Ruth Kennedy, CEO of TalkTalk Business, will be our special guest at our next The Bold and The Brave event where she will be able to talk guests through the dramatic changes the business is undergoing.

She will also discuss her role as a tech business leader in the North-West and her transition from military officer to business leader.

She was appointed as Managing Director in March 2023 and became CEO in November 2023. She has over 20 years’ experience in a senior leadership role and is focused on supporting TalkTalk Business’ ambitious growth plans.

She is known for leading through change and taking on complex, high-stakes programmes with pace and discipline.

Her career began in the Royal Signals, the British Army’s communications and cyber experts, where she built her leadership foundations in an environment that demands clarity under pressure, operational rigour and strong technical capability. After five years, she moved into the telco sector, building deep industry experience over the next decade across a range of roles in several respected organisations.

In 2011, Ruth joined TalkTalk Group and went on to hold senior positions across sales, commercial and operational functions. With a direct, standards-led approach, Ruth’s leadership has always championed equal opportunities for all to strengthen the UK’s tech sector with a more diverse workforce.

As Chief Executive Officer of TalkTalk Business, Ruth has led the organisation through its most significant transformation yet as it demerged from TalkTalk. She has done that while keeping delivery moving for the 80,000+ UK businesses TalkTalk Business serves, maintaining a strong focus on customer experience, operational performance and product innovation.

In conversation with Michael Taylor, she will reflect on the frantic pace of change in the tech and telecoms sector since she joined the industry, and her goals as CEO.