Chaired by Julian Wells, Director at Whitecap, the event welcomed an engaged audience of business leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs at Platform Leeds. Julian explained that Whitecap’s work as a strategy consultancy sees them spend a lot of time talking with CEOs in 1-1 environments, and the idea of the CEO Strategy Forum events is to bring elements of these insightful discussions into a public forum for the benefit of the wider business community, including existing and aspiring business leaders.
The panel featured three dynamic and contrasting CEOs:
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James Brown, CEO of Leeds Credit Union
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Zandra Moore MBE, CEO and co-founder of Zygens
Together, they shared honest, insightful reflections on what it takes to lead organisations through change, innovation, and strategic transformation.
Before the panel began, attendees heard from Katherine Megson, Bruntwood SciTech’s Head of Innovation & Growth, who spoke about the company’s role in building collaborative tech ecosystems across UK cities, and its ongoing commitment to supporting innovation in Leeds. Stuart Clarke MBE, outgoing Director of Leeds Digital Festival, then shared reflections on the festival’s 10-year journey and its growth into one of the UK’s largest open tech events, with over 220 sessions planned this year. Both set the tone for an event focused on connection, insight, and ambition for the region.
From accidental CEO to purpose-led leader
The panel opened with a discussion about the personal journeys each panellist had taken to reach the CEO role. All three offered very different backgrounds, from professional sport and global finance (James), to deep tech entrepreneurship (Zandra and Elliot). Yet as has been the case at our previous events, a shared theme emerged: none of them set out to become a CEO.
Zandra described herself as an “accidental CEO”, a title that resonated with the group. Her path into leadership was driven by a need to balance career and family, which led her to launch her first company.
“I had a young family and wanted to return to the industry, having been a director in a tech business. But it was difficult to find a role that allowed me to balance the demands of family life with a fast-paced career in a fast-moving sector. I didn’t want to step away from it, so I started my first business out of necessity, to create a balance that worked for me.” Zandra Moore MBE
Elliot highlighted his journey from apprentice software engineer to co-founder, emphasising the importance of collaboration and forming a complementary founding team.
“As time went on, I realised there was real potential to build something with lasting impact. I reached out through my network and brought together three exceptionally talented people from different sectors. Since then, our complementary skills have come together in a way that’s really enabled us to start scaling the business.” Elliot Morris
James, reflecting on his career in financial services and technology, noted that frustration with legacy thinking often drove him to step up and challenge the status quo.
“I’d love to say my career followed a straight line, but it hasn’t. Much of it stems from frustration, particularly within financial services, where I often found myself asking, ‘Why do we do it that way?’ Too often, the answer was simply, ‘Because that’s how it’s always been done.’ And that’s never been good enough for me.” James Brown
Despite their differences, each leader demonstrated how curiosity, adaptability and purpose played a vital role in shaping their leadership approach.
Short-term transformation, long-term impact
When discussing digital transformation, all three panellists agreed that short-term, outcome-focused initiatives were the most effective starting point.
“The faster you move on small projects, the faster you change culture. It builds team confidence, shows tangible progress, and encourages more creative thinking across the business.” – Zandra Moore MBE
Elliot explained that at Mozstro, their roadmap focuses on six to twelve-month projects, designed to deliver visible change without overwhelming legacy systems.
Zandra built on this, advocating for a lean startup methodology within larger organisations, using small teams, MVPs and specific use cases to build confidence and cultural momentum.
“Short-term roadmaps, those quick-win projects, are where the culture shift really starts. When small teams focus on a specific use case and see success quickly, their confidence grows. That’s when you start to see more creative thinking and a willingness to explore bigger opportunities.” – Zandra Moore MBE
James noted that large-scale tech change is no longer a multi-year, multimillion-pound process. With the right approach and partners, even regulated organisations like credit unions can plug in AI and automation to drive immediate value, without overhauling core systems.
AI Adoption: Culture before code
AI featured heavily in the conversation, not just as a transformative technology, but as a driver of deeper cultural change. The panel emphasised that successful adoption relies on more than just tools or systems. It’s about building confidence, fostering experimentation, and investing in internal communication.
Zandra highlighted the power of quick-win projects to unlock team creativity and reduce resistance:
“The faster you move on small projects, the faster you change culture. It builds team confidence, shows tangible progress, and encourages more creative thinking across the business.”
James acknowledged that for many leaders and teams, fear is still a barrier, but one that can be tackled through direct experience:
“I’m encouraging people, even on a personal level, just to go and try some form of AI. It’s not as scary as you think. The more familiar it becomes, the more confident people get in using it.”
AI is no longer just a back-office upgrade. It’s an enabler of time, focus, and forward momentum. But to unlock its value, organisations need to lead with transparency, clarity of purpose, and a mindset of continuous learning.
“For many of our clients, it comes down to time and cost. AI allows them to solve problems faster without needing to rip out legacy systems. It’s not just a technology decision, it’s a business one.” Elliot Morris
Rethinking strategy: from abstract to actionable
One of the standout moments came when an audience member challenged the panel with a deceptively simple question: “What does strategy mean to you?”
For James, strategy must be rooted in purpose. He’s currently leading a reassessment of Leeds Credit Union’s purpose to ensure it still reflects the needs of its members and the organisation’s future.
“We’re about to go into a strategy session, but I’ve started to turn that process on its head. For me, it begins with purpose. Yes, we have a mission and some strategic pillars, but the real question is: is that purpose still valid today? And what will it need to be over the next 12 to 24 months, especially when viewed through the lens of our members?” James Brown
Elliot approached the question through the lens of client impact: strategy, for him, is helping clients achieve specific goals, such as increasing margins, by understanding their current capabilities and putting the right systems in place.
“For me, strategy starts with understanding the client’s goals, whether that’s improving margins, growing headcount, or scaling operations. One client wanted to increase their margin by 10% within a year, but they were only reviewing margins quarterly. So the strategy became about building the systems and habits to move from quarterly to monthly reviews, and then identifying the actions to achieve that 10% uplift. It’s entirely driven by what success looks like for the client.” Elliot Morris
Julian Wells, reflected on the practical realities of strategic decision-making in Whitecap’s work with clients:
“At Whitecap, as a strategy consultancy, we often remind clients that strategy is just as much about the things you don’t do as the things you choose to pursue. Deciding on the strategy you will follow to achieve your business objectives is just the start, and it is important to stay focused on them and to ensure that the decisions you make day to day are aligned to your strategy. Having this clarity can help make decisions around shorter term opportunities much easier, including the deployment of AI solutions.”
The consensus: strategy must be both meaningful and measurable. Without a clear link to purpose or outcomes, it risks becoming little more than rhetoric.
The reality of modern leadership
Leadership today involves juggling multiple roles, responsibilities and mental load, something the panel acknowledged with candour. James admitted to having what his wife would describe as a “grasshopper brain” and spoke about the constant challenge of switching between strategic thinking and operational delivery.
There was agreement that no CEO has all the answers, and that the role increasingly requires humility, decisiveness and trust in others. Good decisions, the panel agreed, don’t require perfect information, but they do require clarity, ownership, and the ability to learn quickly from mistakes.
Regional cities, global talent
The discussion closed with a look at regional opportunity, particularly around talent and innovation ecosystems.
Zandra spoke of the strong talent emerging from universities like Bradford, while acknowledging infrastructure challenges that limit access and growth.
“My second business was based in Yeadon, between Bradford and Leeds, not ideal from a transport perspective, but excellent for accessing talent. Around 60% of our team came from across Leeds and Bradford. Bradford is the UK’s youngest city, and the talent coming out of the University of Bradford is fantastic. Place matters, and while remote work opened new possibilities, I’m definitely seeing a shift back to in-person. Leeds is buzzing again. For my new business, I’ve moved back into the city, but I do miss the broader access to regional talent. If the infrastructure were better, I’d still be there.” Zandra Moore MBE
Elliot highlighted Manchester’s AI ecosystem and the establishment of new incubators like Engine Room, designed to support scaling tech companies.
“I’m based in Manchester — though I’m originally from Leeds — and there’s a real AI boom happening there. One sign of that is the launch of Engine Room, a dedicated incubator set up specifically for AI companies. It’s an exciting time for the region.” Elliot Morri
James, drawing on his global experience, argued for a balanced approach that combines place-based identity with remote flexibility, citing the importance of engaging with both local universities and global talent.
The takeaway? Regional cities like Leeds, Bradford and Manchester are key to the UK’s innovation economy, but they must continue to invest in talent, connectivity and collaboration.
Conclusion
The CEO Strategy Forum offered a rare opportunity to hear from leaders navigating complexity, innovation and change in real time. While each panellist brought a unique perspective, they shared a commitment to purpose-led growth, agile execution, and the belief that leadership is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions.
As the digital and economic landscape continues to shift, the insights shared during this session offer a timely reminder that strategy is not a document, it’s a way of working.
If you’d like to participate in future CEO Strategy Forum events, either as a speaker or an attendee, please contact us.