CISG-PCMG24: Adapt for the Future

Johnathan joined TechnologyOne in 2016 to extend the SaaS Platform team into the United Kingdom and support our customers in the region. Having worked in the Technology space for in excess of 20 years his main focus has been on building high performing engineering teams who delight customers and are constantly curious of new and emerging technologies. In previous roles, Johnathan has worked closely with some of the United Kingdoms best known brands including Skyscanner, The Royal Horticultural Society and WeBuyAnyCar - helping to design, support and maintain their infrastructure needs along the way.

With experience in delivering digital technologies through strategic transformation programmes, Kanika is a highly motivated and resilient technical change leader. She has worked across multiple sectors, from energy retail and telecoms to higher education, housing associations, social enterprises, tech start-ups and small charities, adapting to different workplace cultures, drivers and practices. She combines her cross-sector adaptability with her background in leading both technical change and people change, offering a holistic perspective that considers the business, infrastructure, data and applications. She is also a professional speaker and a board member, creating thought leadership and championing diversity and inclusion on topics such as change, technology, leadership, and innovation.

Higher Education professional with extensive experience leading and managing operations and projects within the sector. An excellent understanding of the key pressures affecting the sector, together with working knowledge of Higher Education statistics, reporting and funding policies. A strong understanding of HE regulatory frameworks and their application in the development of plans and operations management. Specialities: Statistical Analysis and Planning, Project Management (PRINCE2), Leadership and Management, Budgetary Management, Key Stakeholder Management.

Stephen, with 30 years in IT across public and private sectors, excels as an IT Director. He enhances organisational effectiveness, streamlines operations, and aligns strategies with technological changes. Holding an MBA and CITP, he is the Associate Director of IT and Digital Lead at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Abduljaber Abdulqader is a seasoned data architect with over 14 years of experience at Newcastle University. His expertise lies in the intersection of Enterprise Architecture and Data Science, where he leverages innovative processes to enhance university operations. In 2020, Abduljaber earned a master's degree in data science with distinction, further solidifying his position as a leader in data-driven advancements in higher education[4]. His unique skill set allows him to bridge the gap between complex data systems and practical, impactful solutions for the university.

Claire is the Strategic Projects Manager at Leeds Trinity University. Claire’s current role builds on 25 years’ experience of working in the Higher Education sector across a range of disciplines, including Marketing, Comms, Governance, and Web Management, as well as working for and with HEIs across the UK and Ireland. ‘Making things better’ is Claire’s general mantra when it comes to getting things done, as well as putting the user (whoever the user may be!) first.

An experienced Digital Change and Transformation leader with expertise in building, leading and enabling teams to co-create change across a range of sectors, including Higher Education, Information Technology, Logistics and Service Industries. With proven experience ensuring the inclusion of "human" elements in process and technology streams of business, psychological people change and HR Business Partnering.

Louw Labuschagne is a Chartered IT Professional (MBCS) specialising in Business Architecture. With over two decades of experience in Enterprise Architecture, Louw brings a wealth of knowledge from diverse sectors including Mining, Banking & Insurance, Utilities, and the Public Sector across Southern Africa and the Middle East. Since joining Newcastle University's architecture team in 2022, he has been instrumental in applying his expertise to the Higher Education sector in the UK. Louw's commitment to the field extends beyond his role at the university; he actively contributes to the EA community through his involvement with the UCISA EA Group, HERM working group, and the Architecture Exchange community forum. His previous contributions to the TOGAF standard and various industry forums underscore his dedication to advancing the field of Enterprise Architecture.

Jamie leads change projects across The University of Edinburgh. He is currently Programme manager for the Timetabling programme. Jamie has experience of implementing new business processes and the IT systems to support these changes across a number of business areas across HE  including Student Systems,  Student Administration services, Timetabling , Communications and Marketing and Research Management. Before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2008, Jamie worked for a number of software suppliers / support services suppliers including Intersystems and Capita in NHS and local government business areas.

Craig has over 30 years’ experience in portfolio, programme and project management and has delivered major change in the retail, medical/pharmaceutical, government and health sectors. Craig has been at the University of Glasgow for over 6 years and has taken the lead in transforming risk, governance and portfolio management.  His current role drives forward the implementation of the University and enabling strategies.  Craig is the current Chair of the HESPA Specialist Interest Group for Strategy Development and Implementation.

Sarah Boyd has been Assistant Director, Product Delivery in IT Services at The University of Sheffield since 2023, having previously led Digital and Platform Product teams at William Hill and Emerald Publishing. Sarah has a background in scholarly publishing and technologies, and is passionate about delivering value through solutions that create real impact for our users and communities.

Bella has worked at the University of Sheffield as Director of Information Technology since 2019. She has experience of working in IT in the public and private education sector and her previous role was CIO at Sheffield College. Prior to this she held a number of roles developing and delivering digital education and assessment services for Ufi/Learndirect, ranging from product development and system testing, project and programme management and finally leading the strategic change function. Bella is leaving Sheffield in November 2024 to become the Group CTO of Jisc and will bring all of this experience to her new role

Tony Sheehan is a Vice President and an analyst in Gartner Research and Advisory’s Education Team. Tony leads the Gartner’s education team’s research activities in areas of emerging technology and digital transformation and has developed Gartner’s education team research in response to the onset of COVID-19 and the rise of (generative) AI. Tony supports clients in the development of digital learning strategies and advises on the evolution of teaching and learning in education with particular emphasis on the LMS and online/hybrid teaching. He also has a strong interest in the overlap between education and the evolving world of work, and helps institutions evolve learning technologies and practices to ensure optimal student experience and institutional effectiveness.

Prior to joining Gartner, Tony was the Associate Dean of London Business School, Director of Learning Services at Ashridge Business School and served as an advisor to multiple education clients. Tony is an engineer by training, and before joining the education sector, was responsible for the design and delivery of knowledge management strategy for Arup, a global engineering consultancy.

Tony has a degree in Metallurgy from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Loughborough University.

Mat is (Interim) Deputy Director & Head of Digital Infrastructure/Information Security at the University of Wolverhampton, where he is responsible for shaping and planning the University’s digital architecture encompassing core infrastructure and information security. Mat is also UCISA Secretary and a Director of USL.

Chris is Assistant Director of Digital Services and Head of the Programme Management Office at the University of Wolverhampton. He is primarily responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of IT and digital related projects and programmes.

Orla Burns is a Programme Manager within the Digital & Information Services department at Queen's University Belfast, where she leads several cross-functional teams responsible for delivering systems critical to student recruitment, engagement, and retention. Prior to joining Queen's in 2022, Orla served as a Service Delivery Manager, and leverages her extensive experience in post-implementation support to guide solution delivery strategies effectively.

Steven is a highly accomplished Enterprise Architect with a passion for delivering innovative solutions in complex environments. A true evangelist for adopting new technology, Steven's delivery-focused approach makes him an exciting and engaging figure. Join him for a session that promises to be both informative and, dare we say, entertaining.

Ope is an Executive Partner at Maxica consulting. He is a transformation leader with over 25 years professional experience across multiple sectors. He has strong sector experience, having been actively engaged in shaping and leading digital transformation across multiple universities over the last 7 years

Henrik has gathered his experience of leading people through change and digital technologies from many sectors including Publishing, Tour Operating, Housing and, lately, Higher Education. Having worked in a variety of leadership roles encompassing operational management and strategic delivery, he is an experienced communicator at many levels. Henrik has spent the last decade in two leading universities creating successful Service Delivery and Operations departments with a focus on strategic goals and business outcomes, underlined by a culture of empowerment and achievement. He is the vice-chair of the UCISA Sustainability Group, member of the UCISA Support Services Group, an eager contributor to UCISA projects, and enjoys voluntary work, latest for tuition charity The Access Project. Continuous learning is a core principle to Henrik, he completed a Master’s degree with distinction in Management not long ago, and he perpetually embraces opportunities to learn through a variety of platforms. He is a keen architecture buff (having recently built a house to his own design) and loves a good cup of tea!

Phil Taphouse exemplifies leadership in service operations and AIOps, with over 15 years of experience. Known for his visionary ideas and Service Operations Framework, he inspires the ServiceNow community through his podcast, engaging presentations, and online presence as "The ITOM Guy," sharing insights with higher education institutions.

Andrew is a digital leader that is responsible for the web estate and strategy for the University of Dundee. Over the last 6 years he has transformed the University presence by rebuilding from scratch, moving to the cloud, promoting a data led user first strategy and integrating an array of third party providers

EMEA Google Workspace for Education and Gemini Lead, Simon Fasolo, empowers learning communities with tools like Gemini, driving innovation in learning with AI, to elevate teaching, learning, collaboration, and productivity. Simon supports K12 and higher education institutions with the world's safest and most secure platform, Google Workspace for Education.

Nigel Inkster, formerly Assistant Chief of MI6, is the Director for Geopolitics and Intelligence at Enodo Economics, a macro-economic consultancy specialising in China. His focus is on China’s advanced technologies and he is the author of the Great Decoupling: China, America and the Struggle for Technological Supremacy.

David has been at Sunderland for over 24 years and, has the responsibility for technical support comprising University IT, Academic Technical Support, Information Governance, Cyber Security, Business Resilience, and Programme Management Office.

A “jack of all trades” professional within the Technology sector. Sally’s passion and purpose is to drive, deliver, support innovation and technology - to change and transform services for the better for students and staff.

Richard has worked in a variety of IT infrastructure roles and he is currently the Principal Infrastructure Engineer at the University of Derby. He enjoys using his skills and experience to enable digital transformation through infrastructure strategy, design, implementation, and operations, with a passion for automation and sharing knowledge with others.

In her role as Digital Transformation Programme Manager, Helen supports the delivery of strategic projects that are reimagining the staff and student experience, with Queen's University being shortlisted for the UCISA 2024 Transformation Award. She has over 20 years of experience in the education sector including teaching, staff training and digital learning and was previously Head of Innovative Learning and Digital Transformation at Northern Regional College.

Within the Digital Transformation Team at Queen's University Belfast, Liam leads collaborative efforts to digitise key staff and student processes. With over 19 years of experience as a web developer, he played a pivotal role in developing modern, accessible, mobile-responsive, and user-friendly websites and services that transformed the university’s online presence and improved the user experience.

Peter’s educational background spans Mathematics, Computing, and Data Science, with degrees from the University of Manchester and Ulster University and he has experience as a college teacher, software developer, and software engineer. Currently at Queen’s University Belfast, Peter is part of the Digital Transformation Team, helping to digitise university processes, leading the team in implementing chatbots and supporting staff to leverage tools used in data reporting and analytics. Passionate about technology, Peter is dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency in higher education and beyond.