Software Engineering Leadership Meet Up & Social - May 2026

I’m delighted to share the details for the third Software Engineering Leadership @ WRK event & Social of 2026.

📅 Thursday 28th May 2026
⏰ 6:00–8:00pm

As engineering leaders, learning doesn’t stop when we reach management — but finding time and direction for continued professional development can be challenging.

For this event, we’ll be delving into continued professional development for busy leaders — exploring how we can keep growing our own skill sets while creating environments that empower our teams to learn and thrive.

We’ll hear from three expert speakers, each sharing practical insights from their leadership journeys, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

As always, we encourage knowledge‑sharing from across the room, with conversation continuing into the social afterwards.

Rachael Morgan
Head of Data Technology

Rachael is a Head of Data Technology and engineering leader with deep experience leading large‑scale data and engineering teams across highly regulated and high‑growth environments. Currently an Engineering Lead for Data & Pricing in Homes at Lloyds Banking Group, she has previously led complex cloud and data platform transformations, including multi‑million‑pound migrations to Google Cloud and geographically distributed teams.

Passionate about leadership as a craft, Rachael is a strong advocate for continuous learning, reflective leadership, and creating environments where both people and technology can thrive. Through her leadership practice and thought leadership, she champions curiosity, inclusion, and growth‑mindset thinking as critical enablers of high‑performing teams.

Ivor Caldwell
Founder & Coach — Practical Leaders

Ivor has led engineering organisations from 50 to 500 people and has spent over a decade developing engineering leaders through hands‑on coaching and mentoring — from new team leads to senior managers. He now runs Practical Leaders, a consultancy helping tech leaders get better at the parts of the job nobody taught them.

Jeff Watkins
CAIO

Jeff is a CAIO, CTO and CPTO with more than 25 years’ experience helping organisations turn AI ambition into practical, secure outcomes. He works at the intersection of AI strategy, product, engineering and cybersecurity, with a focus on generative AI, human‑centred adoption, and secure‑by‑design delivery.

A regular keynote speaker and commentator, Jeff is known for making complex AI topics clear, grounded, and genuinely useful for both technical and leadership audiences.

• 6:00pm — Arrival, food, drinks & networking
• 6:30pm — Main session and panel discussion with Ivor, Rachael & Jeff
• 7:30pm onwards — Q&A, followed by a post‑event social at The Brew Society for those who’d like to continue the conversation

🍕 Food and refreshments will be provided on the evening.

📍 Huge thanks to our friends CGI for hosting — these events wouldn’t be possible without their continued support in providing a space for the events.

We can’t wait to see you on Thursday 28th May 2026 🙌

Please make sure to RSVP via the event link or Eventbrite, as numbers are limited.

#techcommunity #engineeringleadership #continuouslearning

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Host or Publisher James Westwood