The IT Pro Panel
Everything you need to know, including panellist details, upcoming themes and how to apply

They say experience is the best teacher, and nowhere is this more true than in the trenches of business IT. While analysts, academics and experts can offer valuable perspectives on the various issues facing IT teams, there's no substitute for the wisdom gained by working at the coalface.
That's why we created the IT Pro Panel - a network of top CIOs, CTOs and technology leaders who unite to share their hard-earned insights on the challenges, trends and opportunities facing modern IT departments.
Organisations of all stripes are represented, including charities, schools, startups, enterprises and more. Every month, we'll be asking our panellists about the topics that really matter to modern IT professionals, such as cloud migration, digital transformation and cyber security.
How to join the IT Pro Panel
To apply to join the IT Pro Panel, please click here to enter your details. Please note that we are not accepting applications from technology vendors at this time.
Latest IT Pro Panel Discussion - Defining DevOps
Many organisations view DevOps as the secret to digital transformation, and it’s been a successful tactic for many. Setting up a solid DevOps structure is not an easy task, however; it’s a complicated ongoing process based on managing toolsets, restructuring teams and building automated software pipelines. In this month’s IT Pro Panel discussion, we talk to some of our panellists about their experience building a DevOps strategy, including how they approach platform development, which tools they favour and the advice they have for any organisation who are just starting their DevOps journey.
Featuring:
- Roderick Simons, Yolt CTO
- Gavin Scruby, SmartDebit CIO
- Ritam Gandhi, Studio Graphene founder & CEO
- Craig York, MKUH NHS Foundation Trust CTO
- Marc Pell, Tempcover CTO
- Manila McLean, Newcastle Building Society CIO
Panellists
Liam Quinn
Director of IT - Richmond Events
For more than a decade, Liam has managed IT systems for Richmond Events. Over his tenure he has led a number of projects, including migrating from multiple on-premise data centres to a DaaS solution, implenting a GDPR-compliant email marketing system and designing and developing a bespoke CRM solution.
- Panel Profile: Richmond Events Director of IT Liam Quinn
- IT leaders’ new year’s resolutions
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Coping with COVID-19
- Taking the pain out of networking
- Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
- How to manage your supplier relationships
- Can AI help CIOs do their jobs better?
- Dreaming of IT and avoiding data nightmares
- The CIO’s guide to software
- The truth about talent
Paul Watts
Chief Information Security Officer - Kantar
After two years in the CISO chair for Domino's UK & Ireland, Paul has now left the famous pizza chain to join data and research specilists Kantar, helping to protect the company's 30,000 global employees and the vast troves of consumer data that they analyse and process.
- Panel Profile: Kantar CISO Paul Watts
- IT leaders’ new year’s resolutions
- Taking the pain out of networking
- Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
- Eight ways to manage your technology teams
- Why agility is vital for security professionals
- The loneliness of the long-distance worker
- The truth about talent
- Why is patch management so difficult?
- Salary matters
Marc Pell
Chief Technology Officer - TempCover
Part of Marc Pell's role when he joined TempCover as a lead developer was to redesign its platform to support more agility. Fast-forward to today, and he's leading the company's technology strategy as CTO, helping institute policies like remote working, agile development and a cloud-first mentality.
- Panel Profile: TempCover CTO Marc Pell
- Defining DevOps
- IT leaders’ new year’s resolutions
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- What's the value of IT partners?
- The IT Pro Podcast: How to redesign a platform
- Return to sender
Manila McLean
Chief Information Officer - Newcastle Building Society
In the high-stakes world of financial services, IT excellence is more important than ever, as traditional institutions compete with digitally-native new challengers. As CIO for one of the north's biggest building societies, Manila McLean is responsible for ensuring that Newcastle Building Society is delivering the experiences that its customers demand.
- Panel Profile: Newcastle Building Society CIO Manila McLean
- Defining DevOps
- IT leaders’ new year’s resolutions
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- Salary matters
Ritam Gandhi
Founder - Studio Graphene
As founder of digital design agency Studio Graphene, Ritam is responsible for leading a diverse team of developers, designers, engineers and creatives. The firm helps build apps and other digital products for the likes of Heineken, Mars and Coca Cola, so staying on the cutting edge of digital development is crucial for him and his team.
- Panel Profile: Studio Graphene founder Ritam Gandhi
- Defining DevOps
- The practical CIO's guide to AI
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Achieving agile at scale
- Building a data-driven business
Peter O’Rourke
Former director of IT - University of Suffolk
A long-time industry veteran with over 30 years’ experience, Peter led the University of Suffolk’s IT team in supporting the University’s 5,000-plus students and teachers, as well as helping shape the education sector’s attitude to technology through his role on the executive committee of UCISA.
- Panel Profile: University of Suffolk IT Director Peter O'Rourke
- How to manage your supplier relationships
- Eight ways to manage your technology teams
- How IT leaders are preparing for GDPR
- Why is patch management so difficult?
- What's the value of IT partners?
Killian Faughnan
Group Chief Information Security Officer - William Hill
Protecting one of the country's largest betting and gaming companies from attackers is no easy task, but it's a challenge that William Hill Group CISO Killian Faughnan relishes. With operations in multiple countries and a huge number of customers and partners to defend, it's a job that ensures Killian's never going to be bored.
- Panel Profile: William Hill Group CISO Killian Faughnan
- The Battle of the Budgets
- Taking the pain out of networking
- Building a data-driven business
- Why is patch management so difficult?
- What's the value of IT partners?
Gavin Scruby
Chief Information Officer - SmartDebit
A raft of compliance regulations and high levels of customer expectations means that fintech is always a challenging space to work in, but SmartDebit CIO and director Gavin Scruby meets that challenge ably, navigating the complexities of both technology infrastructure and financial technology.
- Panel Profile: SmartDebit CIO Gavin Scruby
- Defining DevOps
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Return to sender
- Salary matters
Patricio Colombo
Founder & Director - CIO On Demand
After almost 15 years heading up the IT departments of HELLO! Magazine and the Jamie Oliver Group, Patricio has struck out on his own, offering his services to organisations as a freelance CIO-for-hire. The fluid nature of this role has given him a wide range of experience across world-class brands like the European Tour.
- Panel Profile: CIO on Demand founder Patricio Colombo
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- Coping with COVID-19
- Why collaboration platforms are so hard to deploy
- The loneliness of the long-distance worker
Alison Davis
Chief Information Officer - Natural History Museum
With a background in research chemistry and years of experience working the dreaded IT helpdesk, working at the Natural History Museum was a dream come true for Alison Davis. Not only does she get to lead a truly IT strategy for a truly dynamic and engaging organisation, but she also helps it fulfill its vital goal of research and conservation.
- Panel Profile: Natural History Museum CIO Alison Davis
- IT leaders’ new year’s resolutions
- Return to sender
- The IT Pro Podcast: Digitising dinosaurs
Peter Donlon
Chief Technology Officer - Moonpig
A personalised gift is always going to be more meaningful, and Moonpig has made a name for itself as the go-to source for customised cards and gifts. Developing and maintaining the infrastructure behind that service, however, takes some work - and that job falls to CTO Peter Donlon and his team of developers and engineers.
- Panel Profile: Moonpig CTO Peter Donlon
- The state of cloud infrastructure
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- Achieving agile at scale
Graeme McDermott
Chief Data Officer - TempCover
After spending four years at Addison Lee shaping its data strategy, Graeme has now joined insurance company TempCover, working alongside CTO and fellow panellist Marc Pell to drive its continuing growth. Graeme is responsible for working with the board to set strategy around data protection, CRM, analytics, optimisation, and more.
- Panel Profile: TempCover CDO Graeme McDermott
- The post-COVID future of tech conferences
- The loneliness of the long-distance worker
- Building a data-driven business
Roderick Simons
Chief Technology Officer - Yolt
Managing IT in the fintech sector is a tricky task, but it's especially difficult when you're expanding at the rate Yolt is. As CTO, Roderick Simons is the man in charge of this technology, and it's his job to ensure Yolt's customers remain safe, secure, and supported by the company's services.
- Panel Profile: Yolt CTO Roderick Simons
- Defining DevOps
- The IT Pro Podcast: Modernising money management
Craig York
Chief Technology Officer - MKUH NHS Foundation Trust
As CTO of Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Craig York has one of the most simultaneously challenging and rewarding roles an IT professional could ask for: helping to support and safeguard the trust's staff, clinicians in their vital work caring for patients. Craig has been serving the trust for almost two decades, seeing it through countless technological changes.
- Panel Profile: MKUH NHS Foundation Trust CTO Craig York
- Defining DevOps
- The state of cloud infrastructure
Dan Jacobs
Chief Technology Officer - TRX.tv
As CTO of TV licensing marketplace TRX, Dan Jacobs is in charge of managing a cadre of Ruby developers and maintaining a large and complex tech stack which supports high-value transactions from the likes of BBC, Sky, Lionsgate and more. A career CTO, Dan is firmly embedded in the IT world, and brings an abundance of experience to bear on the challenges of the role.
José María Labernia
EMEA CISO - LafargeHolcim
Created by the merger of two major industrial manufacturing giants, LafargeHolcim has offices, staff and projects all over the world. José María Labernia is responsible for cyber security within the EMEA region, and is charged with protecting those employees and sites. As part of that, he has to deal with some challenging factors, including distributed workforces, a constantly-changing attack landscape and the confluence of IT and OT.
How to scale your organisation in the cloud
How to overcome common scaling challenges and choose the right scalable cloud service
Download nowThe people factor: A critical ingredient for intelligent communications
How to improve communication within your business
Download nowFuture of video conferencing
Optimising video conferencing features to achieve business goals
Download nowImproving cyber security for remote working
13 recommendations for security from any location
Download now