Tech innovation and operational excellence | CTO Craft Con 2025
Can tech leaders have it all?
Staying ahead in tech leadership means balancing two critical forces—innovation and operational excellence. Prioritising one over the other can make or break a business. But how do CTOs strike the right balance?
At CTO Craft Con 2025 (March 10-11), Softwire’s Zoe Cunningham will moderate a panel tackling this challenge head-on.
Balancing innovation with operational excellence: CTOs in the boardroom
This session will dive into real-world strategies for aligning technology and business objectives—no buzzwords, just practical insights from those who’ve done it.
Expert speakers:
- Neil O’Connor, CTO, Experian Consumer Services
- Mohamed Ait Si Brahim, Group CTO, Hargreaves Lansdown
- Selina Butterfield-Mashoofi, CFO & CTO, Central Co-op
- Silky Vaidya, Interim CTO, ex-GoStudent, Anaplan, CISCO
Key discussion points
- The demand for continuous innovation often conflicts with the operational imperatives of running a tech organisation efficiently.
- Effective alignment of tech strategies with broader business goals ensures that innovation does not compromise operational stability.
- Explore strategies for managing stakeholder expectations and achieving a balance between driving innovation and maintaining operational excellence.
Why attend CTO Craft Con?
- Get practical strategies from experienced CTOs
- Network with tech leaders
- Connect with industry leading tech solutions providers
About the host
Zoe Cunningham
Director
Zoe is an award-winning lifelong technologist and director at Softwire, voted Best Large Company to Work for in 2024. A seasoned professional speaker, author and film actor, she is also the host of The Digital Lighthouse, a podcast for CTOs and other tech leaders. With 10+ years of delivering talks, workshops, and hosting panels, she is skilled at connecting with audiences of all sizes. She has been a main conference host, introducing speakers and sharing key insights at events such as the BBC’s Develop conference. Her speaking engagements span diverse venues, including Oxford University, the OECD in Paris, and the UK Treasury. She has also appeared as a news guest and presenter on major platforms including BBC One, BBC Worldwide, Sky News, Channel 4, and ITN.
Missed CTO Craft Con? Explore more tech innovation insights
Couldn’t attend? No problem. Catch up on key discussions around innovation, AI, and aligning technology with business goals with these expert resources: