Jersey’s digital transformation
A talk on Jersey’s digital transformation, given at Digital Jersey’s 2021 Annual Review event.
AI adviser · keynote speaker · author
From AI adoption to AI impact.
Most organisations are now using AI. Far fewer are getting real value from it. I help leaders, boards and governments close that gap, drawing on forty years of building enterprise software, researching how organisations change and advising at board level.
Professor of Digital EconomyUniversity of Exeter Business School
Experience at
- IBM
- Carnegie Mellon
- Catapulse, Silicon Valley
- Texas Instruments
- Computer Associates
- University of Exeter
See Alan in action
Talks and short explainers
A full conference talk and a series of short videos on leading digital change.
The implications of digital transformation
Four areas to discuss: technology, stakeholders, new ways of working and new business models.
The application and use of digital technology
What a glass of water can reveal about how we apply and use digital technology.
Digitalisation and value creation through AI
How AI, machine learning and digitalisation open up new value and business models for customers and organisations.
How I can help
Practical, evidence-based guidance for the people who decide on AI
Keynotes and talks
Clear, candid talks that cut through the hype on what AI really changes for organisations, sectors and countries.
- Conference keynotes
- Fireside conversations and panels
- In person or online
Board and executive advisory
Independent counsel for executive teams and boards making high-stakes AI decisions.
- AI strategy and economics
- Governance, risk and oversight
- Reviewing AI programmes that have stalled
Leadership sessions
Interactive sessions that build the judgement senior people need to approve AI and answer for it.
- Leadership team sessions
- Scenario-based workshops
- Executive education
I also collaborate on research, policy work and media. Get in touch.
About Alan
From building software to building AI-ready organisations
I’ve spent forty years where technology meets organisations: first building it, in large corporations and a Silicon Valley start-up, then studying how organisations change, and now helping leaders make AI deliver.
Today I’m Professor of Digital Economy at the University of Exeter Business School, Research Director at the Digital Policy Alliance and AI Director at Digital Leaders. I’ve written 13 books, most recently Making AI Work for Britain (2026).
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1983 – 1996
Engineer and researcher
Software engineering at Newcastle, York and Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute, advising the FAA and the US Department of Defense.
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1996 – 2000
Technology executive
Texas Instruments’ Software Research Lab in Dallas, then Sterling Software and Computer Associates, as VP of Research and Development.
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2000 – 2001 · Cupertino, California
Silicon Valley start-up
Catapulse, a start-up backed by Rational and Benchmark Capital, building a hosted platform for software development teams. Acquired by Rational in 2001.
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2001 – 2012
IBM Distinguished Engineer
Product strategy for IBM Rational’s development tools, then Rational’s CTO for Europe, based in Madrid.
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2012 – today
Professor and adviser
Founded the Surrey Centre for the Digital Economy and Exeter’s INDEX, directed the £12.4M EPSRC DIGIT Lab, and advise leaders across government and industry.
Track record
A career across technology, research and policy
IBMDistinguished Engineer · Rational CTO for Europe
Carnegie MellonSoftware Engineering Institute
Computer AssociatesVP of Research and Development
Texas InstrumentsSoftware Research Lab
CatapulseSilicon Valley start-up · acquired by Rational
University of ExeterProfessor of Digital Economy
University of SurreyFounder, Centre for the Digital Economy
Digital Policy AllianceResearch Director
Digital LeadersAI Director
40+years in technology and research
13books as author, co-author or editor
80+peer-reviewed papers
£20M+in funded research projects
Ideas and tools
Frameworks leaders can use tomorrow
Latest book · 2026
Making AI Work for Britain
Why Britain’s AI ambitions keep stalling after a promising start, and five reforms built around consolidating demand, diversifying supply and an adaptive path. Lessons that travel well beyond the UK.
The AI Decision Fluency Model
Four Ds (Delegation, Description, Discernment and Diligence) for senior people who approve AI and answer for it, with a field guide and ten six-minute simulations.
Explore the model →UK AI Watch
Tracking progress on the book’s 25 recommendations, reviewed every quarter.
See the tracker →The AI-at-Scale Playbook
A free, practical guide to delivering AI at scale, with an eleven-lesson course.
Find out more →Signature keynotes
Talks that move leaders from AI adoption to AI impact
Each talk is tailored to the audience and draws on current research, real cases and four decades of practice.
From adoption to impact: scale is not more AI
Why so many AI roll-outs stall after the pilot, and what the organisations creating real value do differently.
Takeaway: a practical way to move from usage to measurable impact.
Making AI work for Britain
What the UK gets right and wrong about AI, and how consolidating demand, diversifying supply and an adaptive path could change the outcome.
Takeaway: lessons any country or sector can apply.
Deciding with AI
The four Ds of AI decision fluency: how to delegate, describe, discern and stay diligent when AI is part of the decision.
Takeaway: a shared language for approving and overseeing AI.
- Keynote
- Fireside conversation
- Panel or chairing
- Leadership workshop
- In person or online
Recent appearances
Where I’ve been speaking and writing
Two conversations on AI in practice
“What AI Has Done to Agile Product Delivery” with Dave West, and “The Theory and Practice of Scaling AI Adoption” with Prof Will Venters (LSE).
From Adoption to Impact
For senior leaders at Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority.
Making AI Work for Britain
A Digital Leaders webinar with over 500 attendees, a Red Hat launch event and a Scrum.org podcast.
The Times Tech Podcast
Discussing AI in organisations with Paul Henninger of KPMG.
What do we mean by sovereign AI?
One of a series of op-eds applying the book’s ideas to current AI policy debates.
Leadership and regulator sessions
Scenario-based AI decision fluency sessions for leadership teams, regulators and senior civil servants.
Writing
Latest from the Digital Economy Dispatch
Ready to work together?
Whether it’s a keynote, a board conversation or a leadership session, the quickest way to start is a short email.
Email Alan
I usually reply within two to three working days.
alan@alanbrown.net- who you are and your organisation
- the type of work: keynote, advisory, leadership session, research or media
- dates, location and audience
Or connect on LinkedIn ↗