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AI training, consultancy and speaking for UK SMEs, agencies and professional services firms.
Led by Niels Footman — MBA (Cranfield), 20+ years senior leadership experience.
Email: niels@footforwardai.com | Book a 30-min call | LinkedIn
I'm Niels Footman. I help organisations and professionals understand AI, use it practically in their work, and build the confidence to adapt as the technology changes.
I've frequently seen individuals get swamped and not move beyond the most basic uses of AI. I've also seen leaders try to skip straight to strategy without building foundational confidence first. In fact, I've been both of those people.
When I ran a marketing and content agency, the arrival of ChatGPT looked existential. Like many in the sector, I wanted to jump straight to a cutting-edge solution that would "future-proof" us against the fundamental shift I felt sure was coming.
Fast forward to today, the agency's still going and my career's changed completely. But two enduring lessons have stuck with me:
The technology is moving way faster than people's ability to adopt it. Because of this, attempts to jump straight to a high-level AI solution almost certainly won't work.
I don't pretend to know the future, and I know the problems with AI are real and evolving fast. But I also know this technology can genuinely help people work better right now — and in some cases, it can be transformational.
I get a real thrill from seeing that particular penny drop in one of my workshops. By providing the wider context and addressing the problems, I want every person and team I work with to be better placed to deal with the inevitable changes that are coming.
I've delivered AI training to hundreds of individuals across SMEs, professional services firms, and education providers, working with audiences ranging from early career professionals to senior leadership.
That background means I understand the business side. My approach combines real operational experience with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly, refined through years of writing, presenting and workshop facilitation.
I'm not here to teach you to become an AI engineer. I'm here to help you work better with AI today, experiment more confidently tomorrow, and face whatever comes next with greater confidence and clarity.
Practical workshops and talks that help teams and leaders understand AI and use it confidently in their work. I cover everything from AI literacy and prompt engineering to agentic workflows, vibe coding, change management, creativity and efficiency gains.
Sessions range from focused department workshops to company-wide talks, working with groups from 10 to 70+ people. All tailored to your sector, audience and experience level.
Focused sessions for senior leaders navigating AI adoption. Covers decision-making under uncertainty, building AI-ready culture, managing change, and developing practical roadmaps that fit your organisation's reality.
Consultancy and practical support for organisations exploring agentic workflows and automation. This includes helping you design and implement accessible AI solutions, focused on solving real business problems without requiring deep technical expertise.
There's some amazing stuff going on with AI in the UK. From its thriving AI startup ecosystem to its world-class universities, the UK really does have a lot to be positive about. But it faces massive challenges too — financing, regulation and the way it copes with the huge structural changes that AI promises to bring.
Every week, Matt Wilkinson and I discuss some of the latest AI news, surveys and developments and offer context on how AI is developing in our homeland.
"Thank you for such an excellent session. The team really enjoyed working with you and we were grateful to have you." — Leader of executive coaching group
"You communicated with real clarity the practical steps we can take to build stronger and more confident AI usage." — Founder/MD of a public relations firm
Three core services: AI Training & Speaking (practical workshops for teams and leaders), AI Strategy & Leadership (sessions for senior leaders navigating AI adoption), and AI Solutions (consultancy on agentic workflows and automation). All are tailored to client context, sector and audience seniority.
SMEs, agencies and professional services firms looking to build genuine AI capability — not just awareness. Particularly suited to organisations where leaders are uncertain how to approach AI adoption, or where teams have some awareness but lack the confidence and practical skills to use AI effectively.
A combination of real operational leadership experience (MD of an agency, decade in senior roles in South Korea) and the ability to explain complex concepts clearly, refined through years of writing, presenting and facilitation. Niels is not a technical AI engineer — he teaches people to work better with AI today, not to become developers.
Niels spent six years as managing director of a content and marketing agency working with major asset management clients, and a decade in South Korea as a journalist, editor and PR consultant. He holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. This operational background means he understands the business realities of AI adoption, not just the technology.
Book a 30-minute discovery call at calendly.com/nielsfootman/30min, email niels@footforwardai.com, or connect on LinkedIn.
A weekly podcast co-hosted by Niels Footman and Matt Wilkinson, covering AI news, practical developments, tools and trends from a UK perspective. Available on Spotify and other major podcast platforms.
Email: niels@footforwardai.com
Book a call: calendly.com/nielsfootman/30min
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nielsfootman
Podcast: AI in the UK on Spotify