As digital products become the engines of modern organisations, leaders face a pivotal moment: adapt the way teams think and operate……or risk falling behind.
The shift from project to product isn’t just a delivery change; it’s a strategic evolution that demands new approaches to leadership, governance, and culture. High‑performing organisations are already empowering cross‑functional teams, aligning around outcomes and using emerging technologies like AI to accelerate value creation. Those who don’t evolve will struggle to keep pace.
Senior peers from across the Tech community came together for a candid, future-focused discussion on what it truly took to lead in a product-driven world. Attendees gained practical guidance, heard real stories from the speaker panel, and left with actionable insights to drive meaningful change in their own organisations.
Meet the Event host & Speaker panelists
Hosting today’s session is Chris Cahill who has recently started as Head of Engineering at Freemans Grattan Holdings having been in a variety of Tech leadership roles for the likes of AND Digital, Hermes and Yorkshire Water. Chris does a lot of work in the Tech community, having been involved with the British Computer Society for many years in a range of roles including Treasurer and Chair, and also as Regional Chair (North and Midlands) of BCS ELITE.
Louis Fagan is a digital product leader who believes technology should make complex things feel simple. As Head of Digital Product at interactive investor, he partners with multidisciplinary teams to create digital experiences that help customers invest with confidence. His career has focused on uniting strategy, technology and customer insight to drive meaningful transformation, including major digital modernisation initiatives at HSBC UK and M&S Bank. Before transitioning into digital product, Louis spent over a decade as a Royal Navy officer, an experience that shaped his pragmatic, collaborative leadership style and commitment to enabling people to do their best work.
Laura Harris is an experienced Digital Product Manager with a strong track record of delivering customer focused digital products across the housing, retail, and technology sectors. In her role at Persimmon Homes, she leads customer product strategy and digital transformation initiatives, UX insight and cross-functional collaboration to modernise the customer journey and drive commercial performance. Previously, Laura played a key role in major digital programmes at Lakeland and Pets at Home, including the launch of a transformational mobile app and large-scale CRM integrations that increased loyalty membership by 300,000 in just one week. With a background spanning product ownership, digital delivery and customer experience, Laura is known for her strategic mindset, strong stakeholder leadership, and ability to translate complex technology into measurable business and customer value.
Philippa Rickard is an accomplished technology leader with a career spanning global delivery, digital transformation, and complex enterprise portfolio management. Beginning her career as a developer and project manager, she progressed through senior delivery and technology leadership roles across major organisations including Logica, William Hill, Sky, Morrisons, Covéa Insurance and xDesign. Today, as Global Head of Technology Delivery at Freshfields, she leads large scale, cross functional initiatives that drive innovation and operational excellence. Philippa is known for transforming delivery functions, mentoring high performing teams, and guiding organisations through strategic change. She also advises startups, applying her extensive experience to help scale modern digital businesses.
Raj Fowler is the Director of Engineering at Skipton Building Society, where he leads technology and transformation through a “Builders” identity. A seasoned leader with an impactful track record at Amazon, DevOpsGroup, and BAE Systems, Raj specializes in systemic innovation and high-performance cultures. He is a recognized DevOps thought leader, contributor to The Unicorn Project, and author of The DevOps Playbook. Using his “Goals, Work, Flow” framework, he embeds human-centered foundations to drive speed, stability, and joy. A “Game Changer” at heart, Raj is dedicated to creative, data-driven problem-solving. Fun fact: he was once a Cleethorpes Bingo Caller!!