AI
The cost of a mile
Hedging your overhead certainty according to oil price
What the board really thinks
Dan Ilett — former Financial Times journalist turned CEO advisor — sends The Executive Summary to over 2,000 CEOs twice a week.
He shares what boards are really thinking: what CEOs want, the news that matters to them and ideas that challenge how leaders behave. Sharp, conversational, often poking fun at the absurdities of business and leadership.
- Opinion & analysis on the issues CEOs face right now
- Frameworks you can use with your team on Monday morning
- Research & intelligence from original TES studies and partners
- Events & dinners bringing leaders together off the record
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
2,000+ CEO subscribers
2x weekly
Read by leaders at
Featured
View all →
AI
What leaders are saying
★★★★★
"In a world which is going faster than ever, it has never been tougher to be a leader but that is where opportunity lies. Dan gets the lonely seat of leadership and bringing peers together to share ideas is such a good way to crystallize your thoughts."
★★★★★
"Dan's newsletter is the only one I actually let hit my inbox, and I've never once failed to read it. It's sharp, funny and refreshingly honest, with genuinely insightful takes that make even a non-tech founder like me look forward to every issue."
★★★★★
"Every week Dan reminds me that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about asking better questions. Thought provoking and nicely crafted, a decent read."
★★★★★
"Dan has built a community that genuinely helps senior leaders navigate the noise. The frameworks are practical, the analysis is sharp, and the network you gain access to is world-class."
★★★★★
"A rare newsletter that respects your time while expanding your perspective. Dan cuts through the noise with precision and a refreshingly human voice. Essential reading for any CEO who wants to stay sharp."
Columns
View all →
Growth
Selling to the C-Suite: Listen. Create. Engage.
Good morning On Thursday 26th February at 10am, I'm running a free webinar on selling to the C-suite. It's the course I have given to a number of Fortune tech companies to help them shift the narrative to get better engagement. Believe it or not, these companies face the same challenges as
Leadership
Update: Bust IT
Can't sleep? Watch this. Better than knockout drops. Hi guys I hope you're enjoying your week. I'm having one of those days where none of my technology works. I am locked out of my email and several other accounts, so am waiting for a brilliant tech support person to fix all my troubles.
Geopolitics
SPADness: Are Advisors to Blame for Government Cockups?
You have to ask, how can UK governments keep getting it so successfully wrong? With 13 major U-turns under its belt and counting, this government has realised its inexperience is costing it voters. The blame - at least a good portion - has landed on the record number of special advisors
Leadership
How to Fire Someone
Over Christmas, I read The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. My friend Todd Wade, an excellent Chief Information Security Officer, gave it to me for my birthday. It's a warts-and-all account of how hard it is to be a CEO and the junk you have to deal with as part of the job.
Geopolitics
Greenland, Jobs and Labour Chaos
The World Economic Forum in Davos dominated international attention with a tense backdrop of US-Europe friction. President Trump launched a new Board of Peace initiative aimed at Middle East conflict resolution but did so without major allied support, raising questions about diplomatic
AI
The Agents Working Against You
We have entered what the industry is calling the "Agentic Wars." In December 2025, Meta paid over $2 billion to acquire Manus, a nine-month-old startup that had built something Silicon Valley now considers essential: an AI that doesn't just talk, but acts. ChatGPT and its peers answer
Join 2,000+ CEOs
Three times a week, Dan sends the opinion, frameworks and research that help leaders make better decisions. Sharp, conversational.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Frameworks
Browse all frameworks →
Framework
1
The 8 skills to nuke your competitors
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a piece called "How many people can I fire?". For some reason, it upset a number of folks who don't agree there will be job cuts and massive shifts from AI. I had quite a few emails - and believe it or not, I really like it when people write in with what they
Growth
Framework
2
The 4 Things You Need to Get Right When Selling to the C-Suite
I surveyed our 66 webinar delegates on how to sell to the C-suite and asked them: What is the single biggest challenge you face when selling to the C-suite? The number one challenge, cited by 35% of respondents, was access and attention. There are good reasons for this. Channels
Growth
Framework
3
The Safety Advantage: How to Reduce Decision Risk and Accelerate Sales
The Problem The buyer has begged you to send your proposal to them as fast as possible, hinting they can make the decision and walk you through all the sales hurdles in their company. They've got the power, they say. They're desperate, they say. This is a strategic priority, they add. You
GrowthBrowse by Topic
Growth
The 8 skills to nuke your competitors
The 4 Things You Need to Get Right When Selling to the C-Suite
Selling to the C-Suite: Listen. Create. Engage.
Leadership
Bring Out Your Jobs
Unmeasured Productivity: AI Investments are Flying Blind
Update: Bust IT
Cohorts
Beyond the newsletter, The Executive Summary runs exclusive peer networks and events for senior leaders. Each cohort is invitation-only and run under Chatham House rules.
The Board Table
Private dinners for 12–15 CEOs. Four times a year in Central London. Structured debate on growth, leadership and strategy under Chatham House rules.
- Quarterly dinners, 7–11pm
- Curated, application only
- WhatsApp peer network
City CIO Club
Invitation-only peer network for CIOs and CTOs in London's financial district. Monthly dinners, webinars and research. Capped at 100 members. No vendors.
- Monthly dinners in the City
- 100 member cap
- Research and briefings
TES Live
Quarterly networking events for 50–100 A-players. Live interviews with exceptional leaders, collaborative exercises, and the kind of room you want to be in.
- Quarterly in Central London
- CEOs, founders, investors
- Drinks, interview, workshop
The newsletter CEOs actually read
Join 2,000+ leaders getting Dan Ilett's opinion, frameworks, research and intelligence every week. Challenge yourself. Challenge your team.
Unsubscribe any time.