The Tech Leaders Podcast bedigital

In honour of National Robotics Week, this episode features a guest who’s on a mission to create a world where people “work with robots, not like robots”.
Anders Billesø Beck joins Gareth on this week’s episode of The Tech Leaders Podcast to discuss his journey to tech leadership in the revolutionary field of robotics. From his poolside background as a national swimmer, Anders recounts how he dove headfirst into the world of robotics during his time studying at the Technical University of Denmark. 
Championing the innovative Danish tech scene, Anders’ current role at Universal Robots aims to bring robotics into the mainstream through the groundbreaking creation of ‘Cobots’: robots that are designed specifically for direct human interaction. 
Not only is Anders an expert in tech innovation, as he also has stellar advice for thriving as a tech leader, encouraging people to “draw the line and find your time” to ensure a positive work-life balance.

Time stamps
·       What does good leadership mean to Anders? (01:43)
·       Diving into the world of robotics (03:57)
·       The dawn of Denmark as a tech hub (09:32)
·       Universal Robots and the rise of Cobots (13:30)
·       Will a robot take your job? (21:57)
·       Making robots mainstream (23:58)
·       How Generative AI is enhancing the field of robotics (30:47)
·       How to achieve balance as a tech leader (38:23)
·       What Anders would tell his 21-year-old self (42:40)

*Book recommendation - The Wide Lens, Ron Adner The Wide Lens By Ron Adner | Used | 9781591846291 | World of Books (wob.com)

This week, Gareth is joined by a leader responsible for building one of the biggest software observability platforms across the globe. CTO of Dynatrace, Bernd Greifeneder, features on this episode to tell all about his role in developing the revolutionary platform which harnesses AI and automation for unified observability and security. 
Offering insight into the key milestones of Dynatrace’s evolution, including their decision to go for public investment and their role in developing and utilising AI, Bernd exemplifies his role as a key figure in the software space. The introduction of a Chief AI Officer emerges as a focal point in the conversation, as Gareth and Bernd discuss the future of AI at great lengths, highlighting the anticipation of future technology disrupting the corporate landscape. 
Believing that proactively driving change is the key differentiator between managers and leaders, Bernd’s hands-on role in building Dynatrace from the ground up illustrates his influence as an established tech leader.  
Time stamps 
What good leadership means to Bernd (02:06) The early years of Dynatrace (06:28) The case for taking acquiring public investment (18:35) The 3 emerging types of AI (21:22) The rise of the Chief AI Officer (20:58) Bernd’s biggest cybersecurity concerns (27:35) Dynatrace’s revolutionary new tech (35:00) Achieving balance to battle burnout (40:37) Bernd’s advice to his 21-year-old self (43:40)  
*Book recommendation: The One Minute Manager, Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - The New One Minute Manager (The One Minute Manager): Amazon.co.uk: Blanchard, Kenneth, Johnson, Spencer: 9780008128043: Books 

What does a house robbery and a cyber-attack have in common?  
According to this week’s guest, Lianne Potter, Head of SecOps at Asda, it’s the people involved. On a mission to showcase the people-centric side of cybersecurity, Lianne is a trailblazing ‘Cyber Anthropologist’ and joins Gareth this week to discuss her journey to tech leadership. 
From wedding photography to anthropology and eventually cyber security, Lianne’s road to tech is a varied one. Not only is she a cybersecurity leader at one of the biggest supermarkets in the UK, she also hosts her own podcast which aims to bridge the gap between security and innovation. 
This week’s episode explores the world of cyber security through a human-centric lens, and focuses on the people behind the tech. If you’re interested in all-things cyber safety, this is the episode for you! 
 Time stamps 
What does good leadership mean to Lianne? (01:30) Lianne’s unconventional journey into tech (10:00) Combatting the digital divide (12:34) Switching careers in your 30’s (17:31) The current, most concerning cyber threats (24:00) What is Cyber Anthropology (25:22) Developing AnthroSecurist (29:18) AI and the democratisation of productivity (33:20) Lianne’s Compromising Positions (41:57) Advice to her 21- year-old self (44:40)  


 

“The purpose of SAP is to make the world run better— It’s designed to improve every business process”. 
This week, Gareth is joined by a leader from one of the biggest software companies on the planet, SAP. Renaud Heyd, CFO of the software powerhouse in the UK, tells us all about his 25 years working for SAP and how they’ve shaped him into the tech leader that he is today. 


Renaud joined SAP straight after completing his MSc in Finance, and for the last 25 years, hasn’t looked back since. He attributes his longevity at SAP to the ability to be his authentic self in a company that fosters growth and the ability to seize opportunities. 


With a customer base that generates 87% of total global commerce, Renaud’s role as CFO is no small task. This episode is overflowing with stellar leadership advice and expert insight into the journey to CFO, as Renaud’s workplace mantra of “you can either change roles or change the role itself” has resulted in his success at the 3rd largest software company worldwide.

Time stamps 
What good leadership means to Renaud (02:20) The journey to CFO (04:02) Evolving the role of a CFO (09:09) The benefits of SAP cloud migration (14:35) SAP’s influence in developing nations (21:55) How ready are SAP customers for AI capability? (23:49) Renaud’s view on the future of AI (31:19) How to make it big in the finance industry (32:50) SAP’s new sustainable tech (38:44) Renaud’s advice to his 21-year-old self (42:52) 

Once claiming to the US Senate that he could ‘take down the internet in 30 minutes’, this week’s guest gives us insight into the underbelly of the cyberworld. Chris Wysopal, founder and CTO of Veracode, tells us all about his experience as an ethical hacker and how he and his team at L0pht pioneered the way for cybersecurity. 
From taking an interest in the potential of cyber hacking at the start of the online era, to being a trailblazer in the discovery of IT vulnerability as a whole; Chris and his team were at the forefront of raising cyber risk awareness. Determined to battle the ‘bad guy image’ in cybersecurity, the L0pht team were on a mission to showcase the fallibility of big vendors, such as Microsoft, and evidence they need for effective security measures. 
Now, Chris’ colourful past shapes the security-led solutions of Veracode, a platform that detects flaws and vulnerabilities at every stage of the modern software development lifecycle. This interview is a deep dive into the depths of cyber security and is not to be missed! 

 
Timestamps 
What does Good Leadership means to Chris? (02:20) Pioneering the start of cybersecurity (04:20) Starting a hacker collective (07:18) L0pht’s biggest cybersecurity breakthroughs (12:47) Challenging the US Senate with cyber risks  (18:00) Are governments doing enough to prevent cyber-attacks? (22:12) GenAI’s role in cybersecurity (32:00) An introduction to Veracode (34:24) Chris’ advice to his 21-year-old self (43:24)  
 

If you’re looking for a truly authentic insight into entrepreneurship, look no further than this week’s episode. Gareth is joined by Tom O’Sullivan, ex-army veteran and founder of software development company Animus Bytes, and the pair candidly discuss Tom’s journey from battlefield to business meeting. 
Tom’s leadership journey began in Helmand Province, where he was stationed during his time in the military and led a team of 90 soldiers. After his departure, his interest in risk and security lead him to the realm of cybersecurity and the technology space. At Animus Bytes, Tom and his team are currently working on an application called Migrant Watch, where vulnerable people at sea can be detected and rescued using AI, machine learning and NLP technology.  
From walking away from his own business that was no longer serving him, to realising his passions and starting over with Animus Bytes, Tom’s tech journey is emblematic of the trials and tribulations that are faced by founders everywhere. This episode is jampacked with stellar leadership advice, meditation tips and all-round interesting anecdotes— it’s not to be missed! 

Timestamps 
What does good leadership mean to Tom? (02:26) Lessons learned from Tom’s time in the army (05:20) Mindful meditation (09:15) Starting a cybersecurity start-up (17:02) Facing failure as a founder (22:57) What is Animus Bytes? (27:45) How Animus Bytes is combatting the migration problem (30:35) The similarities between AI and nuclear weapons (45:18) Tom’s advice to his pre-military self (53:25)