Member Spotlight Neil Holden
Get to know local IoD member Neil Holden
Name: Neil Holden
Position/company: Co-founder / Ignite AI Partners
How would you describe your business to a total stranger?
Co-founded by two colleagues with practical industry experience of digital transformation and AI implementation, Ignite AI Partners is a new consultancy aiming to help organisations demystify and make the most of artificial intelligence opportunities. We help businesses understand how AI can help them achieve their goals – whether that’s to improve operations, reduce costs, enhance customer experience, or open up new revenue streams, we partner with clients to help create an AI roadmap and support them in delivering it with the right technology.
Your previous roles:
Chief Information and Data Officer at Halfords Group
Head of Business Transformation and Technology at Jones Bootmaker
Head of IT at New Look
Head of IT at Habitat
Head of IT at Rolls-Royce
Other senior leadership roles at Home Retail Group
Other information (eg other positions held, charity roles):
COO at Midi Underground (music tech business)
Advisory board member (tech startups)
Careers advisor for De Montfort University
Retail Advisory Board member for Salesforce Inc.
What do you do outside work?
Sports, I like to play padel tennis, basketball and go snowboarding. I love to cook. I adore travelling with my family. I like to read – psychology and non-fiction (science mainly). My biggest passion is for music – playing drums and guitar. I run a radio station and record label with my business Midi Underground, we also run music events and design technology for the music sector.
How long have you been an IoD member?
A few years now.
Why did you join the IoD?
I joined when I started Midi Underground. We were a new limited company and I knew that becoming a member of the IoD could benefit the business, and myself, through access to resources, the community, events, and so on.
Which parts of IoD membership do you value most?
The community and varied information that comes from this, the wide range of events and training possibilities, and access to industry specialist resources – which I’ve used multiple times!
What is the most important issue for the government to tackle?
That’s a big question!! Here’s my view:
- The economy and cost of living crisis, including high inflation, stagnant living standards, and the impact of high interest rates.
- Housing – imbalanced supply and demand, rising land and construction costs, planning and regulatory constraints, wage stagnation, all mean we have a huge housing crisis with massive impacts on those in need of affordable homes.
- Immigration and asylum policies – remaining a contentious issue with differing views across political parties and age groups. And with no real plan that will be effective, or humane.
- Geopolitical instability and national security challenges arising from the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions with China, and huge threats like climate change, are arguably the biggest risk to global stability.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you started out in business?
I actually wouldn’t give myself too much advice… Because while it would have been great to know it all back then, part of the fun is finding out for yourself, by making the mistakes that I’ve learnt from and made me who I am today. That’s the fulfilling part of growing as a person and as a business leader, evolving… I’m still learning today, and loving it.
The only piece of advice I would give myself, is be selfish… Not in a horrible way, but life is so short, and your career even shorter. Don’t rely on others to make your decisions for you, or to give you opportunities, you have to make them for yourself, and whenever an opportunity arises, take it! Living with no regrets for all the things you could have done, but didn’t, is the only way for me.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years’ time?
Hopefully running a hugely successful AI partnership and music business! While advising other businesses and giving back through some varied charitable work. (And probably not living in the UK!).
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilholden-igniteaipartners/
Interested in finding out more about IoD membership? Email [email protected]
