David Viney
- Specialism: AI transformation strategy and governance; fractional CIO/CTO leadership; ERP and CRM platform delivery (SAP, Oracle, Workday, Dynamics); cyber and data security turnarounds; M&A/carve-out technology integration; board-level digital risk advisory.
- Track Record: Built WPP Open, the agentic AI operating platform now used by 70,000 practitioners across 110 countries. Held platform and technology leadership roles at WPP, Heathrow, Arup, BSI, Aga Khan Development Network and the BBC. Board Treasurer at Article 19 since 2020, following trustee roles at Privacy International and SciDev.net.
- Offer: Fractional CIO and AI transformation support for organisations that need senior technology leadership without a full-time hire, plus board-level advisory on AI governance and digital risk. Comes in, diagnoses what’s actually broken, and either fixes it or builds the team that will.
- David says: “What differentiates me is the Technology & AI MOT, a fixed-price audit that gives you immediate value in the business.Technology MOT. A fixed price, tight scope piece of work across six domains — resulting in a clear set of options and recommendations. For organisations with meaningful technology spend, the savings identified almost always cover the investment. The MOT pays for itself. The MOT also helps determine the best way forward for my relationship with my client. Either an assignment-based piece of work (paid by outcome) or an ongoing, retainer-based role on your board or in the business.”
- Try me: alchemy.consulting
Scale of impact, not scale of headcount, is what motivated me to pursue a portfolio career. It allows me to put thirty years of pattern recognition to work across a range of clients and sectors at once, rather than being parked inside one org chart. Variety is the point. It’s the spice of life, and frankly, it keeps the thinking sharper too.
I got started by taking a deliberately inbound approach. No lurking behind a blue banner on LinkedIn, and no circuit of networking breakfasts. I lean on search and PR to bring the right work to my door instead of chasing it around a room. Counter-intuitive in a sector that’s thrived on who-knows-who for decades, I know. But it works, and there are only so many canapés one person can eat.
My first success came with a fascinating tech start-up in the UK accounting sector, where I was brought in to develop a new standard for how they use AI. It was meant to be a taster. Instead, it convinced me to go portfolio sooner rather than later, which had never been the plan.
Along the way, I’ve learned that the fractional market in the UK is still arguably at an early stage, particularly when compared with the US. To a degree, we have to create the market before we can fully capitalise on it. For that reason, I take every opportunity to collaborate with “fellow travellers” on the same journey. We are all of us smarter than any one of us.
It’s working for me now because I can finally be the person I really am. I’m writing my third book and collaborating on research with leading academics, serving on the boards of several charities to further causes I’m passionate about, and making a real difference in scaling businesses through the power of technology.
Looking ahead, I want a handful of the right engagements, not a portfolio that peaks and collapses. I’m aiming for a smaller, steadier mix over the next five to eight years, combining board and advisory work with Fractional CIO mandates, while leaving room for the parts of life a career shouldn’t crowd out.