From Harrods to Insurance & the journey to the C-Suite with Hasani Jess, CTO at Aventum Group

In this week's episode of Beyond the Desk, Mark Thomas sits down with Hasani Jess, Group CTO at Aventum Group. Hasani shares his fascinating journey from an early love of technology (sparked by an old-school typewriter that his mum brought home!) through a career spanning global consulting firms, banking, healthcare, luxury retail, travel, and now, speciality insurance.We cover pivotal career moments, the transition from engineer to leader, and how strategic decisions and mentorship shaped his progression into senior leadership. We also dive deep into the transformation underway at Aventum Group and Hasani’s vision of creating a true Insurtech leader within speciality insurance.Key topics discussed:How Hasani first discovered his passion for technology (and journalism!)Lessons from early career roles at BT, IBM, Morgan Stanley, and VisaHis critical transition from hands-on engineer to leadership at UnitedHealth UKHow working at Harrods and TUI shaped his views on operational pace and customer focusSecuring his first CTO role at Simply Business and navigating that leapThe power of mentoring and deliberate career planningBuilding a technology-led culture at Aventum GroupHasani’s take on AI’s role in insurance and the future of digital collaborationWhy keeping great teams engaged is one of the biggest leadership challengesConnect with us:Mark Thomas on LinkedIn: Connect HereFollow Beyond the Desk on LinkedIn: Follow HereWatch Full-Length Video Episodes on YouTube HereHasani on LinkedIn: Connect HereIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with colleagues who might find it valuable!New episodes drop every Tuesday. Stay tuned for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of insurance and InsureTech. Thanks for tuning in - see you next time on Beyond the Desk! 🎧Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by Invecta Search, the brand new leadership search product from Invecta Group, which leads the insurance industry in building best-in-class technology and transformation leadership teams. Find out more: linkedin.com/company/invecta-group