LTL 25: Dealing with Non-Technical Executives
What does it actually take to deal with non-technical executives - who is really still non-technical in that room, whether translating risk for the board means clarity or quiet compromise, and what it takes to hold influence when everyone claims to speak the language now.
Date: Thursday, 12th November
Time: 5:30pm-9:30pm
What's included: Food and drink, complimentary throughout the evening
Key discussion points:
Who is actually non-technical now and can you be non-technical and still run a modern business?
Has AI made your board better partners, or more dangerous decision-makers?
How do technology leaders earn genuine influence in a room of non technical execs?
When you translate technical risk for non-technical execs, what gets lost?
In five years will 'non-technical executive' even be a viable description?
Our Panel:
Meri Williams, NED, CTO and Advisor
Meri Williams is an experienced CTO, NED and technology advisor who has led teams of 30 to 300 at organisations including Procter & Gamble, the Government Digital Service, MOO, Monzo and Healx, building high-performing teams and transforming technology organisations in complex, business-critical environments.
Alongside their leadership roles, Meri works as a CTO coach, advisor and NED through their micro-consultancy ChromeRose, helping technology leaders and organisations develop and scale. They are also a published author, international speaker and co-curator and host of The Lead Developer conference series.
David Whitney, Director of Architecture, NewDay
David Whitney is Director of Architecture at NewDay, with more than 30 years’ experience writing code and 15 years in technology leadership. A programmer, software architect and mentor, his work spans platform strategy, developer tooling, software delivery and cultural change.
Previously Chief Technical Architect at JustGiving, David has also worked with organisations including JUST EAT, Trainline and Vodafone to improve their technical capabilities. He is a Microsoft MVP, OpenUK honoree and two-time bestselling author, and regularly speaks on software design, technology culture, AI and ethics.
Vishal Parmar, Exec Director, Legal, Tech & Data, Condé Nast
Vishal Parmar is Executive Director, Legal, Technology & Data at Condé Nast, bringing extensive experience across privacy, data protection and technology strategy.
Prior to joining Condé Nast, Vishal held senior privacy and data leadership roles at British Airways and eMed Healthcare UK, including serving as Data Protection Officer. A qualified solicitor, his career combines legal expertise with a deep understanding of how organisations navigate data, technology and evolving regulatory challenges.
Chairing our panel will be Mal Minhas, NED and Advisor, Diorama Consulting
Mal is a board-level technology advisor and Non-Executive Director, working with boards, founders, and investors at moments of material technology risk or opportunity.
He supports decision-making across platform and product strategy, AI and data leverage, technology governance, and organisational design.
His work focuses on reducing uncertainty for boards by translating architecture, data capability, and delivery constraints into clear choices, trade-offs, and investable plans.