Toby Parkins, Co-founder and Group CEO, Headforwards
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Toby Parkins, Co-founder and Group CEO, Headforwards
wWhat would you describe as your most memorable achievement?
I’ m really proud of creating Agile on the Beach, the UK’ s award-winning Agile methodologies conference. We started it in 2011 with the ambition of supporting people working with Agile methodologies, at all stages of their transformation journeys. Every year 500 people descend to the conference in Cornwall over two days where an impressive roster of speakers present the latest theories, ideas and practices. So many people enjoy it, it does feel like a great achievement. On several occasions in different countries I’ ve been told by people about how great the Agile on the Beach conference is, when they don’ t know I founded it. That’ s an amazing feeling.
What first made you think of a career in technology?
As soon as I realised cheap and accessible Internet was becoming available, I set up my first Internet technology business using a Lean approach, and from there I just kept going.
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position?
I’ ve always felt that, as a leader, it’ s important to set people up to succeed. When you’ re looking to scale or grow your business, it’ s essential to have access to expertise and experience. I try to empower people, but also ensure that they’ ve got the knowledge and are surrounded by knowledge. It’ s talked about a lot more these days but psychological safety in the workplace environment is extremely important. People should be able to feel like it’ s OK to say they don’ t know how to do something, or to challenge us and take sensible risks.
The truth is that for as long as I can remember I’ ve always been into tech. My parents got a ZX Spectrum 48K and back in 1982 I was using that to teach myself to do basic programming. In 1993 I started using the Internet at university – this was before the Internet was really useful – and I discovered that you could connect to all sorts of servers and people around the world.
I’ ve always felt that, as a leader, it’ s important to set people up to succeed.
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