Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

• I am a former Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at IBM, bringing over 35 years of executive leadership experience in enterprise technology. At IBM, I was a member of the Senior Leadership Team in the UK & Ireland and had previously held various roles at Global, Geographic, and country levels, including Vice President of Global Markets for their Market Intelligence function.
• During this time, I was responsible for large teams covering all areas of the IBM portfolio and various routes to market. I spent a lot of time with our Channel Partners, Ecosystem, and Suppliers as well as working directly with the IBM teams.
• Having recently left IBM, I now operate as a Non-Executive Director & Advisor to other organisations, as well as acting as an Ambassador to London Tech Week, presenting and hosting conferences, and working with a number of voluntary organisations.

Q2. Which enterprise tech verticals are currently experiencing the fastest YoY growth, based on your recent observations or network data?

• Cybersecurity remains a top priority, especially in areas such as zero-trust architecture and post-quantum readiness.
• AI infrastructure is accelerating, particularly in terms of the demand for vector databases and foundation model orchestration. Supply chain technology, especially in areas such as resilience and predictive analytics, is experiencing a strong rebound.
• Data observability and governance tooling are gaining momentum, fueled by the growth of compliance and AI usage.
• Vertical SaaS in healthcare, finance, and manufacturing is expanding rapidly with edge-first strategies and a continued growth in Fintech platforms.

Q3. What are some key differences in how markets in Europe, North America, and Asia respond to digital innovation and transformation initiatives?

• North America tends to lead with early adoption, especially among enterprise disruptors and private equity-backed firms, although recent tariffs have been creating uncertainty and an increased internal focus
• European firms place greater emphasis on compliance, sustainability, and ecosystem-driven innovation, where Data privacy remains a non-negotiable compliance focus.
• In Asia, speed to scale is unmatched, but often through centralized decision-making and national strategy alignment, with a strong Governmental focus.
• Cultural buying behaviors vary—North America focuses on the ROI narrative, Europe on risk mitigation, and Asia on relationship capital.

Q4. With increased focus on responsible tech, how are senior leaders balancing innovation with governance and transparency?

• Boards are pushing for integrated governance models that include tech ethics as part of risk committees, with increased focus on transparency dashboards for all stakeholders. Non-Executive Directors and Advisory Boards are taking a more important role to help bring an external lens into the organisation.
• CIOs and CMOs are working more closely to align data use with brand trust and customer experience, with a greater integration across the C-Suite in general.
• Shadow IT is being reined in through tighter procurement processes and clearer audit trails, and increasingly, AI use cases are being put through internal review boards.

Q5. What external forces—economic, regulatory, or technological—are currently reshaping B2B market dynamics the most?

• Regulatory convergence, particularly in areas such as AI, sustainability, and data privacy, is shaping many discussions.
• Generative AI is reshaping expectations for personalization, speed, and content delivery in enterprise tools.
• ESG pressures, from investors, procurement teams, and client expectations, are impacting vendor selection.
• Cost of capital, access to talent, and inflationary pressures are all impacting how enterprises prioritise focus, investments, and growth strategies.
• Other areas, such as national security, tariff volatility, and increased M&A activity, are also impacting decisions and forcing organisations to further differentiate.

Q6. In your experience, what are the top decision-making criteria enterprise buyers use today when evaluating a new technology solution?

• Integration ease - solutions must fit within existing architecture and organisation culture, without long ramp times.
• Compliance readiness, especially with regard to data privacy and upcoming AI regulations.
• Proven time-to-value with use cases & references - proof points must show impact within 1–2 quarters, not years, with user references readily available
• Vendor viability, Ecosystem alignment, and risk of lock-in - buyers are asking more pointed questions about openness and integrations. Stability of organisation and risk, futureproofing.

Q7. If you were an investor looking at companies within the space, what critical question would you pose to their senior management?

• Where do you make your money, and how are you navigating go-to-market fatigue in crowded categories?
• Where does your platform create real advantage, and how long will that last?
• What percentage of your roadmap is driven by customer pull vs. internal aspiration?
• Do you have a plan for compliance by design, not just as a bolt-on?
• How will you scale trust with both partners and regulators as you grow?
• What would make your top three customers leave—and what are you doing about it?