Dan Ilett is the founder and editor of The Executive Summary, the three-times-a-week CEO newsletter read by over 1,000 chief executives. He came up through journalism, writing for the Financial Times on technology and enterprise, and was founding editor of CoinDesk, the world's leading crypto news brand and host of the Consensus conference. He also founded Greenbang, which reached 50,000 readers and was quoted by the United Nations and European Commission. His advisory has shaped $1bn in closed deals, working with IBM, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Cognizant, Equinix, UK Government and SEB on AI, storytelling, commercial performance and organisational change. He chairs the City CIO Club and advises companies through The Proposition.
Geopolitics
The number of crypto millionaires has jumped by around 40% year‑on‑year, reaching 241,700 globally. Nine major European banks - including ING and UniCredit - announced a joint venture to launch a euro‑denominated stablecoin, planning a 2026 rollout. The move signals Europe’s desire to keep
Leadership
Last night I went see Barack Obama at the O2. My takeaways: Obama admitted politics has failed people and there were many mistakes. The West and the left became too comfortable in an echo chamber, taking its eye off the ball in many areas He frequently referred to values-based leadership
Leadership
I once showed a board they had a client trying to spend another $30 million with them, and no one in sales, customer, delivery or leadership had done anything about it. There I was, like Rafiki holding up the Lion King to the sun and its worshippers: “Here is your client, who has asked
AI
DeepMind has redrawn the threat map. In a new update to its Frontier Safety Framework, the UK-based lab now ranks “harmful manipulation” and “shutdown resistance” as core risks. That means models that change your beliefs - or refuse to turn off- are no longer sci-fi. The change matters
Geopolitics
This week, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met in London to align crypto regulation, starting with stablecoins. In a move that signals deeper financial integration with the US and a clear pivot away from Brussels, the two sides agreed to explore joint
Geopolitics
With two weeks to go until Labour’s annual conference, the fiscal cracks on show are looking more like subsidence. The party wants to talk growth: private investment, green jobs and productivity, but is doing so with a chancellor, Rachel Reeves, who is stiffly defined by fiscal caution,
AI
Welcome to the AI Roundup The UK government’s internal trial of Microsoft 365 Copilot failed to deliver the expected productivity gains. Despite Copilot’s ability to generate meeting notes and email drafts, the pilot found no measurable improvements in efficiency. Micro1 raised $35 million
Leadership
I am a framework nerd. This week, I'm sharing one of mine - The Trust Model. This little beauty has helped some of the Fortune tech world to change the way they speak and sell to their clients. It's very simple. Let me explain. This is the Trust Model. You have two axis: the horizontal
Growth
Europe is falling behind. The US thrives on bold ambition. China scales with relentless momentum. But Europe's many committees and caution culture sap its capacity to adapt, innovate and lead. Without reframing its mindset to one that embraces experimentation, rapid learning and unified
AI
Good morning I recently coached an exec team who wanted more updates on how companies are responding to AI challenges. Here's the latest: The White House is finalising a “Winning the AI Race” plan to push US AI overseas and block federal funding in states with restrictive AI laws. It leans
Geopolitics
“Please miss, can we leave school early today? It’s election day.” “I beg your pardon, Jimmy? Oh, yes voting, of course. Off you go, but don’t forget your plimsolls and make sure your mother is at the gate to collect you.” Pokemon cards and ballot slips don’t mix. Giving the vote to
Geopolitics
Every time financial pressure rises, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is binned. It is the twitchiest of government policies and company strategies. It comes in and out of fashion faster than a MasterChef TV host. The UK just scrapped its green investment taxonomy and pulled
