
Alex Monaghan
Solution Architect
The Open University
Alex Monaghan
What has been your business/work highlight of 2024 so far?
Seeing people begin to realise the limitations – as well as the use cases – of Generative AI, particularly the dangers of exposing it to customers and the difference between external-facing and external-facing uses.
Who is your business hero and why?
Gary Marcus – he is saying all the things other people have not wanted to say. He doesn’t always say them in the most accessible way, but he is not usually swayed by business agendas or marketing fads.
What’s the biggest business mistake you’ve made and what did you learn from it?
Trying to talk technically to business users. You must speak the customer’s language, and you must help them understand concepts in their world rather than trying to dazzle them with technical detail.
What’s the most inspirational book you’ve ever read and why?
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role in 2024?
Speed of change. It is now essential to move fast, but in a large organisation, you need to do this without breaking things. Making long-term choices is increasingly difficult with such rapid change – imagine deciding in 2022 that AI was not relevant to your business, or deciding early in 2023 to go all-in on Generative AI chatbots for customer service. Decisions still need to be made, but staying flexible is perhaps more important than getting it right the first time because what’s right in 2024 may turn out to be wrong in 2025.
What technology will have the greatest impact on your business this year and why?
Database security. It sounds dull, but any organisation with customer data is at the mercy of cyber attacks and the security of your data is absolutely critical. Encryption, access control, malware protection and data management are essential – not just for compliance, but for reputation and brand protection. Losing or inappropriately sharing your customers’ data is a breach of trust.