Independent advisor to governments, enterprises, and scale-ups
I served as Estonia's Minister of Foreign Trade and IT, with cabinet responsibility for digital and trade policy at the height of the pandemic response. Having spent the early part of my career in technical and operational IT, I went on to lead the development of ITIL, the framework that built the foundation for running digital services in organisations worldwide. I now work with senior leaders on governance, transformations, organisational change, and AI adoption.
I advise boards and senior leaders on supporting organisational change, establishing fit-for-purpose governance mechanisms, carrying out digital transformation initiatives, and implementing operating models. Increasingly, this work includes guidance on how to best use AI, and introduce effective and efficient governance structures necessary for critical services. I'm most often brought in either at the beginning or during a transformation or restructuring programme, or when a board needs to make a strategic call on the use of technology. Earlier involvement tends to lead to additional benefits.
Advisory area
Turning ambitious strategies into lasting organisational change by structuring initiatives so that momentum, ownership and accountability are clear at every stage.
Advisory area
Designing digital services and national infrastructure that citizens can rely on, combining strong identity and security with practical, everyday usability.
Advisory area
Integrating AI into existing risk, audit and operational structures so that legitimate use is possible and boards, auditors and regulators can see how it is controlled.
Advisory area
Designing operating models that leaders can explain and staff can execute - connecting strategy, funding, decision rights, and service management into a coherent whole.
Selected engagements are described in general terms to protect client confidentiality. The scale of responsibility and outcomes reflect the type of work I am typically engaged to deliver.
Government
Designed and implemented an end to end operating model for a national tax authority's digital and IT organisation, shaping the work of several thousand staff.
Global scale-up
Worked across two organisations during acquisition and integration, focusing on service operations, portfolio alignment, and organisational collaboration for a platform serving 100+ million active users.
Government
Advised on a unified framework for major IT and digital investments across multiple ministries and agencies.
Global scale-up
Strengthened Service Management and governance so a strategic external audit and investor due diligence for international expansion could be completed with confidence.
I began my career in the mid-1990s in technical roles and moved through product management, service operations, and executive leadership. I later served as Estonia's Minister of Foreign Trade and Information Technology, responsible for digitalisation, cyber security, trade policy, and crisis response, with a portfolio representing around 11% of the state budget.
Before and after that role, I have worked with public and private sector organisations worldwide, including industry leaders, software scale-ups, government agencies, and professional services firms.
At AXELOS, I led the strategy and development of ITIL and PRINCE2, authored core publications ITIL Practitioner and Sustainability in Digital and IT used by practitioners in more than 150 countries, and built coalitions across Agile, Lean, DevOps, and Service Management communities.
I am the lead author of the ITIL Transformation publication, co-author of the ITIL Strategy publication and the AI Governance white paper, and a member of the ITIL (Version 5) core authoring team.
In current engagements I draw on tools and ideas from complexity science (including the Cynefin framework), Service Management, and AI governance, adapting them to the constraints and objectives of each organisation rather than applying a standard template.
I am usually brought in when organisations are reworking their operating model or facing sharper external scrutiny: major programmes not landing as expected, regulators probing AI and data, or boards wanting more confidence in how digital investments are governed. The work focuses on making decision-making, funding, and accountability traceable in practice: clarifying forums, roles, and information flows, testing them on real services, and leaving behind structures that leadership teams can adjust and run themselves.
I work with a small number of organisations at any given time so that I can stay closely involved and accountable for outcomes. Engagements are tailored, but typically take one of the following forms.
Ongoing access to an independent advisor for senior technology and transformation leaders, on a fixed monthly commitment with a mix of scheduled calls, document review, and support for key decisions and external scrutiny.
Time-bound, part-time role inside a major change programme or operating-model shift, typically 2–4 days per week, working with sponsors and internal teams on governance, design choices, and landing new ways of working.
Short, focused sessions for boards and leadership teams, usually half-day or one-day formats combining briefing, Q&A, and working discussion to align understanding and support specific decisions.
Defined, short-term engagements over 2–6 weeks to answer questions such as "Are we set up properly for this?", combining interviews and evidence review with concise findings, key risks, and a practical improvement roadmap.
Available for keynotes, panels, and closed-door briefings for boards and executive committees, as well as workshops and masterclasses for senior leadership teams, on AI governance, digital governance, operating models, and service management. For speaking enquiries, please get in touch.
A focused 60-minute video session for a specific question that warrants an experienced, independent perspective. Includes preparation and a written summary within two working days. Details and booking options below.
A focused session for senior leaders with a specific question requiring experienced, independent perspective without the overhead of a longer engagement.
The session is held by video and runs for 60 minutes. I'll review a brief or a relevant document beforehand for context, and follow up with a short written summary within two working days.
The fee is £3,500 per session. A £1,000 deposit secures the booking, with the balance of £2,500 invoiced once we've agreed the topic and any preparation materials.
A time is agreed by email after the booking is confirmed. If a booking doesn't go ahead, the deposit is refunded in full via Stripe.
When booking, you'll be asked for a brief description of the topic and a short note on your organisation and role.
For bespoke engagement requests and collaboration enquiries, please contact me on LinkedIn to start the conversation.
Contact via LinkedIn