio: An accomplished leader in Agile PMO, Digital Transformation, and SAFe methodologies, Maria has experience in a broad spectrum of industries, including legal, financial services, entertainment and logistics.
In her current role, Maria is focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence to enhance and simplify various processes and create more efficient work practices.
A devotee of lifelong learning, Maria holds multiple degrees that complement her experience, including MSc in Business Information Systems, International Diploma in Business Analysis, Certified SPC, BSc in Industrial Engineering and Management, and others.
Bio: Sabitha is an award-winning and ISTQB/ITIL certified professional renowned for her leadership in Testing & Quality Assurance, Digital Transformation and User Experience across diverse sectors including Finance, Banking, E-commerce, Asset Management, B2B, B2C, Retail, Travel, and Construction. With extensive experience spanning these industries, she has developed a deep understanding of their unique challenges and requirements.
As a leader in digital transformation, Sabitha excels in developing and executing comprehensive strategies tailored to each organization’s unique needs and goals. Sabitha’s expertise lies in devising and executing best-in-class strategies, particularly in setting up and implementing automation tool frameworks supporting Digital transformation programmes. She has a proven track record of leading cross-functional and geographically diverse teams to success, ensuring projects are delivered within strict timelines and budgets. Her strategic approach to leadership encompasses building, training, and mentoring teams to excel in their roles, while fostering strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including C-level executives, project/product managers, business stakeholders, development managers, and sponsors.
Beyond her professional achievements, Sabitha is passionate about driving positive change and making a meaningful impact in the organization. Her dedication to continuous learning and staying ahead of industry trends positions her as a trusted advisor and catalyst for digital innovation.
Bio: Nick Hodder is the Assistant Director of Digital Transformation at Imperial War Museums. Nick spent over two decades in the technology sector with companies such as Sun Microsystems and Google, before joining the non-profit sector several years undertaking digital transformations that are purpose driven and have significant social impact. Nick joined IWM in 2020 to lead the museum’s Digital Transformation, where he places a real emphasis on culture change and people focus.
