Meet the Member: Steve Stanton
Meet Steve Stanton! He's the Managing Director at Parity, who we are pleased to have as our second Shine Bright sponsor at our upcoming Chamber Gala Dinner.
Who are you & what do you do?
I'm Steve Stanton, Managing Director at Parity. We help businesses get more value from technology through managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud services, and digital transformation. Increasingly, my focus is on helping organisations understand and adopt AI safely, securely, and in ways that deliver real business outcomes.
How are you personally using AI at home and at work?
Honestly, I use AI for almost everything now. At work, it's like having a team of researchers, analysts, and technical specialists available on demand. At home, it's helping me through a renovation project, from design ideas and cost estimates to solving the hundreds of little problems you encounter along the way. The real value isn't that it gives me answers, it's that it helps me ask better questions and arrive at better decisions.
How is your company adapting to the challenges and opportunities of AI?
We're not just adopting AI, we're rethinking our business around it. Internally, we're using AI to make our people more effective. Externally, we're helping clients adopt AI securely and responsibly. That's why we're evolving Parity from a Managed Service Provider into a Managed Intelligence Provider.
What’s your AI top tip?
Don't use AI to find answers, use it to improve your thinking. The biggest value comes when you treat AI as a collaborator rather than a search engine. Ask it to challenge your assumptions, identify risks, suggest alternatives, and critique your ideas.
What is your current must read or listen that’s influencing you professionally/personally?
The Lazarus Heist, part of the BBC’s Cyber Hack podcast strand by Geoff White – it follows North Korea’s state-backed hacking unit and how they’ve stolen billions in cryptocurrency to help fund the regime. The strand’s other seasons, on the Evil Corp and Conti ransomware gangs, are just as gripping, and a good reminder that the threats we help clients defend against aren’t abstract – they’re organised, well-resourced and relentless.
I’d also point people to the NCSC’s guidance on AI and cyber security; it’s a good, practical antidote to a lot of the hype.