Addleshaw Goddard brings technology transformation to life at immersive London event
Addleshaw Goddard welcomed a select group of general counsel, senior technology professionals and business leaders to Frameless, London’s immersive art experience, on 10 November to explore what successful technology transformation looks like in practice. Set against the gallery’s distinctive digital environment, the morning marked the launch of Successful Technology Transformation in the Age of AI, a new report by Addleshaw Goddard in partnership with FT Longitude.
Setting the scene for the morning, Aster Crawshaw, Senior Partner at Addleshaw Goddard, posed a central question: with significant investment flowing into technology transformation, how can organisations ensure that ambition translates into meaningful business value?
Murad Ahmed, Technology News Editor at the Financial Times, opened the discussion with some of the report’s key findings. Drawing on insights from 200 CEOs, general counsel and senior technology leaders across six countries and 18 sectors, the research highlights a gap between technology ambition and delivery. While 73% of organisations have improved productivity and efficiency through technology, just 45% have created new operating models.
The challenge, Murad argued, is not simply about choosing the right technology. Building an AI model and implementing it successfully are two very different things. Closing that gap requires clear business outcomes, accountability and the right governance. Yet only 46% of organisations measure technology investment against clear business outcomes, highlighting how much work remains to connect technology spend with business value.
Ultimately, successful transformation is as much a leadership and organisational challenge as a technological one. Murad urged businesses to ‘be smart, not just busy’ when it comes to AI adoption: test what works, stop what doesn’t and scale what delivers real value.
A panel of business, legal and technology leaders took that challenge into practice, exploring what it takes to turn transformation ambition into meaningful change. Chaired by Carly Gulliver of Addleshaw Goddard, the discussion brought together Stéphanie Hamon of HSBC, Andrew Cooke, Chief Legal Officer at Perk, Nils Howland, Co-founder of Ironbridge, and David Berry of Addleshaw Goddard.
The panel encouraged businesses to look beyond efficiency as the primary driver of transformation. While it can be a useful starting point, the real opportunity lies in rethinking how organisations work. Stéphanie asked whether businesses want to be ‘bold, bolder or boldest’, while Andrew encouraged leaders to approach opportunities with a ‘blank piece of paper’, rather than simply working within the constraints of existing structures.
But ambition needs to be matched by clear measures of success. As David pointed out, adoption alone is a ‘fool’s measurement’. Organisations need to define what ‘good’ looks like from the outset and assess whether transformation is genuinely improving outcomes for the business, its people and its customers.
Underpinning it all was culture. Bold transformation requires leaders who embrace change, build excitement around it and give people the confidence to experiment, learn and ‘fail fast’. With the pace and breadth of technological change leaving many organisations overwhelmed by the possibilities, the message was to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and keep moving. Nils challenged the audience to consider whether an organisation that isn't seriously thinking about change is one they want to be part of.
Bringing the discussion back to the question of how organisations turn ambition into meaningful change, Damon Rosamond-Lanzetta, Head of Tech Sector at Addleshaw Goddard, reflected on the key themes of the morning:
‘What has come through clearly today is that there is no shortage of ambition. The challenge is being bold enough to embrace the potential for change.
‘Successful transformation is ultimately less about the technology itself and more about being clear on the problem you are trying to solve, the value you want to create and the outcome you want to achieve. For us at Addleshaw Goddard, that means working closely alongside our clients, not simply advising on individual legal issues, but helping them navigate the challenges that arise as transformation moves from ambition to delivery.’
