Given the current circumstances, our usual morning conference took place as virtual lunchtime sessions across three days. We welcomed a fantastic lineup of expert speakers from a wide range of backgrounds and industries who explored how to adapt to changing circumstances, generate value from adversity and create opportunities in new realities.
Virtual conference | 8-10th September 2020
Thoughtworks Live is an event series designed especially for senior executives at the intersection of business and technology. Our sessions are carefully curated to explore success strategies for the future and discuss how to take advantage of the infinite possibilities created by the exponential advancements in technology.
As we continue to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s natural for businesses to focus on survival and ‘going back to normal’. However, re-establishing the status quo leaves enterprises vulnerable to the next seismic shift, there is a need for organisations to move beyond business continuity to achieve resilience.
In this virtual edition of Thoughtworks Live, we explored how, by drawing on the right combination of capabilities, businesses can capitalise on adversity and disruption. Our expert speakers examined how organisations can turn change into a source of competitive advantage, leveraging shifting dynamics to lay a foundation for future growth.
Day 1
Turning change into a source of competitive advantage
Resilience in action: Leveraging adversity for growth
Gina Miller, Co-Founder of SCM Direct and Campaigner
Hosted by Ruth Harrison, Managing Director, Thoughtworks UK
In this insightful interview, Gina explores how personal and professional headwinds, and potentially negative forces, can be translated into meaningful opportunities for learning and improvement if approached the right way. This session provides valuable insights for business leaders tasked with navigating today’s challenging environment.
Bend, don’t break: Building resilience into your business
Kathy Gettelfinger, Digital Transformation Principal, Thoughtworks North America
Luke Vinogradov, Digital Transformation Principal, Thoughtworks UK
Hosted by Amy Stephens, Head of Marketing, Thoughtworks UK
Thoughtworks’ experience has shown us that organisations that thrive in times of change and uncertainty are those that are clear on their purpose but accept everything else to be fluid. This session dives into the specific technological and organisational building blocks that equip these ‘modern, digital businesses’ to absorb, and even benefit from market shifts.
Day 2
Resilient organisations don’t just respond, they adapt
Striking a balance: Transforming your business in a competitive market
Craig Ford, Marketing & Digital Development Manager, Motability Operations
Hosted by Angela Bishop, Head of Solutions, Thoughtworks UK
Instigating digital transformation whilst continuing to deliver maximum operational output in a competitive market is a tough balancing act and getting it right, business-critical. In this insightful session, Craig shared how Motability Operations’ Remarketing Division is transforming the way they take their 230,000 vehicles to market. He showed how, by developing capabilities, shaping the vision of the future and empowering excellence, the UK’s largest vehicle leasing organisation, is delivering transformation while remaining true to the core objectives of the business.
Day 3
Finding opportunities in new realities
Harnessing technology in the fight against global pandemic
Ben Davison, Interim Executive Director of Product Development, NHS Digital
Hosted by Stephen Foreshew-Cain, COO, Thoughtworks UK
As many organisations grapple with the challenges of the crisis and new realities, NHS Digital’s story of resilience is one to share and showcase. In this session we hear from Ben Davison, Executive Director of Product Development at NHS Digital, the national information and technology partner for the health and care system. He shares how the organisation has managed the unprecedented increase in citizen interaction with digital health channels and how they continue to support the UK healthcare system respond to the pandemic.
Open GI – “A comfortable pair of slippers”
Simon Badley, CEO, Open GI
Hosted by Stephen Foreshew-Cain, COO, Thoughtworks UK
What happens to a company that is going through a mission-critical change programme when a global crisis hits and they have to respond? Simon Badley, CEO of market-leading insurance software business, Open GI shares an open and frank appraisal of the highs and lows that even an experienced leader can face when 'change is within change'. Not all of it is pleasant and 'good news', but all of it is informative and insightful, and hugely valuable if your organisation is currently grappling with this challenge.
Thoughtworks Live 2020 Speakers
Gina Miller
Co-Founder of SCM Direct and Campaigner
Craig Ford
Marketing and Digital Development Manager, Motability Operations
Ben Davison
Interim Executive Director of Product Development, NHS Digital
Simon Badley
CEO, Open GI
Register your interest for upcoming events
Please complete the form to register your interest for our next event. We will be in touch with updates about our 2021 conference. (Please note this does not guarantee a place, we will be in touch via email to confirm your spot).
Who can attend the event?
This event is exclusively for C-level executives, VPs, Directors and Heads of Department whose responsibilities include: digital transformation, digital platform and automation, data analytics, change management, innovation, user experience, strategy and technology.
Thoughtworks Live Highlights
Topics we've explored include new revenue streams, data-guided decision-making, changing business models, delivering improved customer experiences and other areas of innovation that help companies become disruptors in their industries.