Formats
Keynote, masterclass, offsite session
When you need this
The conference needs a technology keynote that is not a vendor pitch. The leadership offsite needs a session that changes the questions executives ask, not just the slides they have seen. Or the board wants to understand AI without being sold a platform by the person explaining it.
The engagement
Keynotes, conference sessions, leadership offsites, and bespoke executive masterclasses. The current keynote — We know we can. Should we? — follows one question through the rooms where technology decisions are made: design reviews, procurement evaluations, board approvals, and now AI governance. Every session is prepared for the room rather than recycled; board and offsite sessions are built around the live agenda.
What you receive
A prepared session, a planning call beforehand, and materials where they are useful afterwards. Audiences leave with something unusually concrete for a keynote: three questions that fit inside any approval process, and a clear view of what it costs when nobody asks them.
What it changes
The talk survives the journey home. People use the questions in their own approval meetings the following week — which is the only measure of a keynote that matters.
Experience
Thirty-seven years in technology across 20+ sectors, from computer operator to Group CTO. Author of three books on technology, judgement, and the human consequence of systems — the writing informs the speaking. Topics include AI adoption and governance, the future of work, human-centred technology design, and the strategic and ethical questions facing boards.
Seen in practice
Neil sits on the Attending Panel for CTO Grand Rounds — a live session where founders bring a real technical problem to a panel of independent fractional CTOs for review. See the sessions.
Engagement details
Duration
Thirty minutes to half a day
Audience
Conferences, boards, leadership teams
Commercial basis
Fixed fee plus travel
Frequently asked
Questions people ask before booking
What formats are available?
Keynote, masterclass, or offsite session, running from thirty minutes to half a day depending on the format.
Who is this suited to?
Conferences, boards, and leadership teams — anywhere a technology session needs to change the questions people ask, not just show them slides.
Is this a vendor pitch in keynote form?
No — there's no platform or product behind the talk, which is precisely what most conference and board audiences are tired of being sold.
What does preparation involve?
A planning call beforehand to shape the session around the actual audience, and materials provided afterwards where they're useful rather than as standard.
How is it commercially structured?
A fixed fee plus travel, agreed before the booking is confirmed.
Ready to start a conversation?
Most engagements begin with a single conversation. No obligation — the right fit matters more than the right brochure.
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