Senior technology leader with 20+ years solving business problems, driving IT strategy, digital transformation, and enterprise change across FTSE100, defence, manufacturing, and public sector.IT Director · Transformation Leader

Dale Heenan

I have spent the last twenty years leading technology strategy, enterprise transformation, and high-performing teams across some of the most complex and regulated environments in the UK and internationally.

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delivered across
FTSE100DefenceManufacturingPublic sector
FBCSCISSPCIMA
selected work

The Work

Six programmes across financial services, manufacturing, hospitality, and the public sector — each with defined scope, personal accountability, and a measurable outcome.

areas of expertise

The Practice

Seven domains, one integrated capability — deep technical credibility, commercial acumen, and governance experience in the same conversation.

Innovation & Emerging Technology

Google Certified Generative IT Leader; introduced AI to £3bn portfolio; Dyson Innovation Award winner.

IT Strategy & Technology Roadmapping

Board-approved multi-year technology strategies aligned to business growth, operating model, and risk appetite.

Enterprise Transformation & ERP

End-to-end transformation including ERP across 26 companies, digital re-platforming, M&A integration.

Cyber Security & Governance

CISSP-qualified; delivered ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, PCI DSS, and NIST frameworks.

Commercial & Financial Leadership

CIMA-qualified management accountant; proven IT budget reduction (14–17%) and board-ready reporting.

People Leadership & High-Performing Teams

Built IT functions from early-stage through enterprise scale; consistent satisfaction and SLA improvement.

Board & Executive Stakeholder Engagement

NED experience (7 years); Chair of Trustees; C-suite reporting across FTSE100, PE-backed, and public sector.

ai & innovation

Built and Deployed — Not Just Advised

Hands-on AI implementation across manufacturing, financial services, and leisure. Each deployment is in production, with a measurable outcome — and the work is certified: Google Generative IT Leader.

5 weeks → 5 days

AI Legal & Taxation App

New Group company formation

Global investment group

+7%

AI-Driven Pricing Tools

Gross margin improvement

Advanced manufacturing

+11%

Machine Learning Operations

Advanced manufacturing

200+

Robotic Process Automation

Cross-border merger

Automated

BI Geographic Dashboard

Leisure & hospitality

Proprietary

eSignature Platform

Independent build

independent build · 2025

Dementia-Assist Technology

Hardware and software enabling remote family support for dementia patients. Designed and built independently — no commercial brief, no budget, no team.

public service

Twenty-Two Years. Six Elections. Never Lost.

First elected to Swindon Borough Council in 2004, aged 24. Appointed to Cabinet in 2010, serving across Regeneration, Culture, Strategic Planning, and Organisational Excellence, and Deputy Group Leader in opposition — with 90.5% attendance over twenty-two years.

22

years served

6

elections won

591

meetings attended

what changed because of it

UK's first council solar bond

Pioneered a community investment model backing a £4.8m solar farm — the first of its kind by any council in the country. National coverage across energy and local government press.

Swindon Local Plan 2026

As Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, approved a plan targeting 22,000 new homes. Annual completions more than doubled from 641 to 1,411 in the year it took effect.

Brunel's Carriage Works

Championed the regeneration of a historic site closed for 30 years into a Cultural Heritage Institute with the Royal Agricultural University. Shortlisted for national planning award.

£42m road infrastructure

Secured Government funding for a five-year road improvement programme serving thousands of new homes across East Swindon, including the Oxford Road and Commonhead link road.

£5m Health Hydro restoration

Led the Towns Fund bid that secured funding to restore Swindon's Victorian Health Hydro, built in 1891. Reopened January 2026 after decades of closure.

Nythe Parish Council

Founded the Nythe, Eldene & Liden Parish Council in 2014, delivering a £70 annual council tax saving per household and establishing community-level governance for the first time.

professional credentials

Technology, Security, and Finance — in the Same Conversation

Fellow of the BCS, CISSP, and Member of CIMA: technology leadership, security authority, and commercial acumen in a single executive.

Fellow of the BCS (FBCS)

Chartered Institute of IT

since 2011

CISSP

ISC2

Member of CIMA

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

  • CIMA Advanced Diploma (MCS) — CIMA
  • CIMA Diploma (OCS) — CIMA
  • Google Generative IT Leader — Google
  • MSP Foundation & Practitioner — AXELOS
  • PRINCE2 Foundation & Practitioner — AXELOS
  • ITIL Service Management — AXELOS
  • Pg Cert Internet Systems — University of Portsmouth
  • Future Leaders Academy — IDeA
media

A Public Record of Leadership in Action

Twenty-two years of public office means twenty-two years of accountability — to constituents, to journalists, and to the public record.

broadcast

Channel 4 / Grand Designs

Kevin McCloud — Hab Housing, Swindon

Worked with Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud on sustainable residential development in Swindon. McCloud's Hab Housing and eco-builder Footstep Homes partnered with the council to deliver architecture 'of the highest order and world-beating sustainability.'

award2021

Campaign for the Arts

Hearts for the Arts Awards — Shortlisted 2021

Nominated for inventiveness and lateral thinking in keeping libraries open and getting art on tour. One of a small number of councillors nationally recognised for arts leadership.

press2016

PV Magazine / Solar Power Portal / edie.net

National coverage — UK's first council solar bond

Covered across national energy, local government, and sustainability press. Featured in PV Magazine, Solar Power Portal, edie.net, Local Government Lawyer, and localgov.co.uk.

published author

Thriller Fiction

Writing under his own name. The Hidden Truth novels — religious conspiracy thrillers, published by Ink and Forge Publishing and free on Kindle Unlimited.

personal projects

I Still Build the Things I Lead

Leadership carries more weight when you can still ship. Outside client work I design, build, and run my own software in production — front to back, hosting included.

daleheenan.com

This websiteLive now — you're on it

You're looking at one. I designed the interface, wrote every component with AI assistance, and I deploy and run it in production myself — no template, no agency, no page builder. A current, hands-on proof that I still ship the things I lead.

built with

  • Next.js 15
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS 4
  • Self-hosted, running in production
Councillor ToolkitAI communications platform for UK local councillorslive in production

A full SaaS platform helping councillors handle casework, resident correspondence, and campaign communications — with AI drafting grounded in local data. Built from first-hand experience: I served as a councillor and cabinet member, so this is software for a job I have done myself.

built with

  • SvelteKit + Svelte 5
  • TypeScript
  • Drizzle ORM + SQLite
  • AI-assisted drafting
  • Docker on Railway
eSignatureProprietary e-signature platformlive in production

A DocuSign-equivalent built from scratch: upload a document, place signature fields, invite signers by email, and track every envelope through to completion. PDF processing, authentication, and audit trail all engineered in-house rather than bought.

built with

  • Next.js 14 + React
  • TypeScript
  • Prisma + SQLite
  • pdf-lib document engine
  • Self-hosted on Railway
Brick My PetTurn a pet photo into a buildable brick modellive in production

Upload a photo of your pet and get a buildable brick model: generative AI creates a 3D mesh, a custom engine voxelises it into real bricks, and you receive interactive 3D build instructions with printable PDFs. The most playful thing I run in production — and the most technically demanding.

built with

  • Next.js 14 + React
  • Three.js + React Three Fiber
  • Generative AI 3D pipeline
  • Drizzle ORM
  • Stripe payments
the office

Chloe Takes the First Call

My assistant answers here, on WhatsApp, and on the phone. Ask her about the work, or leave a message and I will come back to you myself.

Senior technology leader with 20+ years solving business problems, driving IT strategy, digital transformation, and enterprise change across FTSE100, defence, manufacturing, and public sector.

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Dale’s introduction — tap Listen for sound, or press “Talk to Chloe”.

about

The IT Leader Who Covers All the Ground

Dale Heenan

20+ years experience

FTSE100 to Series B

UK & International

I have spent the last twenty years leading technology strategy, enterprise transformation, and high-performing teams across some of the most complex and regulated environments in the UK and internationally.

My career spans financial services regulation at FTSE100 level, advanced manufacturing for defence and aerospace, global mergers across multiple jurisdictions, and the digital reinvention of organisations that had outgrown their infrastructure. I have been accountable for programmes worth tens of millions of pounds, teams spanning multiple countries, and decisions that reach the board.

What sets me apart is the combination of deep technical credibility, commercial acumen, and governance experience. As a Fellow of the BCS, a CISSP, and a Member of CIMA, I bring a perspective that bridges technology, security, and finance — enabling me to engage credibly with C-suite, boards and staff in the same conversation.

Technology leadership is fundamentally about people, clarity, and courage: the courage to simplify what others have made complex, to say no to initiatives that do not serve the business, and to build teams that outlast any single leader.

Get in Touch
contact

Let's Talk

I'm open to conversations about senior technology leadership roles, advisory appointments, and strategic projects. All enquiries are treated with discretion.