Shows / Tech Talks
Tech Talks
Welcome to Tech Talks (A Podcast about Technology Leaders and Leadership). We explore the stories behind the most recognisable names in industry and the startups you’re yet to hear from. The innovation, cultural transformation and investment stories driving technology with host David Savage. If you’re interested in the latest ideas on AI, data, cyber-security this is the show for you. Follow and join the conversation. Tech Talks is powered by Harvey Nash, the leading global provider of…
Episodes
Tech TalksIs Tech Leaving Women Behind Twice as Fast?
Women are twice as likely to lose their jobs to AI as men. Heather Black, founder of Supermums, has spent ten years building the pathway for women into tech…
Tech TalksWhy AI Forgets Your Brand: The Nightmare Keeping CMOs Awake.
Google had rules, but AI search is a black box. Francisco Vigo, CEO of geoSurge, joins David Savage to unpack why large language models default to the brands…
Tech TalksA Founder's Guide to Personal Branding That Doesn't Feel Fake
How do you scale a platform built on getting people off their screens? Cliq co-founder Nicola Gunby joins our host David Savage to unpack a closely-held…
Tech TalksIs the Tokenpocalypse Coming for Your AI Budget?
Is your company already living in the AI 'tokenpocalypse'?Anaconda CEO David DeSanto joins our host David Savage to unpack the hidden costs of scaling AI; from…
Tech TalksLorum Explain Why Every Bank Still Runs on 1990s Plumbing
George Davis went from building a cash-flow forecasting startup in London at 18, to crypto cross-border payments, to founding Lorum; a correspondent bank for…
Tech TalksMinimum Guardrails, Maximum Trust: Inside Intuit's Bet on Loose Rules
Most companies handle AI risk the same way. Lock it down, restrict access, wait and see. Intuit tried something else. Let people play with the new tools first…
Tech TalksIs Your AI Strategy Solving the Wrong Cost Problem?
Most AI conversations are about cloud spend and token bills. Tom Bianculli, CTO of Zebra Technologies, is building the opposite: "tokenless AI" that runs…
Tech TalksIs Your Store Lying to You?
Every retail store runs on a "plan of record". The perfect, on-paper version of how things should work. But the floor is messier. Everseen CEO Joe White joins…
Tech TalksIs There Still Room for a Chief People Officer?
AI is dissolving the walls around job architecture, but not deleting it, says Skillsoft Chief People Officer Ciara Harrington. She joins David Savage to…
Tech TalksThe Death of Tokenmaxxing: Why Enterprise AI is Shifting to Open Weight Models
Are West Coast tech giants losing their grip on enterprise AI?Harpreet Arora from Vercel joins David Savage to break down the massive shift from closed…
Tech TalksIs Your AI Guardrail Solving One Problem and Creating Another?
Two-thirds of office workers now use AI tools IT never approved. PagerDuty's Chief AI Officer, João Freitas, explains why: guardrails are being built for an…
Tech TalksThe Truth Behind Being a Social Media Star: Food Entrepreneur Laurence Opens Up About His Journey
When Laurence Benson got stranded in Bali with no income, he turned to TikTok. He has built a massive following, but soon realised that accepting brand deals…
Tech TalksThe Truth About AI Productivity: Why Complex Work Takes More Time, Not Less
We're told AI saves time, so why is complex work taking longer? Foxit's Evan Reiss joins David Savage to unpack an emerging “productivity gap,” where AI speeds…
Tech TalksIs Chasing AI Efficiency Costing Marketers Their Trust?
Meta keeps pushing brands toward AI-generated visuals. Gozney's answer was to pour real paint over their pizza ovens instead. Head of Growth Kirsty Tansey…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Token Maxing: Why Your AI ROI Is an Illusion
For years, we've measured developer productivity in isolation.Now "token maxing" is pouring kerosene on the fire, creating "agent anarchy" as individuals build…
Tech TalksIs Your Global Footprint Actually Costing You the Talent You Need?
Setting up a legal entity abroad used to take 18 months and a small fortune in lawyers. Now enterprise companies are quietly reversing course, closing entities…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Renting Someone Else's AI
Today's episode features Checkatrade CEO Jambu Palaniappan, talking about why AI ownership, not AI adoption, is the real boardroom question. He explains why…
Tech TalksThe ROI of the Shaky Camera: How to Unlock The Real Value of Social Media
Brands spend fortunes on polished studio shoots, yet modern consumers crave raw, unpolished authenticity to make purchasing decisions. In this episode…
Tech TalksThis Chief Marketing Officer Has Thrown Out a 20-Year Marketing Playbook: We Explore Why.
After 20 years in marketing, Klaviyo Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Domenici realised her traditional playbook was dead. In this episode, she reveals why she’s…
Tech TalksRavi Malick Explains Why Measuring AI Usage Will Sabotage Your Rollout
Many companies measure AI success by usage alone, but Box's CTO Ravi Malick says that's a trap that can sabotage your rollout, pushing teams to burn budgets…
Tech TalksWhy This Venture Creator Builds Deep Tech Companies That Never Need to Pivot
In this episode, we explore the reality of building deep tech companies that solve massive societal problems. with cofouder and entrepreneur Dom Falcão.Deep…
Tech TalksFrom Quantum Lab to VC: Rethinking Who Funds the Future
Ion Hauer didn’t plan to be a venture capitalist; he started in a quantum physics lab. Today, as a Principal at Apex Ventures, he uses scientific rigor to cut…
Tech TalksWhy Your Team Treating AI Like a Human Continues to Harm AI Literacy
Generative AI sounds confident, but it's fundamentally probabilistic, more like a weather app than a calculator. In this episode, Dr. Pravi Devineni, Lead AI…
Tech TalksWorried About Spiralling AI Costs? Don't Limit Spending, Follow Fiverr's Lead & Increase Visibility.
When Fiverr's CTO Yossi Levin decided to equip his entire company with Al tools, he didn't set spending limits. Instead, he made cost visibility the only rule…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Agent Sprawl (And Why Bigger AI Isn't Always Better)
Every app now offers an AI agent, leading to a new enterprise nightmare: "agent sprawl". In this episode, David sits down with Franny Hsiao, Salesforce’s EMEA…
Tech TalksDon't Let Science-Fiction Ruin Your Growth Strategy
In this episode, David sits down with Mick Costigan, who leads Salesforce Futures, to explore how leaders can anticipate and shape the future of technology. We…
Tech TalksFrom HR to Solution Engineer: Rethinking Who Belongs in the AI Era
How do you go from a junior HR role to a Solution Engineer? In this episode, Izzy Power shares her unconventional journey into tech. We unpack how AI is…
Tech TalksFrom Catford to an MBE: Ashleigh Ainsley is Working to Make Sure We Build a Inclusive Future
Ashleigh Ainsley, MBE and co-founder of Colorintech, joins David Savage to uncover the uncomfortable truths about the technology sector's diversity problem…
Tech TalksLuis Blando Explains Why You Don't Need a Ferrari to Cross the Street
AI innovation is moving at breakneck speed, but are organizations keeping up?Luis Blando (OutSystems' Chief Product and Technology Officer) argues that scaling…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Cultural Change in a 100-Year-Old Travel Brand
When Lucy Donaldson left the highly-regulated finance world to become CIO of Globus, a 100-year-old travel brand, she didn't just face a technology upgrade…
Tech TalksOutSystem's CEO Woodson Martin Explains Why Moving Fast is Creating a Mountain of Technical Debt
The rush to adopt AI agents is creating an invisible crisis: mounting technical debt and skyrocketing token bills.Woodson Martin from OutSystems joins us to…
Tech TalksTokenomics: The Hidden Invoice Shock That's Destroying Tech Budgets
Tech leaders are waking up to massive, unexpected AI bills. Why? The industry has fallen for the 'reasoning trap': paying models to rethink basic, repeatable…
Tech TalksWhen Dealing with Grief, the Last Thing We Need is a Chatbot
When you experience life's toughest moments, should a chatbot be the one to comfort you? Sophie Ruddock, COO of Empathy, doesn't think so. In this episode, we…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Data Sovereignty: You're So Worried About Locking the Front-Door That You Forgot to Close the Windows
The board wants an AI “Ferrari,” but are you ready for the security headaches? Aidan Finn, CEO of Binarii Labs, reveals that unstructured data makes up 90% of…
Tech TalksMarketeers and Creators: Don't Use AI to be Perfect, Find Your Authentically Ridiculous Self
We are currently obsessed with using artificial intelligence to generate the perfect pop song or a flawless corporate video. But what if we are building the…
Tech TalksFind Out Why This Scale-Up Decided Not to Make a Single Sale for 5 Years!
When Francesco De Stefano proposed radical 3D printing designs with robotic arms, people laughed. In response, he made a radical choice: Caracol wouldn’t sell…
Tech TalksIs "Does it Need to Scale?" a Question We Should Ask More Regularly?
Whilst at Google, Avery Pennarun realised that building for "Internet scale" made easy problems harder. So he left to build Tailscale, focusing on the long…
Tech TalksAre we Guilty of Treating Entertainment AI as Enterprise Tech?
We are pouring billions of dollars into large language models, trusting them to reshape how our businesses operate. Yet, if you read the fine print on…
Tech TalksIs the Race to do More with AI Eroding Our Brainpower?
AI can generate first drafts and code (and much more) in seconds, but is there a human cost to this abundance? In today’s episode David is joined by Metalab’s…
Tech TalksBrian Tanner Explains Why Video Games Are Actually AI’s Hardest Frontier
We assume AI’s greatest test is in self-driving cars or robotics, but what if it’s actually inside video games? David Savage sits down with Artificial.Agency…
Tech TalksCreative, Photography, and AI: VSCO are Arming Photographers with the Tools to Survive
Generative AI is sparking fear across the creative industry, but VSCO CEO Eric Wittman argues that AI isn't the only threat to photographers, it’s also…
Tech TalksWhy Fintech Founders Are Scared to Sound Like "Just Another AI"
Every fintech pitch deck claims to use AI, but are they just ticking a box for VCs? In this episode, Started PR founder Kimberley Waldron unpacks the tension…
Tech Talks‘Happy’ Robots are Better Than Unhappy Workers: What is the Future of Logistics Away From the Hype?
Social media is flooded with viral videos of humanoid robots, but what happens when the cameras turn off? In this episode, David Savage sits down with Kacper…
Tech TalksWhen the 11th Hour Panic Starts, Are You Confident Your Compliance Will Pass the Test?
Why do scaling tech companies wait until the 11th hour to care about governance and compliance? David Savage sits down with Scrut Automation’s Nick Muy to…
Tech TalksThe Truth About Deep Tech: Why Nature Doesn’t Care About Your Pitch Deck
While software moves fast, progress to unlock the power of fusion energy faces the unforgiving laws of physics. David Savage sits down with Cary Forest, Chief…
Tech TalksWho Holds the Keys When AI Agents Enter the Workforce?
AI agents are taking over, but who governs their access? In this episode, David sits down with Nancy Wang (CTO of 1Password) to explore the evolving "trusted…
Tech TalksThe Governance Gap: This 150-Year-Old Charity Is Embracing Shadow IT
How do you manage technology governance for 20,000 volunteers without killing innovation? Joanne Todd, CIO at St John Ambulance, explains why she embraces a…
Tech TalksYou Can’t Achieve AI Readiness Without Confidence That Your Data is Good Enough
Many companies boast hundreds of AI experiments, but how many actually make it to production?In this episode, Chris Bridgland from Couchbase reveals the stark…
Tech TalksIs Your Business Quantum Ready?
Quantum computing is no longer a 10-year theoretical pipe dream. In this episode, QuERA’s Chief Commercial Officer Yuval Boger reveals how technology advances…
Tech TalksThe Junior Talent Pivot: Why Gen Z Wants Mentorship, Not Your Photocopier
We treat Gen Z as a market to be sold to, not a generation of builders, and when we hire them its to fulfill legacy roles within an organisation. In this…
Tech TalksWe Discuss Why IT Shouldn't Lead Your Technology Strategy
Every company wants AI, but most are getting it wrong by treating it as an isolated IT project. Frank O'Dea, CEO of Klarus, argues that businesses are…
Tech TalksFrom Burden to Strategic Asset: How Reputational Risk Pushed Compliance into the Boardroom
In this episode, David Savage sits down with Peter Schramme, CEO of Enhesa, to unpack the complex realities of global Environment, Health, and Safety…
Tech TalksWhat Happens Inside the NFL when Commercial Opportunity Collides with Risk Management?
In this episode, we sit down with Kam Karaji, Director of Cyber Security and Risk Management for the NFL, to uncover the human decisions behind massive data…
Tech TalksIs the 99% Tax to Leave Earth Worth the Cost? The Commercial Race into Space
With AI and robotics advancing, why does NASA still spend billions sending humans into space? David Savage sits down with Dr Jeevan Perera, a 37-year NASA…
Tech TalksThe AI Reality Check: Why Hendrick Auto Scrapped Their Data System and Started Over
When executives asked for AI, Hendrick Automotive Group faced a hard truth: their data was disjointed. Instead of patching broken processes, Dan Beyer and Mark…
Tech TalksFrom A&E Doctor to Tech Founder: What Trauma Triage Taught Chris McCullough About Scaling a Startup
Chris McCullough didn’t set out to build a tech company; he just wanted to fix broken A&E scheduling. In this episode, Chris reveals how he traded emergency…
Tech TalksThe Unglamorous Reality of Being Your Own Boss
After a career-ending injury, former elite tennis player Carla Nokes faced a daunting pivot into the tech world. In this episode, Carla shares the unfiltered…
Tech TalksWhy Is Dr Omar Hatamleh Worried About People Outsourcing Critical Thinking?
In this episode, David sits down with Dr Omar Hatamleh, former Chief AI Officer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, to explore the “Great Decoupling”; a…
Tech TalksWhy Engineer Marco Riedesser Built an AI ‘Friend’ That Disagrees With You
Meet A Friend, a new product that you’ll have a very different relationship with. Most AI companions are programmed to blindly agree with us. Engineer Marco…
Tech TalksYour Technology Conference Survival Guide (Podcast Edition)
Today David is joined by longtime friend and contributor to Tech Talks, Cathy White. As CEO and Founder of CEW Communications, she advises entrepreneurs and…