From Tech to Boardroom Impact

In this episode, we uncover why technical experts often miss out on boardroom influence. Learn how to translate complex insights into clear, business-focused language that drives executive decisions. We discuss common communication pitfalls, share real-world examples, and reveal a practical framework to help you bridge the gap between technical expertise and strategic impact. Whether you're an IT professional or a business leader, discover actionable strategies to enhance your influence and secure your place in high-level discussions. Tune in and start communicating for impact. 

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Transcript

The Communication Gap: Why Technical Experts Get Sidelined

Your technical brilliance is one thing, but communicating complex topics in a way that resonates with executives is an entirely different skill. Executives don’t need to understand every line of code, every dataset, or every algorithm. They need to know how it impacts business outcomes. Many AI, IT, and process experts eventually get sidelined—not because they lack expertise, but because they struggle to translate it into executive language. They get excluded from high-level meetings, hidden from clients, and overlooked for leadership roles. But technical professionals aren’t the only ones who fall into this trap—even business leaders sometimes overuse jargon. Some do it because they think it will impress people, while others use it out of habit because it’s the language they speak internally with their teams. But when this same language is used with executives who are focused on high-level decision-making, it creates barriers instead of clarity.

If you can’t communicate business impact in clear, executive-friendly terms, you won’t be included in business decisions.

The AI Researcher Who Was Kept Out of Strategy Discussions

Take the case of an AI researcher at a global healthcare company. They built a deep learning model that detects rare diseases with 95% accuracy. But when presenting it to executives, they focused on the technical intricacies—neural networks, training datasets, and precision-recall curves. The result? Leadership couldn’t see how it aligned with cost reduction, patient outcomes, or regulatory approvals. Months later, the company bought an AI-powered diagnostics tool from a competitor—one that was marketed as reducing diagnosis time by 40% and cutting costs by 25% per patient. This researcher had developed a world-class AI model, yet their failure to communicate its strategic value meant it never gained traction internally.

What Executives Actually Care About

Executives make decisions based on business priorities, not technical complexity. Instead of talking about model accuracy, talk about faster diagnosis times, reduced operational costs, and regulatory compliance.

Here’s what they care about:

• Revenue Growth – How will this AI solution drive sales or monetisation?
• Cost Efficiency – Will it reduce operational expenses or increase profitability?
• Risk & Compliance – Does it help meet regulatory requirements and mitigate risk?
• Competitive Advantage – How does it help the business stay ahead in the market?
• And Scalability – Can this be applied company-wide without major disruption?

If your message doesn’t speak directly to one or more of these priorities, it won’t land. Because at the executive level, it’s not about how impressive your technology is—it’s about whether it moves the business forward.

Practical Framework: Translating Technical Work into Business Value

To bridge the gap, use this four-step framework when communicating with executives:

• Start with Impact – Frame the business problem in terms of financial or strategic value.
• Connect to Strategy – Align your insights with existing company goals.
• Quantify the Benefit – Use clear, executive-friendly numbers (e.g., percentage cost savings, revenue projections, efficiency gains).
• Simplify Without Oversimplifying – Use analogies, structured messaging, and clear data visualisation.

Here’s how the AI researcher could have positioned their work differently:

Instead of: 

“Our model uses deep convolutional networks to classify disease patterns in real-time.”

Say this:

“This AI solution can detect diseases 40% faster, reducing hospital costs by 25% per patient and allowing doctors to focus on treatment rather than diagnosis.”

Same insight, different impact.

The AI Engineer Who Couldn’t Get Budget Approval

An AI engineer at a financial services firm built a fraud detection system that cut investigation time by 60%. But when presenting to leadership, they focused on the technical model’s precision and feature engineering techniques instead of the financial and compliance benefits. The CFO wasn’t convinced. Without a clear cost-benefit case, budget approval was delayed. Three months later, an external consulting firm repackaged the same project—framing it as a 40% reduction in fraud-related losses—and secured full funding. If you don’t control the narrative, someone else will.

Audience Analysis: Tailoring the Message for Different Executives

Every executive speaks a different language of impact.

CEOs are interested in competitive positioning, revenue growth, market leadership

A CFO loves to hear about ROI, cost efficiencies, financial risk

COOs are focused on operational improvements, scalability, workforce impact

And CIO or CTO spend their time thinking about IT integration, innovation feasibility, security risks

If you’re speaking to a CFO, lead with cost savings and ROI models. If you’re talking to a COO, focus on operational efficiencies and scalability.Know your audience before crafting your message.

Handling Executive Questions & Resistance

Executives will challenge your assumptions. So be ready to address concerns.

Common objections include:

“How do we measure success?”

And you can respond by providing clear KPIs and financial projections.

“What’s the risk if we invest in this AI project?” 

Which is your cue to discuss regulatory, financial, and operational risks, plus mitigation strategies.

Or “How will this impact the workforce?” 

Which gives you the opportunity to position AI as a productivity enhancer, not a job replacement. The more prepared you are, the more credible you become.

Measuring Communication Success

And how will you know if your new approach is working? You can use these three indicators:

Inclusion in Key Discussions

If you’re being invited to more high-level meetings, your communication is resonating.

Stakeholder Buy-In 

If executives are actively asking for your input, you’re making an impact.

And Decision Acceleration

If your AI or IT proposals are moving through faster approvals, it means leadership understands and values your insights.

If you’re still struggling to gain traction, ask yourself: Am I presenting this in a way that speaks to executive priorities?

Two Quick Exercises to Improve Executive Communication

Here are two Quick Exercises to Improve Executive Communication.

1. The 30-Second AI Pitch

Take a technical concept you work on and summarise it for a CEO, CFO, and COO in 30 seconds each.

For the CEO: Emphasise competitive advantage.
For the CFO: Highlight cost savings and ROI.
And for the COO: Focus on operational improvements.

2. The Financial Impact Test

For any AI or IT project you’re involved in, write down:

Cost Savings (%)
Revenue Growth Potential (%)
And Efficiency Gains (hours saved, % improvement)

If you can’t quantify these, your message isn’t yet ready for an executive audience.

Mastering Communication to Drive Influence

Executives don’t reject AI or any other technical topic because it’s too complex. They often reject it because it isn’t framed in a way that impacts business growth, cost efficiency, or competitive positioning. Your technical knowledge is powerful, but your ability to communicate that knowledge in executive terms is what determines your influence. Master this skill, and you won’t just be another technical expert — you’ll be someone who can significantly influence executive decisions..