The Next Move: The decisions business leaders need to make about AI now

AI has moved beyond experimentation.

The organisations creating lasting advantage aren’t asking whether they should adopt AI. They’re making strategic decisions about how to scale it, govern it, integrate it into operations and unlock measurable business value.

Join ANS, Microsoft and a select group of business and technology leaders for a morning at The Londoner, where we’ll explore the decisions organisations need to make now to stay competitive in an AI-driven future, as the technology continues to evolve at pace and standing still is no longer an option.

Why Attend?

As AI adoption accelerates, business leaders face a new challenge: determining where to invest, what to prioritise and how to create meaningful outcomes.

This event brings together leaders who are actively navigating those decisions.

You’ll hear first-hand experiences from organisations enabling, adopting and securely scaling AI capabilities. You will gain insight into Microsoft’s vision for the future of AI and agents, and learn practical approaches for turning AI ambition into business advantage.

Hear From

Genuit Group

• Hear from the CIO of one of the UK’s leading building products businesses on the leadership decisions required to create the right foundations for AI, from governance and data readiness through to scaling innovation across a complex organisation.

Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate

• Gain insight from one of the UK’s most respected consumer brands on balancing heritage, innovation and digital transformation. Explore how technology, data and AI are helping drive operational efficiency, customer engagement and long-term business value.

Aberdeen

• Hear from Aberdeen as they share their perspective on technology transformation, AI and innovation. They’ll explore how they’re navigating change, where they see the biggest opportunities and what business leaders need to consider as technology continues to evolve.

OAG

• Discover how one of the world’s leading travel data platforms is using data, analytics and AI to drive better decision-making, create competitive advantage and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Fuuse

• Hear from the CTO of a rapidly growing technology scale-up operating at the heart of the EV revolution. Learn how agile organisations are embedding AI into products, services and decision-making to accelerate innovation and stay ahead of market change.

AutoRek

• Hear from a technology leader at AutoRek, a global provider of financial data management and reconciliation software, on how intelligent automation, data quality and AI are helping organisations streamline complex business processes, reduce operational risk and drive efficiency at scale. Learn how leading organisations are preparing for a future where automation and AI become embedded across core business functions.

Microsoft

• Hear directly from Microsoft on the key announcements and innovations unveiled at Ignite, and more importantly, what they mean for business leaders in practice. Cut through the hype and gain first-hand insight into the AI, Copilot, security, data and agentic AI developments that are likely to shape technology investment, priorities and competitive advantage over the next 12-24 months.

ANS

• As one of Microsoft’s leading AI, data, security and cloud partners, ANS works with organisations at every stage of their AI journey, from initial strategy and readiness through to adoption, governance, optimisation and business-wide transformation.

Key Takeaways

• Understand how leading organisations are approaching AI investment
• Learn how to move from experimentation to measurable business outcomes
• Explore the opportunities and risks of agentic AI
• Hear real-world lessons from technology leaders across multiple industries
• Gain practical guidance on building an AI strategy that delivers value
• Network with senior technology and business leaders

Secure Your Seat

Meet the speakers

David Threlfall

Chief Information Officer at Genuit Group

David Threlfall is a Fractional and Interim CIO with extensive experience in digital transformation, IT strategy, cyber security, and business change. As Interim CIO at Genuit Group and founder of Parachute IT Services, he helps organisations leverage technology to drive growth, reduce risk, and deliver meaningful business outcomes.

Chris Smith

Head of Data & Analytics at Betty and Taylors of Harrogate

Christopher Smith is Head of Data & Analytics at Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate. With a background in utilities and manufacturing, he specialises in helping organisations harness the power of data to improve decision-making, drive transformation, and create measurable business value through modern analytics and insight-led strategies.

Badri Narasimhan

Executive Director at William Grant & Sons

Badri Narasimhan is Executive Director at William Grant & Sons, bringing extensive experience in strategy, technology, transformation and international business growth. His career spans senior roles at organisations including PepsiCo, Britvic, SABMiller and Accenture, giving him a wealth of experience in driving change across complex global businesses.

Alasdair Callan

Head of Power Platform Centre of Enablement at Aberdeen

Alasdair Callan is Head of the Power Platform Centre of Enablement at Aberdeen. He has more than 30 years' experience in data, business intelligence and technology across financial services and media. He previously led Aberdeen's Business Intelligence function before moving into his current role. Today he helps the firm adopt low-code, automation and AI agents safely and at scale, turning innovation from across the business into measurable outcomes.

Nik Southworth

Chief Technology Officer at Fuuse

Nik Southworth is CTO at Fuuse, a UK-based cloud-native EV charge point management platform, where he leads Product, Technology and Network Services. He has over 20 years of technology leadership experience across PE-backed, VC-funded and owner-managed businesses, including CPTO at IMS and CTO at Beauty Bay, where he scaled the digital team from 6 to 30 and rebuilt the platform for high-growth trading. He's led teams from startup through to successful exit, and operates comfortably across the CTO/CPO/CIO spectrum, from technical detail to board-level strategy. He's based in Greater Manchester and is a keen cyclist when not building technology solutions.

Cameron McAnsh

Vice President of Technology

Cameron McAnsh is Vice President of Technology and an experienced technology leader specialising in digital transformation, cloud, data, cybersecurity and AI. With a track record of building secure and scalable technology environments, he brings a practical perspective on how businesses can embrace emerging technology to drive innovation and growth.

Tony Livesey

Chief Technology & Product Officer at AutoRek

Tony Livesey is Chief Technology & Product Officer at AutoRek and an experienced technology leader specialising in digital transformation, cloud, AI and data strategy. Having held senior roles at PremFina, Royal London, KPMG and Aegon, he brings extensive experience in modernising complex technology environments and aligning technology strategy with customer and commercial outcomes.

Kyle Hill

Chief Technology Officer at ANS

Kyle Hill joined ANS in June 2023 as Technical Services Delivery Director, quickly transforming the Professional Services and Centre of Excellence teams into industry leaders. In 2024, Kyle was promoted to Chief Technology Officer to continue developing and scaling world-class cloud, security, and digital services. Kyle is an expert in complex, multi-technology offerings, making him a sought-after authority and speaker on AI readiness and digital transformation. Additionally, he is recognised by Microsoft for his contributions to the tech community as a Regional Director and Most Valuable Professional (MVP).

Chris Huntingford

Director of AI at ANS

Chris Huntingford is Director of AI at ANS, helping organisations harness AI, data, and emerging technologies to drive innovation and business value. A recognised technology leader and speaker, he works with business and technology leaders to understand, adopt, and scale AI in practical and impactful ways.

More speakers coming soon