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A highly experienced sales leader. Leon has led sales teams and managed client…
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Leon Butler shared thisI’m sure digital sovereignty is cropping up in more conversations than ever before. It certainly is in mine. Like agentic AI, we are hearing many different versions of what this actually means. At IBM, we see it as an organisation's ability to retain control and provide credible evidence of that control across critical AI, technology, operations and data. Think of it as a greenhouse 🪴. Owning your data alone isn’t enough, just like owning seeds isn’t enough to grow healthy plants. If you plant valuable seeds outside in an open field, they’re exposed to weather, strangers and conditions you can’t control⛈️. A sovereign AI environment is like putting those plants in a greenhouse. You control the space: who can come in, how warm it is, how things are monitored, and how the plants grow. In the same way, digital sovereignty means running AI in an environment you fully control. Not just where the data sits, but how the whole system is operated, protected and governed. I enjoyed sharing more about how leaders and businesses should approach digital sovereignty in this article with The Times: https://lnkd.in/euQpeapU
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Leon Butler shared thisWe have heard the Prime Minister’s plans to reindustrialise Britain. However, across industries, there is a problem with deploying AI at scale and moving past personal productivity wins (summerising mintutes, meeting prep). In my recent article, I share the three conditions for AI to become Britain's next opportunity for productivity and reindustrialisation. The real shift will come when organisations use AI to fundamentally rethink how work gets done. And AI could contribute up to £500 billion to UK GDP by 2035… In practice, this means enhancing data sovereignty to give organisations greater control and confidence, developing a workforce capable of effectively using the tech, and ensuring consistency in policy that clarifies the UK’s long-term direction to encourage businesses to invest. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/e5mCXPNN Politics.co.ukAI is Britain's next opportunity for reindustrialisation – here’s how we get there - Politics.co.ukAI is Britain's next opportunity for reindustrialisation – here’s how we get there - Politics.co.uk
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Leon Butler shared thisA lovely way to start this week, welcoming our new cohort of apprentices to the IBM UKI team. Over in Dublin, we also had graduates beginning their careers with us. Thanks to Nick Brand and team for welcoming the group and providing such an engaging induction. The early professional pathways are a really important part of how we build the talent and skills our business needs for the future. They bring fresh thinking, new capabilities and different perspectives to our teams and our clients. I have seen first-hand how apprentices and graduates develop into high-performing professionals, making valuable contributions while continuing to learn and grow. It’s great to see such curiosity and dedication from these individuals. I was very impressed with the questions from the group! One in particular: “If you left the company tomorrow and could never return, what one thing would you miss the most?” IBMers have a special set of ingredients - dedication to the business, professionalism, a great culture and strong relationships. I am looking forward to seeing what the team will achieve and how they’ll help shape our business in the years ahead. Jenny Taylor MBE
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Leon Butler shared thisToo many businesses are still exploring AI without thinking of the use case. Or the problem they are actually trying to solve. I enjoyed this article in The Economist for a few reasons. Of course, there are many ways to measure returns: usage, prompts, pilots - these are a start, but just a metric of activity. Our experience is that returns become easier to see when AI is tied to a specific workflow and supported by data that is governed. It’s then about reinvesting the gains. The article puts it nicely: if an hour or two of an employee’s time is freed up but they spend it shopping, your company isn’t benefiting. At IBM, we made ourselves client zero because we experience the same problems as our clients. We’ve transformed HR, sales, and supply chain through AI and made $4.5 billion in productivity gains. Every initiative was measured for business outcomes. Now ‘How to measure returns on AI’ is not as hard to answer! https://lnkd.in/ezDEY3Rp
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Leon Butler shared this👏 🏆 Our apprentices and apprenticeship programme continue to impress me. So I was very pleased to learn that the scheme has won a Princess Royal Training award for its commitment to learning and development. And more importantly, the positive impact it’s had on our apprentices and the business. This is the third time winning the award! Apprenticeships are an amazing way of developing the talent pipeline, bringing fresh thinking, new skills and different perspectives. It is very rewarding to see them grow into high-performing professionals, thanks to the continuous support from the Foundation team. Huge thanks and congratulations to Jenny Taylor MBE and all involved. A great team effort. I know it's a big day in the UK for those collecting GCSE results, huge congratulations also. A lot of hard work required to get there! If you are interested in learning more about IBM's early professional careers, please visit here: https://lnkd.in/eG4WdXcV
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Leon Butler shared thisQuantum computing has reached a huge milestone! IBM and partners Qedma, Algorithmiq, University of Chicago have reported three demonstrations of quantum advantage. This is when a quantum computer performs a computation that classical computing alone cannot achieve, and the result can be rigorously validated. At the University of Chicago, the quantum computation finished in approximately 15 minutes — a task that would demand infeasible amounts of time with leading classical computing methods. Incredible work. This is very exciting for scientists, developers and businesses, as we move towards unlocking practical applications for the next generation of quantum! You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eMMWZKAR
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Leon Butler shared thisMany of you will know about IBM's partnership with Ferrari. But you may be less familiar with our work alongside Mission 44, Lewis Hamilton's charity 🏎️ Our aim here is to help students develop technical and professional skills for future jobs. We do this through a range of learning experiences to spark interest in STEM, including motorsports, while building in-demand skills such as AI, cloud computing, data analytics and cybersecurity. With a passion for both skilling and motorsports, I was really pleased to have the chance to attend a couple of sessions. What the teams are doing is absolutely brilliant. At Silverstone on the British Grand Prix weekend, it was all about using IBM Bob to improve how a race car simulator would take a lap. The students also learnt more about the roles in motorsport and how AI comes into the picture. Highlight of the day was definitely hearing some of the students ask if they could get access to Bob! Then to Goodwood Festival of Speed. Grateful to be part of the panel & podcast alongside Jason Arthur, and two brilliant Mission44 scholars, sharing how technology and mentorship can expand opportunities for all young people across the UK. IBM SkillsBuild and Mission 44 have created courses on the tech behind motorsport and also careers in the industry. With the summer holidays taking place, it’s worth sharing with friends and family who may be interested. Everyone deserves the chance to upskill!! Let's continue to remove barriers and get more and more people into STEM subjects.
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Leon Butler shared thisIn the UK, the average data breach now costs £3.13 million. That is down slightly from last year, but the threat landscape is fast evolving. Today IBM announced the 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report - the standout finding is that 22% of UK organisations have experienced AI-generated cyberattacks, with AI-driven attacks surging 56% globally over the past year. And the types of AI-enabled attacks are... 👨👨👧👦 deepfake impersonation 🕷️ AI-enabled malware 🎣 AI-driven phishing campaigns Despite this growing risk, only 32% of UK organisations report using AI and automation extensively across their security operations. As more and more attackers use AI to scale and accelerate cybercrime, organisations must do more than invest in AI innovation; they must also invest in securing it. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/gd7EshkH
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Leon Butler shared this🏆 In case you missed it, IBM was named a Leader in the first-ever Gartner Magic Quadrant for AI Governance Platforms. This really reflects our vision for helping organisations manage AI responsibly. With AI embedded into even more processes, businesses must make sure it is governed properly - to scale with trust requires visibility, control and accountability at every stage. watsonx.governance allows you to gain visibility into AI use, manage risk, and apply controls aligned to business and regulatory requirements across the lifecycle. Thanks to our clients who continue to trust us, and to the IBMers driving this work forward. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVjE-U6R
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked this“We’ll keep a human in the loop.” It’s the standard answer to the risks of agentic AI. And I’m increasingly unconvinced it’s a control. Think about where we remove humans today. Payments are highly automated because they’re bounded, high volume and observable. Most of the time, you can tell from the outcome whether the process worked. Judgement work is different. Credit decisions. Complex investigations. Valuation. Exception handling. They’re less bounded, and often there isn’t a clean signal telling you whether the decision was right. So this is exactly where we say: keep a human in the loop. And that’s where aviation gets interesting. Automation made flying dramatically safer. But it also created what human-factors researchers call the out-of-the-loop problem. The better the automation became, the more pilots became supervisors of systems doing most of the work. Which meant less situational awareness and less practice when they suddenly had to intervene. Lisanne Bainbridge described the paradox in 1983: automation leaves humans responsible for the rare, abnormal situations while giving them less exposure to exactly those situations. That’s the problem I think we’re about to recreate with agentic AI. The processes where we most want a human involved are often the ones where success is hardest to observe. And the more work the agent does, the less equipped the human may become to judge when it is wrong. So the reason we reach for a human can become the reason the human stops being an effective control. An approval button isn’t control. We need to design the system around where human judgement genuinely adds value: - Tier actions by materiality and reversibility. Low-stakes and reversible: let the agent act. Material or irreversible: it proposes and waits. Some things remain out of bounds. - Make state and intent visible. For material actions, the agent should show what it intends to do, why, and under what authority. - Put hard boundaries outside the agent: spend limits, rate limits, permitted tools and kill switches. - Keep the human’s hand in. Airlines still require pilots to practise manual flying. For important judgement work, humans may need to keep doing some of the work rather than becoming permanent reviewers of it. - Rehearse failure. Test handover, degraded modes and recovery before you need them. Aviation had decades to learn this. We’re introducing autonomous agents at a very different pace. So the test shouldn’t be whether a human appears somewhere on the process map. It’s whether the system remains understandable, controllable and recoverable when the agent is wrong, uncertain or unavailable. Safety doesn’t come from leaving a human in the loop. It comes from designing a system the human can still control. #ai #agentic #barclays #itshappeninghere
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisOver the last week, I had the opportunity to contribute to investor conferences hosted by Barclays in New York and Bank of America in London, meeting with investors from across the globe to discuss Ireland's economic outlook and AIB's progress. What struck me most was the continued interest in Ireland's story and the confidence in our future prospects. Ireland continues to have a resilient economy, a growing and highly skilled population, strong employment levels and continued investment, all of which are providing a solid platform for future growth. These fundamentals matter because they create opportunities for businesses to invest, communities to thrive and individuals to achieve their ambitions. The conversations also reinforced the value of staying focused on what matters most - our customers. At AIB, we are continuing to execute our strategy, supporting customers at every stage of their lives and helping businesses invest, innovate and grow. The strength of our customer franchise, combined with continued growth in lending and deposits, allows us to generate sustainable returns while continuing to invest in our people, technology and customer experience. Whether it is helping a family buy their first home, financing a business expansion, supporting critical infrastructure projects or enabling Ireland's transition to a lower-carbon economy, our role is to be a trusted partner through change and opportunity. I left both conferences encouraged by the recognition of Ireland's economic resilience and by the confidence investors continue to place in AIB's long-term strategy. Thank you to the teams at Barclays and Bank of America for hosting thoughtful discussions and bringing together such a broad range of perspectives. Ireland's future remains bright and AIB will continue to play its part in supporting the economic and social progress that benefits all of our stakeholders.
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisWhat a summer it's been for our partner community. But the real question is: how do we turn that momentum into an even stronger finish for 2026 and an even bigger start to 2027? 🚀 From driving growth together to unlocking new opportunities for our clients, we've achieved a huge amount as a community. Now, as we head into Q4 and start laying the foundations for 2027, I'm looking forward to bringing our partners together at IBM Partner Accelerate on 24 September. If you haven't registered yet, there's still time. 👉 Register now: https://lnkd.in/ec56AT2j Silva | Patrick | Leon | Lee | Brian | Natasha | IBM Partner Plus
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisThat’s a wrap from United Nations in New York. I’ve been supporting PM Andy Burnham as we put Britain’s approach to AI at the top of the international agenda. AI is going to change our country. Our job is to shape that change, so that this technology serves the British public.
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisUC Berkeley is where it all began. Back in 2009, our co-founders built Apache Spark inside Berkeley’s AMPLab, setting the stage for everything we’ve built since. Today, we’re taking that legacy to the field. We’re officially partnering with Berkeley to rename the Golden Bears’ football field to Databricks Field at California Memorial Stadium! Keep an eye out for the Databricks logo at midfield when Cal takes on Clemson tomorrow night. The game airs on ESPN. Can't wait for my Stanford classmates to weigh in on this but... let's go Bears!
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisWe've all heard someone say 'school wasn't really for me’. And we should think about why that is. Our system is set up to reward young people who thrive in academic subjects and exams, but what about those who learn best by getting stuck in and doing things? Too often they're left behind. So we’re introducing new vocational GCSEs - proper, nationally recognised qualifications giving young people practical, hands-on learning that they can study alongside Maths, English and Science. And we’re creating 200,000 more work experience opportunities, so every teenager gets the chance to experience the world of work before they leave school. A one-size fits all approach simply doesn't work - I want to build an education system that values both academic and technical paths and gives all young people hope that their future will be brighter, whether it starts at university or not.
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisSixty years ago this week, AIB was formed through the amalgamation of three long established banks. It was a time when Ireland was opening up and beginning an extraordinary period of social and economic change. As we mark AIB’s 60th anniversary, I am struck not only by how much has changed, but by what has endured- the importance of trust, partnership and being there for customers, particularly at the moments that matter. Over six decades, generations of people have chosen AIB when opening a first account, buying a home, investing in a farm, starting or growing a business and planning for the future. It has been a privilege to support those ambitions and to play a part in the development of communities and enterprises across Ireland. None of that would have been possible without our customers and colleagues. To our customers, thank you for placing your trust in us. To our colleagues, past and present, thank you for your dedication, professionalism and care. Your commitment has shaped AIB and continues to define the excellent customer experience we strive to provide every day. Anniversaries are an opportunity to celebrate achievements, but also to reflect honestly. And our history includes difficult periods and important lessons. We know that trust can never be assumed. It must be continuously earned through our actions, our conduct and our willingness to listen, learn and improve. Today, AIB serves 3.5 million customers and has a clear purpose - to empower people to build a sustainable future. That means making banking simpler, safer and more accessible. It involves supporting customers through the transition to a low-carbon economy. And it sees us continue to back homebuilding, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and regional development. Banking will continue to change, perhaps more quickly than at any point in our history. Yet our core role remains constant- helping people move forward, supporting enterprise and contributing to the strength of the economy. As we look to Ireland’s next chapter, we do so with gratitude, humility and confidence. We are proud of the foundations built over the past 60 years and are even more focused on the responsibility we carry into the future. Thank you to everyone who has been part of AIB’s story so far. We look forward to continuing the journey with you.
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Leon Butler liked thisA very proud milestone. Thank you to our customers for their trust and to all our colleagues, past and present, whose commitment has made the journey possible. Excited for what comes next, helping customers, communities and businesses thrive for many years to come.Leon Butler liked thisAIB is sixty years old this week. We’d like to thank our 3.5 million customers for placing your trust in us over the years. And our people, past and present for their hard work and dedication. Our purpose remains to empower people to build a sustainable future, and that’s what we’re committed to doing.
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Leon Butler liked thisLeon Butler liked thisI’m delighted to announce IBM’s acquisition of Logiq, a leading UK-based, NCSC-assured cybersecurity consultancy trusted by Defence, Government, critical national infrastructure and highly regulated organisations. As AI and hybrid cloud adoption accelerate, secure, resilient and sovereign digital environments have never been more critical. Logiq’s deep expertise in Secure by Design, cyber assurance, secure systems engineering and managed services strengthens IBM Consulting’s ability to help clients modernise securely, accelerate innovation and stay ahead of an increasingly complex threat landscape. In addition, DISX, Logiq’s secure collaboration platform, further enhances IBM’s ability to support highly regulated industries with trusted, secure information exchange and collaboration. Together, IBM and Logiq create a compelling cybersecurity proposition for clients across Defence, Government and regulated sectors, combining deep technical expertise, trusted delivery and innovation at scale. A warm welcome to the Logiq team. I’m looking forward to what we’ll achieve together as we accelerate how our clients respond proactively to the ever-changing cyber-landscape we operate within. #IBM #CyberSecurity #SecureByDesign #AI #HybridCloud #DigitalTransformation Mohamad Ali Salima Lin Andy Baldwin Rahul Kalia Mark Hughes Georgi Cohen Logiq James Morgan James Walker Robert Guegan Rich Forder https://lnkd.in/em7rb7VyIBM Acquires Logiq Consulting to Expand Secure Digital Transformation and Cyber Security Capabilities in the UKIBM Acquires Logiq Consulting to Expand Secure Digital Transformation and Cyber Security Capabilities in the UK
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Frederik De Breuck
What does the future hold for the industries that drive our world forward in the coming decade? Through the Fujitsu Technology and Service Vision 2026, we've partnered with @Business Advantage to create seven insightful strategic vision reports that delve into the prospects for crucial sectors. These reports, informed by executive interviews and strategic foresight, analyze the future landscape, the trends that will shape the next ten years, and how leaders can transform challenges into possibilities. Delve into these reports and uncover what lies ahead for your industry: https://okt.to/BDdLh5 #DigitalTransformation #StrategicForesight #Technology #Insights #anc #FTSV
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Jessica Ridella
At IBM's Tech in Action event, I had the pleasure of moderating a fantastic panel on one of the biggest questions facing UK businesses today: How do we turn AI ambition into real, scalable ROI? We kicked off with what we’re seeing at IBM: 📈 66% of UK businesses are already realizing productivity gains from AI 📈Consumers are ready too, 74% are comfortable with AI in decision-making and 79% trust it to deliver reliable results But many organizations are still struggling to capture the full value of AI, so we brought together an expert panel to explore: -Where AI is delivering ROI today -What’s holding businesses back from scaling -How we build the skills needed for an AI-ready workforce -How to keep customer trust and experience at the center Huge thank you to our brilliant panel: Natasha Davydova on the transformation of claims, customer experience, and the reality of scaling AI in insurance. Vishaal Gupta on preparing today’s workforce and students for an AI-first world. Sue Daley OBE on the barriers to wider adoption and the responsibility of industry + government in building AI-ready skills. Leon Butler on IBM’s Client Zero strategy and how businesses are achieving real productivity gains. We ended the session with an exclusive look at IBM’s new Quantum roadmap, an exciting glimpse into what’s coming next. Grateful to everyone who joined, contributed, and pushed the conversation forward. The UK has an enormous opportunity ahead! #AIForBusiness #EnterpriseAI #AITransformation #AIFuture #ResponsibleAI #UKTech #DigitalTransformation #Productivity #AIWorkforce #QuantumComputing #IBM #TechLeadership #InnovationUK #AIAdoption #FutureOfWork Charles Smith Danielle Arney Dawn Herndon Chris Oldacre
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Alex Guillen Estudillo
CIOs are under more pressure than ever to deliver secure, scalable digital transformation - while still accelerating innovation. Insight is proud to participate in the IDC CIO Summit UK, connecting with leaders who are redefining the future of digital business and exploring how resilient, adaptive IT strategies can unlock long‑term, sustainable growth. As part of our collaboration with Microsoft, we’ll explore how CIOs can harness cloud, data and AI to build resilient, future-ready digital strategies. With a focus on secure, scalable transformation, we’ll be discussing real‑world approaches to secure cloud, data‑driven decision‑making and modernising IT for the next decade. Register to join the conversation at #IDC #CIOSummitUK and be part of shaping the next chapter of digital business. 🔗 http://ms.spr.ly/6043QUK0l
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Sarah Prince
Barclays commitment to enabling their colleagues is one we are proud to partner on alongside us both being founding partners of the Skills boost program. The UK’s ambition to upskill 10 million workers in AI by 2030 marks one of the most significant workforce investments in decades. This is exactly the kind of bold, collaborative action needed to ensure people feel confident and empowered in an AI‑driven economy. As a co-founding partner Microsoft is: 🔵 Supporting delivery of accessible AI skills training. Having already skilled 1.5m people in the UK 🔵 Providing tools and resources through the AI Skills Hub 🔵 Partnering with government, industry and SMEs to accelerate safe, confident AI adoption 🔵 Helping build a workforce ready to develop, use and benefit from AI With the right skills, AI becomes a catalyst for productivity, opportunity and economic renewal—not a barrier. Great to see Barclays and Microsoft contributing to this national mission. David CollierDominic FellsSudi Naidoo Clare Holley Howard Lewis Darren Hardman Paul Davidson Paulo de Sa
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