Partnership for purpose: New technology with Microsoft and Accenture

Join us for a panel discussion with colleagues from Microsoft and Accenture to explore how collaborating on new technology can empower new and existing colleagues and provide better outcomes for customers.

We’ll discuss what our expanding use of Microsoft’s range of cloud-based business applications, AI tools and computing platform means for our teams, as well as the members we represent as a mutual building society. We’ll talk about how Microsoft and Accenture are accelerating our Core systems programme and how colleagues are using new tools to transform their roles in different ways.

We’ll also focus on the impact of our partnership on our future workforce and how the purpose of each organisation forms the foundation of this work.

Interested to know more? Join the discussion at our Leeds head office and take the opportunity to network with colleagues from Accenture and Microsoft.

Meet our panel

• Carole Roberts - Director of Data & Technology | Leeds Building Society
  Carole is the Director of Technology and Data at Leeds Building Society, having previously been Director of Data for 4 years. A career spanning 27 years in mutual Financial Services, Carole specialises in fields of data, AI, technology and transformation. Passionate about using technology to modernise and evolve organisations, backed up with fact based decisioning driven by robust data and AI capabilities and in 2025 was announced as one of Data IQs top 100 most influential people in Data & AI in Europe. Relentlessly striving for an equitable workforce, Carole is the joint Executive sponsor for our Gender Equality forum and in 2024 Carole was named the Women in Tech advocate of the year.

• Mike Clifford - Director of Core Transformation Programme | Leeds Building Society

Mike has been leading the Core Transformation programme at Leeds Building Society since August 2024, after joining LBS in September 2023 to lead Operations and Infrastructure.

Mike’s career has covered senior leader roles across both operations and transformational change in both financial services and retail.

Prior to joining LBS, Mike spent 8 years at the Co-operative Group in various technology leadership roles including a year as interim CIO during the Covid pandemic. During this period, the Co-op Group undertook a number of large, transformational technology and business changes which Mike was heavily involved in. Mike had accountability for the development of a number of successful and critical third party partnerships and is a firm believer that “we achieve more when we work together”.

Before the Co-op, Mike spent 26 years in a number of different roles at Lloyds Banking Group (after joining Halifax Building Society in 1989). This included 5 years leading LBG’s Core Banking Technology teams during the both LTSB/HBOS integration and the creation of TSB (Verde), 2 very large and successful change programmes .

• Simon MacEnroe - UK Solutions Lead | Corporate Accounts, Microsoft

Simon is Microsoft's UK AI Business Solutions Lead for their Corporate Accounts segment, leading an organisation of solution specialists and engineers who work with a cross section of commercial and public sector mid-market customers, helping them explore how they can transform Business Processes and enable Workforces through AI.

Simon is a 15 year veteran of Microsoft (sandwiched around a 2 year stint at PwC in their Microsoft practice), and has a variety of experiences across sectors, platforms, products, consulting and delivery.

• Nic Merriman - Industry Lead | Microsoft Business Group Industry Lead for Banking and Capital Markets, Accenture Microsoft Business Group

Nic is the Accenture Microsoft Business Group Industry Lead for Banking and Capital Markets. Bringing over 30 years of experience in financial services and IT he is focused on delivering actionable customer experience, and digital delivery in UK FS. Formerly, CTO at Lloyds Banking Group and HBOS, Head of Architecture at Egg, coupled with IT advisory roles in Payments M&A at Alix Partners and Microsoft EMEA. Nic has built a career at the intersection of enterprise architecture, digital strategy and transformation, and innovation.

A seasoned technology strategist and transformation leader, Nic focuses on aligning tech initiatives with business priorities, bridging the gap between visionary digital ambitions and pragmatic enterprise delivery. His expertise spans customer experience, cloud adoption, digital transformation, working with board-level stakeholders across the industry.

Nic has a 1st Class Honours Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and lives in Derbyshire.

The event is designed for individuals who are interested in technology, transformation, and customer outcomes, particularly in their application within the financial services industry.

Host or Publisher Leeds Building Society