The Digital Lighthouse is a podcast for CTOs and other tech leaders looking to navigate their organisation through endless disruption and turbulence. Packed full of real life stories and insights, this podcast serves as your guiding light - wherever you are in your journey and whatever challenges you face.
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August 5, 202624 min
Why AI doesn’t need to be perfect to be trusted
As AI becomes part of courts, healthcare and other critical public services, how do we build systems that people can trust? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Alex Wolff, Public Sector Director at Softwire, who has spent more than 20 years helping government, NHS and healthcare organisations deliver complex digital transformation. Together, they explore why comparing AI to perfection is the wrong benchmark, how to balance automation with human judgement, and what responsible AI looks like in practice. You’ll hear about: * Why AI should be compared with today’s systems, not an ideal world * When mistakes are acceptable, and when they simply aren’t * Why humans remain central to trustworthy AI * Three practical principles for building safe AI systems * How AI could make public services more accessible, personalised and efficient Whether you’re working in government, healthcare or any organisation deploying AI in high-stakes environments, this episode offers practical lessons for building technology people can trust.
July 2, 202625 min
What happens when water companies stop competing on data
What happens when water companies stop competing on data? Melissa Tallack believes the biggest opportunities don’t come from solving problems alone. They come from sharing data, learning from other industries and building on what already works. In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Melissa joins Zoe Cunningham to discuss how the Stream initiative is helping water companies collaborate on open data, why breaking down silos creates value for everyone, and what the water sector can learn from rail, energy, health and beyond. Together they discuss: * Why open data creates more value when industries collaborate. * How Stream is transforming data sharing across the water sector. * Breaking down organisational, industry and cross-sector silos. * Why culture matters as much as technology. * How citizen science could become one of the UK’s most valuable data sources. * Why the best ideas often come from outside your own industry.
June 11, 202624 min
How insurance is driving the future of autonomous cars
In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with David Williams, a senior executive and non-executive director with more than 30 years’ experience in insurance. David previously worked at AXA Insurance UK, where he led work on connected and autonomous vehicles, including involvement in five government-backed consortia. He was also chair of the Association of British Insurers Motor Committee. Zoe and David explore the future and present of driverless vehicles, and the role insurance plays in helping new technology reach the road safely. David explains why many vehicles described as autonomous are still driver assistance systems, why insurance relies so heavily on data, and what happens when a new technology has no historic claims data to draw from. They also discuss the UK’s role in supporting autonomous vehicle development, how data and machine learning have changed insurance, and why driverless cars are designed to avoid accidents rather than make moral judgements about human life. Discover Why driverless cars are closer than many people think What different levels of vehicle autonomy really mean Why insurance is central to autonomous vehicle development How data has transformed risk assessment in insurance Why the UK could be well placed to support autonomous vehicle innovation Why the trolley problem is not the right way to think about driverless cars
May 13, 202625 min
Why digital transformation rarely goes to plan
Why do so many transformation programmes fail? And what does it take to actually deliver change at scale? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham speaks with Andy Burton, a technology leader with over 30 years of experience delivering large-scale digital transformation across industries including insurance, retail, and online gaming. Andy has held senior roles at organisations including Sky Betting & Gaming, The Very Group, and most recently esure, where he led a multi-year transformation to replatform the business and build a modern, digital-first insurer. They explore what transformation really looks like in practice. While many organisations begin with clear plans and ambitious timelines, the reality is far messier. External events, legacy constraints, and constant change mean even the best plans rarely survive intact. Andy shares what made the esure transformation successful, why many programmes go awry before the final step, and what it really means to become “digital on the inside”.
April 16, 202626 min
Why leaders need to create space for thinking
In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Paul Spiers, founder of The New P&L Institute and host of The New P&L podcast. Zoe and Paul explore how leaders can create the conditions for better thinking, creativity, and innovation in a world shaped by constant change and emerging technologies. While organisations often say they value curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, Paul explains why many fail to create the space needed for those qualities to thrive. Instead, speed and efficiency dominate, limiting long term innovation. Paul shares how leaders can focus on self awareness, purpose, and culture to drive better outcomes. They also discuss why context matters when introducing AI, why leadership behaviour shapes culture, and how small, consistent actions can transform both individuals and organisations. - Why organisations struggle to enable creativity and innovation - Why self awareness is the foundation of effective leadership - Why context shapes how employees respond to AI - How leaders can create space for better thinking - Why culture, leadership, and technology must be aligned - How small, consistent actions drive meaningful change
April 16, 202626 min
Why leaders need to create space for thinking
Why leaders need to create space for thinking by Softwire
March 24, 202625 min
Why AI is like a highly motivated intern
Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Steve Burrows, a global product delivery and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience delivering digital platforms and transformation programmes across industries. Zoe and Steve explore how organisations can actually capture value from AI in complex environments. While excitement around generative AI is high, many initiatives struggle because they begin with the technology rather than the problem. Drawing on his experience across consulting, product development, and delivery, Steve explains why the most successful AI implementations start by understanding users and mapping workflows. Instead of replacing people, AI works best when it removes repetitive work and allows humans to focus on judgment, creativity, and decision-making. He also shares a practical way to think about AI: treat it like a highly motivated intern. Useful for many tasks, but still requiring oversight, guardrails, and human judgment.
February 11, 202628 min
Why AI creates knowledge debt and how leaders stay in control with Macs Dickinson
Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Macs Dickinson, Director of Engineering at LHV Bank on the challenge many technology leaders are facing as AI tools become embedded in everyday work. While generative AI can accelerate delivery, it can also create a hidden risk: knowledge debt. The loss of deep system understanding when teams rely too heavily on generated outputs. Drawing on his experience in highly regulated industries including banking and gambling, Macs explains why “fail fast” does not translate to environments where reliability and accountability are critical. He shares how his teams are adopting machine learning and AI agents safely, starting with narrow internal use cases, building strong guardrails, and ensuring engineers retain ownership of what they ship. Discover: Why AI can speed up delivery while increasing long term risk Why regulated industries require a different mindset for AI adoption How machine learning models can be governed through monitoring and human review Why generative AI is harder to test than traditional software How starting small reduces risk and builds organisational learning Why ownership and understanding still matter in AI assisted engineering
January 15, 202625 min
AI and tech revolutions: why we’ve been here before | Jamie Dobson
In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Jamie Dobson, founder of cloud consultancy Container Solutions and author of Visionaries, Rebels and Machines. Zoe and Jamie explore how technology really evolves. They discuss why innovation has never been a solo pursuit, why leadership and management matter as much as scientific breakthroughs, and why many of today’s debates around AI echo arguments that have played out before. Drawing on examples from Edison and Oppenheimer to Amazon and modern cloud platforms, Jamie explains why users, not inventors, ultimately determine how technologies succeed or fail. He also shares practical lessons for today’s technology leaders on building real cloud and AI capability, removing organisational bottlenecks, and navigating periods of rapid change. Discover Why technological breakthroughs are built by teams, not lone geniuses Why leadership and management are central to successful innovation How cloud computing emerged by removing barriers for developers Why users shape the future of technology more than its creators What past technology transitions can teach us about today’s AI moment Why preparing for AI is fundamentally a people and capability challenge
December 11, 202530 min
Navigating the messy middle of technology projects with Rachael Morgan
Why do technology projects get so messy even when they start with clear plans and enthusiastic teams? And what can leaders do to navigate the chaos in the middle? In this episode, Zoe Cunningham speaks with Rachael Morgan, an experienced Head of Technology. She has worked in different industries from the NHS, betting and gaming, and is currently in finance. They explore the messy middle of tech delivery. Drawing on experience across the NHS, Sky Betting and Gaming, and now Flutter, Rachael explains why delivery challenges rarely come from the technology itself, but from people, process choices, and the complexity of real organisational ecosystems. Rachael shares practical insights from leading six global data engineering teams, including how to strike the right balance of process, how to understand and use individual strengths within a team, and why continuous communication is essential when navigating uncertainty. 🔎 You’ll learn: • What the “messy middle” is and why every technology project encounters it • Why humans, not technology, are the real drivers of delivery success • How process frameworks help, hinder, and grow unintentionally over time • The risks of over-processing and under-processing in regulated environments • How leaders can use metrics and communication to spot real delivery risks early • Why understanding your team and understanding yourself sit at the core of effective leadership • How reflection helps leaders manage emotion, complexity, and decision making 💡 Whether you lead engineering teams, manage digital projects, or work anywhere near technology delivery, this conversation offers practical and thoughtful guidance for handling complexity with confidence. ⸻ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 01:11 – Rachael’s career journey through NHS, gaming, and data leadership 03:52 – What the “messy middle” means in tech delivery 07:07 – Why technology is binary but delivery is human 08:47 – Process frameworks, complexity, and making the right choices 11:30 – How much process is “just enough”? 14:18 – Learning from other leaders and industries 20:01 – Is Agile the answer? 21:18 – Humans are messy, and that is a strength 23:56 – Understanding individuals and leadership at scale 24:48 – How to tell normal problems from real project danger 28:11 – Why leaders must understand themselves ⸻ 🎧 Listen to The Digital Lighthouse: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, innovation, and the human side of technology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming interviews. We’d also appreciate a quick rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your feedback helps us continue improving the show. #TechLeadership #DigitalDelivery #EngineeringManagement #ProjectDelivery #RachaelMorgan #TheDigitalLighthouse #ZoeCunningham #FlutterEntertainment #MessyMiddle #Softwire
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