CDO Club Holds First-Ever U.K. Chief Digital Officer Summit

Reception and Networking at the London CDO Summit 2014

U.K. Chief Digital Officer Summit in London, England, on October 29, 2014

The CDO Club held the first-ever U.K. Chief Digital Officer Summit in London, England, on October 29, 2014.

The Summit, which sold out weeks in advance, was presented by Accenture Digital and hosted by the BBC Worldwide.

The U.K. Chief Digital Officer Summit addressed the challenges and opportunities arising from digital, social, and mobile media.

Attendees learned how to create and implement strategies, attract and retain the right talent, and define clear roles and responsibilities to excel in the digital age.

Mike Bracken UK CDO of the Year 2014

Mike Bracken: U.K. Chief Digital Officer of the Year 2014

Arguably, the biggest news of the day was the naming of the first-ever U.K. CDO of the Year to Mike Bracken, Executive Director of Government Digital Service (GDS), by the CDO Club.

In what diginomica called a “thoroughly well-deserved recognition,” Bracken received his award after his keynote presentation, “Digital by Default: Two Years On.”

 

“Mike is an inspiration to all digital leaders tasked with transformation, regardless of sector,” said David Mathison, founder of the CDO Club, after presenting the award.

[bctt tweet=”Mike Bracken @MTBracken @gdsteam named first U.K. Chief Digital Officer of the Year by CDO Club” via=”no”]

See Press Release Here

Bracken also made waves at the summit when he announced he was dropping his current title in favor of becoming the government’s Chief Digital Officer (CDO).

As reported by ComputerWeekly.com and CIO, Bracken has been instrumental in reforming government services since he joined GDS in July 2011. Key to this transformation is Bracken’s belief that digital services can be both more affordable and more practical for the citizens who use them.

“The CDO has been the fundamental shift from focusing on ourselves to focusing on users,” he said.

[bctt tweet=”‘The CDO has been the fundamental shift from focusing on ourselves to focusing on users’ @MTBracken @gdsteam” via=”no”]

Rohan Silva Featured Speaker at London CDO Summit 2014

Rohan Silva: Featured Speaker at London Chief Digital Officer Summit 2014

The featured speaker of the event was Rohan Silva, cofounder of Second Home and Spacious, and previously Senior Policy Adviser to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron.

Additional keynote speakers at the event included:

Charlie Redmayne Saul Klein Ralph Rivera Amanda Hill

Charlie Redmayne
Chief Executive Officer
HarperCollins U.K.

Saul Klein
Partner
Index Ventures

Ralph Rivera
Director of Future Media
BBC

Amanda Hill
Chief Brands Officer
BBC Worldwide

Narry Singh Mike Bracken Mark Dearnley Mark Read

Narry Singh
Digital Strategy Lead
Accenture EALA

Mike Bracken
Chief Digital Officer
Cabinet Office

Mark Dearnley
Chief Digital and
Information Officer
HMRC

Mark Read
Chief Executive Officer
WPP Digital

Stuart Lauchlan of diginomica said the U.K. Chief Digital Officer Summit 2014 was “a splendidly content-rich event to which we will be returning over the next few days as we get our heads round all the great stuff that came out of the day.”

Ralph Rivera Keynote at London CDO Summit 2014

Ralph Rivera: Keynote at London Chief Digital Officer Summit 2014

A great example of how much content was available at the summit is ComputerWeekly.com’s in-depth analysis of Ralph Rivera’s keynote, “Where Next: The Journey from BBC Online to the BBC, Online,” considering that this was only one of nine keynotes and four panels held that day.

Also garnering notable attention was a presentation by 22-year-old Gordon Ching, the world’s youngest Chief Digital Officer, the CDO at AIESEC.

Social Media Team Live Tweeting

CDO Club’s Social Media Team Live Tweeting

The event was tweeted live on http://Twitter.com/BeTheMedia. Engagement from the tech-savvy audience, both physically present and online, eventually caused the event hashtag #CDOSummitUK to trend on Twitter in London.

In addition to our own Andrzej Sienko, thanks to our social media ninjas ThomasPower, NatSchoolerJayShetty1, and Michelle_Beer, among others.

The event was sponsored by Accenture Digital. “In the same way that CMOs drive marketing strategy and CIOs the technology strategy, those companies serious about digital transformation have identified the need for a CDO to drive the digital strategy at the board level,” said Narry Singh, Digital Strategy Lead at Accenture EALA.

Narry Singh Keynote Speaker at the London CDO Summit 2014

Narry Singh: Keynote Speaker at the London Chief Digital Officer Summit 2014

“The Chief Digital Officer Summit provides the chance not just for CDOs to come together and learn from one another, but for those organisations without a CDO already in place to better understand the significance of this role and the value it can bring,” Singh said.

In addition to Accenture, the Chief Digital Officer Summit was sponsored by Odgers Berndtson, Forgerock, and eMarketer.

If you missed the summit, or would like to view it, CDO Club members can watch videos and photos of every single keynote and panel – not just from the London event, but from every single CDO Summit since inception.

Be sure to check out our CDO Club membership options today.

– By Andrzej Sienko

— #30# —

NOTE: The CDO Club is now a membership site. You’ll need to register in order to continue enjoying our posts. To register or for more information, click here.

If you are tasked with understanding what digital leaders must do in order to succeed in almost any industry, the best place to learn more is at the Chief Digital Officer Summit.

Take advantage of our Super Early Bird Discount for Amsterdam, London in October 2015, Sydney in February 2016, NYC in April 2016, and Toronto in July 2016. Reserve your place now:

Register Now

The CDO Summit is the “must-attend” digital event of the year. The 2013 and 2014 CDO Summits received stellar endorsements from dozens of speakers and attendees alike:

“The Chief Digital Officer Summit was engaging as much as it was informative. Bringing these incredible leaders together in one place and for one day speaks to David Mathison’s extensive network, his ability to understand the needs of his clients, and to be ahead of the curve in this important space. It was a great use of my time, and I learned more than I ever thought I would. Great networking as well!”


“The Chief Digital Officer Summit was a very relevant topic for today’s times. I was impressed by the caliber and diversity of the panel speakers, all of whom had something unique and valuable to offer. A great opportunity to learn from the best.”

Amanda Jones-Orengo
Director
Towers Watson

“Sometimes a conference comes along that hits the trifecta – hot topic, high-caliber attendees, and stellar location. The first Chief Digital Officer Summit reached that mark with ease, and I look forward to attending the next one.”


“The Chief Digital Officer Summit was outstanding. Why? Candid panels with top players in the digital community. Splendid break-time conversations. And, savvy facilitation, Mathison Style.”

More Endorsements

< More News

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES:

Yes, sign me up! By submitting this form, I agree and consent to receive emails from Innovation Exchange LLC (IXL), the corporate entity for the CAIO Summit/Club, CDO Summit/Club, and Web3 Summit/Club. I understand and accept that IXL may use my personal data as described in IXL’s Privacy Policy. I may opt-out and withdraw my consent at any time via the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email.