Areti Iles: Power Platform Insights

In this episode, host Reece sits down with Areti Iles for a pre-recorded but "live-to-tape" discussion.

[02:19] Reece opens the show, noting that while this episode is pre-recorded, it is unedited and broadcast as if live.
[03:31] Areti Iles introduces herself as the Head of Sector for Professional Services within Telefónica Tech (Business Applications). She oversees delivery teams for Dynamics 365 and Power Platform projects.

[04:50] Areti shares her history, having started with "CRM" (Dynamics) about 15 years ago as an end-user before moving to a partner.
[05:32] Her first conference experience was the South Coast Summit, where she debuted as a speaker—a "terrifying" but welcoming experience.
[06:41] The Reading User Group: Upon moving to Reading, she realised there was no local user group. She contacted Andrew Bibby, who mentored her on how to start one. The group has now been running for two and a half years.
[07:25] Regional Role: Areti reveals she was recently appointed as a Regional Committee Representative for Europe (alongside Marcus from France). This is a new initiative by Microsoft to better support and structure user groups globally.

[13:52] They discuss the challenges of attending events when balancing family life.
[15:30] Areti notes that while virtual events are inclusive and great for learning, they lack the networking opportunities of in-person events—specifically the "spaces in between" sessions where relationships are built (and hugs are exchanged).

[20:18] Reece rolls a pre-recorded video discussing how to foster a "Maker Community" within an organisation.
[21:29] He suggests starting simple:
- Level 1: A simple Teams Group Chat or Channel where makers are added automatically or manually.
- Level 2: Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) for broader, searchable discussions.
- Level 3: Structured SharePoint sites for governance, policies, and environment requests.
[25:22] Discussion: Back "live," Areti agrees with the "keep it simple" approach. She shares that her organisation uses Viva Engage with communities ranging from technical topics (Power BI, Finance) to social ones (Golfers, Neurodiversity, and even a Ramadan community).

[31:27] Areti discusses the constant need for new speakers. She encourages people to "talk about what they know" rather than trying to be an expert on a brand-new topic.
[34:03] She highlights the form at d365ppug.com/speak for anyone wanting to submit a session to UK user groups.
[36:54] Reece shares that his first-ever talk was simply "10 Things I Learned Implementing Power Pages," which was impactful because it was based on real, recent experience.

[40:29] Areti discusses her heritage: she grew up in Athens, Greece, but spent her summers in Birmingham (where her father worked as a doctor). She moved to the UK permanently 20 years ago for university.
[42:01] Her career path was non-linear: she has a degree in Management and a Masters in Marketing. Her first job involved IT and marketing for a wholesaler, which eventually led her into systems management and consultancy.
[45:04] They discuss the "Western" tendency to push technical people into management roles, agreeing that people should be able to advance their careers without necessarily having to manage people.

[47:47] Favourite Power Platform Service: Historically Power Automate (for its connectivity), but she admits Copilot Studio is the future.
[49:23] Favourite Conference: DynamicsMinds (Slovenia) – she loves the location, weather, and holiday-like atmosphere.
[50:28] Last Music Listened To: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?. She has two Spotify playlists: "Low Vibes" (95% of the time) and "High Vibes."
[52:17] TV or Podcast: TV. She is a visual person and a big film fan.
[53:37] 2 Hours Free Time: If she could teleport, Kayaking in Mauritius. Realistically, tea and a physical book on the sofa.
[54:24] Books or Audiobooks: Physical Books. She has a strict rule not to buy new books until she reads the unread ones she already has.
[55:06] Glass Half Full or Empty: Half full (an "Optimistic Realist").

Areti Iles - Power Platform Today, April 8th 2025