How boards should prepare for an AI Future: The Academic and Investor viewpoints
Artificial intelligence is reshaping every sector - but while Boardrooms are talking about it, very few are genuinely prepared for what comes next. Investor expectations are rising. Organisational risk and governance requirements are shifting. And the arrival of agentic AI and domain-specific models means the pace of change is accelerating faster than most leadership teams realise.
In this conversation, portfolio CPO and AI advisor Craig Unsworth joins technologist and digital transformation pioneer Dr Sue Black OBE to explore what Boards really need to know - and what they should be doing now - to lead confidently into an AI-driven future.
Together, they’ll cover:
The realities of AI adoption behind the headlines
How investor perspectives on AI are influencing valuation, risk, and prioritisation
The human psychology of tech change - and why it still makes or breaks every transformation
Practical Board-level questions, frameworks, and actions that can be taken straight into your next meeting
What “good” looks like when governing AI, and where most Boards fall short
This session is designed to be practical, candid, and immediately useful - helping Nurole members cut through the noise, understand the strategic implications of AI, and build confidence about the road ahead.
Speakers
Craig Unsworth is a portfolio Chief Product Officer and Non-Executive Director who specialises in Private Equity, AI, and product transformation. With 20 years’ experience and 50+ transactions, he helps PE-backed companies unlock growth and deliver high-impact, product-led change.
Known for turning complex challenges into standout commercial outcomes, Craig has led buyouts, exits, IPOs, and transformations across SaaS, data, MarTech, and B2B services. He’s also an AWS-recognised AI “Trailblazer” for his work building agentic AI workflows and advising leadership teams on strategic AI adoption.
A seasoned speaker, he has appeared at WIRED Retail, SXSW, Web Summit, Money20/20 and Singapore Fintech Festival.
Professor Sue Black
An award winning Computer Scientist, Technology Evangelist and Digital Skills Expert, Professor Sue Black was awarded an OBE for “services to technology” in the 2016 Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. She is Professor of Computer Science and Technology Evangelist in the Department of Computer Science at Durham University, a UK government advisor, thought leader, Trustee at Comic Relief, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. Sue set up the UK’s first online network for women in tech BCSWomen in 1998 and led the campaign to save Bletchley Park. Sue’s first book Saving Bletchley Park details the social media campaign she led to save Bletchley Park from 2008-2011, it has been an Amazon UK bestseller.