Beyond The Capital from SuperTech

This is the third episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator, a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.This episode features leaders from Thorntons, a full-service Scottish law firm, who speak to host Hilary Smyth-Allen about their journey on the TiPS Accelerator. Sarah Blair, Jane McCance, and Lewis Quinn unpack how the firm used service design thinking to drive digital transformation, foster AI literacy, and unveil the real human challenges behind legal tech adoption.From co-creating solutions with colleagues to embracing “messy” innovation, they share their people-first approach to change - and how that’s shaping the firm's internal transformation programme.They discuss:Why adoption is a human, not just technical, problemHow service design and the Double Diamond framework guided discoveryBuilding AI literacy and safe experimentation across the firmCreating a firm-wide cultural shift, one post-it at a timeHow the TiPS project laid the groundwork for a firm-wide change programmeChapters:00:00 – Introduction to TiPS and Thorntons01:45 – Thorntons’ structure, services, and innovation roles04:20 – The trap of tech-first thinking and why adoption lags06:30 – Identifying human problems before implementing solutions08:00 – Shifting project scope: literacy, service design and the “AI Sandbox”10:14 – Building transformation roles from scratch12:00 – Starting with discovery and asking the right questions15:00 – What the project uncovered (and what it changed)17:17 – What is the Double Diamond? A primer on service design19:15 – From AI requests to deeper diagnostics and real solutions22:00 – Aligning innovation with strategic priorities24:25 – Wellbeing, time-saving, and what “impact” really means27:00 – Culture change and playful innovation techniques29:00 – AI roadshows, Jedi groups, and safe experimentation31:15 – Upskilling junior colleagues and early-career catalysts33:42 – Final takeaways: messiness, experimentation, and mindset

This is the second episode of a four-part mini-series of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, in partnership with the TiPS Accelerator—a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.In this episode, host Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Dr Catriona Wolfenden, Director of Product and Innovation at Weightmans, a top-40 UK law firm. She shares insights from Weightmans’ participation in the TiPS accelerator programme, focusing on how trust plays a pivotal role in the successful adoption of legal technology, especially emerging tools like generative AI.The conversation explores how the legal innovation team at Weightmans balances enthusiasm for technology with risk awareness, pilot fatigue, and stakeholder engagement. Listeners will hear how trust varies across teams, projects, and client relationships. Plus, thinking critically before launching a pilot is more important than ever.They discuss:How to think long-term: today’s pilot affects tomorrow’s cultureThe importance of transparent communicationWhy trust isn’t binary—it varies by project, person, and contextStarting with the problem, not the technologyChapters:00:00 – Introduction to TiPS and Weightmans01:20 – Role of the innovation team and post-COVID tech shift03:26 – The GenAI explosion and the risks of hype05:46 – Trust as the cornerstone of successful pilots07:03 – Legal responsibility and the “black box” problem10:36 – The academic and cross-sector value of TiPS12:11 – Mapping stakeholder trust and pilot impact14:31 – Avoiding the “snake oil” trap15:49 – Is GenAI hype, or here to stay?17:35 – ROI challenges and market saturation19:32 – Innovation lessons for smaller firms21:36 – Managing disruption and unintended consequences23:11 – One key takeaway: plan more than you think you need toLinks:Find out more about the TiPS accelerator hereFind out more about SuperTech WM hereFind out more about Weightmans here

In this episode of Beyond the Capital from SuperTech WM, we find out about the TiPS Accelerator—a programme helping regional law and accountancy firms adopt new technology.Host Hilary Smith-Allen is joined by the research team at Oxford Brookes Business School—Professor Tim Vorley, Dr. Francisco Trincado Munoz, and Dr. Hannah Tornow—to explore how the accelerator helped firms navigate the challenges of digital transformation. From AI readiness to rethinking business models, this project focused on people as much as it did on technology.They discuss:Why tech adoption isn’t just about the techWhat holds mid-sized proftech firms back—and how to move forwardThe power of collaboration between academia and industryHow building trust, accountability, and peer learning drives changeLessons learned and what’s next for the TiPS accelerator teamFind out more about the TiPS accelerator here.Find out more about SuperTech WM here.

Welcome to Beyond The Capital from SuperTech. This is a four-part mini-series about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab. SuperTech has partnered with Fintech Scotland for the Lab, which is an industry-led collaborative research and innovation programme, helping to shape future financial regulation in the UK. The programme - and this mini-series - focuses on how new technologies can deliver better outcomes for customers following the introduction of Consumer Duty regulation.In this episode, host Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Rachel McGowan, Chief Technology Officer of Moneyline, about the impact of Consumer Duty on Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). They discuss:The role of CDFIs, such as Moneyline, in providing financial services to low-income householdsUnderstanding different customer personas including the ‘forgotten customer’The role of the Innovation Lab in developing solutions for helping address the needs of financially excluded customers To find out more about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab click here.

Welcome to Beyond The Capital from SuperTech. This is a four-part mini-series about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab. SuperTech has partnered with Fintech Scotland for the Lab, which is an industry-led collaborative research and innovation programme, helping to shape future financial regulation in the UK. The programme - and this mini-series - focuses on how new technologies can deliver better outcomes for customers following the introduction of Consumer Duty regulation.This episode delves into the impact of Consumer Duty on financial advice. The regulation was introduced to improve customers’ experience of financial products and advice, but how is it impacting the advice gap?  To find out, Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Ben Hampton, CEO of Wealth Wizards, and Professor John Finch of Glasgow University. John is the Principal Investigator in the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab project.They discuss:How Gen Z's engagement with financial advice is different to older generations How regulatory changes, such as Consumer Duty, can stimulate innovation in the industryThe role technology can play in helping bridge the advice gap.AI's role in financial services and how it’s evolvingTo find out more about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab click here.

Welcome to Beyond The Capital from SuperTech. This is a four-part mini-series about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab. SuperTech has partnered with Fintech Scotland for the Lab, which is an industry led collaborative research and innovation programme, helping to shape the future financial regulation in the UK. The programme - and this mini-series - focuses on how new technologies can deliver better outcomes for customers following the introduction of Consumer Duty regulation.In this episode, the focus is on the challenges facing credit unions following the introduction of Consumer Duty.Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Helen Toft, a Non-Executive Director at Advance Credit Union in Birmingham, and Elizabeth Campbell, the General Manager at Castlemilk Credit Union in Glasgow.They discuss:How Consumer Duty is aligned with the values of credit unions The financial constraints that limit credit unions' ability to innovateHow collaboration with fintechs is essential for growthHow the innovation lab provides a platform for creative solutionsTo find out more about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab click here.

Welcome to Beyond The Capital from SuperTech and a special four-part series about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab. SuperTech has partnered with Fintech Scotland for the Lab, which is an industry led collaborative research and innovation programme, helping to shape the future financial regulation in the UK. The programme - and this mini-series - focuses on how new technologies can deliver better outcomes for customers following the introduction of Consumer Duty regulation.In this episode, presenter Hilary Smyth-Allen speaks to Lorraine Breese-Price, the Chief Customer Officer of Dudley Building Society. They discuss the challenges and opportunities that Consumer Duty poses for building societies, including:The alignment of Consumer Duty with the mutual ownership modelThe challenges of legacy systems within building societiesHow building societies’ focus on ethical values can attract younger customersTo find out more about the Financial Regulation Innovation Lab click here.

Welcome to our special mini-series of Beyond The Capital recorded at Birmingham Tech Week 2024.In this episode, Hilary Smyth-Allen explores the challenges and opportunities of AI adoption in the legal sector. She spoke to Emma Jackson, Head of Legal Technology & Data at Mills & Reeve; Vipul Ladwa, founder of legal tech company Casey; and Aisling O’Connell, Head of Innovation Policy at the Solicitors Regulations Authority.They discuss:How the adoption of AI is both a significant challenge and opportunity for the legal sectorHow the need for clarity from regulators like the SRA is crucial for tech adoptionHow small solicitors’ firms face unique challenges in adopting technologyCollaboration between law firms and tech vendors is essential for adoptionParallels between the growth trajectory of legal tech and fintechBeyond The Capital is the podcast series that explores the professional services technology scene outside of London, brought to you by SuperTech. To find out more about SuperTech, click here. 

Welcome to our special mini-series of Beyond The Capital recorded at Birmingham Tech Week 2024.In this episode, Hilary Smyth-Allen finds out more about the role of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT). She speaks to its CEO Ezechi Britton. They discuss:CFIT’s role in driving financial innovation in the UKThe importance of open finance How the Digital Innovation and Smart Data Bill is a key step for financial innovationThe growing momentum towards smart data and open financeBeyond The Capital is the podcast series that explores the professional services technology scene outside of London, brought to you by SuperTech. To find out more about SuperTech, click here.