Strategy & business development
Independent thinking on direction, opportunities, business models and difficult decisions. Connecting ambition with the practical requirements of delivery.
THE INDEPENDENT ADVISORY PRACTICE OF IAN BURGESS
Independent thinking.
Practical change.
Strategy, technology and organisational development — informed by experience, driven by curiosity and grounded in what works.
Start a conversation
Good ideas deserve good questions.
Perspective before prescription.INDEPENDENT ADVICE · COLLABORATIVE THINKING · PRACTICAL OUTCOMES
01 / THE IDEA
Look at the bigger picture.
Understand what matters.
I work with business leaders, founders and organisations to explore opportunities, understand complex problems and turn promising ideas into practical strategies, products and services.
My experience spans business leadership, digital technology, governance and organisational change. I bring those perspectives together to help people make clearer decisions — without losing sight of the people, resources and responsibilities involved.
I don't arrive with a predetermined answer. I start by understanding the question.
02 / WHAT I DO
Different challenges.
Connected thinking.
Technology & product development
Helping turn technical ideas and prototypes into useful, credible and commercially sustainable products and services.
AI & organisational knowledge
Exploring how organisations can use AI, connected information and intelligent workflows to support people, improve decisions and reduce unnecessary work.
Governance & assurance
Making responsibilities, risks and evidence clearer — especially when organisations introduce new technology or unfamiliar ways of working.
Advisory & mentoring
A constructive sounding board for leaders and founders. Testing assumptions, clarifying priorities and connecting people with complementary expertise.
A WORKING PRINCIPLE
“The aim isn't to have all the answers. It's to ask better questions, see the connections and make sound decisions.”
IAN BURGESS
03 / HOW I WORK
Thoughtful by nature.
Practical by design.
01 / LISTEN
Understand first.
Begin with the context, the people involved and what the organisation is actually trying to achieve.
02 / QUESTION
Challenge constructively.
Test assumptions, including my own. The point is a better decision, not winning an argument.
03 / CONNECT
See the whole system.
Explore how technology, commercial realities, governance and people affect one another.
04 / ACT
Make progress real.
Move from interesting possibilities towards clearer decisions, workable plans and the next useful step.
04 / ABOUT
Learning and practice, beyond the boardroom.
Ian Burgess
Independent adviser · Director · Collaborator
I have spent much of my professional life working across business strategy, organisational development and technology.
I'm a Director of Civic Computing, a board member of OpenUK, and a trustee of the Society for Neurodiversity.
Through Linked IT, I bring that experience to independent advisory work with organisations and people developing new ideas, navigating change or making important decisions.
I'm interested in how organisations work, how knowledge supports judgement and how technology can create lasting value. Outside work, I teach martial arts and Daoist practices — interests that reinforce my appreciation of learning, balance and continued practice.
Visit my personal website05 / WHAT I'M EXPLORING
Questions worth
thinking about.
01
AI and the organisation
How can AI make organisational knowledge more useful while preserving human judgement?
02
Trust and digital rights
What would it take to make privacy, consent and accountability meaningful in practice?
03
Open technology
How can open standards and interoperable systems create better long-term choices?
04
Governance that works
How do we make assurance a practical part of decisions rather than an exercise in paperwork?
06 / GET IN TOUCH
Start with a
conversation.
You don't need a fully developed brief. You might have a difficult decision, a new opportunity or simply a sense that there is a better way to approach something.
I'm happy to explore it with you and see whether my experience could be useful.
Email me