London CTOs Lunch Club – Panel Event – Culture Beyond Scale: The Human Side of Building Great Engineering Organisations
Scaling an engineering organisation involves far more than systems, processes, and structure. At its heart, it is about people, the relationships they form, and the way they communicate, collaborate, and grow together as the company expands.
This panel brings together senior engineering leaders who have guided teams through varied stages of growth, from early technical scrappiness to large, distributed organisations operating across multiple time zones. Together we will explore what it means to shape culture with intention, to keep humanity at the centre of leadership, and to maintain a sense of autonomy, accountability, and belonging when the team is too large to gather in a single room.
Expect open reflections on what worked, what failed, and what each leader wishes they had understood sooner. The discussion will examine the human decisions that define engineering culture, how to recognise when it is drifting, and how to turn culture into a genuine strategic advantage as scale increases.
Themes and Discussion Points
Defining Culture
• How deliberate were you in shaping culture when building your team?
• Which cultural traits should grow with the organisation, and which can evolve?
• How do you spot early signs of culture drifting and correct course?
Connection in Growing Teams
• How do you maintain trust and connection in distributed or layered teams?
• What does visibility look like for senior leaders removed from day-to-day coding?
• How can mid-level managers carry culture forward effectively?
Autonomy and Craftsmanship
• How do you balance freedom with consistency as the organisation grows?
• How can engineering pride and craftsmanship be maintained at scale?
• How do you prevent process from becoming bureaucracy?
Psychological Safety and Growth
• How does psychological safety differ in a small versus large team?
• How do you encourage feedback and vulnerability at scale?
• How can learning and growth remain central to culture, not peripheral?
Reflection and Advice
• Which cultural values have been most tested by growth, and how were they preserved or adapted?
• What one piece of advice would you give a first-time VP or CTO building culture from scratch?
Host
Claire Knight
Panel
Martin Georgiev, VP of Engineering, Lendable
Iago Martínez, Director of Engineering, FundApps
Tatiana Bakharevskaya, Director of Engineering
Manogna Machiraju, Head of Engineering
Event Details
When: Friday 28th November at 13:00 (virtual, 60 minutes)
Format: Informal panel discussion with audience Q&A
Where: Online
About the London CTOs Lunch Club
The London CTOs Lunch Club is a weekly gathering of technology leaders who meet every Friday lunchtimefor light-touch, high-value conversations. Each session blends learning, candid discussion, and networking in a relaxed environment.
We bring CTOs and senior engineering leaders together to share experiences, explore real challenges, and connect with peers who understand the unique pressures of technology leadership. Whether through guest hosts, panel discussions, or open conversations, the Lunch Club creates space for reflection, practical insight, and meaningful relationships.