Tech Talks

In this conversation recorded at Web Summit Rio, David Savage sits down with Lisa Smith, Global Executive Creative Director at Jones Knowles Ritchie, to unpack the tension between creativity, AI, and brand identity. Lisa challenges the notion that AI equals innovation—arguing that in too many cases, it simply accelerates blandness. With nearly two decades of design and strategy experience, she explains why truly distinctive branding still requires human insight, cultural fluency, and original thought. This episode is a must-listen for brand leaders, marketers, and creative technologists who want to build relevance in an increasingly automated world.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

In this episode recorded at Web Summit Rio, David Savage speaks with Melissa Jackson Parsey, SVP Global Managing Partner at R/GA, about how brands can stay relevant in a world shaped by AI-driven behaviours. Melissa shares how the agency’s creative strategy has evolved from legacy media to machine learning, the value of cross-industry thinking, and why experimentation has given way to implementation. As R/GA becomes an independent entity for the first time in 22 years, Melissa also discusses how agility, partnerships, and cultural nuance will define the next era of brand leadership.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

David Savage sits down with Rachel Tilghman, Area Vice President at Braze, to explore how the world of customer engagement is evolving in the age of AI. Recorded at Web Summit Rio, Rachel shares insights on the company’s rapid growth in LATAM, the move from persona-based to empathy-based marketing, and the need for brands to go slow to go fast—especially when it comes to data and agentic AI. With a career that blends marketing strategy and tech leadership, Rachel explains why trust, community, and vulnerability are competitive advantages.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

Whilst at Web Summit, podcast host David Savage sat down with David Shim, founder and CEO of Read AI, to explore how artificial intelligence can do more than just summarise your meetings—it can understand reactions, recommend actions, and even warn you when your client or team is losing trust.

Shim, who previously scaled Foursquare, shares his vision for a future of proactive, personalised AI that integrates across all work platforms—not just one vendor’s walled garden. The conversation touches on everything from adoption barriers and agentic hype to emotional intelligence and the ethics of AI in the workplace.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

In this episode, David Savage speaks with Jack McCauley, legendary hardware innovator, co-founder of Oculus, and creator behind Guitar Hero’s iconic controller. Jack shares what it takes to survive and thrive in hardware—from million-selling hits to failed camera startups. He reflects on Meta’s struggles with VR, why hardware investment is so fraught, and how he’s now applying the same curiosity and engineering mindset to global clean water challenges. A frank, insightful conversation that explores the creative grit behind invention—and why true innovation rarely comes on the first try.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

Sasha Lund—founder of Core Values Consulting and editor of The Rising Role of Women in Family Offices and Family Businesses—joins David Savage to explore the evolving dynamics of leadership, legacy, and decision-making. After a profound near-death experience, Sasha rebuilt her life with a renewed sense of purpose, championing values-led leadership, emotional intelligence, and the long-overlooked contributions of women in legacy-driven industries.

This episode offers transformative insights for anyone rethinking the future of business, succession, and human-centred leadership.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

Tom Leathes, CEO and co-founder of Motorway, joins David Savage to talk about the startup journey from humble beginnings to unicorn status. In a £180B market full of noise, Tom’s team cut through by focusing relentlessly on one thing: helping people sell cars better. He shares lessons from five businesses, insights on scaling lean, and why staying laser-focused on the customer problem still drives everything—even after raising over £250 million.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

In this episode, David Savage speaks with Nora Jones, Senior Director of Strategy and Growth at PagerDuty, and former founder of incident analysis platform Jeli. They discuss Jeli’s journey from startup to acquisition, what it means to build tools that truly support engineers under pressure, and how PagerDuty is redefining incident response in a fast-evolving AI-driven landscape. This is a story of founder grit, practical innovation, and customer-first thinking.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠

In this episode, David Savage sits down with Justina Nixon-Saintil, Chief Impact Officer at IBM, to explore how one of the world’s largest tech companies is responding to the AI talent crisis. With 50% of today’s workforce lacking the basic tech skills needed to adapt, Justina outlines IBM’s bold mission to skill 30 million people by 2030—two million in AI alone by 2026. From responsible AI to inclusive access, she explains what it means to build a future where people lead AI, not the other way around.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at ⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi: ⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠