Cloud Council

With a background in Civil Engineering, Simon has 30 years’ experience in the software industry, having worked for a number of commercial off-the-shelf and enterprise software companies. He has worked through Product Management, Product Strategy, Marketing and Sales Enablement in companies who serve the financial, airline, power, law enforcement and military sectors. Simon joined AVEVA in 2008 to run Product Management for the Information Management Solutions, formed a new Sales Enablement function in 2012 and in 2018 lead AVEVA’s global technology research programme including research partnering with some of the worlds leading universities Today, Simon is Head of Research & Innovation helping to accelerate the commercialisation of new technologies

Adam Cockburn is a CIO, CTO, and Chief Architect with over 20 years of experience in technology, with a focus on agile, cloud, and digital roles over the past decade. Currently leading Axiologik’s architecture practice, he also serves as Group CIO at Vp plc, driving their digital roadmap. His expertise spans financial services, telecommunications, retail, manufacturing, construction, government, and healthcare. With experience across AWS, Azure, and Google Clouds, Adam has worked with a variety of Cloud vendors and technologies, driving innovations in robotic automation, machine learning, and AI. He advises organisations on selecting and maximising the impact of technology, ensuring that transformation is value-driven and user-centric. He is also a mentor, coach, and qualified mental health first aider with a strong passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Helen was an early adopter of tech, coding in Atari BASIC at the age of 7, and is a self-proclaimed geek at heart! After 20 years in the public and higher education sectors, Helen brings a wealth of knowledge in the design and delivery of drift-free large scale digital and transformational programmes. Her commercial acumen and planning foresight, coupled with her sincere and people focussed approach, drives forward her mission for delivery excellence. Alongside her role as CEO at Shaping Cloud, she favours a hands-on approach to consultancy, believing in the importance of partnership rather than just being a provider. With experience of large-scale implementations and a breadth and depth of technological knowledge, she understands the complexities at hand and engages with stakeholders from C-team to technical delivery. Helen is a trusted advisor into enterprise orgs, particularly in relation to delivering organisational value through the adoption of cloud technology and services, and she has developed Cloud & Digital Strategies that have been adopted and implemented by over 30 such organisations just in the past few years. She has also advised on the development of successful cloud procurement frameworks. Helen is absolutely convinced that cloud is here to stay and that every organisation should be using cloud services from storage, to automation, to analytics to stay competitive and relevant. She articulates what this means for each organisation she engages with - from finance to government and to NHS Trusts. Shaping Cloud are a UK SME pure-play cloud consulting and service provider that's been championing the adoption of cloud since 2010. Helen joined Shaping Cloud in 2018 and soon made her mark, first productising their offers to the market, then leading their consulting arm, and since early 2020 - shaping and leading the company as their first female CEO. Under her leadership, Shaping Cloud doubled in size in 2021 and has grown 50% year on year since.

Jonathan Grice is a Partner in KPMG’s Infrastructure, Government & Healthcare (IGH) practice, helping public‑sector organisations design and deliver Cloud and AI‑enabled transformation. He works with government leaders to modernise legacy environments, improve digital service delivery, and unlock the value of emerging technologies—while ensuring governance, security and operational resilience. Jonathan leads multidisciplinary teams globally to shape strategy, design, accelerate adoption, and support clients in realising tangible citizen and organisational outcomes from Cloud and AI platforms.

David leads IBM’s automation technology business in UK & Ireland, working with some of the world’s largest brands to deploy IT automation technologies from cloud cost management to enterprise API platforms. David has held several previous executive positions in IBM, including successfully leading the growth of IBM's Cybersecurity consulting business, and hybrid cloud platform business.