Dan Ilett writes The Executive Summary for CEOs and leadership teams of the FTSE 350. He advises boards on growth strategy, organisational change, AI, storytelling and commercial tactics. He chairs the City CIO Club, a private network for technology leaders. As a journalist, he has written for the Financial Times, the Economist Group, the Daily Telegraph, the New York Times and a string of tech publications. He launched several media titles including CoinDesk, where he was founding editor. Dan went on to lead transformation and advise on commercial delivery in FTSE and Fortune organisations. Dan delivers workshops for leadership teams in growth, go-to-market and AI transformation.
Downtime
Eeeh, in my day, we were sent down to London on the back of a coal truck and told to run for 14 miles to find somewhere to sleep while being chased by pack hounds. We had no clothes so we'd make do with the Evening Standard and fish wrappers. If we were cold, we'd huddle up in't tent made
AI
As Crowdstrike’s share price continues to slide today, Microsoft is doing its best to distance itself from the massive outage of 8.5 million Windows devices. The funny thing is, I was penning a piece for you on how smug Microsoft has been of late due to its success in marketing Copilot,
Growth
Will it be calmer under Starmer? “There’s no time to waste.” Several members of the Cabinet have used this phrase since Friday including the PM himself… It’s a simple, subtle message you may have missed, but the fact it’s been repeated so many times means it’s been planned by some smart
Growth
While stagnant VCs have been stalled on investments for the last 18 months, M&A conversations have been ramping up. Small to medium-sized US tech companies are shopping for bargains in Europe. There’s some great IP and without funding, founders are more likely to move straight to exit. A
Geopolitics
What have I been hearing? The election dominates conversations but with malaise. Whichever MP flavour you favour, no politician is going into the next term without being tarnished by the behaviour of the last bunch. Trust is at an all-time low. And when I say ‘bunch’, most of the Blue team
Growth
We decided to hold off on launching the Growth Blockers Survey until after the election this week. A lot of business decisions have been delayed until after the election, so we would like to get a sense of what’s next after this. It’s not too late to add your questions or ideas to the
Leadership
City of London CEOs and CIOs The Executive Summary increases its focus on business and technology leaders, but from hereon will only focus on CEOs and CIOs in the City of London. That means, our content is designed for those folks running and operating businesses mainly in financial,
Leadership
If you are a CXO that want’s to network with professionals or learn from industry leaders in the Tech or Finance field, here are the top 20 events you must attend in the City of London this July. Don’t miss out on these exciting opportunities to connect and grow! Top 20 Events: Defence
Downtime
This week’s weak political leadership debates have dominated headlines with party messaging that is so bad, it makes business advertising look good. Almost. This week’s corporate ad gems were found in the FT this morning. 1. SEB First up, it’s Swedish bank, SEB. Where this one is going, I
Geopolitics
I’ve been collecting opinions from readers of The Executive Summary on the election. It appears confidence from city folk in political leadership and business-friendly policy has never been so low. What do you think? — “Brexit has ruined the City. The Tories have done themselves no favours
Geopolitics
The City of London Corporation has voted to allow taxis to access Bank junction for a trial period starting in Spring 2025, pending approval from Transport for London. The Court of Common Council made the decision, and City Corporation Transport Officers will draft an experimental traffic
Downtime
The Executive Summary: Location – rooftop bar overlooking the City with a great view of St Pauls. Located next to Liverpool St station. Experience – Very laid back, slick service, stylish and lively. Food – A standout menu with something for all, combining Mexican-Japanese flavours.
