Digital Lighthouse

On this episode of Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Jessica Figueras, Tech Strategist and Chair of the National Childbirth Trust. Jessica discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted organisations that rely on person-to-person contact, and how technology has played a part in moving communities online.

Digital Lighthouse: Innovation for social motivation

On this week's Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Rebecca Kemp, Director of Customer Journey at Citizen's Advice.

The Customer Journey

On this week's Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Kristian Merritt, Director of Digital Transformation at David Lloyd Clubs. Kristian discusses how David Lloyd Clubs has tackled the challenges of COVID and how their business and digital strategy had to dramatically transform to cater to customers remotely.

David Lloyd Clubs' Digital Shift

On this week's Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Danny Attias, Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at Anthony Nolan. As the first special episode on digital leadership, Danny takes a deep dive into what it means to be a digital leader and gives some insight into how businesses can thrive in this competitive and constantly shifting digital landscape. From legacy infrastructure and data monoliths to seamless customer journey maps and continuous improvement platforms, Danny takes us through Anthony Nolan's digital transformation, where merging digital and business strategies has been at the forefront of their success.

Leading digital strategy at Anthony Nolan

On this week's Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Scott Ronan, Senior Director of Central Infrastructure at GXO. As the second special episode on digital leadership, Scott takes a deep dive into what it means to be a digital leader. Scott shines a spotlight on the importance of trusting, understanding, and giving autonomy to your teams, as well as predicting technology trends and working out how to build new technologies into your business strategy.

How to bridge business expectations and technology capabilities?

Digital Lighthouse Jen Dallas (Softwire)

On this week's Digital Lighthouse, Zoe Cunningham is joined by Jen Dallas, Head of Digital UK and Ireland at RSA Insurance. Jen talks about the work she and her team have done to develop customer experiences across their platform. She explores the RSA's use of user testing, research and leadership to help create huge efficiency gains, and what has been valuable for the RSA's position in the financial services sector.

Jen Dallas is the Head of Digital at RSA Insurance, where her current focus is on delivering ecommerce growth and strategically aligned, customer-centric product developments. She has spent the past 15 years honing her skills in the travel and insurance sectors, using her expertise to solve business problems through digital solutions, driving online adoption.

How the RSA is delivering great customer experiences to its financial services users

Itsumo Nando Demo Piano Version - Chihiro - Spirited Away Soundtrack

踏蒼穹(《獻魚》弒神曲)

Nắng Ấm Trong Tim

Low G - In Love (ft. JustaTee)

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits past interviews with technology pioneers Bill Moggridge, Jason Kottke, Anil Dash, and Kevin Kelly. These excerpts reflect on how technology emerged, how it shapes the way we live, and how these early thinkers imagined the future unfolding.

20th Anniversary celebration with technology pioneers Bill Moggridge, Jason Kottke, Anil Dash, and Kevin Kelly

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with theatre designers David Korins, Ina Mayhew, David Rockwell, Es Devlin, and Dane Laffrey. From Broadway landmarks to innovative film and live performance design, these excerpts reveal how sets and spaces shape emotion, deepen story, and draw audiences into the moment.

20th Anniversary celebration with theatre designers David Korins, Ina Mayhew, David Rockwell, Es Devlin, and Dane Laffrey

Why do technology projects get so messy even when they start with clear plans and enthusiastic teams? And what can leaders do to navigate the chaos in the middle?

In this episode, Zoe Cunningham speaks with Rachael Morgan, an experienced Head of Technology. She has worked in different industries from the NHS, betting and gaming, and is currently in finance. 

They explore the messy middle of tech delivery. Drawing on experience across the NHS, Sky Betting and Gaming, and now Flutter, Rachael explains why delivery challenges rarely come from the technology itself, but from people, process choices, and the complexity of real organisational ecosystems.

Rachael shares practical insights from leading six global data engineering teams, including how to strike the right balance of process, how to understand and use individual strengths within a team, and why continuous communication is essential when navigating uncertainty.

🔎 You’ll learn:
• What the “messy middle” is and why every technology project encounters it
• Why humans, not technology, are the real drivers of delivery success
• How process frameworks help, hinder, and grow unintentionally over time
• The risks of over-processing and under-processing in regulated environments
• How leaders can use metrics and communication to spot real delivery risks early
• Why understanding your team and understanding yourself sit at the core of effective leadership
• How reflection helps leaders manage emotion, complexity, and decision making

💡 Whether you lead engineering teams, manage digital projects, or work anywhere near technology delivery, this conversation offers practical and thoughtful guidance for handling complexity with confidence.

⸻

Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
01:11 – Rachael’s career journey through NHS, gaming, and data leadership
03:52 – What the “messy middle” means in tech delivery
07:07 – Why technology is binary but delivery is human
08:47 – Process frameworks, complexity, and making the right choices
11:30 – How much process is “just enough”?
14:18 – Learning from other leaders and industries
20:01 – Is Agile the answer?
21:18 – Humans are messy, and that is a strength
23:56 – Understanding individuals and leadership at scale
24:48 – How to tell normal problems from real project danger
28:11 – Why leaders must understand themselves

⸻

🎧 Listen to The Digital Lighthouse:
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#TechLeadership #DigitalDelivery #EngineeringManagement #ProjectDelivery #RachaelMorgan #TheDigitalLighthouse #ZoeCunningham #FlutterEntertainment #MessyMiddle #Softwire

Navigating the messy middle of technology projects with Rachael Morgan

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman shares excerpts from interviews with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer, Jessica Hische, Tobias Frere-Jones, Matthew Carter, and Kris Holmes, reflecting on legibility and expression, how letters behave, the discipline of refinement, and how type has evolved from hand-crafted processes to the digital tools we use today.

20th Anniversary celebration with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer, Jessica Hische, Tobias Frere-Jones, Matthew Carter, and Kris Holmes

Việt Nam Những Chuyến Đi (Single)

Việt Nam Những Chuyến Đi

Chapters

You & Me

The Digital Lighthouse is a podcast for CTOs and other tech leaders looking to navigate their organisation through endless disruption and turbulence. Packed full of real life stories and insights, this podcast serves as your guiding light - wherever you are in your journey and whatever challenges you face.

How to bridge business expectations and technology capabilities?

The Digital Lighthouse

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