The Somerford Podcast

Somerford Associates
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The Somerford Podcast spans various points of interest for IT specialists; offering certified expertise, background knowledge and a professional view on a mixture of trending industry topics. Subscribe to be notified when a new episode goes live.

  1. MAR 10

    Digital Trends in the Middle East: Mindset & Milestones — The Somerford Podcast S7E1

    In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we’re joined by James Ashley, General Manager for Somerford Middle East, to reflect on Somerford’s journey expanding into the Middle East and the key technology trends shaping the region. Recorded in Dubai, the conversation explores the realities of building a new market presence, from establishing trusted partnerships and community-led conversations to adapting a proven UK model to a rapidly evolving regional landscape. James shares insights on the importance of long-term relationships, executing the fundamentals well, and creating a “circle of trust” with customers and partners. The discussion also dives into the major themes emerging from conversations with organisations across the region. These include the accelerating role of AI, the importance of data as the foundation for innovation, and how governments and businesses in the UAE are positioning themselves at the forefront of AI adoption. Along the way, the episode touches on key topics such as data sovereignty, cloud strategy, operational resilience, and observability. John and James explore how organisations are balancing speed, innovation, and governance, while ensuring their technology platforms can support the next generation of digital services. ━━━━ 📊 Contact Somerford to learn more: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/ Stay updated on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited View our free cybersecurity & cloud security webinars: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ #cybersecurity #ai #cloudcomputing #datastrategy #observability #digitaltransformation #middleeast

    52 min

  2. JAN 27

    Securing Retail at Scale: Landmark Group’s Cybersecurity Journey — The Somerford Podcast, S6E11

    In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we’re joined by Phil Lea, Vice President & Head of Privacy and Cyber Security at Landmark Group (UAE), to discuss what it takes to modernise retail security at scale. With more than 20 years of experience, Phil shares his view of security and privacy as business enablers, not barriers. The conversation covers Landmark Group’s transformation journey, including the move to a unified SSE platform with Netskope, the adoption of Zero Trust across a dynamic workforce, and the challenge of protecting sensitive data at cloud speed across multiple regions. Phil also explains how AI and automation are helping turn security telemetry into actionable intelligence, before outlining his vision for the next three to five years, focused on risk-based controls, automation, and a leadership mindset centred on business enablement. The episode concludes with a personal reflection, as Phil shares the advice he would give his 21-year-old self.

    53 min

  3. 12/03/2025

    Specsavers' Lens On Data Clarity — The Somerford Podcast, S6E10

    In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, we sat down with Andy Slater, IT Observability and Automation Lead at Specsavers, to explore how the organisation is modernising its digital operations ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #podcast #leadership

    30 min

  4. 11/24/2025

    Solving the Software Supply Chain — The Somerford Podcast, S6E9

    In this episode, John Dee (Somerford) is joined by Rob Finn (Chainguard) to discuss the critical challenges of securing the software supply chain in modern software development. They explore how open-source vulnerabilities can slow developer velocity, create friction between security and engineering teams, and increase operational and compliance risks. ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #podcast #leadership

    38 min

  5. 11/19/2025

    Journey of a Digital Leader: Transformation, Resilience & Philanthropy — The Somerford Podcast, S6E8

    In this episode, we welcomed technology leader Linoy Kidd to the podcast for a deep dive into modern business enterprises and digital transformation.  Linoy, who spearheads large-scale technology functions across the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Turkey, discussed the complexity of leveraging technology to drive value in a high-growth region, amongst other fascinating topics. ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #podcast #leadership

    59 min

  6. 07/29/2025

    How Splunk is Bridging IT and OT — The Somerford Podcast, S6E7

    In this episode, we’re joined by Ewald Munz, Head of Manufacturing, Automotive and Sustainability EMEA at Splunk, to explore the evolving landscape of Operational Technology (OT).  As the lines blur between IT and OT, organisations face growing challenges—from securing legacy industrial control systems to gaining visibility across hybrid environments. John and Ewald unpack these challenges and discuss real-world applications of how Splunk is enabling security, resilience, and observability in critical OT environments. Join our 'Splunk for Operational Technology' workshop: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/splunk-operational-technology-workshop/ ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #OT #OTSecurity #Splunk

    31 min

  7. 07/23/2025

    Dame Alison Rose & Major General Sarah Johansen: Lessons in Leadership — The Somerford Podcast, S6E6

    In this special episode of The Somerford Podcast, John Dee hosts a powerful conversation with Dame Alison Rose, former CEO of NatWest Group, and Major General Sarah Johansen, Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence.  Together, they explore the evolving nature of leadership across sectors — from banking to defence — and reflect on decision-making in crisis, building trust, leading with authenticity, and championing women in traditionally male-dominated fields. Find out more about Somerford: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/about-us/ ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #CrisisLeadership #DameAlisonRose #MOD #SomerfordPodcast

    53 min

  8. 06/17/2025

    Zand’s AI-Powered Digital-First Approach to Banking — The Somerford Podcast: Season 6 Episode 5

    In this episode of The Somerford Podcast, John Dee and James Astley sit down with Hussain Al Khalsan, Chief Information Security Officer at Zand, to explore how the UAE’s first digital bank is embracing an AI-powered, digital-first strategy to modernise banking from the ground up. Find out more about Somerford Middle East: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/somerford-middle-east/ ━━━━ Keep notified of news and announcements on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/somerford-associates-limited/ View our complimentary events: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/events/ Contact Somerford for more information regarding this video: https://www.somerfordassociates.com/contact-us/ #ZandBank #AI #Digital

    51 min
See All (55)

About

The Somerford Podcast spans various points of interest for IT specialists; offering certified expertise, background knowledge and a professional view on a mixture of trending industry topics. Subscribe to be notified when a new episode goes live.

Information

  • Creator
    Somerford Associates
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Somerford Associates Ltd.
  • Show Website
    The Somerford Podcast