I’ve always been interested in computers, for as long as I can remember. My dad had a computer at home and I spent a lot of time exploring what it could do. Early in my career, that curiosity was very focused on the technology itself, but over time it evolved into something broader.

As I progressed, I became much more interested in how different ideas, technologies and concepts can be connected to create something new.  I spent some time in a research-led technology role, which really reinforced that some of the biggest advances come from joining dots across different fields. The more you expose yourself to different ways of thinking, the more opportunities you have to see those connections.

A particularly formative part of my career was spending two and a half years in Silicon Valley, helping to open and build a new tech office for a UK-based company. Working alongside Silicon Valley natives was a huge learning experience. The UK approach to technology can be more cautious – write it down, prove it out, then build – whereas in Silicon Valley it’s far more exploratory. You often don’t know what the idea is until you start experimenting.

I joined Summize almost six years ago – technically as the third employee, after Tom Dunlop and David Smith had founded the company. At the time, I didn’t have a legal background, and my instincts about legal contracts were that they were fairly modular, like building blocks you could slot together in a predictable way. What surprised me was just how bespoke contracts are and how much they rely on experience, judgment and precedent.

The CTO role can look very different depending on the company and where that company is in its journey. At Summize, it’s still very hands-on. On any given day, I might be talking to customers, making strategic decisions or writing code alongside the team.

I see my role less as a traditional manager and more as a facilitator. Often, people already have the answers, they just need the space or the right questions to surface them. One thing that’s really stuck with me is that the most helpful person in the room isn’t the one with all the answers, but the one asking the right questions.