Non-Executive Director & Advisory Board Roles
I am available for Non-Executive Director and advisory board appointments where technology, cyber security or digital strategy expertise is needed at governance level. I operate through Cognoscere Associates Limited, my consultancy practice.
I bring deep technical expertise alongside genuine boardroom credibility — able to constructively challenge executive technology decisions, support audit and risk committees, and contribute to strategic planning at the highest level. Nearly three decades of C-suite leadership has also built an extensive network of technology vendors, implementation partners and technical specialists that I can draw on in service of any board I sit on — alongside the commercial grounding that comes from working closely with Finance, Sales, Marketing and Operations throughout my career.
Previous NED & Advisory Experience
Provided strategic guidance to a well-established digital agency seeking to move beyond CMS and website implementation into more complex, integration-led solutions. Delivered analysis and strategy around enterprise integration approaches for large corporate clients, enabling stickier client relationships, expanded service capability and improved recurring revenue.
Initially engaged to conduct pre-acquisition due diligence for the UK entity's acquisition of a US-based counterpart. Subsequently provided vendor due diligence support during the UK business's own sale process. Continuing advisory engagement covering: technical recruitment, technology strategy, cyber security (including NIST CSF framework and penetration testing oversight), disaster recovery planning, CRM selection and AI strategy development.
Sectors of particular interest: Healthcare & wellbeing, financial services, professional services, technology companies, PE-backed businesses and regulated organisations.
What a Technology NED Brings to Your Board
Beyond the Boardroom
Alongside NED appointments, Cognoscere Associates provides focused technology advisory engagements for investors, management teams and PE-backed businesses — bringing C-suite expertise to bear at the point it matters most.
Value Creation for PE Portfolios
Working alongside PE investors and their portfolio companies to accelerate technology-led value creation — covering digital transformation strategy, AI adoption, data and MI capability, platform rationalisation and operational efficiency. Deployable as a structured advisory engagement or fractional resource through Cognoscere Associates.
- Digital transformation roadmap design
- AI strategy and adoption programme
- Data lake and MI capability build
- Platform rationalisation and consolidation
- Technology function assessment and improvement
Pre & Post-Acquisition Advisory
Independent technology due diligence for acquirers and investors — assessing the real state of a technology estate before completion, and leading integration planning and execution after it. First-hand experience of managing both sides of an acquisition, including live integration delivery under pressure.
- Pre-acquisition technology and cyber risk assessment
- Technical debt and platform scalability evaluation
- Post-acquisition integration planning and oversight
- Day-one readiness and transition management
- IT strategy alignment across merged entities
AI Strategy & Governance Advisory
Helping boards and management teams build a credible, governed AI strategy — from identifying the right use cases and building the business case, through to governance frameworks, pilot delivery and scaling. Grounded in live AI programme delivery with a £3.6m net benefit business case signed off by a CFO.
- AI opportunity assessment and prioritisation
- Business case development (CFO-ready)
- AI ethics policy and governance framework
- Pilot design and clinical/regulatory governance
- Board education on AI risk and opportunity
Data, MI & Commercial Intelligence
Building the data and MI capability that transforms raw operational data into commercial insight — for internal decision-making and as a client-facing differentiator. Experience designing and delivering data lakes, Power BI platforms and client-facing analytics products from the ground up.
- Data strategy and architecture design
- Data lake and warehouse implementation
- Power BI and client-facing MI products
- Population health and workforce analytics
- Commercial data proposition development
Cyber Resilience & SIRO Advisory
Independent review and improvement of cyber posture for businesses that need credible, practitioner-level assurance — not just a compliance checklist. Experience holding the Senior Information Risk Owner (SIRO) function personally across regulated, multi-jurisdiction environments.
- Cyber resilience review and improvement plan
- ISO 27001 programme design and delivery
- SOC selection, build and governance
- GDPR and multi-jurisdiction data governance
- Disaster recovery programme design and testing
Interim CTO & Fractional Leadership
Providing experienced technology leadership on a fractional or interim basis — for businesses between permanent hires, scaling through a period of change, or requiring senior technology input without the cost of a full-time executive. Engagements delivered through Cognoscere Associates.
- Interim CTO or CTDO appointments
- Fractional technology leadership
- Technology function stabilisation and reset
- Board-level technology reporting and governance
- Strategic IT vendor and supplier management
The Difference Experience Makes
Four things that distinguish a Cognoscere Associates engagement — whether advisory, NED or fractional — from every other option available to your board or your investors.
Practitioner, Not Theorist
I have sat on the board, reported directly to CEOs and faced the same regulatory scrutiny your executives face. Every board contribution is grounded in what I have actually delivered — not frameworks, not theory.
Network & Independence
Nearly three decades as a CTO means deep, tested relationships across the technology vendor landscape — giving your board genuine market intelligence, not just opinion. Critically, I carry no financial conflicts or commercial arrangements: the network exists to serve your interests, not mine.
Cyber & Strategy in One
Most boards must choose between a cyber specialist and a technology strategist. This appointment brings both — a rare combination that ensures cyber risk is never viewed in isolation from business objectives.
Personal Commitment
You deal directly with me throughout every appointment. I am not a firm that assigns resource — I am the resource. A CTO who has led complex programmes, managed regulatory scrutiny and reported at CEO and board level. The expertise is real, and it is personal.
Delivered at Scale, Across Sectors
A selection of significant outcomes from nearly three decades of senior technology leadership — the rigour and delivery focus I bring to every board appointment.
ISO 27001 — Multi-Site Delivery
Delivered ISO 27001 certification programmes across two separate organisations (UK and Republic of Ireland), aligning information security standards across group structures.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Achieved Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, designed and deployed a SOC, implemented phishing simulation training (1.8% failure rate vs 4.0% industry average) and drove Security Awareness Training to 99.6% staff compliance.
Board-Level IT Strategy
Designed and authored a Gartner-framed Digital & IT strategy covering AI adoption, platform re-architecture, legacy risk reduction and cybersecurity — presented to and approved by the Management Board.
Technology Function Growth
Built and scaled a technology function from 8 to 30 staff across Application Support, Data, Cyber, Development, Infrastructure and Data Protection — managing a £5.2m annual budget.
Disaster Recovery Programme
Designed and delivered a structured DR testing programme covering both non-disruptive and disruptive exercises across multiple annual cycles, with results reported directly at board level.
Pre-Acquisition Due Diligence
Undertook ITT, evaluation and technology due diligence for a major UK commercial bank, and delivered a large-scale post-acquisition data migration following an international group acquisition.
AI Governance & Adoption
Authored and implemented an Ethical Use of AI Policy; chaired an ongoing AI governance review board; designed and piloted AI Triage, Clinical Notes Transcription and Resource Planning use cases within a structured clinical governance framework.
Live Cyber Incident Response
Directly led response and recovery from a live cyber security incident — bringing first-hand, practical experience that informs every aspect of our cyber resilience advisory. Details available on request.
Deep Expertise.
Practical Outcomes.
Cognoscere Associates Limited is a specialist technology consultancy that brings genuine board-level expertise to organisations that need credible, experienced insight — without the cost and commitment of a permanent executive hire.
My technology career began in 1986 — developed from the ground up across defence systems, law enforcement, public sector and the NHS before progressing into C-suite leadership. Those nearly four decades of experience give me a perspective that no MBA programme can replicate: I understand technology organisations from every level, not just from the boardroom.
The last 29 of those years have been spent at C-suite level — CTO and CIO positions at complex, regulated organisations across healthcare, financial services, payments, professional services and PE-backed businesses — leading ISO 27001 certification programmes, authoring enterprise IT strategies, deploying Security Operations Centres, managing DPO functions, and guiding boards through material technology risk decisions, including real-world cyber incident response.
I combine genuine strategic credibility with the practical ability to deliver. Engagements are led from the front — you get the expertise you are investing in, not a junior member of a team.
The name Cognoscere — Latin for "to know, to understand" — reflects our commitment to bringing deep, considered insight rather than generic frameworks or off-the-shelf advice.
"My work is about turning technology into a business asset — reducing risk, improving resilience and enabling growth. Board-level credibility with the practical ability to get things done."— Lee Kingshott, Cognoscere Associates
Continual Professional Development
Staying at the frontier of technology, AI and cyber practice
Topics covered:
- The AI ecosystem & digital context
- Machine learning: supervised, reinforcement & unsupervised
- Deep learning & neural networks
- Generative AI & organisational applications
- AI & society — ethics and impact
- Driving AI adoption in business
One example of my ongoing CPD commitment across technology, cyber security and business leadership.
What Board Principals Say
I have always been impressed with Lee's ability to see through the issues, to keep the bigger picture in mind and translate often complex ideas and strategies to the Executive Boards he has sat on. Lee has very quickly understood the business and produced recommendations for a path forward — helping us simplify our business processes, reduce the number of systems we use and ultimately enable our senior team to have more time to focus on what matters most: our clients. I would highly recommend Lee to any other organisation facing similar challenges.
Lee always led by example and has great skill in cutting through the nonsense to get to the core of any issue — both business and technical. Unlike many IT Directors he really does understand the technical challenges that most modern businesses struggle with, and always brings sound strategy to the table. His skill in negotiating contracts is far beyond anyone I have met, and he always gets the best out of suppliers. He would be a valuable asset to any organisation.
I've had the pleasure of working with Lee since May 2024, during his time supporting us as a Non-Executive Chief Technology Officer at Petkey. Lee operates as a true strategic partner at board level, bringing clarity and direction across complex areas including technical due diligence, cloud, data, AI, and governance. He has a strong ability to quickly understand the business context and translate this into clear, pragmatic recommendations that support both immediate priorities and longer-term growth.
Since joining us, Lee has been instrumental in evolving our technology and security landscape to support our continued growth. He has helped shape a clear and structured approach to strengthening our security, governance, and resilience—ensuring we are well positioned as we scale across North America.
Lee combines strategic insight with a highly collaborative approach, engaging effectively with both executive leadership and operational teams. He is a trusted advisor who brings focus, structure, and momentum to every engagement.
I would highly recommend Lee to any organisation seeking experienced, board-level technology leadership—particularly in situations involving growth, transformation, or investment readiness.
Lee is an experienced technology leader who can comfortably take on any complex or technical project and has a vast knowledge of the IT industry and the key players. His great talent is his ability to work well with people at any level in the organisation — a personal yet professional approach which gets results. His passion to deliver and succeed is second to none.
Let's Have a Conversation
If you've been given my name and are exploring a technology NED or advisory board appointment, I'd welcome an initial conversation — no obligation, no pitch. I am also available for cyber security advisory, IT strategy reviews and pre-acquisition due diligence engagements through Cognoscere Associates.