Tech Talks

Latest Episodes:

Finance Is The 100% Sector: Why AI Can’t Replace the Human in Fintech’s Final Mile Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

“Banking is 100% of the time business. You've got to get it right. It's got to be compliant and you have to have a sure delivery of movement of funds if that's the business that you're in.”

On today's show David talks to Global Financial Services leader Richard Winston (Slalom Consulting) to unpack a shift at Money20/20 Las Vegas, where the biggest players now hunt for payment innovation.

We dive into why banking remains a "100% business," with Richard arguing that human validation is essential because AI models still hallucinate. Richard explains how Millennials and GenZ are forcing legacy firms to digitise their experience, moving friction from the customer journey to critical regulatory checks.

Tech Talks is powered by Nash Squared, the leading global provider of technology and talent solutions. Find out more about our solutions at⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.nashsquared.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

Is Success Just An Illusion of Luck, Or The Result Of Hardwork? Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

Today Openbrix founder Shahad Choudhury details his PropTech company's foundational pivot!

Originally aiming to revolutionize the rental sector with blockchain, Openbrix abandoned the tech (and the fight against giants like Rightmove) to focus on the later stages of the tenant lifecycle.

Shahad explains how this shift, coupled with a government-backed partnership, led to rapid growth (20,000 new users monthly) without spending on marketing or social activity. It's a discussion on why product focus trumps noise.

(Today's cover photo is taken from our last interview in 2021)

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

The Truth About Communications And FinTech: Trust is the Only Feature That Scales Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

In today's show I'm chatting to a founder, board member, mentor, and fellow podcaster! Kimberley Waldron, founder of Started (the FinTech brand and PR specialists), argues that poor communication, not technology failure, is the biggest threat to FinTech adoption.

Together we unpack why the industry must shift focus from internal jargon to tangible end-user benefits. Kimberley explains that in times of economic turbulence, building trust requires authentic, sympathetic human communication.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

The Cyber Security Misstep: Why Prevention Isn't Enough, and How Boards Get Resilience Wrong Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

Co-founder of CyLon, Grace Cassy, reveals why Europe struggles to scale cyber talent and challenges the industry's focus on prevention.

She discusses the human cost of complacency and what "bouncing back" looks like practically; from immutable backups to prioritizing critical systems. A vital conversation on moving from throwing up high walls to building true organizational resilience.

We also discuss the new film Grace has contributed to Midnight in the War Room, you can watch the trailer here.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

The Truth About Scaling AI to the Corner Shop: Square's Quest for Simplicity Oct 22, 2025

Show notes

Willem Ave, Square's Global Head of Product, joins host David Savage to discuss Square's evolution from a card reader to an ecosystem of banking and software.

Together they unpack the strategy behind bringing advanced AI tools (like virtual CFOs and CMOs) to small, independent businesses helping drive economic empowerment. Willem explains how Square balances rapid feature growth with the commitment to simple, design-led experiences that sellers can trust.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

Climate Policy, AI, and ROI: Why the Market Demands Business Intelligence, Not Just Education Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

On today's podcast Georgie Steele (CTO and Co-founder of Maven) discusses turning complex climate policy into actionable business intelligence.

She reveals how Maiven navigates resistence/indifference towards sustainability by focusing on commercial ROI and adapting to shifting local regulations. Georgie also shares insights on fostering an 'AI-first' culture, enabling non-technical teams with "vibe coding", and addresses the critical need for senior engineers to oversee emerging AI tools, which often act like "eager juniors".

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

The Storytelling Trade-Off: AI, Human Decisions, and the Future of Film Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

Filmmaking is being democratised, with the barrier to entry lowered by affordable tech.

Chris Elliott, co-founder of Sound & Colour Films, explores the high-stakes trade-off: how generative AI allows in-house teams to achieve more, but simultaneously threatens to cannibalise the professional creative industry.

Ultimately, Chris argues that the enduring value lies not in the tools, but in the human fundamentals of connecting with people and telling a story.

To watch Chris, Rick and the teams work (and our latest Tech Flix film) follow this link: https://youtu.be/FQVvOMKxXJA?si=41kmJmtjsvMESX1O

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

Tension in FinTech: Automating Compliance Without Losing the Human-in-the-Loop Oct 15, 2025

Show notes

In today's episode Adclear co-founder Joe Jordan reveals how AI is helping to automate compliance for regulated firms like PensionBee and Plum.

He addresses the fundamental tension between marketing's push for speed and creativity and the crippling risks of regulatory investigations.

With David he discusses how Adclear builds deep trust, manages internal risk tolerances, and why resilience is the key soft skill needed to succeed in this high-stakes environment.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

Oracle NetSuite Bet on AI Driving EMEA Growth with NetSuite Next Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

Nicky Tozer (NetSuite SVP EMEA) joins us to discuss the "exciting evolution" of their platform and chat about how AI is moving from a vague promise to a purposeful, productivity engine.

She reveals how concentrated use cases, like the autonomous close, deliver real, tangible benefits for growing businesses.

As she chats to David, we also explore the challenge of adopting a single source of truth and why the EMEA market sees technology as a crucial growth agent, focusing on efficiency and empowering employees.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠

Transparency and AI: Why NetSuite Built Trust Into the Core Architecture Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

Senior VP Brian Chess reveals NetSuite’s architectural bet with transparency in their AI: moving beyond quick wins to build trust into the core ERP system.

We explore the leadership decision to enable external models (like ChatGPT/Claude) via the AI Connector Service.

Brian also discusses the challenge of proving AI ROI to the CFO and why organizational experimentation is key in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The music on Tech Talks is created by London artist Lemzi:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lemzi.com⁠⁠