In 1853, a group of Yorkshire miners laid the foundations for collective progress by pooling their savings to build something greater than themselves.
More than 170 years later, that same spirit of purpose and resilience continues to guide us—not as a relic of the past, but as a catalyst for what’s next.
Skipton Group invites attendees to our event Past, Present, Possible: A Journey of Purposeful Reinvention to explore how organisations with deep roots are evolving with intention to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.
Through stories of cultural transformation, modern leadership, and adaptive ways of working, this event offers a space to reflect on our enduring values—and how they’re being reimagined to shape a more connected, impactful future.
Why Attend:
- Hear from industry leaders, including keynote speaker Raj Fowler, Director of Engineering at Skipton, and former Amazon tech leader.
- Explore organisational transformation with Jon Smart, author of Sooner Safer Happier, sharing lessons from over 50 organisations on how to optimise for outcomes.
- Learn from Dave Whyte, Operations Engineering Lead at Auto Trader UK, who’s helped shape one of the UK’s most resilient and forward-thinking tech functions.
- Join a dynamic panel discussion featuring Jenny Wood, Group CIO at Skipton, and Matthew Skelton, co-author of Team Topologies.
- Unique venue: Hosted at Skipton’s HQ, this is a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of one of the UK’s most digitally ambitious mutuals.
- Networking, food & drinks provided in a relaxed setting.
What You’ll Learn:
- How Skipton is blending heritage and innovation to serve both long-standing members and digital-first generations.
- The evolution of engineering culture—from command-and-control to autonomy, flow, and psychological safety.
- How Jon Smart frames the shift from industrial-era management to adaptive, outcome-focused delivery.
- How Matthew Skelton’s Team Topologies model is being applied to create stream-aligned, high-performing teams.
- Lessons from AutoTrader’s transformation from print catalogues to digital innovation, showcasing the power of reinvention in the North.
Agenda:
- 17:30 – Arrival & Networking
- 18:00 – Welcome & Opening Remarks
- 18:10 – Keynote: Raj Fowler – ‘Engineering Mutuality: From Legacy to Loveable’
- 18:40 – Guest Talk: Jon Smart – ‘Organising for Outcomes’
- 19:10 – Fireside Chat: AutoTrader – Reinventing a Northern Icon
- 19:40 – Panel discussion with Q&A
- 20:00 – Drinks & Networking
Food & refreshments will be provided:
A selection of food and refreshments will be provided throughout the event. If you have any dietary requirements please let us know in advance.
If you have any questions or require support, please reach out to [email protected]
Engineering and platform teams, Digital transformation leaders, Product managers and Agile coaches, Fintech professionals, Students and early-career technologists, Tech-curious business leaders.
