Where Innovation Flows

Hermione Way is a technology entrepreneur whose career spans 20-years. She spent seven years working in Silicon Valley as a journalist and was formerly Head Of Communications at Tinder.

An AI, Innovation, Software Delivery, Design, Product, and Business executive with over 20 years of experience, currently serving as European CTO and Global SVP, Head of the Dava.X AI grioup at Endava (NYSE: DAVA), reporting to Global CTO Matt Cloke. Previously, worked 16 years at Prudential Financial Inc./Pramerica, including 13 years in Letterkenny, Ireland, and a 3-year US international rotation. Held multiple leadership roles such as Regional CTO, Global SVP, Global Innovation Head, Interim Global Product Acceleration Head, Interim CIO, Software Development Lead, and Technical Project Manager. Early career included roles at IT startup Nooked and Microsoft’s European Development Center in Dublin.

Founder, CEO & Chairman of Alchemy Technology Services. John Harkin is a senior executive and specialist in Business and Organisational Transformation & Technology-enabled change. John has worked in consulting for 35+ years, both for blue-chip consultancies and as an independent advisor, where he has advised clients such as Apple, De Beers, and various insurance and banking organisations in strategy, technology, process, organisational change, and leadership effectiveness. John has experience in leading global teams, both in the US and Europe.

Laura is a commercially focused leader and TEDx speaker with over 15 years’ experience driving strategic growth, profitability, and innovation across fintech, SaaS, and digital consultancy. She is Co-founder and CEO of DevDay, a startup building the next generation of technical assessment tools designed for the AI era. Most recently, she led the growth of Synechron’s Belfast operation, scaling the team from 0 to over 100 people while delivering strong commercial performance. Laura has held senior roles at Citi, Songtradr, and Nisos, leading international expansion, M&A integration, and product scaling, and currently serves on the boards of Ulster University, Software NI, and Natural Resilience. Deeply embedded in the tech ecosystem, she is known for building high-performing, cross-functional teams and is passionate about inclusive leadership, resilient cultures, and helping organisations navigate complexity with clarity and purpose.

Justin Edwards is the Director of Learning Experiences at Minecraft Education, a division within Microsoft focused on education through game-based learning. Since joining Microsoft in May 2021, Justin has led the development of educational content and strategic initiatives for Minecraft Education, helping integrate gameplay with pedagogical best practices and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. His leadership has been instrumental in shaping how Minecraft is used as a platform to teach subjects ranging from climate science and mathematics to digital citizenship and workplace skills.

Ross Hompstead is Director of Technology at ASOS.com where he leads engineering teams delivering resilient, scalable and customer focused systems. With a strong foundation in software engineering, he drives technical strategy while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Ross is committed to building empowered, autonomous teams through authentic leadership and clear technical vision. He is passionate about scaling technology and people together to deliver sustainable value.