Tech Exec Talks

In this conversation, Adelina Chalmers discusses her approach to coaching technology leaders and the challenges they face. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the root cause of problems and providing targeted advice. Adelina shares transformative experiences she has facilitated, including helping a CTO gain board approval for a product redesign and assisting a VP of Engineering in clarifying their role. She highlights common hurdles for technology leaders, such as credibility with the board and difficulty in addressing technical debt. Adelina also emphasizes the need for skills like empathy, the ability to translate technology into business terms, and future-oriented thinking in technology leadership roles. In this conversation, Adelina Chalmers and Kulvinder Maingi discuss the importance of empathy and self-awareness in leadership. They explore the impact of delivering bad news with empathy and the value of listening to understand and holding space for others. They also discuss the influence of company culture on empathy and the challenges of balancing technical proficiency and leadership. Additionally, they address the perception of technical proficiency as a CTO and provide insights on managing expectations and educating non-technical leaders on technology risks and benefits. The conversation highlights the essential role of the CTO in bridging the gap between business and technology.TakeawaysUnderstanding the root cause of challenges is crucial in providing effective advice to technology leaders.Coaching is not suitable for everyone, and a business advising approach may be more effective in addressing specific issues.Transformative experiences can be achieved in a short period of time by addressing the underlying problems and dynamics within an organization.Common hurdles for technology leaders include credibility with the board, difficulty in addressing technical debt, and challenges in communication and influencing skills.Indispensable skills for technology leadership include empathy, the ability to translate technology into business terms, and future-oriented thinking.About the guestAdelina Chalmers D.P.S.I., Dip H.E. cuts straight to the heart of the matter when advising Chief Technology and Science Officers in tech companies. She focuses entirely on the most pressing issues in the business and usually adds a minimum of $ 1 million worth of value to each company with which she works. She has been working since 2011 with science and technology companies from 50 to 110,000 staff on communication, leadership and strategic challenges. She won Cofinitive's Top 7 People to Watch 2019 with her business, The Geek Whisperer®. She was nominated on Computer Weekly’s Most Influencing Women in IT list in 2021 and won her place in the top 50 Most Influential Women in Tech in 2022 and 2023. She has worked with scientists and engineers from Software Engineer to CEO/CSO/CTO who work for: Fujitsu, ARM, Amazon, Apple, Deloitte, Compare the Market, Microsoft and hundreds of scale-ups. You can find Adelina here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelinachalmers/You can find out more about The Geek Whisperer here: https://www.geekwhisperer.co.uk/About the hostKulvinder Maingi is an accomplished technology executive, serving as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in many roles. He is the host of the Tech Exec Talks podcast, where he shares insights and conducts interviews with leaders in the tech industry. With a passion for driving technical innovation and business growth, Kulvinder Maingi is a dynamic leader dedicated to fostering excellence in technology leadership and product development.You can find out more about Kulvinder on - LinkedIn: https://techexectalks.com

Welcome to another episode of Tech Exec Talks, where we dive into the world of technology, leadership, and innovation. In this episode, your host, Kulvinder, introduces the Technology Strategy Canvas, a framework to help technology leaders organize, visualize, and communicate the key components of their technology strategy.Key Takeaways:Technology Vision: Kulvinder discusses the importance of having a clear and inspiring technology vision that aligns with the organization's overall goals and serves as a guiding light for the technology function.Value Proposition: Learn about defining and communicating the unique value that the technology function brings to customers and stakeholders, addressing their needs and creating value.Key Technologies: Explore the core technologies and platforms that underpin technology strategies and the importance of staying ahead of emerging trends.Key Resources: Discover the critical resources, including talent and physical assets, needed for executing technology initiatives and maximizing their value.Key Activities: Understand the main activities and processes required to execute the technology strategy and deliver on the value proposition.This episode provides valuable insights for technology leaders looking to create or structure their technology strategy. Along the way, Kulvinder shares tips for maximizing the value of the Technology Strategy Canvas.If you're interested in exploring the Technology Strategy Canvas, here's a link to the Canvas template: http://texec.xyz/VleeYq Business Model Canvas: https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvasAbout the hostKulvinder Maingi is an accomplished technology executive, serving as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in many roles. He is the host of the Tech Exec Talks podcast, where he shares insights and conducts interviews with leaders in the tech industry. With a passion for driving technical innovation and business growth, Kulvinder Maingi is a dynamic leader dedicated to fostering excellence in technology leadership and product development.You can find out more about Kulvinder on - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ksmaingiTwitter: https://twitter.com/kulihttps://techexectalks.com

In this episode of Tech Exec Talks, host Kulvinder chats with Andy Skipper, the chief CTO Coach of CTO Craft, about the power of coaching, networking, and learning in technology leadership. Drawing from his extensive experience, including CTO roles at made.com and Comic Relief, Andy shares the story of CTO Craft's evolution into a global community and the impact it's making in the lives of technology leaders around the world. Tune in to learn valuable tips on how to level up your skills, embrace mentorship, and navigate challenges in the tech industry.Whether you're an established tech leader or someone looking to grow in this field, this episode has something to offer you. Don't miss the chance to learn from a seasoned technology leader, Andy Skipper.About the guestAndy Skipper is the Founder and Chief CTO Coach of CTO Craft, a learning and coaching network for technology leaders. He has held CTO roles for a number of startups and charities since 2006, including Made.com and Comic Relief, one of the UK's largest charities. With his extensive experience in technology leadership, Andy has been instrumental in helping CTOs and other technology leaders build professional and leadership skills through CTO CraftYou can find Andy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyskipper/You can find out more about CTO Craft here: https://ctocraft.comMore about CTO Craft Con: https://conference.ctocraft.com/london-2023/ About the hostKulvinder Maingi is an accomplished technology executive, serving as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in many roles. He is the host of the Tech Exec Talks podcast, where he shares insights and conducts interviews with leaders in the tech industry. With a passion for driving technical innovation and business growth, Kulvinder Maingi is a dynamic leader dedicated to fostering excellence in technology leadership and product development.You can find out more about Kulvinder on - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ksmaingiTwitter: https://twitter.com/kulihttps://techexectalks.com

About the episode: How do you measure the success or otherwise of an Engineering team? How do you communicate that to the wider company as well as within Engineering?These are some of the questions, my guest Mohamed Ait Si Brahim, CTO at Profile Pensions, and I seek to answer.About the guest Mohamed Ait Si Brahim is the Chief Technology Officer of Profile Pensions where he is building a market-leading investment advice digital product for the UK mass market taking it from pre series A to £1b AUM. You can find Mohamed here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maitsibrahim/ About the host  Kulvinder is an accomplished technology and product executive with an unwavering passion for driving technical innovation and business growth on a global scale. With over 20 years of experience, I’ve honed my expertise in leading cross-functional teams, building strong relationships with key stakeholders, and developing strategic plans that leverage technology to solve complex problems. I hope you enjoy our conversations as much as I do.   You can find out more about me on -  LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ksmaingi Twitter: https://twitter.com/kulihttps://techexectalks.com

About the episode:Talking to Jon Cooke, owner and founder, of Dataception all about data strategy - what does good look like, what are the key elements to think about and also consider ethical and privacy concerns. We even talk the impact of AI and ChatGPT on data strategy!About the guestJon Cooke is the owner/founder of Dataception a Data, Analytics and Data Product company and the creator of the Data Product Pyramid, an adaptive Data Product operating model. He is Data Product Storyteller and Technology specialist who has spent 30+ years’ delivering Data and Analytics Product capabilities, architectures and Marketplaces for analytics use cases across many companies.You can find Jon here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-cooke-096bb0/About the hostKulvinder Maingi is an experienced technology executive, and I started this podcast because I enjoy meeting and talking to people, especially people working in or with technology. I hope you enjoy our conversations as much as I do. You can find out more about me on - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ksmaingiTwitter: https://twitter.com/kulihttps://techexectalks.com

This is the trailer for the upcoming Tech Exec Talks podcast. Subscribe now to hear the latest episode as soon as it drops.About the hostI'm Kulvinder Maingi, an experienced technology executive, and I started this podcast because I enjoy meeting and talking to people, especially people working in or with technology. I hope you enjoy our conversations as much as I will. You can find out more about me on LinkedIn and Twitter.https://techexectalks.com