IT Pro Live: Balancing the theory of innovation with business reality

Innovation is a goal that many organisations strive for, but it's sometimes hard to focus on propelling the business forward whilst also making sure that the wheels don't fall off. In this panel discussion, we speak to IT leaders and experts about how to balance the insatiable appetite for IT innovations with the realities of keeping the lights on in a constantly-changing world.

Maggie Holland

Group Editor & Editorial Director, IT Pro

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999. In 2006, just weeks before IT Pro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of IT Pro, she was appointed group editor of Cloud Pro and IT Pro in April 2012 and then editorial director of all B2B sites (including Channel Pro) in May 2016. In February 2020, also assumed responsibility for the US launch of IT Pro and content across our demand gen business focused on the technology, finance and automotive pillars. Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, CRM and ERP, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.

Carlene Jackson

CEO, Cloud9 Insight

Carlene Jackson is CEO of Brighton-based tech company Cloud9Insight, a Microsoft Gold Partner which provides more than 700 UK businesses with cloud-based CRM software systems. Cloud9 saw an impressive 60% growth in 2019, and has now set up its apprenticeship sister-company, Vantage Academy. With an upbringing in far-flung places such as the Caribbean and a remote croft in Scotland, it’s safe to say that Dublin-born Carlene is used to doing things differently.

Lucas Gundry

Technology director, The Keyholding Company

Lucas is a passionate technology strategist with previous experience running technology programmes, growing agile teams and specialising in helping businesses to digitally transform. Lucas has a breadth of knowledge across several aspects of technology including bespoke product development, IT operations and data strategy. Digital transformation at The Keyholding Company has enabled the company to leverage its service partner network via CHASE to deliver over 2000 jobs a day with < 1% of delivery requiring any form of manual intervention.

Russ Shaw

Founder, Tech London Advocates

Russ Shaw is the founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates. He originally founded Tech London Advocates in 2013 to ensure an independent voice of the technology community was heard, but with a focus on the private sector. Since then he has been championing London as a global tech hub and campaigning to address some of the biggest challenges facing tech companies in the UK.

Jarod Greene

Vice president of marketing/general manager, Apptio/TBM Council

Jarod is the vice president of marketing for Apptio and general manager of the TBM Council, a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering education, standardisation and collaboration around the discipline of TBM to help businesses get the most out of their technology spend. Having previously worked as a Gartner analyst, Jarod has extensive experience in working with businesses which are trying to balance everyday operations with supporting BUs to develop new revenue streams, often without any increase in budget.