‘Automation: Friend or Foe?’

Digital technology affects almost all aspects of modern life – from shopping to sport, gaming to education, how we think to how we feel. AI, the internet of things, 5G, and cloud storage continually enable an avalanche of new products and services, many of which we welcome and rely on, and others which raise concerns. As we learn to live with these ubiquitous technologies, it leads us to question where the boundaries between people and digital technologies lie. How much do they shape how we think, feel and act?

Panellists

Oliver Aust is Founder & CEO of Eo Ipso Communications and former Chief Communicator at easyJet. Oliver works with CEOs and business founders on leadership communication, brand reputation and stakeholder engagement,  navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI and automation, and their impact on brands and customer engagement. He is also the founder of the Speak Like a CEO academy and podcast.

Rachel Caldicott, OBE. Founder and executive director specialising in the social impact of new and emerging technologies, and founding CEO of think tank Doteveryone. Rachel has led influential research into responsible innovation, with a career spanning the BBC, Microsoft, BT, and Channel 4. Rachel was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to the digital society.

Peter Cheese was Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the UK’s professional body for HR and people development until July 2026. Based in London, he is also a companion of the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Prior to this he was Global Managing Director at Accenture.

Simon Farrar has over 25 years’ experience in financial services, including senior executive leadership at Nationwide, where he transformed customer communications – delivering major shifts from print to digital. Now Business Services Director at Go Inspire – a Xerox company –  he leads client and transformation teams modernising communications in complex, regulated markets.

Alex Merrifield is a product leader with more than 30 years’ experience helping organisations build products that deliver meaningful customer, commercial and strategic value. Known for continually asking “Why?”, Alex specialises in bringing clarity to complex challenges and leading innovation where there is uncertainty.

Chair – Omaid Hiwaizi is a marketing strategist and communications leader with deep experience in developing brands across emerging technologies. Omaid has worked with both high-growth startups and global corporations including Sapient, WPP and Future Positive through to augmented reality platform Blippar, multiple Web 3/Blockchain projects and weight loss start up Elcella. Thought leader Omaid will explore automations’ transformative potential and its wider societal implications with the panel.