About Richard Danks
Leading Change with Clarity and Calm
I'm Richard Danks - a Chartered IT Professional, Enterprise Architect, and Fractional CTO. For over 25 years, I've helped organisations turn complex technology problems into clear, measurable progress.
From banks and defence programmes to fast-growing SaaS companies, my work centres on one principle: technology should serve strategy, not the other way round.
A Career Built on Transformation
I began my career in the engineering trenches: servers, networks, SharePoint, and early cloud migrations. That technical depth never left me - it's the reason my strategies work in the real world.
Over time, I moved into architecture and leadership roles across finance, government, transport, and manufacturing. I've led multi-million-pound transformations, designed enterprise cloud environments for regulated sectors, and guided teams through high-stakes change.
Every engagement reinforces the same truth: success isn't about tools or frameworks. It's about people, timing, and trust.
Who I Work With
Does this sound familiar?
Your technology function feels like a black box. Costs are rising, delivery is slowing, and you're not sure if the problem is people, process, or the platform itself.
You're facing a critical decision - cloud migration, legacy replacement, a CTO hire - but the options feel overwhelming and the stakes are high.
Your board is asking hard questions about technical debt, AI strategy, or cybersecurity risk, and you need answers that are honest, informed, and commercially grounded.
If any of these resonate, you're in the right place.
I work with three types of leaders:
- •Founders and CEOs of B2B SaaS and tech-enabled businesses (£2M–£50M revenue) who need strategic technology leadership without a permanent CTO hire.
- •Private equity and board members overseeing portfolio companies in transition, turnaround, or scale-up where technology risk or delivery is blocking value creation.
- •Transformation leaders in enterprise and public sector organisations navigating cloud migration, legacy modernisation, or AI readiness at pace.
What I Do
Fractional CTO
When you need strategic technology leadership, but not a £200K+ hire.
I step into your leadership team to provide ongoing strategic technology direction. This isn't consultancy theatre - it's embedded leadership. I attend your board meetings, guide your technical teams, make architecture decisions, and own outcomes alongside you.
Recent clients have used me to:
- ✓Build their first technical strategy
- ✓Assess build-vs-buy decisions for core platforms
- ✓Guide teams through ISO 27001 certification
Technology Turnaround
When delivery has stalled and you need someone who's fixed this before.
When costs are spiralling, deadlines are slipping, or technical debt is choking growth, I come in to stabilise, restructure, and redirect. I assess what's broken, build the recovery plan, and either lead the fix or equip your team to execute it.
Case example: One client was nine months behind on a critical platform rebuild with £2M sunk and morale collapsing. Within six weeks, we'd restructured the team, re-scoped the roadmap, and restored delivery confidence. The platform launched four months later.
Transformation Advisory
When you're making big bets and need independent expertise.
I work with executives to align technology capability with business strategy. That means roadmaps that reflect real priorities, operating models that enable delivery, and investment decisions backed by evidence, not vendor pitches.
A recent engagement saved a manufacturing client £8M by identifying over-engineered infrastructure and renegotiating contracts they didn't know they could exit.
How I Work
Clients describe my approach as measured, practical, and relentlessly clear. I focus on simplifying complexity and making progress visible - early, honest, and evidence-based.
Week 1–2: Diagnostic
I talk to your team, review your systems, and identify the three things that matter most. You get a clear picture of where you stand - no jargon, no 40-page decks.
Week 3+: Embedded delivery or advisory
We tackle priorities in order. I join leadership meetings, guide technical decisions, and make sure progress is visible every week. Most engagements run 3–12 months depending on scope.
You stay in control. This is your strategy, your team, your business. I'm here to accelerate decisions and reduce risk - not take over.
Track Record
Results from recent engagements:
in savings delivered through application rationalisation and architecture-led cost control
faster delivery achieved by modernising DevOps and governance pipelines
and Cyber Essentials Plus certification achieved for SaaS environments under my design leadership
stalled programme rescued by restructuring teams, tooling, and delivery approach - platform launched four months later
Advised 30+ organisations across Defence, Banking, Government, and Manufacturing on cloud strategy, AI readiness, and digital resilience
Credentials
Professional standing and technical depth:
Chartered IT Professional (CITP)
Member of the British Computer Society (MBCS)
Member of the Institute of Directors (MIoD)
TOGAF 9 Certified Practitioner
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certified
What Clients Say
"Richard joined us at a critical point - our platform was buckling and we had no internal CTO. Within weeks, he'd stabilised delivery and given the board confidence we could scale. A year later, we're still working together."
"We needed someone who could speak both boardroom and server room. Richard did both. His clarity and calmness under pressure made a complicated transformation feel manageable."
"Richard doesn't just give advice - he rolls up his sleeves. That combination of strategic thinking and hands-on problem-solving is rare."
Values and Perspective
Technology leadership should feel calm, not chaotic. I believe in open communication, evidence before opinion, and kindness even under pressure.
I'm also a husband, father, and lifelong engineer at heart. Every project I take on matters because people's livelihoods, trust, and futures depend on it.
Two Ways to Start
Option 1: Book a 30-Minute Discovery Call
No cost. No obligation. Just clarity. We'll discuss your situation, I'll share what I'm seeing, and you'll leave with at least one actionable insight - whether we work together or not.
Book Your Call HereOption 2: Email Me Directly
Prefer to start with a conversation in writing? Email me with a brief overview of your situation. I respond personally to every message, usually within 24 hours.
Email MeMost clients start with a call. The right next step usually becomes obvious within 20 minutes.