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The Board in the Machine

Events

Where I'm speaking next, and where I've spoken: conferences, keynotes, panels, and lectures on AI, governance, and the boardroom.

Upcoming talks & events

Next Event

Annual Director Forum 2026: Business. A force for good?

Chairing the breakout panel Disruptive Tech: a board's best friend or worst enemy? with Rob McCargow of PwC UK, Niresh Rajah and Maya Bankovich, at the IoD's half-day Director Forum at 116 Pall Mall, the event that launches the 2026 IoD Commission report. Members only, and the day is close to full.

Institute of Directors London

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The Institute of Directors mark in white on the IoD's orange and red
An illuminated AWS sign above the floor of the re:Invent expo hall, lit in blue and violet

A leader's guide to what your board must know about AI (and shouldn't)

AWS re:Invent Las Vegas

A 300-level breakout session at re:Invent (SNR310): where a board sits on AI, the personas around the table, and how to move it from curiosity to conviction without generating more heat than light. Lecture-style, walk-up only.

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Past talks & events

Mario Thomas on the panel at the IoD Chartered Director Conference 2026 at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester

Chartered Director Conference 2026: Turning Intelligence to Advantage

Institute of Directors Manchester

A panel on governing AI at the IoD's day for Chartered Directors, senior leaders and governance professionals at the Science and Industry Museum. An audience question from the room, on how to decide which AI to use, became the article Not Everything Needs AI.

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Mario Thomas presenting to private equity portfolio company executives on data monetisation and driving exit value through digitisation.

Chief Wine Officer: Data Monetisation for Private Equity Portfolio Companies

Chief Wine Officer London

A keynote for leaders of private equity portfolio companies on turning organisational data into value within PE timeframes, at an event hosted by AWS at Spring, Somerset House.

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Mario Thomas on stage at Monday.com Elevate at ExCel London with a list of AI use cases on screen.

monday.com Elevate London 2024: Keynote

monday.com London

A keynote on leveraging data and AI for organisational transformation: the perfect-data myth, practical governance, and where the return comes from.

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Mario Thomas at the lectern presenting Unlocking the Power of Data to private equity executives at AWS in London

Driving Value Creation Through AI and Data: Private Equity and Portfolio Companies

AWS London

A session for private equity firms and their portfolio company executives, where the AI Stages of Adoption model was introduced for the first time.

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Mario Thomas and Kenneth Benoit standing in front of a display screen at the London School of Economics

LSE Guest Lecture: Harnessing AI for Change Led from the Board

LSE London

A guest lecture to the summer Data Science and AI for Executives class on harnessing AI for organisational transformation led from the Board.

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Mario Thomas speaking to the Chief Wine Office event at the National Portrait Gallery, London

Chief Wine Officer: Demystifying AI

Chief Wine Officer London

An evening talk for business leaders on looking past the AI hype cycle to what AI can do for an organisation, at an event hosted by AWS at the National Portrait Gallery.

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