Day 1
08:30-09:30
Registration
08:30-09:30
Women in Tech Breakfast
Start your day with great coffee and even better company. This breakfast gathering is a relaxed space for women in tech leadership to connect, share experiences, and build relationships before the day kicks off. Enjoy some real conversation and facilitated discussions with brilliant people who get it. Open to all who identify as women or non-binary.
Melinda Seckington, Leadership Coach, Learn Build Share
09:30-09:35
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Lee-Jon Ball, CTO, CTO Craft
09:35-10:05
Keynote – Leading at the Edge: The CTO’s Mandate in the Era of Generative Finance
- As financial technologies evolve, the lines between compliance, innovation, and customer responsibilities blur; learn how strategic CTO leadership can effectively navigate this intersection.
- Discover practical frameworks for integrating generative AI into your infrastructure responsibly, ensuring scalability, trust, and efficiency.
- Understand why approaching regulatory compliance as a strategic platform—rather than as a constraint—can accelerate innovation and market advantage.
- Explore actionable strategies to embrace complexity and proactively shape the future of your organisation, rather than simply responding to change.
Mohamed Ait Si Brahim, Group CTO, Hargreaves Lansdown
10:05-10:35
Presentation – Breaking the Rules: How Interledger Succeeded with Open Source in Finance
- Open source remains controversial in finance due to security, compliance, and competitive concerns; learn how Interledger navigated these barriers to widespread adoption.
- Explore the strategic, technical, and community-building decisions Interledger made to foster trust and collaboration across the industry.
- Understand why embracing transparency through open source can enhance innovation, interoperability, and ultimately, market positioning in the financial sector.
Alex Lakatos, CTO, Interledger Foundation
10:35-11:00
Keynote – Trust But Verify: The Evolving Risk Profile of AI-Generated Code
- Functional benchmarks don’t capture the full value and risk of LLMs; discover a new framework for understanding AI “coding personalities,” from the ambitious but risky Senior Architect to the fast but messy Rapid Prototyper.
- The risk profile of AI-generated code is shifting—from well-known flaws like injection vulnerabilities to subtle, advanced bugs such as concurrency errors and nuanced misconfigurations.
- To win with AI, you must govern the genius; evolve your “Trust but Verify” strategy to manage complexity and detect next-generation errors in models like GPT-5.
- Smarter doesn’t always mean safer; we’ll explore how GPT-5 reduces critical bugs but introduces new trade-offs: extreme complexity and massive, immediate technical debt.
Tom Howlett, Head of Product Management, Sonar
11:00-11:35
Coffee & Recharge Break
11:35-12:00
Fireside Chat – Tasks, Log Entries, and Alerts: Rethinking How Teams Communicate
- Hear how Forte Group transformed its internal communication after realising that constant pings and buried emails were slowing everything down.
- Learn how they rebuilt their system around three simple ideas: alerts for urgent issues, log entries for shared knowledge, and tasks for accountable work.
- Discover what changed once every message had a clear purpose, from faster decision-making to smoother collaboration across time zones.
- See how this structure opened the door to intelligent automation, helping AI tools understand intent and take action without creating chaos.
Lucas Hendrich, CTO, Forte Group
Moderator: Emma Hopkinson-Spark, Director of IT and Digital Services, Goldsmiths University of London
12:00-12:45
Panel – Defending the Edge: AI, Adversaries, and the Art of Fintech Security Leadership
- Explore how AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping threat detection, malware analysis, and response strategies in fintech.
- Gain insights from real-world experiences handling sophisticated threats, from APTs and compromised SDKs to critical zero-day vulnerabilities.
- Discover practical approaches to establishing a proactive security posture, balancing rapid growth with comprehensive threat visibility in fintech environments.
- Discuss foundational security practices—including IAM, infrastructure-as-code, backups, and RBAC—and understand how to institutionalise them effectively to counter AI-powered adversaries.
Jessica Wilson, Senior Security Engineer
Petra Vukmirovic, Head of Information Security, Numan
Helen Oluyemi, Information Security Manager, Pollinate
Sreevidhya Sridhar, QA Security Engineer, Kroo Bank
Moderator: Mackenzie Jackson, Developer and Security Advocate, Aikido
12:45-12:55
Presentation – Why Are 41% of CTO’s Looking to Leave Their Job?
- Employee retention in the tech sector remains a pressing challenge, with this year’s research echoing last year’s finding that 41% of engineering leaders are considering leaving their roles.
- Hear about the top drivers for attrition: a lack of faith in leadership, concerns over company culture and performance, and the need for better work-life balance and fair compensation.
- Learn about how employees are seeking more than just good pay. They want transparency, support, and alignment with company values.
Henry Draper, Managing Director, Albany Partners
12:55-14:00
Lunch
Lunch & Learn Roundtable (12:55-13:55)
Scaling Engineering Teams Across Borders: Lessons from High-Growth Fintechs
As fintechs scale, finding and retaining top engineering talent becomes a strategic challenge.
Join us for lunch and have a conversation about different outsourcing approaches grounded in real experience and share insights about what worked and what to avoid.
Discuss how to identify the right markets, navigating compliance and integration, aligning multiple cultures, and evolving delivery models as teams mature.
Ross Jardine, CEO, Architus
Teodor Iliev, Engineering Director, Tide
14:00-15:15
Take part in hands-on breakout discussions led by experienced facilitators, where you’ll exchange insights with peers on leadership, culture, wellness, and tech.
Breakout Discussion: Tech
Ensuring Quality and Security with AI Generated Code
- Anthropic’s CEO recently predicted that within the next three to six months, AI could be writing 90% of the code currently managed by software developers. But how can we ensure this code is secure, reliable and maintainable? Join the conversation to discuss the steps you can take to take advantage of this seismic shift.
- Dive into the 7 Steps of highly effective AI Coding and discuss the steps that your organisations are taking
- Discuss the key issues that Sonar are detecting in AI generated Code to ensure that you’re protecting your organisation effectively
Tom Howlett, Head of Product Management, Sonar
Breakout Discussion: Leadership
Building Secure, Resilient, and Future-Proof Workloads at the Edge
From record-breaking DDoS attacks to brand-damaging prompt injections, financial institutions face an expanding range of attack vectors driven by the evolving technology landscape, from traditional technology stacks to AI-powered architectures. Join this breakout to explore how you can innovate rapidly at the edge, with security, reliability, and availability built in by default.
- Examine how the threat landscape is shifting from conventional to modernised workloads
- Discuss how to balance security, uptime, and system reliability with fast-paced innovation
- Explore secure architecture patterns for agentic commerce, including how Cloudflare, Visa, and Mastercard are collaborating to secure AI-driven transactions
Melody Huang, Senior Solutions Architect, Cloudflare
Breakout Discussion: Wellness/Culture
Building Wellness Into Your Organisational Culture
- Participate in a dynamic conversation with peers about cultivating sustainable work-life balance and wellness in high-pressure financial environments.
- Share proven methods for embedding wellbeing initiatives into your organisational culture effectively.
- Explore collectively what truly drives team resilience, productivity, and long-term retention in tech teams.
- Collaboratively unpack solutions, real-world challenges, and actionable steps to reinforce wellness as a strategic priority in your organisation.
Emma Hopkinson-Spark, Director of IT and Digital Services, Goldsmiths University of London
15:15-15:50
Coffee & Recharge Break
15:50-16:15
Presentation – From Proof of Concept to Production: Building a Data Strategy That Delivers
- Explore how to build a data strategy that fuels innovation without compromising security or compliance.
- Drawing on findings from our recent survey with CTO Craft, learn the most common blockers faced by senior tech leaders in financial services-particularly the challenges of translating promising AI Proofs of Concepts from controlled environments into resilient, value-generating systems.
- Take away practical approaches for modernising legacy platforms that currently block AI adoption, addressing common blockers such as risk and regulatory concerns.
Mike Mead, CPTO, The Scale Factory
16:15-17:00
Panel – Regulatory Realities: Tech Leadership and Compliance Innovation in Fintech
- Balancing innovation with compliance is a continuous challenge; hear strategies to manage this effectively.
- Explore innovative approaches to meet regulatory requirements without stifling technical innovation.
- Learn why proactive compliance can become a strategic advantage in finance.
Frédéric Laurent, Deputy CIO, Starling Bank
Matt Yule-Bennett, CTO, yetipay
Samane Igder, API Engineering Director, Barclays
Anna Keren, CTO
Moderator: Jorge Pessoa, CTO & Co-Founder, Noxus
17:00-17:25
Presentation – Green IT is now Risk Management
- Sustainability is becoming critical and Green IT has moved from optional to core operational risk.
- Learn how to embed sustainability metrics into your technology strategy.
- Understand why aligning tech strategy with ESG priorities attracts investment and customer loyalty.
Ludi Akue, CTO Digital, Bpifrance
17:25-17:30
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Lee-Jon Ball, CTO, CTO Craft
17:30-19:30
Networking Reception & After Party
The conversations don’t stop when the conference ends. Join us at the After Party sponsored by Build Circle to keep the energy flowing with drinks, nibbles, and plenty of networking.
Hosted at Clays (less than a 10 minute walk away!), you’ll experience a re-imagined take on virtual clay target shooting – all the thrill of the British countryside brought right into the heart of London. It’s the perfect way to unwind, connect with fellow tech leaders, and enjoy some friendly competition after a packed day of ideas and insights.
Day 2
08:15-09:15
CTO Craft Circles – Taster Breakfast
Join us over breakfast to hear directly from Circles members about their experiences — what they’ve gained, how it’s shaped their development, and what you can expect. You’ll also take part in a short workshop and Q&A with CTO Coach & Circle facilitator Joel Chippindale, giving you a real flavour of what Circle membership is like. Spaces are limited, so register your interest today.
Joel Chippindale, CTO Coach
09:30-09:35
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Emma Hopkinson-Spark, Director of IT and Digital Services, Goldsmiths University of London
09:35-10:05
Keynote – Managing the Longevity Risk: The Financial Services Perspective
- Life expectancy continues to rise, yet planning for longevity risk in public and private sectors hasn’t kept pace—raising critical questions about fiscal sustainability.
- Define the urgent roles financial institutions, governments, funds, educators, and tech businesses must play in swiftly and safely delivering scalable solutions.
- Discover how emerging technologies could become powerful allies, reshaping risk assessment, investments, and the creation of new financial products and services, rather than relying on outdated tools to manage this evolving challenge.
- Identify the surprising indicators—such as the correlation between nappy sales and ageing demographics—that reveal deeper insights into future financial service needs.
Helene Panzarino, Trustee, International Longevity Centre
10:05-10:30
Presentation – Unlocking Innovation: Citizen Developers and the Rise of Agentic AI
- Learn how citizen developers, empowered by intuitive platforms and agentic AI, accelerate innovation and enhance productivity across your organisation.
- Explore effective governance strategies to balance user empowerment with regulatory compliance, ensuring agility without compromising security.
- Understand why combining agentic AI with citizen development can deliver unique competitive advantages, helping your organisation swiftly adapt to evolving market demands.
Jennifer Anderson, CIO, National Wealth Fund
10:30-10:55
Presentation – The Future is Now: How GenAI is Unlocking the Next Wave of Financial Inclusion for Consumers
- As GenAI rapidly evolves, financial services firms are finding new ways of improving outcomes for consumers and improving financial inclusion.
- Hear about practical, real-world examples of consumer-focused innovation, from startups to Financial Services powerhouses.
- Understand how regulation and compliance frameworks are both helping and hindering this fascinating transition.
Neil O’Connor, CTO, Experian Consumer Services
10:55-11:30
Coffee & Recharge Break
11:30-11:55
Presentation – Monoliths, Not Mayhem: How Simplicity Scales Better Than Microservices
- As startups grow, complexity creeps in with new services, abstractions, and costs. At Moneybox, the team took a different path, scaling to 1.5 million customers and £18 billion in assets under administration while keeping their architecture simple.
- Find out how Moneybox resisted the pull of fashionable complexity and scaled a .NET-based monolith into a modern, modular platform using Azure PaaS.
- Hear why the team chose Self-Contained Systems over microservices and how commercial discipline became a core engineering principle.
- Learn how simplicity has compounded into speed, reliability, and profitability, and why great engineering is often defined by what you choose not to build.
Jonathan Leigh, Engineering Director, Moneybox
11:55-12:40
Panel – Open Finance, Open Challenges: API Strategies for Competitive Advantage
- APIs are transforming financial services; learn strategies to build secure, scalable APIs.
- Discover best practices for API-driven integrations that enhance customer experiences.
- Address common pitfalls in API strategy and management in highly regulated finance environments.
Mindaugas Grigas, CTO, Saldo Bank
Ravneet Shah, CTO, Allica Bank
Juha Ristolainen, CTO, Alpaca
Henry Keen, CTO, Build Circle
Moderator: Sarah Persov, Senior Software Engineer, Dojo
12:40-12:50
Presentation – From Hype to High Gear: How AI Upskilling Unlocks Meaningful Productivity Gains
- AI was supposed to supercharge software development — yet, for many teams, the promised gains haven’t materialised. A widely cited METR study found that experienced developers often became slower with AI, even though they felt faster. But the full story is more interesting:
- Some developers did speed up — those with a deep understanding of large language models and how to wield them effectively.
- The METR study measured solo task completion times, missing the bigger picture: in real organisations, AI’s impact depends on team workflows, shared context, and coordinated adoption — not just individual use.
- DX and Skiller Whale will share insights from a 6-month investigation across multiple engineering teams, revealing how targeted, team-level GenAI upskilling can transform AI from a productivity drag into a genuine force multiplier.
Hywel Carver, Founder and CEO, Skiller Whale
12:50-14:00
Lunch
14:00-15:15
Take part in hands-on breakout discussions led by experienced facilitators, where you’ll exchange insights with peers on leadership, culture, wellness, and tech.
Breakout Discussion: Tech
Rolling Out AI: Where to Start and What’s Actually Possible
- A hands-on and practical session, guiding you through a structured framework to map out AI opportunities and blockers specific to your own organisation.
- Find out how to focus on what’s technically feasible now, what’s secure, and how to avoid pitfalls.
- You will leave with a clearer picture of where AI fits (and doesn’t fit) in your organisation, plus a practical technique you can use immediately to advance your business strategy further.
Chris Parsons, Independent Consultant
Breakout Discussion: Leadership/Culture
Building the Culture Where Innovation Thrives — through LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
In a fast-moving, high-pressure environment, innovation depends as much on culture as on technology. The most successful teams aren’t just technically brilliant — they operate in environments where curiosity, experimentation, and psychological safety allow ideas to take shape and grow. In this interactive session, we’ll use LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® to explore what kind of leadership and culture enables that growth — and what it takes to build and sustain it.
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a research-based methodology grounded in constructivist psychology and systems thinking, designed to help groups think more deeply and communicate more effectively through hands-on modelling and storytelling.
Takeaways:
- A shared understanding of the conditions that help innovation flourish.
- Insights into leadership behaviours that enable trust, learning, and adaptability.
- Practical inspiration to take back to your teams.
Jenny Martin, Collaboration Coach, Collaborate Solutions
Breakout Discussion: Wellness
Kind Leadership: How to Look After Yourself While Leading Others
- Join a reflective and interactive discussion designed to help you pause, challenge your own assumptions, and rethink the stories you tell yourself about leadership and success.
- Share experiences with peers about the pressures of leading others, explore ways to reframe self-criticism into self-compassion, and leave with practical tools to support a kinder, more sustainable approach to leadership.
Melinda Seckington, Leadership Coach, Learn Build Share
Blanca Garcia Gil, Transformational Coach, StaffPlusEngineer.com
15:15-15:45
Coffee & Recharge Break
15:45-16:10
Fireside Chat – “Is It Right?”: Trust, Accuracy, and Explainability in AI-led Finance
- The increasing use of AI in finance raises critical questions around trust, accuracy, and transparency; explore how your organisation can balance innovation with accountability.
- Hear candid insights into practical methods for validating AI-driven financial decisions and ensuring explainability to stakeholders, regulators, and customers.
- Understand the strategic importance of fostering trust through clear, transparent AI practices, positioning your organisation as both technologically forward-thinking and ethically responsible.
Jane Cummings, CTO, Outmin
Lee-Jon Ball, CTO, CTO Craft
16:10-16:35
Presentation – New Platform, No Pausing: How we Rebuilt a 15 Billion Fintech
- The Challenge: Flagstone’s platform handled billions in transactions and got us to become a profitable business but was no longer fit for purpose for future scale
- The Mission: Complete rebuild of both technology and business systems with zero downtime tolerance during a period of unprecedented growth
- The Focus: Practical learnings and insights for other CTOs tackling major platform transformations, covering successes and failures
Lee Provoost, CTO, Flagstone
16:35-16:40
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Emma Hopkinson-Spark, Director of IT and Digital Services, Goldsmiths University of London