James Brentley on Why Relationships Still Win in the Age of AI

What does it really take to build a Microsoft Dynamics consultancy that grows year on year, treats people like the product and stays sane through the AI bubble?

In this episode of The Catch Up Podcast, host Phillip Blackmore is joined by James Brentley, founder of AgileCadence, for a candid conversation that traces his journey from teenage Flash developer at Sheffield Hallam, through early Axapta days at eBecs, projects at Tribal Group, Stemcor and the landmark Dentsu Aegis programme, to launching his own firm in 2012.

They explore why James walked away from London to build a remote-first consultancy long before that was normal, how a near-burnout reshaped his definition of success, and why values like transparent, authentic and generous now sit at the core of every commercial decision. Against a backdrop where BCG forecasts 50 to 55 per cent of US jobs will be reshaped by AI over the next two to three years, James offers a refreshingly human take on AI: not as a faster typewriter, but as a way to release cognitive load and deepen client relationships.

• 00:00 - Welcome to The Catch Up Podcast
• 01:41 - Sheffield Hallam, Web Design and a 2:1
• 05:02 - First Steps at eBecs and the World of Axapta
• 08:15 - The AOT, E-Alerts and Snake
• 10:15 - Burnout, the Outdoors and a Return to Tech
• 14:19 - Tribal Group, AX 2012 and the Isle of Man
• 21:44 - London, Stemcor and Going Independent
• 23:23 - DevOps for Dynamics and Dentsu Aegis at Scale
• 27:16 - Personal Loss and the Pivot to Remote Working
• 29:53 - Founding AgileCadence: Values over Money
• 37:26 - The AI Bubble, Cognitive Load and People-First Tech
• 48:35 - Choosing the Right System and Looking Ahead

James Brentley: James Brentley is the founder and owner of AgileCadence, a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications headquartered in Perth, Scotland, specialising in Microsoft Dynamics 365, licensing, Azure and managed services. After early roles at eBecs, Tribal Group, Stemcor and Dentsu Aegis, he founded the firm in 2012 (originally trading as T3 Synergy) and has grown it into a team serving around 40 SMB and mid-market customers across the UK, with reported year-on-year growth in the region of 25 per cent and around 80 per cent of revenue coming from repeat business. AgileCadence opened a permanent Aberdeen office in 2025 and was recognised at the UK's Best Workplaces Awards 2026.

Episode Insights:

• Walking away from a stable career to build something of your own does not require a perfect plan. eBecs gave James a working blueprint that showed grit, determination and a clear culture could build a serious tech business in a regional UK town.
• Burnout is part of the journey for many tech professionals, but the answer is rarely to leave the industry for good. James left for the outdoor sector, learnt the grass really is greener but the money is not, and returned to build a more sustainable career.
• A clear, lived set of values, transparent, authentic, generous, fun, empathetic and exceptional, has become AgileCadence's commercial filter for choosing customers and projects, not just an internal poster on the wall.
• AI risks becoming an AI-to-AI loop of emails and documents that strips out genuine value. The opportunity is to use it to release cognitive load and deepen human relationships, not replace them.
• Microsoft's own narrative is shifting from Copilot as a faster typewriter toward Copilot Cowork and agentic capabilities, which makes how leaders frame AI to their teams more important than which licences they buy.

Action Points:

1. Pick a system you can secure, then commit: James's advice for any leader thinking about D365 Finance and Operations or another ERP is to choose a platform you can genuinely secure and stand behind, rather than chasing the greenest grass. Treat security as central, not bolt-on, and resist hopping between platforms in search of a perfect fit that does not exist. The competitive edge is in how well you implement and run it, not which logo you pick.
2. Use AI to release cognitive load, not to slash headcount: Map the routine, low-value work that drains your best people every day and apply AI there first. Reinvest the time saved into customer relationships, deeper discovery and quality of delivery, so your team becomes ten times better at what they already do. As Microsoft moves from Copilot to Copilot Cowork, build that mindset into how you measure productivity.
3. Make your values a commercial filter: Write down the three to six values you actually live by, then apply them to your sales pipeline and hiring as rigorously as you apply them to operations. If a deal would push you to break those values, walk away. Over time, the customers who share them deliver the repeat business that compounds growth and protects culture.
4. Always be on the right side of the bar: Use the framing James borrows from his Sheffield student days as a sense check on career and business choices. Ask whether each decision puts you closer to building durable value, optionality and choice for yourself, or further from it, and let that guide investment in skills, partners and equity over the next 12 months.
5. Invest in remote and human-centric ways of working: If you lead a consultancy or an in-house Dynamics team, design delivery models that do not depend on people being on site five days a week. Combine intentional in-person time for relationships and culture with high-trust remote working, so your team can build long careers without sacrificing family life or wellbeing.

The Catch Up Podcast brings you candid conversations with industry leaders, consultants, and change-makers from the Microsoft Dynamics and tech ecosystem. Hosted by Phillip Blackmore, Sales Director at Catch Resource Management, each episode dives into the real stories behind business transformation, career pivots, and scaling success. Expect thoughtful interviews, practical insights, and honest reflections.

Brought to you by Catch Resource Management, a leading UK recruitment specialist for Microsoft Dynamics and ERP talent, this podcast is your inside track to the people shaping the future of enterprise technology. Tune in for new episodes and stay ahead of the curve.

The Catch Up Podcast is produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford, UK.