Live BCS session: Is sustainable tech still strategic in a world of disruption and conflict? Join the debate with fellow tech professionals.
Speakers
Darren Hilton
Peter Ray
Margaret Ross
Martin Williams
Synopsis
How do organisations decide if and where sustainability fits in their overall IT strategy?
Join seasoned tech leaders from diverse sectors as they explore this question from multiple perspectives:
The Board, the CTO/IT Manager and the external view from partners.
Through candid discussion and real-world insights, they will examine the tensions between the push for sustainability and the realities of running a successful, profitable business.
This is a great opportunity for tech professionals to reflect on how they set direction, manage expectations and create momentum.
This event is also part of London Climate Action Week 2026.
About the speakers
Peter Ray, Managing Consultant, CommITA. Peter built his career in the technology reseller channel, holding a range of leadership roles, including over a decade heading up a Systems Integrator based in the south of the UK. During his time, he developed a strong focus on how technology decisions shape long-term business and environmental outcomes. Now an “entrepreneurial advisor”, Peter works with organisations to define and execute technology roadmaps that align IT infrastructure with strategic business objectives. He brings a structured, forward-thinking approach to helping leaders prioritise investments, balance innovation with operational efficiency, and embed sustainability into core technology decisions. Active in both technology and sustainability steering groups, Peter thrives on guiding organisations toward a strategic ‘sweet spot’ where performance, efficiency and environmental impact are optimised together, delivering measurable, long-term value.
Darren Hilton MBA, Executive Coach Darren is a seasoned executive coach with a strong foundation in both business and leadership, drawing on a diverse career that bridges military discipline and corporate success. His leadership journey began in the Royal Engineers, where he honed his strategic thinking and resilience. Transitioning to the business world, Darren excelled in roles including business development for leading US technology firms, steering a software development start-up to a successful acquisition, and revitalising an Internet Service Provider to integrate it into a larger corporate organisation. Darren’s career has been defined by a passion for unlocking the potential of the people he leads, which naturally evolved into his current focus on executive and team coaching. Today, he is dedicated to the transformational development of leaders and teams, guiding them to achieve and exceed their business growth aspirations. Darren is also deeply committed to giving back, serving as a coach, mentor, and course facilitator for veterans through the Help for Heroes charity.
Martin Williams, Director, Freeman Clarke4 Martin is a technology and business leader with a passion for sustainable innovation. With an MBA from Cambridge and deep technology expertise, he helps organisations align strategy, operations and technology to deliver transformational results. He grew the UK arm of a global tech consultancy from 1 to 200 consultants, working with clients to reimagine how technology drives their business. He thrives on bold goals, creative problem-solving and building high-performing teams. His collaborative, entrepreneurial approach has earned trusted partnerships across industries. Today, he's providing strategic IT leadership on a fractional basis to multiple organisations. Increasingly, his focus is on how technology can be applied responsibly and sustainably to support not just business growth, but a better future. He is particularly interested in decarbonisation, circular systems, and making climate action commercially viable.
Margaret Ross MBE is Emeritus Professor of Software Quality at Solent University. She is Secretary of the BCS Green IT specialist group, Chair of the BCS Hampshire Branch and is also active in other BCS branches and specialist groups. Margaret is CSci, CEng, CITP, FBCS, and also Honorary FBCS and was added to the Computer Weekly’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
Our events are for adults aged 16 years and over.
This meeting is conducted in accordance with the BCS Code of Conduct for Meetings.
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This event is brought to you by: Green IT SG
Supported by Hampshire branch, Dorset branch and Kent branch
