Delivery is stuck
Teams are busy but nothing is shipping. Roadmaps slip, costs rise, and the board wants to know why. I diagnose the root causes and reset structure so delivery resumes.
When Technology, Cyber and AI Become Board-Level Issues, CEOs and Operating Partners Call Me In.
From board-level clarity to hands-on execution.
I work with CEOs, Chairs and Operating Partners when technology is affecting delivery, margin, cyber risk, AI decisions or board confidence.
Dublin | London | UK | Ireland | Europe | North America
Where I have led technology
Why CEOs call me in
When technology becomes a board-level issue
Vendors are unclear
MSPs, platforms and consultancies aren't producing the value they promised. I challenge vendors and architecture so technology spend translates into business progress.
Cyber exposure isn't board-ready
The insurer, the customer audit or the acquirer is going to ask, and nobody can answer confidently. I produce the board-level cyber narrative, a risk register the board can actually use, and a prioritised plan for closing the gaps that matter.
AI activity isn't creating value
Pilots accumulate but nothing reaches production. I separate useful AI from theatre and identify the fastest path to a working implementation that moves the numbers.
The CTO function isn't trusted
The CTO seat is missing, overloaded, or no longer has board confidence. I step in at CTO level until the function is rebuilt, recruited or handed back stronger.
How I help
One method. Four lenses.
Most engagements start the same way. Something is about to be decided; a leadership change, another roadmap, an AI investment. What you need first is an independent view of what is really happening. Which lens you commission depends on which decision is in front of you.
The work runs the same way every time: scope and fee agreed before anything starts, structured interviews across leadership, the technology function and the vendors that matter, evidence reviewed rather than reporting taken at face value, findings written against that evidence, and a board-ready readout with a prioritised 30/60/90-day plan. Fixed fee. No day rates, no scope creep.
What changes is the lens. You commission one.
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The technology function
The whole picture: delivery, team and structure, architecture, vendors, spend, cyber and AI. Commissioned when the CTO seat is changing, delivery has stalled, or the board no longer believes the technology narrative.
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Cybersecurity and the board
Where your exposure actually sits, who owns it, and what a board can say about it under pressure. Commissioned when an insurance renewal is coming, a customer security audit has landed, or an acquirer is going to ask. Includes an indicative view on whether NIS2 is likely to reach you and roughly when. Delivered as Cyber Board Essentials.
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AI, pilot to production
Where AI activity is real, where it is theatre, what is unsafe, and the fastest route to something in production that moves a number. I have built and run production-grade AI in a regulated domain, not only reviewed other people's.
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Technology due diligence
The same discipline pointed at an asset you do not own yet: AI claims tested, deferred capex surfaced, security gaps found before completion rather than six weeks after. Commissioned by funds and acquirers.
After the assessment
The plan is only worth what gets done with it. Most CEOs do not need a permanent CTO to act on findings; they need senior judgement available when the decisions land. The Impact CTO Advisory Plan continues on a monthly basis: advisory session, board pack and roadmap review, vendor challenge, a risk register maintained rather than filed. Where the situation needs someone in the seat, I take interim CTO mandates directly. Both are agreed at the readout rather than sold afterwards.
Typical outputs
- Monthly CEO advisory session
- Board pack and roadmap review
- Technology, cyber and AI risk register
- Vendor challenge
- Decision support on key calls
- Board-ready summary notes
Track record
Recent Outcomes
- €1M+ annual capex reduction across multi-country infrastructure
- 800+ analyst hours saved through AI/ML deployment
- 20+ acquisitions integrated into a unified platform model
- 150M+ users supported as CPTO of FTSE100 platform
- 1st AI product launched in PE-backed MSP, creating new revenue stream
Recent engagement
A North American software business commissioned an independent view of its technology function ahead of a change in leadership. Eighteen stakeholders across fifteen sessions, evidence reviewed across delivery, architecture, security and vendor arrangements, and a board-ready report with a prioritised plan. Fixed fee agreed in advance.
How I Work
Interim, contract or ongoing advisory: I plug in at the level the situation demands and stay accountable for outcomes, not just advice.
- Interim CTO leadership
- Technology due diligence for investors and acquirers
- Contract CTO support
- Board advisory
- Hands-on AI implementation
- Cybersecurity governance
- Engineering turnaround
- Vendor and architecture challenge
If technology, cyber or AI has become a board-level issue, the next step is a clear conversation about what's really going on and what to fix first.
Book a CEO Clarity Call
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Free Diagnostic Tools
Spot the Gaps. Start the Conversation.
Scaling businesses face constant pressure from regulators, customers, and the board. I created these tools to help you quickly spot gaps, benchmark your readiness, and start meaningful conversations about technology, compliance, and growth.
GDPR
GDPR Breach Response Simulator
"If your company suffered a data incident today, would you know whether to notify regulators within 72 hours?"
Walk through a realistic data breach scenario and discover whether your organisation needs to notify regulators, and how quickly.
- Traffic-light severity score
- Scenario-specific GDPR guidance
- Professional PDF report
For awareness only. This tool does not constitute legal advice.
Launch Tool
AI Strategy
AI Readiness Assessment
"Why waste budget on AI Pilots that won't make it to production?"
Assess whether your organisation has the foundations to take AI from pilot to production, before you spend the budget.
- Traffic-light readiness score
- Step-by-step breakdown by domain
- Mitigation roadmap
For awareness only. This tool does not constitute strategic or technical advice.
Launch Tool
Compliance
NIS2 Scope & Readiness Check
"NIS2 transposition in Ireland is overdue and now expected before the end of 2026. Leadership teams keep asking the same question: is this actually going to reach us?"
Get an indicative view on whether NIS2 is likely to apply to your organisation, where your current posture sits, and which gaps your board would need to close.
- Indicative view on NIS2 applicability, with the reasoning shown
- Readiness score across the governance areas that matter
- Leadership gap insights
For awareness and decision support only. This tool does not constitute legal or regulatory advice.
Launch ToolWriting & Insights
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One Resignation: The Hidden Risk of Knowledge Fragility
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AI or Smoke-and-Mirrors? Spotting False AI Claims Before You Sign the LOI
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Read MoreGet insights like these in your inbox
No spam. One email when something worth reading is published.
The Person Behind the Title
Michael Doody
Contract & Interim CTO. I step into CTO and technology leadership roles when execution can't wait.
Over 25 years I've led technology, product, and engineering in FTSE-100, Nasdaq-listed, PE-backed, and venture-backed businesses across the UK, Ireland, Europe, and North America. I've integrated acquisitions, built platforms serving millions of users, shipped production AI systems, and led security programmes through certification and incident response.
I work with CEOs, Chairs, and operating partners who need a senior technology leader in the seat now; someone with the authority and experience to stabilise teams, reset delivery, make vendor and architecture decisions, and report credibly to the board.
Problems I Solve
- CTO succession gaps with no obvious internal candidate
- Engineering delivery that has stalled
- Post-M&A platform chaos and competing roadmaps
- AI initiatives stuck in pilot purgatory
- Security posture that won't survive due diligence
"I take accountability for outcomes, not just advice. Whether it's a focused turnaround or a twelve-month interim mandate, I work in the role — not from the sidelines."
Based in Dublin. Serving UK, Ireland, Europe and North America.