Coal Dust to Cloud: Engineering Mutuality for the Next Generation

In 1853, a group of Yorkshire miners began pooling their savings to help each other buy homes—laying the foundation for what would become Skipton Building Society. Over 170 years later, that same spirit of mutual support is being reimagined through cloud-native platforms, AI-driven insights, and a culture of engineering excellence.

This exclusive evening event at Skipton HQ invites attendees on a journey from the industrial revolution to the digital age, exploring how purpose-led organisations are adapting to serve Gen Alpha and beyond.

Why Attend:

• High-profile speakers including confirmed keynote Raj Fowler, Director of Engineering at Skipton and former Amazon leader.
• Potential appearances from Jon Smart (Sooner Safer Happier), Matthew Skelton (Team Topologies), and Gene Kim (The Phoenix Project).
• Unique venue: Hosted at Skipton’s HQ, this is a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of one of the UK’s most digitally ambitious mutuals.
• Networking, food & drinks provided in a relaxed, inspiring setting.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Skipton is blending heritage and innovation to serve both long-standing members and digital-first generations.
• The evolution of engineering culture—from command-and-control to autonomy, flow, and psychological safety.
• How Jon Smart frames the shift from industrial-era management to adaptive, outcome-focused delivery.
• How Matthew Skelton’s Team Topologies model is being applied to create stream-aligned, high-performing teams.
• How Gene Kim’s Beyond the Phoenix Project narrative ties these threads together into a vision for resilient, value-driven organisations.
• Lessons from AutoTrader’s transformation from print catalogues to digital innovation, showcasing the power of reinvention in the North

If you have any questions or require support, please reach out to [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Skipton Building Society - Principal Office, The Bailey, Skipton, United Kingdom