Data, Risk & Rebuilding Trust: Alex Wrottesley on Open Innovation in a Messy World
“You can’t point your AI at messy data and expect it to work magic.”
In this episode, Chris and Mike sit down with Alex Wrottesley, Divisional Director at Idox PLC, to explore why leadership in the data world is less about knowing all the answers and more about asking better questions. They cover everything from public rights of way data and underfunded councils to the pressures of running a P&L in a digital-first environment. Drawing from years of geospatial experience, startup incubation, and team leadership, Alex paints a clear picture of the practical challenges—technical, political, and cultural—that shape today’s data-driven organizations.
Along the way, the conversation unpacks psychological safety, AI myths, and the often invisible labour behind clean data. Alex also makes the case for startup-style thinking inside big business, advocating for open innovation, customer collaboration, and a fearless approach to iteration. It’s a wide-ranging, energizing episode that blends systems thinking with grounded reality — and more than a few laughs.
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Author
“Chris Argent isn’t here to play by finance’s old rulebook - he’s here to rewrite it.” From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and finance leadership work, think, and influence. Chris Argent, founder of GENCFO, is a finance leader redefining the role beyond business partnering. A self-described “reluctant accountant,” he’s built a global community for progressive accounting and finance leaders who value connection over competition and action over tradition. Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change. His work champions leaders who turn new ideas into real-world change, blending people-centred strategies with new ways of working and technology. In conversations, he challenges, provokes, and inspires - proving that the future of finance belongs to those ready to lead it together.