LeadDev London Meetup - 18th June 2026

LeadDev London meetup 🎟 Please RSVP BELOW! 🎟 Join us for our next LeadDev meet-up on June 18th and enjoy an evening of networking and talks. Date: Thursday, 18th June Time: 6 - 9pm Location: Softwire, 315, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Rd, London NW5 1TL Spaces are limited - you must RSVP to attend. We hope to see you there! ⏰ SCHEDULE ⏰ 18:00 - Arrival, networking and refreshments 18:30 - Welcome from our host 18:40 - Unchartered territory: From Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering - Natalie Parker, Head Of Engineering at ENSEK 19:00 - Extreme Curiosity: The solution to all of AI's challenges - Andy Huang, Technical Lead at Softwire 19:10 - Break 19:40 - Talk - TBC 20.00 - Networking 21.00 - Close 🎤 SPEAKERS 🎤 Unchartered territory: From Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering - Natalie Parker, Head Of Engineering at ENSEK Making the leap from engineering manager to head of engineering is one of the least-documented transitions in a technical career. There's no shortage of advice for moving from senior engineer to tech lead or engineering manager, yet the step up to senior leadership remains rarely documented. It's also the point when your day to day will likely change most significantly from previous roles. This talk is the resource I wish I'd had. I'll walk through the five biggest shifts you'll encounter when moving from managing a single team to leading multiple teams and workstreams: where intentional time management becomes non-negotiable, why "disagree and commit" hits differently at this level, how organisational politics become unavoidable, why you'll need a crash course in product, marketing and finance, and why getting your team right is the foundation for everything else. For each area I'll share practical tips from my own experience, followed by honest advice on how to assess whether this transition is right for you — and how to prepare when the time comes. Whether you're actively considering a move into senior leadership or simply curious about what could lie ahead, this talk will give you an honest, grounded picture of what the role actually demands. Extreme Curiosity: The solution to all of AI's challenges - Andy Huang, Technical Lead at Softwire The impact that agentic AI tooling has had on the industry is undeniable, destroying barriers-to-entry and producing immeasurable levels of output. Working applications can be created by non-coders in a matter of minutes in a chat window, and unmanageable numbers of pull requests, issues, and vulnerabilities are demanding the attention of engineers. How does the unrelenting drive to explore digressive questions help us thrive where AI would otherwise threaten our very existence? 🔹 CODE OF CONDUCT 🔹 As with our conferences, LeadDev Meetups are a safe and inclusive event for all. By attending, you agree to our code of conduct. 🔸 SLACK COMMUNITY 🔸 You can also join our Slack workspace to keep up with everything in our London community. Join the channel leaddev-london or london. 🙏🏻 THANK YOU 🙏🏻 Thank you to our London meet-up partner Softwire.

Venue

Softwire

London

Confirm times, availability, prices, and entry requirements with the official source before attending.