iO Associates

Great to see Francis Macaulay continuing to support the next generation of AI founders through his work with German Accelerator. 🌍 From scaling strategies to building high-performance AI teams, these are exactly the conversations shaping the future of deep tech and innovation globally. Proud to see our team sharing expertise and supporting ambitious businesses as they grow internationally. 👏 #AI #DeepTech #Leadership #GlobalScaling #TechTalent

AI is no longer about what it can do, but how organisations successfully embed it into their business strategy. At our latest Tech Leaders Collective – South West Meetup, hosted by iO Associates, Nick Darby from TrueBird.ai led a practical discussion on moving from AI experimentation to execution. Key themes from the evening included: ➡️ Building AI roadmaps aligned to business goals ➡️ Prioritising AI investment based on impact and feasibility ➡️ Creating a culture of trust, experimentation, and innovation A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to another brilliant Tech Leaders Collective event. To read the full website story on the talk, click on the link below in the comments. 👇 #TechLeadersCollective #AI #TechnologyLeadership #DigitalTransformation

We’re attending the Future Health Summit 2026 🎟️ The iO Associates and PRG Consulting team will be there speaking with healthcare leaders, innovators, and digital transformation specialists shaping the future of healthcare across the UK and Ireland. Joining us on the day: 🩺 Stacey Pitcher – Supporting NHS organisations with EPR and healthcare technology talent 💻 Danny Watts – Partnering with digital health and technology teams across the healthcare space 🤝 Stuart Macarthur – Connecting organisations with specialist healthcare talent solutions 📈 Sharon Taylor – Leading conversations around healthcare transformation and how PRG Consulting supports NHS and healthcare organisations across the UK and Ireland with strategic consulting solutions, transformation programmes, digital change, and operational delivery support We’re looking forward to some great conversations around digital transformation, workforce challenges, and the future of patient care. If you’re attending, come and say hello! Or click the link in the comments to find out more about our healthcare offerings 👇 #FutureInHealth #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #HealthcareInnovation

Databricks Bristol Meetup Had Another Fantastic Event! 👏 After a great first meetup in February, we were excited to bring the Databricks Bristol community together again last week for an evening of practical chat, great content, and new connections! Big thanks to Advancing Analytics and Databricks for their support, and to Data Bristol for helping build such a fantastic community. We’re thrilled to continue growing something special for Databricks! Ashley Warren kicked things off with a practical session on Genie Spaces, guiding attendees through how to get started in 20 minutes or less. His insights were perfect for both newcomers and experienced users wanting to optimise their workflows. Chris Durow followed with a talk on securing AI agents in Databricks. He demonstrated how to build a red teaming system to stress-test agents, covering automated adversarial testing and how to identify vulnerabilities before going live. Thank you to everyone who attended and if you would like to find out more about the events we host and support click on the link below in the comments! 🍕🥂 #Databricks #BristolMeetup #DataCommunity #AI #Networking #AdvancingAnalytics #TechTalk

Day one at Consensus 2026 was a success! 📅 A strong start with plenty of conversations already underway across digital assets, Web3, and the evolving financial landscape. From early discussions, a few themes are standing out: 👉 Continued focus on real-world use cases and adoption 👉 The growing importance of regulatory clarity 👉 Demand for specialist talent as businesses scale Fran Thompson (Lead Practice Director, Global Solutions) and Ella R. (Global Talent Solutions) are representing iO Associates and speaking with businesses navigating growth in a fast-moving market. If you’re here and want to connect, feel free to reach out, we are here today.  #Consensus2026 #Crypto #Web3 #FinTech #DigitalAssets #iOAssociates

Another great evening with the Manchester tech community. 🏙️ Last week, Michael Collins from iO Associates supported another Practically AI event, with one of our strongest turnouts yet. Thanks to everyone who continues to show up and build this community. Tibor Bicskei kicked things off with an AI spotlight, followed by Rick Whalley on Claude Code and AI-native development. Phil Whittaker then unpacked agent tooling, cutting through the noise to explore the real differences between MCP, CLI, and Agent Skills, and the trade-offs behind each. Huge thanks to Charles Anthony Browne and Accenture for hosting, and to everyone who joined us. Next up: AND Digital on Thursday 28th May. Interested in joining future events? Keep an eye out for the next announcement on the link below in the comments. #PracticallyAI #ManchesterTech #AICommunity #AgenticAI #TechEvents #iOAssociates

Good to be back from the Bristol Security Cleared EXPO, and what a day it was. 🎟️ A big thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with Thomas Passam, Jeandre van Tonder, Natty Alfano-Rogers, Harry-Jon Booth, Bea Meyrick, and Francesca Lovegrove. The conversations were exactly what these events are about, open, honest discussions around the realities of hiring in secure environments and where the market is heading. A few themes that came up time and again: ➡️ Ongoing demand for security-cleared talent across engineering and tech ➡️ The challenge of balancing speed with compliance in hiring processes ➡️ Candidates placing more value on long-term programmes, stability, and meaningful work ➡️ And some great conversations led by Natty around the Reserves, what it actually means, what people do day-to-day, and how that experience translates into civilian careers It’s clear the defence and national security space continues to evolve quickly, and staying close to the community is more important than ever. If you didn’t get a chance to connect on the day, feel free to reach out. We are always happy to continue the conversation. #SCExpo #Defence #NationalSecurity #SecurityCleared #BristolEvents #iOAssociates

Great to see our team contributing to some of the biggest conversations in the market 👏 Last Monday, our iO Associates consultant Malaika Harris was invited to speak at TSAM – The Summit for Asset Management, joining Luke Wilson, Jithindas Ramadas, with Caroline Hyde hosting the discussion. The session explored a topic we’re seeing more and more across our markets: “Hiring for Hybrid Roles: How to Win Data Talent Against Big Tech.” A few key takeaways that stood out: 💡 Candidates are choosing environments and leadership, not just job titles 💡 Stability, modern tech, and meaningful impact are major drivers 💡 Growth matters, but so does feeling valued and part of something And from a hiring perspective, the organisations getting it right are the ones bringing this to life throughout the process, not just saying it on paper. From real conversations with teams to tighter, more respectful interview journeys, it’s the experience that makes the difference. Great to see Malaika Harris sharing insight on such a relevant topic and connecting with leaders across the asset management space. 👉 If you’re looking to attract and retain top data talent, or want to understand what’s really driving candidate decisions right now, drop Malaika Harris a message. #TSAM #DataTalent #Hiring #AssetManagement #TechHiring #TalentStrategy #iOAssociates

Great to see Francis Macaulay involved in initiatives like this with German Accelerator 👏 Supporting startups as they scale globally takes more than just ambition, it takes the right people around you at the right time. That’s exactly where Francis adds value. If you’re building out your team and need support navigating growth, feel free to reach out. #StartUps #Global #Solutions

The countdown is on to the Bristol Security Cleared EXPO next week, and the iO Associates Defence & National Security team will be there in full force. 🎟️ Harry-Jon Booth, Bea Meyrick, Francesca Lovegrove, Jeandre van Tonder, Natty Alfano-Rogers and Thomas Passam will all be attending, ready to connect with the security-cleared community and talk all things defence, tech, and national security. Whether you’re hiring into secure programmes, scaling teams, or exploring your next move in the cleared space, they’re always up for a conversation that adds value. If you’re heading to the expo, make sure to come and find the team or drop them a message ahead of time to set something up. ✉️ We hope to see you there! #SCExpo #Defence #NationalSecurity #SecurityCleared #BristolEvents #iOAssociates