Leadership in Tech with Phil Leitch from D&G

In episode 20 of the Daemon Drumbeat podcast, hosts VT, Managing Consultant at Daemon, and Kyle, speak with Chief Information Officer at D&G, Phil. Before joining D&G, Phil held several CIO and technology leadership roles at Virgin Active, Sainsbury’s, the BBC, and Royal Mail. Earlier in his career, he worked for Scient and Sapient, both digital business transformation companies.The conversation explores what it truly means to lead in today’s technology landscape. Phil reflects on his journey from writing code to shaping strategy, highlighting how leadership has evolved from being the expert in the room to empowering others to grow and succeed.Phil explains leadership as leverage: building capability through teaching, mentoring, and hiring great people. He emphasizes the shift from individual contribution to enabling teams, with trust as the foundation for scaling impact.They also discuss the challenges of leading in a hybrid work environment, where intentional presence is key. While virtual tools facilitate collaboration, face-to-face time remains crucial—especially for mentoring younger professionals and developing the soft skills essential to great leadership. Ultimately, Phil shares that the best leaders stay calm amid uncertainty, focus on building strong teams, and know when to step back so others can step forward.