Building better tech teams | LeadDev 2025
We’re back at LeadDev. Softwire is joining the conversation with talks, discussions and community sessions – sharing practical insights to help engineering leaders build stronger teams and lead with confidence.
Softwire’s sessions at LeadDev
The five stages of workplace culture with Zoe Cunningham
How did Softwire become the UK’s #1 large company to work for, twice in a row? Zoe Cunningham shares the five stages we went through and how any team can apply them.
Takeaways:
- What really motivates engineers at work
- Mistakes to avoid when building a strong team culture
- How to help your team do their best work
Leader or engineer? Navigating a quiet identity crisis with Marcus Gardiner
Should you still be coding? Or step back to lead? Marcus Gardiner unpacks the internal conflict many tech leaders face – and offers tools to move forward with confidence.
Takeaways:
- A simple framework for technical leadership identity
- How to play to your strengths, not fight your limits
- An insight into leadership, inspired by how Indian farmers protect their crops
Solving tech debt while scaling with Tim Benjamin
Technical debt grows with your team. Tim Benjamin hosts a group discussion where engineering leaders share how they’ve tackled this complex challenge.
Takeaways:
- Real-world approaches to managing tech debt
- Tips for prioritising debt in a fast-moving team
- Peer-led problem solving, not just theory
Leading from a non-traditional background with Helen Jackson
Leadership looks different when your journey into tech doesn’t follow the usual path. Helen Jackson hosts a peer group for those who’ve faced extra barriers – and want to connect.
Takeaways:
- A space to share stories and feel seen
- Peer support from people with similar challenges
- Build a network that goes beyond the event
Meet the speakers
Zoe Cunningham
Director
Zoe is an award-winning lifelong technologist and currently works as a Director at Softwire, voted Best Large Company to Work for in 2023 & 2024.
A seasoned professional speaker, author and film actor, she is the host of The Digital Lighthouse, a podcast for CTOs and tech leaders. With 15+ years of delivering talks, workshops, and hosting panels, she is skilled at connecting with audiences of all sizes. She has been a main conference host, introducing speakers and sharing key insights at events such as the BBC’s Develop conference and her speaking engagements span diverse venues, including Oxford University, the OECD in Paris, and the UK Treasury.
Zoe has appeared as a news guest and presenter on major platforms including BBC One, BBC Worldwide, Sky News, Channel 4, and ITN.
Marcus Gardiner
Marcus hosted LeadDevLondon 2024 with Meri Williams and has spoken at 2022 and 2025. Since 2022, he has served on the programming committee and hosts the LeadDevLondon meetups.
As a technical leader, Marcus rescues Energy & Utilities companies from the nightmare of legacy software while unlocking their data & AI potential.
In just 6 weeks he saved Utility Warehouse £1m+ per annum in energy billing and over 6 months he led the transformation of BBC Sport for hundreds of millions of fans from the World Cup to the Olympics.
Drawing on his rare dual background in both software development and business operations, Marcus delivers cost savings and revenue growth through technology.
Tim Benjamin
Principal Technical Consultant
Tim is a senior technology leader at Softwire, a leading technology consultancy, where he drives complex transformation initiatives across sectors.
With 25 years of experience across global enterprises and startups, he specialises in digital transformation, product strategy, and building high-performing teams. His first successful start-up at the turn of the millennium delivered interactive digital TV services to over 2 million European homes, and he has held senior tech leadership roles at organisations including the Continuo Foundation, Fictioneers (part of WPP), and Infinity Works (now part of Accenture).
Combining deep technical expertise with a background in internationally-performed, award-winning classical music composition, Tim brings a rare ability to approach technical challenges with both analytical precision and creative insight.
Helen Jackson
Principal Technical Consultant
Helen is a Principal Technical Consultant at Softwire, London, UK, and a qualified medical doctor with a PhD in auditory psychophysics. She draws on her broad background every day to lead tech teams solving business problems for her clients. She’s written code for money in the past, but these days prefers to focus on discovery work and business transformation.
Helen loves people, technology, and complicated situations. She values curiosity, commitment, creativity, and kindness. She trains Softwire’s managers in communication skills and Softwire career processes, and is a passionate mentor to people in tech leadership roles at Softwire and outside.
