Events

Digital Transformation – the good, the bad and the ugly…

Digital transformation sounds exciting on paper – but in reality, it’s messy, complex, and often far from linear. The hardest parts rarely make it into the case studies. We want to talk about what really happens behind the scenes.

Join us for a candid evening hosted by Dave Cox from Equal Experts, with special guests Richard Baines (Deputy Director for Digital Delivery, DEFRA) and Lucy Auckland (Product Director, Awaze). Together, they’ll share honest reflections on the challenges, setbacks, and lessons learned from driving change across both physical and digital products.

Whether you’re leading change or learning from it, your experiences can help others navigate the realities of meaningful transformation.

Date: 18th June 2025
Location: 3 Wellington Place, 5th Floor, Leeds, LS1 4AP

AGENDA: 

5.45pm – Doors open | Food, drinks, and networking

6.30pm – Opening remarks from Equal Experts

Talks:

6.45pm – Richard Baines, Deputy Director for Digital Delivery, DEFRA

7.05pm – Lucy Auckland, Product Director, Awaze

Networking & Q&A

7.30pm – Informal networking and discussions

7.45pm – Audience Q&A with the speakers

8.15pm – Close

MEET THE PANEL: 

Lucy Auckland, Awaze
Product Director

Lucy is a Product Director with over two decades of experience across multiple sectors with experience in technology transformation focusing on enabling innovation, growth, and delivering lasting business impact. Cross-industry expertise and passion for tech-driven change.

Richard Baines, DEFRA
Deputy Director for Digital Delivery

Richard is a Deputy Director for Digital Delivery at DEFRA. He leads the Animal & Plant Health and Livestock deliveries within the department, and is currently playing a key role in transforming the operating model for Digital delivery across the DEFRA group.

Prior to joining DEFRA, Richard led a number of Digital services at HMRC including its third-party API Platform, Digital Forms and its wider integration estate. His background is in Product Management and takes a keen interest in Platform Engineering.

David Cox, Equal Experts
Product Strategist

David works in Product at Equal Experts. With over the last 20 years of experience across Publishing, government, Retail, Energy, Financial Services and more, David is particularly interested in how new ways of thinking can help solve the hardest problems. He is opinionated on the topic of ‘low-hanging fruit’ and is always asking if the right things are being done for the right reasons in the right way.

Click here to register and secure your seat.