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Beyond the prompt: Modern engineering in an AI-first world  

Location CGI Leeds office, 1 Whitehall Quay, Leeds LS1 4HR

Date and time 30 September 2026, 17:30 – 21:00

Skipton

Microsoft

Beyond the prompt: Modern engineering in an AI-first world  

Location CGI Leeds office, 1 Whitehall Quay, Leeds LS1 4HR

Date and time 30 September 2026, 17:30 – 21:00

Skipton

Microsoft

AI is fundamentally changing how software is built, but it isn’t replacing engineering. It’s redefining it and what it means to be a developer. 

Join CGI and Skipton Building Society to explore how modern engineering is being transformed by AI and why the future belongs to teams that combine technology with engineering excellence.

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What to expect

We’ll look at how AI is being applied in engineering teams today, the governance and practices needed to adopt it safely, and the skills that will define the next generation of engineers.

Discover real insights from Skipton Building Society’s journey from manual, time-consuming and high-risk software releases to secure, automated deployments delivered in minutes.

Expect honest conversations, practical lessons and the opportunity to connect with fellow engineers, architects and technology leaders.

  • Practical examples of AI being applied in real engineering teams with insight into how engineering roles and career paths are evolving. 
  • Explore the engineering foundations – from DevSecOps and platform engineering to golden templates, standardised pipelines, dependency management and built-in security
  • An understanding of the guardrails needed for responsible AI adoption. 
  • Connections with other engineers navigating the same transformation. 

Agenda

17:30 Arrival, networking and refreshments 

18:00 Welcome speech

18:10 Lightning Talk 1: Secure, automated and developer-led delivery – how modern engineering practices create the foundations for AI-ready software delivery.

18:35 Lightning Talk 2: The engineering experience – how AI is changing engineering and the skills that matter most.

19:00 Networking, food and refreshments

19:20 Expert panel discussion: Leaders will debate the future of engineering and what AI means for careers and skills

21:00 Event close

Who should attend

This event is ideal for anyone exploring the evolution of AI in software engineering including engineers, architects and technology leaders. Whether you’re a developer experimenting with AI-infused tooling or a senior leader guiding engineering teams through change, you’ll gain practical ideas, fresh perspectives and a clearer view of modern engineering in an AI-first world.

From coding to orchestration, the new role of the software engineer

As AI takes on more technical implementation, engineers are increasingly focused on orchestration, solution design, governance, and understanding business needs.

Watch our recent interview with CGI leaders on how AI is reshaping the skills and responsibilities of software engineers.

All-star speakers

Mike Winter – Vice President Consulting Expert, CGI UK

Raj Fowler – Director of Engineering at Skipton, and former Amazon tech leader 

Joe Hodkinson – Senior Apps & AI Solution Engineer, Microsoft

Rebecca Wilson – DevSecOps Leader, Skipton Building Society 

Xav Bruggen – Software Engineer, Skipton Building Society 

Ryan Missett – Platform Engineer, CGI UK

Raj_Fowler

Raj Fowler

Director of Engineering Skipton Building Society 

 Raj Fowler is Director of Engineering at Skipton Building Society, where he leads engineering capability across platforms, products and technology delivery. His focus is helping teams deliver value faster, safer and more predictably by improving delivery flow, modernising engineering practices and strengthening platform ownership. Raj is particularly interested in how AI is changing the skills engineers need to succeed, from technical depth and systems thinking through to collaboration, judgement and continuous learning. He believes the future belongs to engineers who can combine human creativity and critical thinking with AI-powered tools to solve meaningful business and customer problems.
Joe_Hodkinson

Joe Hodkinson

 Senior Apps & AI Solution Engineer, Microsoft  

 Joe Hodkinson is a Senior Solution Engineer at Microsoft with over 20 years of experience spanning infrastructure, cloud and, more recently, AI. Having built his career in infrastructure engineering and cloud transformation, Joe now helps some of the UK’s largest banking and capital markets organisations navigate their AI journey, from governance and platform strategy through to building agentic AI solutions. Passionate about technology and community, Joe also co-organises the Northern Azure User Group (NAUG) in Manchester, bringing people together to share knowledge, learn from each other and grow the tech community across the North West.  
Rebecca_Wilson

 Rebecca Wilson

 DevSecOps Leader, Skipton Building Society  

 Rebecca Wilson is currently operating in a DevSecOps Capability Manager capacity at Skipton Building Society, helping to shape secure, automated and scalable software delivery. With a background in release management, deployment automation and engineering transformation, she is passionate about modern engineering practices that enable teams to deliver software safely and efficiently. Rebecca has supported Skipton's journey towards streamlined, developer-led delivery and is focused on building the engineering foundations needed to adopt AI responsibly and effectively in an evolving technology landscape.  
Lewis_Barrett

Lewis Barrett

 Director of Consulting Services, CGI UK  

 Lewis is a Director of Consulting Services at CGI with over 15 years of experience leading complex digital transformation across financial services, healthcare and retail. He specialises in leading multidisciplinary teams, bringing structure and momentum to challenging programmes and driving successful outcomes. Lewis has played a key role in major NHS Digital programmes, including delivering technology that supported clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently has been leading large-scale digital transformation within financial services. Passionate about people as much as technology, Lewis has led delivery capability communities, helping teams develop better ways of working, collaborate effectively and deliver better outcomes.  
Mike Winter

 Mike Winter

 Vice President Consulting Expert, CGI UK 

 Throughout my career, I have focused on delivering high-quality work while continually looking for ways to improve how things are done. I value finding the right balance between quality, efficient delivery, and cost-effectiveness, and I bring that mindset to both my professional and personal development.
I am a driven and experienced technical leader with a genuine interest in technology, innovation, and developing my leadership and technical skills. I also feel fortunate to have built a career around something I genuinely enjoy and would happily spend my spare time doing anyway. 

Skipton-Building-SocietySkipton Building Society partners with CGI to build digital engineering skills to drive modernisation

Skipton Building Society partnered with CGI to evolve its engineering capability, modernise technology platforms and support delivery of its digital strategy. Together, we worked to improve delivery pace, engineering quality and customer experience, including 130,000 app migrations and a 16% increase in savings application conversion. 

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