Keynote programme 03
Technology Isn't the Problem. Bad Decisions Are.
Businesses waste a staggering amount of money on technology, and in Tom Reveley's experience, the technology itself is rarely the real problem.
The problem is usually the decisions made around it.
The supplier nobody challenges. The contract that keeps renewing. The system bought because somebody gave a convincing demo. The software nobody uses. The risk everybody accepts because nobody in the room feels confident enough to ask a simple question.
Tom has spent more than 20 years working inside businesses, running technology, managing suppliers, cutting waste, fixing bad decisions and dealing with the consequences when nobody asked the right question early enough.
He has seen businesses spend far too much, accept far too little accountability from suppliers and convince themselves that because something is "technical", leadership does not need to understand it.
That is nonsense.
You do not need to be technical to make good technology decisions. You do need to understand what you are buying, why you are buying it, what happens if it fails and who is accountable when it does.
This keynote gives leaders the confidence to challenge what they are being told, question what they are paying for, and recognise when a technology problem is actually a leadership problem in disguise.
The central question
Who is accountable when a technology decision is expensive, dependent or simply wrong?
What the talk explores
- why outsourcing technology does not mean outsourcing responsibility;
- how businesses end up paying for systems, licences and services they no longer need;
- the signs that a supplier relationship has become too dependent or too comfortable;
- why simple questions often expose surprisingly serious risks;
- how leaders can make better technology decisions without becoming technical experts;
- and where independent challenge can save money, reduce risk and stop bad decisions before they become expensive ones.
Ideal for: CEOs, directors, business owners, finance leaders and leadership teams who want technology to support the business rather than quietly drain money, create risk or become somebody else's problem.
Suitable formats
- Conference keynote
- Executive offsite
- Leadership session with moderated Q&A
Length, emphasis and audience interaction are agreed around the event rather than imposed as a fixed training programme.