LDC Top 50 2026
David Tuck
CEO
Waracle
David Tuck is a leader who gets technology businesses back on track. In 2024, he joined Waracle following successful stints at digital consultancies Kin + Carta and Scott Logic. Two years on, the digital product consultancy, which works for clients including the People’s Partnership & IG Group, is growing at 30 per cent and turnover will hit £60 million by 2028.
“I want this business to be the best product consulting business in the UK,” says David. The proof of his success isn’t just about the numbers: “20 million people are using products that were built by Waracle,” he says. “We create digital products trusted by millions.”
20 million people are using digital products that were built by Waracle.”
Q&A
How do you get the best out of your people?
When I arrived, I asked people about the strategy of the business. They replied, “Which one? There are five.” I created a new leadership team, employee engagement scores have gone up, and we now have 330 people who are clear on the direction of the company and feel good about it. We have invested in great offices in city centres, I talk about numbers and where we are going. We have parties, community groups, and pledge 1 per cent of profit to good causes. We have created a people, product, profit flywheel that drives our whole organisation forward.
What has shaped you as a leader?
I have always been driven and ambitious. My dad has been a major influence, instilling a strong work ethic and an adaptive mindset in me. When I was 20, he talked to me about servant leadership. It’s popular now but wasn’t back then. I love getting the most out of the talented people that I surround myself with, giving them a platform to do career-defining work.
How is AI changing your business?
I’m an AI optimist. If harnessed in the right way, AI elevates people, it does not replace them. We have AI embedded across the organisation, delivering productivity gains of up to 20 per cent. Our AI literacy programme has had 100 per cent take-up. Empathy, judgement and taste will always be needed in software development.
