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The Catch Up Podcast

The Catch Up Podcast

By: Catch Resource Management
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The Catch Up Podcast brings you candid conversations with industry leaders, consultants, and change-makers from the Microsoft Dynamics and tech ecosystem. Hosted by Phillip Blackmore, Sales Director at Catch Resource Management, each episode dives into the real stories behind business transformation, career pivots, and scaling success. Expect thoughtful interviews, practical insights, and honest reflections. Brought to you by Catch Resource Management, a leading UK recruitment specialist for Microsoft Dynamics and ERP talent, this podcast is your inside track to the people shaping the future of enterprise technology.Catch Resource Management Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • James Brentley on Why Relationships Still Win in the Age of AI

    James Brentley on Why Relationships Still Win in the Age of AI
    Apr 30 2026
    What does it really take to build a Microsoft Dynamics consultancy that grows year on year, treats people like the product and stays sane through the AI bubble?In this episode of The Catch Up Podcast, host Phillip Blackmore is joined by James Brentley, founder of AgileCadence, for a candid conversation that traces his journey from teenage Flash developer at Sheffield Hallam, through early Axapta days at eBecs, projects at Tribal Group, Stemcor and the landmark Dentsu Aegis programme, to launching his own firm in 2012.They explore why James walked away from London to build a remote-first consultancy long before that was normal, how a near-burnout reshaped his definition of success, and why values like transparent, authentic and generous now sit at the core of every commercial decision. Against a backdrop where BCG forecasts 50 to 55 per cent of US jobs will be reshaped by AI over the next two to three years, James offers a refreshingly human take on AI: not as a faster typewriter, but as a way to release cognitive load and deepen client relationships.(00:00) - Welcome to The Catch Up Podcast (01:41) - Sheffield Hallam, Web Design and a 2:1 (05:02) - First Steps at eBecs and the World of Axapta (08:15) - The AOT, E-Alerts and Snake (10:15) - Burnout, the Outdoors and a Return to Tech (14:19) - Tribal Group, AX 2012 and the Isle of Man (21:44) - London, Stemcor and Going Independent (23:23) - DevOps for Dynamics and Dentsu Aegis at Scale (27:16) - Personal Loss and the Pivot to Remote Working (29:53) - Founding AgileCadence: Values over Money (37:26) - The AI Bubble, Cognitive Load and People-First Tech (48:35) - Choosing the Right System and Looking AheadJames Brentley: James Brentley is the founder and owner of AgileCadence, a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications headquartered in Perth, Scotland, specialising in Microsoft Dynamics 365, licensing, Azure and managed services. After early roles at eBecs, Tribal Group, Stemcor and Dentsu Aegis, he founded the firm in 2012 (originally trading as T3 Synergy) and has grown it into a team serving around 40 SMB and mid-market customers across the UK, with reported year-on-year growth in the region of 25 per cent and around 80 per cent of revenue coming from repeat business. AgileCadence opened a permanent Aberdeen office in 2025 and was recognised at the UK's Best Workplaces Awards 2026. Episode Insights:Walking away from a stable career to build something of your own does not require a perfect plan. eBecs gave James a working blueprint that showed grit, determination and a clear culture could build a serious tech business in a regional UK town.Burnout is part of the journey for many tech professionals, but the answer is rarely to leave the industry for good. James left for the outdoor sector, learnt the grass really is greener but the money is not, and returned to build a more sustainable career.A clear, lived set of values, transparent, authentic, generous, fun, empathetic and exceptional, has become AgileCadence's commercial filter for choosing customers and projects, not just an internal poster on the wall.AI risks becoming an AI-to-AI loop of emails and documents that strips out genuine value. The opportunity is to use it to release cognitive load and deepen human relationships, not replace them.Microsoft's own narrative is shifting from Copilot as a faster typewriter toward Copilot Cowork and agentic capabilities, which makes how leaders frame AI to their teams more important than which licences they buy.Action Points:Pick a system you can secure, then commit: James's advice for any leader thinking about D365 Finance and Operations or another ERP is to choose a platform you can genuinely secure and stand behind, rather than chasing the greenest grass. Treat security as central, not bolt-on, and resist hopping between platforms in search of a perfect fit that does not exist. The competitive edge is in how well you implement and run it, not which logo you pick.Use AI to release cognitive load, not to slash headcount: Map the routine, low-value work that drains your best people every day and apply AI there first. Reinvest the time saved into customer relationships, deeper discovery and quality of delivery, so your team becomes ten times better at what they already do. As Microsoft moves from Copilot to Copilot Cowork, build that mindset into how you measure productivity.Make your values a commercial filter: Write down the three to six values you actually live by, then apply them to your sales pipeline and hiring as rigorously as you apply them to operations. If a deal would push you to break those values, walk away. Over time, the customers who share them deliver the repeat business that compounds growth and protects culture.Always be on the right side of the bar: Use the framing James borrows from his Sheffield student days as a sense check on career and business choices. Ask whether each decision puts you closer to building durable value, ...
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    53 mins
  • From Chartered Accountant to Enterprise Architect: Rohit Bansal on Building a Dynamics Career

    From Chartered Accountant to Enterprise Architect: Rohit Bansal on Building a Dynamics Career
    Mar 26 2026
    What does it take to deliver Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations at true enterprise scale, without losing users, control, or the upgrade path?In this episode of The Catch Up Podcast, host Phillip Blackmore speaks with Rohit Bansal about a non-linear career journey from ACCA-qualified finance professional to enterprise architect working on some of the largest global programmes in the Dynamics ecosystem.Rohit shares hard-won lessons from an early AX 2009 implementation that went badly, and why negative project experiences can become a practical playbook for what not to do next time. They explore the reality of moving from end user to partner, the cultural differences between client and consultancy priorities, and why the strongest programmes keep key responsibilities in-house, particularly process definition, testing, and training.They also dig into how the product has evolved from AX into D365, why heavy customisation now creates recurring pain through frequent updates, and how the ISV ecosystem helps organisations stay closer to out-of-the-box. Finally, Rohit explains how his current programme measures success after go-live, using adoption dashboards and bug trends to spot where rollout teams need to adjust.(00:00) - Welcome to The Catch Up Podcast (02:16) - From Finance Controller to AX 2009 Project Lead (04:33) - The Bad Partner Lesson and Moving Into Consulting (07:07) - Why Methodology Matters and How Partners Differ (08:29) - End User Versus Partner: The Culture Shock (10:53) - Why Consulting Accelerates Learning Across Clients (12:25) - Users Make Projects Succeed or Fail (14:23) - Why Contracting Made Sense for Enterprise Programmes (17:12) - How D365 Became an Enterprise Rollout Platform (21:35) - What Clients Misunderstand About Handing Over Delivery (24:07) - ISVs, Customisation and the Forced Update Reality (34:20) - Measuring Success: Adoption Metrics and Bug Trajectories (36:25) - AI Agents, Upskilling and the Future SA Role (38:44) - What Makes a Great Solution Architect (41:19) - Pre-Project Strategies: Process, Data, Testing and TrainingRohit Bansal: Rohit Bansal is an enterprise architect in the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem with a background in finance and accountancy. In this episode, Rohit describes moving from an ACCA-qualified finance career into Microsoft Dynamics after serving as an internal project lead on an AX 2009 implementation, then progressing through partner work and contracting into large, multi-country D365 Finance and Operations programmes. Episode Insights:Users determine whether an ERP programme succeeds. Project plans matter, but adoption on the floor makes or breaks the outcome.Large programmes work best with a blended model. Clients should retain process definition, training, and testing to avoid conflicts of interest.The shift from AX to D365 changed the fit. D365 F&O suits large enterprise rollouts but often prices out smaller organisations.Heavy customisation is harder to justify now. Frequent service updates increase regression testing and code merge effort.A global template with controlled localisation supports a sustainable support model and upgrade path.Action Points:Retain ownership of process definition: Define your global processes before the programme starts, ideally before partner selection. Use these processes to drive solution design, not the other way round. Expect local teams to describe different ways of working, and use the global model to converge.Separate assurance from delivery: Keep testing and training in-house where possible, even when implementation work sits with a partner. Avoid asking a partner to test their own build without independent scrutiny. Use a blended approach that leverages partner skill while retaining unbiased validation.Control customisation to protect the upgrade path: Assume you will take frequent platform updates and plan for continuous regression testing. Prefer proven ISVs over bespoke build when an established solution exists. Reserve custom code for true competitive advantage, not convenience.Design an adoption dashboard before go-live: Decide what adoption looks like per function, such as AP, AR, supply chain, and production. Track month-on-month operational volume and compare sites to spot where training or process clarity is failing. Share progress visually with users to reinforce value and momentum.Treat rollout architecture as global-first: Build a global template with limited, controlled localisation. Challenge any request that makes the core model work for only a subset of the enterprise. Protect live sites by assessing how local changes affect current and future deployments.The Catch Up Podcast brings you candid conversations with industry leaders, consultants, and change-makers from the Microsoft Dynamics and tech ecosystem. Hosted by Phillip Blackmore, Sales Director at Catch Resource Management, each episode dives into the real stories behind business transformation, career pivots, and scaling success. ...
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    46 mins
  • Building High-Performing Delivery Teams with Musonda Veronica

    Building High-Performing Delivery Teams with Musonda Veronica
    Mar 5 2026
    How do you build a career in programme management when your path is anything but linear, and what separates a successful transformation from an expensive recovery job?In this episode of The Catch Up Podcast, host Phillip Blackmore speaks with Musonda Veronica about moving from studying law into leading complex Microsoft Dynamics 365 programmes. They explore why communication is the core of delivery leadership, how to adapt your style to different stakeholders, and why integrity is what builds the trust programmes depend on.Musonda also breaks down a practical distinction many organisations miss: Dynamics 365 CE delivery often demands an iterative, agile approach because of heavier customisation, while finance and operations programmes tend to suit more structured delivery patterns.The conversation lands on the unglamorous foundations that keep budgets intact: clear decision ownership, dedicated SMEs, and change management that treats resistance as human rather than a problem to crush. This aligns with common ERP failure patterns such as under-committing internal resources, highlighted in Guidehouse analysis.Click Here to Watch the Video Episode. (00:00) - Welcome to The Catch Up Podcast (01:17) - From Law to Programme Management (03:11) - Early Roles and Finding Direction (06:36) - First Exposure to Dynamics 365 and CRM (09:19) - Why CE and FinOps Are Delivered Differently (17:08) - What Makes a Strong Programme Manager (23:34) - Gen Z in the Workforce (25:38) - Why Programmes Run Over Time and Budget (34:40) - The One Thing to Fix Before You Start (42:07) - Mentoring, Speaking, and Purpose Beyond DeliveryMusonda Veronica Malama: Musonda Veronica Malama is a UK-based transformation programme manager and programme recovery leader specialising in Microsoft Dynamics 365 delivery. She is also a career coach and professional speaker, covering topics including leading successful teams, delivering high-stakes programmes, and inclusion in the workplace. Alongside hands-on delivery work, she mentors professionals moving into project and programme roles and speaks at industry events. Episode Insights:Programme management is mostly communication: translate between technical teams and business stakeholders without needing to be the technical expert.Dynamics 365 CE programmes often require more iterative delivery because customisation tends to be higher than in finance and operations work.Readiness is not a slogan: programmes slip when decision ownership, resourcing, and governance are unclear at the start.The pace of decision-making predicts delivery outcomes: stalled decisions create delays that burn budget.Trust is an execution tool: integrity and early communication reduce churn, resistance, and rework.Action Points:Define decision ownership: Name a single accountable sponsor for the programme, backed by a small decision forum. Set a cadence where priority decisions get made quickly. Escalate unresolved items to that forum immediately, not after timelines slip.Backfill your SMEs: Ringfence the people who know the real processes and give them time to contribute. Remove BAU load or provide cover so workshops and testing do not become optional. Treat SME availability as a critical path item, not a nice-to-have.Choose a delivery model that matches the product area: Use a more iterative approach where customisation is high, particularly in CE work. Keep stakeholders close to demos and feedback loops so you reduce rework. Avoid forcing one template delivery model across all workstreams.Build trust through visible integrity: Commit to a small set of deliverables and hit them consistently. Communicate bad news early, with reasons and next steps. Make reliability part of the programme culture.Treat resistance as data: Assume uncertainty will surface as pushback. Involve impacted people early and show tangible benefits before go-live. Run simple, frequent communications that reduce speculation and corridor narratives.The Catch Up Podcast brings you candid conversations with industry leaders, consultants, and change-makers from the Microsoft Dynamics and tech ecosystem. Hosted by Phillip Blackmore, Sales Director at Catch Resource Management, each episode dives into the real stories behind business transformation, career pivots, and scaling success. Expect thoughtful interviews, practical insights, and honest reflections.Brought to you by Catch Resource Management, a leading UK recruitment specialist for Microsoft Dynamics and ERP talent, this podcast is your inside track to the people shaping the future of enterprise technology. Tune in for new episodes and stay ahead of the curve.The Catch Up Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford, UK.
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    46 mins
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