The Digital Lighthouse

The UK energy system has never had to decentralise, digitise and decarbonise all at once. What does it take to get there? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Abbie Badcock-Broe, an industry strategist with two decades of experience shaping the future of the UK energy system. Formerly head of corporate UK and decarbonisation strategy at National Grid, Abbie specialises in system-wide problem-solving across decarbonisation, system operation and long-range planning. Together they explore the mind-boggling scale of the challenge, why the shift from a centralised, one-way system to a decentralised, data-enabled network changes everything, and where data and increasingly AI are already making a difference in forecasting, inspections and predictive maintenance. Abbie explains how the regulator's shift from “flexibility first” to “build and flex” is changing how networks invest, how the industry is collaborating on innovation through programmes such as Ofgem's Strategic Innovation Fund, and why the sector's real challenge is getting ideas into business as usual. You'll hear about: Why the energy transition is a challenge society has never solved before How the shift from centralised to decentralised networks makes data essential Where data and AI are already making a difference: forecasting, inspections and predictive maintenance Why legacy systems, data quality, data sharing and governance still hold things back Why critical national infrastructure raises the bar on cybersecurity and reliability How the regulator's “build and flex” approach is changing network investment 

Most leadership advice waits for things to go wrong. What if you could stop them from going wrong in the first place?In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Melinda Seckington, a leadership and engineering team coach. Melinda has been an engineering manager, software engineer, conference speaker, tech event organiser, blogger and startup founder — including a stint as one of the first engineers at FutureLearn, where she helped grow the team from six people to sixty.Together they explore what proactive leadership really means, why the old idea that engineers can't be great communicators is a myth worth retiring, how AI is making communication skills more valuable rather than less, and why slowing down is usually the fastest way to handle growing pressure on your time. You'll hear about:•    The three building blocks of proactive leadership: awareness, intent and action•    Why being technical and being a great communicator were never mutually exclusive•    How AI raises the value of good communicators instead of replacing them•    The handful of questions behind every successful case for buy-in•    Why new leaders already have more of the right skills than they think•    Why “go slow to go fast” beats trying to do everything at once Whether you're stepping into leadership for the first time or rethinking how your team handles growing pressure, this episode is a practical guide to leading before things go wrong, not just after.

What happens when your industry needs cutting-edge technology, but nobody's building it for you?In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Austen Robilliard, Chief Executive at Asher Wealth Consultancy. Known as “The Fund Geek,” Austen is one of Europe's most decorated fund selectors, with 20 years' experience across investment, technology, regulation and compliance.Together they explore how to set a technology strategy in a market that's chronically underserved by tech vendors, why legacy systems that everyone distrusts often remain the safer bet, and what it really takes to prove — not just claim — that a fund meets its ESG commitments.You'll hear about:•    Why retail wealth management is stuck with decades-old, hand-me-down technology•    How to weigh the risk of replacing a system that still “just about” works•    Why consumer duty regulation means there's now “nowhere to hide”•    What Moore's Law means for an industry that moves slowly by design•    Why ESG scoring can unfairly favour large companies over genuinely green ones•    Why better data leads directly to better client outcomesWhether you're setting technology strategy in a niche or underserved market, or simply curious how wealth management works behind the scenes, this episode is a candid look at balancing innovation with the cost of getting it wrong.

As AI becomes part of courts, healthcare and other critical public services, how do we build systems that people can trust?In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Alex Wolff, Public Sector Director at Softwire, who has spent more than 20 years helping government, NHS and healthcare organisations deliver complex digital transformation.Together, they explore why comparing AI to perfection is the wrong benchmark, how to balance automation with human judgement, and what responsible AI looks like in practice.You’ll hear about:Why AI should be compared with today’s systems, not an ideal worldWhen mistakes are acceptable, and when they simply aren’tWhy humans remain central to trustworthy AIThree practical principles for building safe AI systemsHow AI could make public services more accessible, personalised and efficientWhether you’re working in government, healthcare or any organisation deploying AI in high-stakes environments, this episode offers practical lessons for building technology people can trust.

The water sector faces some of the UK’s biggest environmental and infrastructure challenges. But solving them requires more than better technology. It requires better collaboration. In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Melissa Tallack, co-lead of the Stream initiative and former Head of Data and Digital at Anglian Water. Together they explore how water companies are working together to share data, learn from other industries and create more value for customers, society and the environment. Melissa explains why breaking down data silos within organisations is only the first step. The real opportunity comes from sharing knowledge across an industry, and ultimately across sectors. From rail and energy to health and citizen science, she shares why the best ideas rarely stay in one place. Whether you’re leading digital transformation in utilities, government or another regulated industry, this conversation offers practical lessons on open data, collaboration and creating lasting value. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why water companies are collaborating on open data rather than competing. How Stream is creating shared data infrastructure for the sector. Why borrowing ideas from rail, energy and other industries accelerates innovation. How to break down organisational and industry data silos. Why publishing data only matters if it creates measurable value. What other sectors can learn from the water industry’s collaborative approach.  

Why are driverless cars taking so long? And what role does insurance play in getting autonomous vehicles safely onto UK roads?In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with David Williams, a senior executive and non-executive director with more than 30 years’ experience in insurance.David previously worked at AXA Insurance UK, where he led work on connected and autonomous vehicles, including involvement in five government-backed consortia. He was also chair of the Association of British Insurers Motor Committee.Zoe and David explore the future and present of driverless vehicles, and the role insurance plays in helping new technology reach the road safely.David explains why many vehicles described as autonomous are still driver assistance systems, why insurance relies so heavily on data, and what happens when a new technology has no historic claims data to draw from.They also discuss the UK’s role in supporting autonomous vehicle development, how data and machine learning have changed insurance, and why driverless cars are designed to avoid accidents rather than make moral judgements about human life.DiscoverWhy driverless cars are closer than many people thinkWhat different levels of vehicle autonomy really meanWhy insurance is central to autonomous vehicle developmentHow data has transformed risk assessment in insuranceWhy the UK could be well placed to support autonomous vehicle innovationWhy the trolley problem is not the right way to think about driverless cars

Why do so many transformation programmes fail? And what does it take to actually deliver change at scale?In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham speaks with Andy Burton, a technology leader with over 30 years of experience delivering large-scale digital transformation across industries including insurance, retail, and online gaming.Andy has held senior roles at organisations including Sky Betting & Gaming, The Very Group, and most recently esure, where he led a multi-year transformation to replatform the business and build a modern, digital-first insurer.They explore what transformation really looks like in practice. While many organisations begin with clear plans and ambitious timelines, the reality is far messier. External events, legacy constraints, and constant change mean even the best plans rarely survive intact.Andy shares what made the esure transformation successful, why many programmes go awry before the final step, and what it really means to become “digital on the inside”.

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Paul Spiers, founder of The New P&L Institute and host of The New P&L podcast.Zoe and Paul explore how leaders can create the conditions for better thinking, creativity, and innovation in a world shaped by constant change and emerging technologies.While organisations often say they value curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, Paul explains why many fail to create the space needed for those qualities to thrive. Instead, speed and efficiency dominate, limiting long term innovation.Paul shares how leaders can focus on self awareness, purpose, and culture to drive better outcomes. They also discuss why context matters when introducing AI, why leadership behaviour shapes culture, and how small, consistent actions can transform both individuals and organisations.Why organisations struggle to enable creativity and innovationWhy self awareness is the foundation of effective leadershipWhy context shapes how employees respond to AIHow leaders can create space for better thinkingWhy culture, leadership, and technology must be alignedHow small, consistent actions drive meaningful change

Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Steve Burrows, a global product delivery and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience delivering digital platforms and transformation programmes across industries. Zoe and Steve explore how organisations can actually capture value from AI in complex environments. While excitement around generative AI is high, many initiatives struggle because they begin with the technology rather than the problem. Drawing on his experience across consulting, product development, and delivery, Steve explains why the most successful AI implementations start by understanding users and mapping workflows. Instead of replacing people, AI works best when it removes repetitive work and allows humans to focus on judgment, creativity, and decision-making. He also shares a practical way to think about AI: treat it like a highly motivated intern. Useful for many tasks, but still requiring oversight, guardrails, and human judgment. Why successful AI adoption starts with the problem, not the technology Why many AI initiatives fail due to unrealistic expectations How to identify the right workflows for AI automation Why AI works best when it removes repetitive work but keeps humans in control Why treating AI like a highly motivated intern is a useful mindset Why agile delivery is essential when working with rapidly evolving technology

Host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Macs Dickinson, Director of Engineering at LHV Bank on the challenge many technology leaders are facing as AI tools become embedded in everyday work. While generative AI can accelerate delivery, it can also create a hidden risk: knowledge debt. The loss of deep system understanding when teams rely too heavily on generated outputs.   Drawing on his experience in highly regulated industries including banking and gambling, Macs explains why “fail fast” does not translate to environments where reliability and accountability are critical. He shares how his teams are adopting machine learning and AI agents safely, starting with narrow internal use cases, building strong guardrails, and ensuring engineers retain ownership of what they ship.   Discover: Why AI can speed up delivery while increasing long term risk Why regulated industries require a different mindset for AI adoption How machine learning models can be governed through monitoring and human review Why generative AI is harder to test than traditional software How starting small reduces risk and builds organisational learning Why ownership and understanding still matter in AI assisted engineering