About Laura Dawson, CEO and Founder Leaderly
If you lead technologists or you are struggling to get traction on digital initiatives, then Leaderly might be able to help you. Often technology capabilities in organisations have grown ‘organically’ and created a number of conditions that can be hard to move on from. Leaderly can help you get to grips with those issues and identify ways you and your organisation can move forward. It often doesn’t need route and branch changes or even high levels of investment but it might need a deal of focus and nerve to drive for the outcome you want.
A Trustee and non-exec board member, and global technology executive with over 30 years experience in digital transformation and technology for good. Laura, our founder has held several C-Suite roles, including Global CIO for the British Council. At Board level. She is Chair of Trustees for Charity IT leaders, and in her tenure at CITL she set up the charity from being a ‘club’ and has set up the new governance structure for the charity. She is also a Board member for LSE Cities and Governor at West Herts College.
What is Leaderly Consulting Ltd?
At the end of 2022, I decided to step down from substantive employment at the London School of Economics. I had been with them through the Covid pandemic including implementing the shift to online teaching and the move to flexible and home working which LSE embraced with professionalism and skill. The pandemic showed me just how brilliant the whole team was and in particular the leadership team. It was time. I wanted time to write and to learn new things but more than anything I wanted to see if I could help other organisations. My passion is working in the not-for-profit space; charities predominantly, but public sector and education as well. I have experience of leading teams in all those types of organisation. I know how hard it is for organisations to get the funding they need from digital technology and then make sure that technology delivers the benefit they expect and helps them in their mission. Leaderly was set up to provide that support, that advice and that assurance that the conditions are in place for success.
Past Projects
Laura has completed the following projects over her career and as a consultant
- Team capability, strategy evaluation and review of investment projects, Higher Education establishment (Leaderly in partnership with DCH)
- Operating Model design (Digital) for a UK Charity (Leaderly in partnership with DCH)
- Operating Model design (Tech and Digital) for a UK Charity (Leaderly in partnership with DCH)
- Value for Money reviews of Service Management provision for ‘blue light’ service. (Leaderly)
- Tender exercise support for a charity (CRM) (Leaderly)
- Benchmarking exercise for a ‘Blue Light’ Service (Leaderly)
- Organisational Design reviews for a charity and an higher education institution (Leaderly)
- Guided C-Suite and non-Exec boards on the introduction & delivery of Digital and Technology Strategy (All roles)
- Developed pragmatic digital & technology strategies (British Council and LSE)
- Reviewed technology teams to identify areas for improvement including implementing the changes necessary (RSPB, British Council and LSE)
- Built high performing teams, including creating a professional & enterprise ready culture, changing perceptions of how technology supports businesses, (RSPB, British Council and LSE)
- Designed and run programmes to professionalise technology practices including Service Management and Leadership.(RSPB, British Council and LSE)
- Reviewed the complete portfolio of projects to identify lame ducks or soaring eagles as well as identifying systematic issues. (LSE)
- Delivered an enterprise wide, global system for expenses in over 100 countries in 6 months (British Council)