Mark Ridley
Part of the IT Leaders 100 - a list of the most influential IT leaders in the UK
Mark is a long-established technology leader, working with executive teams to develop their technology and organisational structure, and advising on strategy and innovation. He also help investors and founders avoid the challenges that come with rapid growth. He has held high-level technical roles at companies as diverse as Believe Music, the Financial Times, Liberis, Dynamo Mortgages, AVADO and Reed.co.uk, of which he was the technical co-founder.
How do you ensure diversity is taken into account in your IT recruitment?
While it's important to set hiring targets at both the top and bottom of the tech organisation, it can be too easy to rely on graduate and apprentice hiring to address diversity with entry-level roles. But we have to remember that our teams need role models throughout the organisation, and we need to balance those junior roles with visible diversity in our senior recruits. Focus on building an inclusive culture, and bring that mindset to recruitment and talent attraction.
Which technology are you currently most excited by?
I'm excited by the possibility of low code/no code solutions as they mature. The possibility that they will do for software engineering what the public cloud did for datacentres is a fascinating prospect. More opportunities for people without a technology background to create valuable products is definitely a good thing.
What makes you laugh?
How did you get into IT?
By chance - I fell in love with the web when it was in its infancy - the combination of solving a problem, and creating something usable for real people. From there, I grabbed any opportunity I could to work with tech, and was lucky enough to get a job with a very supportive employer.