The Technology Boardroom

Career development and advocating for careers in tech is one of the most valuable and enriching things a tech organisation can do. At the same time, it can often be the most challenging.

In this episode of The Technology Boardroom, Kate Hutchinson, Advania's Head of Dynamics, sits down with Masuma Shariff and Aroosa Ali, two participants in Advania's Early Careers Programme. Together they pull back the lid on their journeys into tech via non-traditional means, give voice to their individual experiences and describe how great a boost their careers have received as part of the programme.

Advania’s Early Careers Programme offers the opportunity for entry into the tech world via untraditional routes, either without the regular higher education qualifications you might think necessary or coming from backgrounds entirely unrelated to technology. Hear from Kate, Masuma and Aroosa as they discuss their experiences as women in tech at Advania, their own career development and how the Early Careers Programme has helped accelerate their journey into a fascinating career.

The tech sector has seen more radical changes in recent years than most. Now, with both the expectations of the next generation and the requirements of the tech workforce needing to align with the changes sweeping across the industry, organisations are grappling with adopting modern approaches to historic questions.  

Chief among these challenges is how to maximise value from your people, upskilling and future-proofing your organisations most valuable assets, or to quote Advania’s Head of Resources and Workforce Planning Eden Pedley: “Developing your talent at the speed that technology develops.” 

From skills-based hiring to the introduction of AI-driven personnel analytics, this episode of The Technology Boardroom is a must-listen for businesses wanting to secure a long-term, people-driven future. 

Join us for a recap of the Microsoft AI Tour in London, where Advania was a Premium Sponsor at one of the UK’s most exclusive AI events of 2025. Rob Smith discusses the March 5th event, hosted at the ExCel in the heart of London’s Royal Victoria Dock, with Advania colleagues, offering you the chance to experience the buzz of hundreds of industry experts in AI, tech innovators and senior business leaders all coming together at the London stop of the Microsoft AI Tour.  

In this special edition of the Technology Boardroom, Advania UK’s Peter Wilson hosts a discussion with two leading insurance industry figures, as Steve Jolley and Pete Robertson join the podcast to debate the evolving role of the CIO in the sector.  

In ‘Strategic revolutionaries: redefining technology in insurance’, we examine how the role of CIO has shifted dramatically in recent years, propelled in part by the dramatic effects of Covid-19 as well as the rapidly evolving nature of business. With technology evolving at a rapid scale, the trio also underline the continued importance of investing in people to drive technological growth, with collaboration and partnership both equal parts in achieving long-term success.  

From moving away from traditional paper-based operations to the adaptive requirements of the industry’s future, this episode offers a fascinating insight into the evolution of one of the world’s largest financial industries.

On The Technology Boardroom this week, we delve into the world of modern and evolving cyber security threats with Pravesh Kara, Advania UK's Security & Compliance Director, and Steve Goodman, Field Chief Technology Officer.

With organisations and their people at greater risk from cyber security attacks than ever before, a robust and proactive defence is needed – not just to counter those who would do businesses harm but to allow the successful growth and operations of trade and commerce around the world. In this content, Pravesh and Steve discuss how Microsoft Entra offers a solution to combat the ever-increasing dangers.

From password spraying attacks that modern Security Operation Centres (SOC) deal with on a regular basis, to the sophisticated attack angles facilitated by the abuse of modern AI models, this episode deconstructs some of the most pressing cyber security risks to organisations today.

Finally, the episode underscores the necessity of investing in people and processes, not just technology, for effective cyber security. 

In this episode, hosts Rob Smith, Kate Hutchinson and Oliver Wall dive into the latest trends in ERP technology, exploring how ERP systems have evolved to enhance user experience and the power on offer by combining familiar ERP technologies with cutting-edge AI tools. 

The discussion kicks off with a look at how user experience has improved in modern ERP systems, with tailored dashboards and intuitive interfaces making it easier for users to navigate and operate efficiently. The conversation then shifts to the ongoing debate between cloud-based and on-premise ERP solutions, and whether hybrid models have a place for specific use cases. 

It wouldn’t be a Technology Boardroom episode with AI making an appearance, and AI integration is another hot topic. AI is revolutionising ERP systems by enabling advanced forecasting, trend analysis, and automation. From chat-based queries to intelligent agents, AI is set to transform how businesses interact with their ERP systems. The hosts also discuss the growing ecosystem of third-party applications that provide specialised functionalities to complement core ERP systems and how this trend ensures businesses can tailor their ERP solutions to meet unique requirements. 

Need to know how ERP can offer the competitive advantage you’ve been missing? Want an in-depth look at AI and ERP You’ve found the episode for you – have a seat in the Technology Boardroom. 

Few people are better placed to talk about cyber security, navigating risk and modern leadership than our guest this week. 

CISO of UK motoring giant, the AA, Darren Desmond is a cyber security veteran with a career spanning the military and Defence sector, a Big Four managed services company and significant experience in security transformation strategies. 

Responsible for the risk management and cyber security of one of the UK’s most famous brands and with vast experience across the Defence sector and global commerce, Darren shares his vision for modern cybersecurity with the podcast, highlighting the importance of not just robust security protocols but the critical need for diversity of thought and a leadership style that empowers others. 

Join us for a fascinating conversation between Darren and Advania’s Pravesh Kara as we delve into the life and career of one the UK’s leading cyber security professionals. 

Happy new year! In our first podcast of 2025, join Advania’s Director of Sales Expertise, Pete Wilson, Head of Dynamics, Kathryn Hutchinson and Microsoft Alliances Director, Robert Smith as they share their tech predictions for 2025: a mixture of imagination-fuelled dreams and business-driven desires that could see the technology landscape changed for good in the coming 12 months.

We've barely caught our breath from the scale and speed of technology innovation we saw in 2024, but already thoughts are turning to what the year ahead will bring. Will we be transported around by driverless electric vehicles? Is the rise of business-changing AI on the horizon? And the most crucial question – will Microsoft Copilot be able to make that perfect afternoon cup of coffee? Take a seat in The Technology Boardroom again and find out!

What does a successful future look like for modern businesses? How are leading organisations planning for the next generation workforce - and what should industry expect from the first AI-native generation?

In the Boardroom this week, Thea Fineren, Advania UK's Chief People Office and Eden Pedley, Advania's Head of Resource Solutions, discuss Advania UK's Early Talent Programme and the lessons we have learned about future workforce planning. 

Join Kate Johnson Lee, Peter Wilson and Dan Coleby as they delve into the highlights and headlines from Microsoft's 2024 annual conference. 

The trio also explore AI and hardware innovations announced at the event, particularly the Copilot+  PCs which enables local AI processing, enhancing performance without solely relying on cloud resources. This innovation reflects the broader theme of preparing for future tech advancements, emphasising the strategic need for organisations to adopt AI and future-proof their technologies. The hosts highlight the ease with which non-coders can create powerful tools using Copilot, transforming complex tasks into more manageable ones. 

Adding a personal touch and some American glamour, Kate shares her experiences from attending the conference, including a themed post-event at Chicago’s Navy Pier, featuring local delicacies like hot dogs and deep dish pizza! Kate's reflections offer a window into her experience as a woman in the male-dominated tech industry, noting the unique gender dynamics observed at the event.