John Knowles

John Knowles

Senior Software Engineering Manager Capital One
John Knowles

John Knowles has led a significant transformation in the Developer Experience at Capital One UK for the past two years. He championed initiatives that empowered engineers with greater autonomy; fostering an environment where innovation thrives. His approach cultivated a value-driven and customer-centric mindset, enhancing efficiency and enabling teams to focus on high-impact projects. This cultural change streamlined processes, igniting a passion for continuous improvement and collaborative problem-solving throughout the organisation.

CONFERENCE DAY TWO - Thursday 23rd October

11:00 AM PANEL DISCUSSION: Navigating Global Teams and Remote Cultures: Developer Experience in Distributed Enterprises

In globally distributed engineering organizations, Developer Experience can become fragmented by geography, time zones, and cultural norms. Without deliberate coordination, developers face asynchronous blockers, uneven access to tools, and isolation from decision-making. How can teams develop inclusive, high-functioning remote and hybrid cultures that sustain productivity and engagement.

  • Aligning workflows, rituals, and documentation practices to support asynchronous collaboration.
  • Managing “invisible work” and unspoken expectations that vary across regions and cultures.
  • Strategies for building connection, trust, and a shared developer identity across remote teams.
  • Creating global standards for DevEx while allowing for regional customization and autonomy.
  • Designing platform services and support models that scale across time zones and languages.

1:15 PM PRESENTATION: Driving a Cultural Movement for Developer Experience

True developer experience transformation isn’t just about tools or processes—it’s a cultural movement. Leaders must shift mindsets, inspire engineers, and communicate value in a way that resonates. This session explores how to build momentum that drives real, lasting change.

  • Using storytelling to demonstrate and sell the value of developer experience.
  • Shifting mindsets toward continuous improvement and growth.
  • Empowering engineers to think bigger, take ownership, and innovate.
  • Embedding culture as the foundation for lasting DX transformation.

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining John.

Download The Latest Agenda