James Bunting

I’ve worked in the North East tech sector for 20+ years, one of the consequences of this has been that I’ve been fortunate to have a very happy life. I’m also at the stage in my career when I wanted to start giving back.  Helping at Dynamo enables me to give back to a sector I’ve got a lot to be grateful for.  I have to say though, the more involved I’ve got the more excited I’ve become for the future.

My day job is as the CEO for Leighton (www.Leighton.com), where we help accelerate our customers digital capabilities by building exceptional software solutions.  My role includes developing our strategy and culture as well as leading our operational teams to execute the strategy.  We work hard to nurture our amazing team to be the best version of themselves, which definitely then helps with delivering the strategy.  It is fair to say, no two days are ever the same!

• Being cofounder of Communicator Corp – why? Because starting a business was always something I wanted to do. Growing it to become Europe’s largest independent email service provider and ultimately being acquired by Trinity Mirror ensured I had a whole lot of experiences on the journey.
• “Surviving” the Covid-19 pandemic – why? Leighton provide our customers with a lot of contractual flexibility. At the start of the pandemic 97% of our customers choose to stop using our services.  We “survived”, not because of a great strategy, but because of the amazing culture at Leighton, which enabled us to adapt to the situation we found ourselves in.
• Watching others flourish – why? Granted its not really my achievement, but I am  immensely proud to have worked with some super talented people who have enjoyed their own successes.  Knowing that I’ve had the opportunity to learn from them on their journey, always makes me proud.

I probably do the same as most other people, I certainly read quite a lot, enjoy an occasional podcast and always browse LinkedIn.  Whilst a networking event is not something I enjoy as I don’t think it plays well to my skills, I do find them a very useful source of contacts and information.

One of the very best things I do outside of work (other than working with Dynamo), is to coach my youngest sons football team.  Getting the chance to spend a couple of hours a week with him and his friends and watching them grow individually and as a team is really amazing.  It is quite probably one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!

1. 1. If you are passionate about the North east and our tech sector and want to play a part in helping it grow and develop for the future, Dynamo provides a great opportunity to make a difference.
   2. If you have a desire to increase your own network and the network and experiences of your team, Dynamo provides a wide range of events to not just increase networks but to drive development, growth and success.
   3. If you have a desire to grow your own business within the tech sector, Dynamo provides a good opportunity to connect with a wide range of tech businesses who may just be your ideal customers!