Futures Salon is a space for exploring how technology, governance, and society intersect. I believe digital futures should be built on trust, ethics, and depth — not quick fixes or hype. Every programme, insight, and advisory service we share is grounded in research, lived experience, and a commitment to integrity.
Mandate
Assure AI scaling across critical national infrastructure.
- AI-ready smart infrastructure and digital ecosystems
- Technology governance, ethics and accountability
- User-centred service and operating-model transformation
- Foresight and strategy for public leadership
Focus areas
AI assurance in regulated public services
I align governance, safety and procurement so AI deployments can be approved.
Digital infrastructure enablement
I ensure fibre, backhaul, small cells and secure enclaves are economically justified and ready for AI workloads.
Why Digital Futures at Futures Salon
Digital Futures Salon reflects the spirit of an open salon: a place for ideas, exchange, and collective intelligence. It is where I share my own work — programmes delivered, lessons learned, and insights from practice — while inviting dialogue with those shaping the future of public leadership and digital transformation.
About Me
I am a senior leader in digital innovation and change with over 20 years’ experience across the private sector (FTSE 100 companies, McKinsey & Company), academia, and public sector. My career has consistently focused on harnessing technology to deliver large-scale transformation, financial value, and social impact.
I have generated significant inward investment and grant funding to accelerate programmes in housing, healthcare workforce planning, digital connectivity, and smart infrastructure. Most recently, my strategic work has focused on securing investment in edge data centres, strengthening national resilience and linking local networks to the hyperscale data centres operated by global providers where large-scale processing and rendering take place.
My expertise spans the full stack: from mathematical network design and enterprise architecture through to Large Language Models (LLMs), Technology Design Authority (TDA) governance, and the application of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) to assess and mature emerging technologies. I also bring applied knowledge in security and crime technology, including fraud detection, AI for risk analysis, and advanced CCTV and surveillance ecosystems.
At Redbridge, I authored the digital strategy ecosystem and directed a £4.3M programme aligned to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), achieving multi-million-pound savings while embedding user-centred design and service transformation. My programmes have attracted recognition from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Greater London Authority (GLA), and the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI), while creating proven long-term value.
As a speaker and thought leader, I have presented at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), TechUK, the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in London, and multiple national conferences. I am also an author, reviewer, and contributor to national reports, shaping the policy and governance agenda for digital transformation.
I bridge disciplines and sectors, connecting infrastructure, finance, governance, and emerging technology. My partnerships span AWS, IBM, leading universities, and government bodies. I represented the UK at the Smart City Global Conference in Barcelona, bringing an international lens to digital ecosystems.
Futures Salon is where I share these insights, lessons learned, and ideas for the future — and where I invite dialogue with others who are shaping the next generation of digital leadership. Learn more about Cass Gardiner and the programmes delivered.
