The Future Of... with Ian Dejong

Trust(ed) Technology

Today, I'm in conversation with Arun Manoharan, Director of Product Management at Adobe, with a specific focus on what may be referred to as trust capabilities within Adobe Experience Platform. These capabilities allow organizations to be regulatory-ready and operationally agile while reducing risk to business and delivering best-in-class consumer experiences. This conversation was recorded live in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Adobe Summit 2025 at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas, and with over 12,000 attendees, there was a lot of background noise. While the audio quality is not perfect, I'm glad to say Adobe's Podcast Enhanced Speech model v2 worked wonders and has been able to clean up the background noise for a better listening experience. In this episode, we discuss: * Designing technology to be region-, industry-, and regulator-agnostic * Moving from regulatory readiness through to exceeding community and customer expectations * The future of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) * Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency, or the “A.R.T." of AI * Data Stewards being empowered by AI agents in the age of Agentic AI * Among other things... I've had the fortune of working with Arun over the past 5 years and have always been inspired by his open, collaborative, curious, and customer-centric approach to product management, which has given rise to some best-in-class capabilities being adopted by leading organizations across the globe. And with that, I'm excited to present to you Arun Manoharan, Director, Product Management, Adobe (Experience Platform). More information: * https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunkarthickmanoharan/ * https://business.adobe.com/products/experience-platform/trust.html Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe [https://iandejong.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

People, Process, Privacy

Today, I’m excited to introduce Richard Harris, the founder of Data Design Consulting. With over 15 years of experience in data privacy and data management, Richard is a seasoned expert dedicated to empowering businesses to not only achieve compliance with privacy regulations, but also to implement best-in-class data management practices that build and maintain customer trust—an essential mission for any successful business, large or small. In this episode, we discuss: - The why of & the path to privacy - The biggest challenges organizations face - The role of technology - Regulatory shifts & the elevation of data privacy to a human right - The Australian privacy reforms currently in motion - Among other things… I’ve had several previous conversations with Richard to learn how his company has helped numerous organizations streamline and operationalize their data management for better efficiency and growth. I consider him a real straight shooter when it comes to getting things done in this space. So, without further ado, I’m thrilled to present to you Richard Harris, founder of Data Design Consulting. More information: * https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardharrisdata/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardharrisdata/] * https://datadesignconsulting.com.au [https://datadesignconsulting.com.au] Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe [https://iandejong.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Normal

Today, I'm in conversation with Andy Miller, Co-founder & CEO of Heaps Normal, a proudly independent and Australian-owned non-alcoholic beer company. Heaps Normal is challenging norms and changing drinking culture by brewing beer that tastes so good, you won’t miss the alcohol. With a growing number of awards under their belt, they seem to be doing just that. Andy himself has a rich history in marketing, creative, and digital strategy, helping local and global brands like HCF, Gumtree, Volkswagen, Absolut Vodka, and many more. In this episode, we discuss: * Why life is too good to be wasted * The healing nature and sacredness of the creative endeavour * Building a unique brand that stands out * The importance of customer centricity * Re-thinking what your target audience is * The creativity that comes with a limited budget Among other things... Having been part of a drinking culture for most of my life and now reaching a stage where I gladly welcome alternative ways to socialise, celebrate with friends, and network with customers, I was glad to find such an alternative delivered by a non-judgmental, fun, and funny brand like Heaps Normal. I very much enjoyed speaking with Andy, who genuinely embodies these qualities. So with that, I'm excited to present to you Andy Miller, Co-founder & CEO of Heaps Normal. More information: * Andy Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyjamesmiller/ * Heaps Normal: https://heapsnormal.com Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe [https://iandejong.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Electric Vehicles, Charging, Microgrids & Environmental Impact

Today, I'm in conversation with James McKemey, Head of External Affairs at Pod Point Ltd, a leading electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company in the UK. James, Pod Point’s most longstanding member, has been instrumental in the company's growth from a small team to its IPO on the London Stock Exchange in November 2021. His work with the government, media, and industry has significantly influenced UK legislation on zero-emission goals, building regulations, charge point readiness, smart charging, public charging, and EV tax and grant incentive programmes. In this episode, we discuss: * EV trends, adoption, and their environmental impact. * The economics of electric power, the falling cost of resources, and the total ownership cost of EVs. * The future of V2X: vehicle-to-load, vehicle-to-home, and vehicle-to-grid. * Battery evolution and its industry impact. * How EVs are stabilising macro- and microgrids. Among other things… As EV capability, cost, and consumer demand converge, it seems we're at a critical juncture for the industry. Learning about these innovations from James, who is not just an industry expert but also a personal friend, was incredibly enjoyable. So with that, I am excited to present to you James McKemey, Head of External Affairs at Pod Point Ltd. More information: * James McKemey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mckemey-8bbb8423/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mckemey-8bbb8423/] * Pod Point: https://pod-point.com [https://pod-point.com] Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe [https://iandejong.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Human centricity within the workforce (in the age of AI)

Today, I'm in conversation with Lauren Peate, Founder & CEO of Multitudes, an ethical team analytics tool. Multitudes integrates various systems to centralise and reveal key technical, operational, and human metrics. This enables not just management of delivery but also of team maturity, employee burnout, check-ins, and career progression. In essence, it's a platform driving engineering effectiveness and empowering technical leaders to lead with confidence and empathy. In this episode, we discuss: * The evolution from data layer to intelligence layer, and now to the 'human layer' * The value capture of operational efficiencies * 'Glue' work and the value it brings * Reciprocity in the corporate environment * Operationalising 'ethics' within a business * Employee 'quiet quitting' and hidden disengagement * Diversity, equity, inclusion and what that actually means within technical teams * Mentoring, career progression, and the hidden signals we should consider when promoting individuals. Among other topics… As AI and automation increasingly streamline our daily tasks, the optimist in me believes these advancements will allow us more time to embrace our humanity and truly return to being more 'human'. It's been exhilarating to see how Lauren and her team are helping individuals, teams, and organisations achieve this. So with that, I'm excited to present to you Lauren Peate, Founder & CEO of Multitudes. More information: * Lauren Peate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpeate/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpeate/] * Multitudes: https://www.multitudes.co [https://www.multitudes.co] Get full access to The Future Of... at iandejong.substack.com/subscribe [https://iandejong.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]