Dr Nneka Abulokwe, OBE, FAPM, FBCS
Dr Nneka Abulokwe is a board director, committee chair and trusted adviser to boards and executive teams navigating moments where judgement truly matters.
Her work takes place when information is incomplete, trade-offs are uncomfortable, and decisions carry long-term human, reputational and accountability consequences. She is known for helping boards reach sound, defensible decisions under pressure, with clarity, independence and a grounded, human approach.
Her style is calm, respectful and direct, bringing challenge without theatrics and helping boards stay focused on what matters most, even in complex or high-stakes situations.
A distinctive perspective on governance
Nneka’s approach is shaped by both board-level experience and deep reflective practice.
Alongside her executive career, she completed a Doctorate in Business Administration at Cranfield University, researching people-centric governance in complex, technology-enabled operating models.
Grounded in live organisational contexts, her research demonstrated how governance designed with those who deliver it strengthens trust, accountability and performance.
More than a decade on, this work translates directly to today’s challenges in AI governance, cyber resilience, human–AI collaboration, sustainability and workforce risk. It informs how she helps boards apply sound human judgement to fast-moving decisions without surrendering accountability to complexity or speed.
This perspective has been articulated publicly, including in a recent Forbes article, where Nneka explores why AI heightens, rather than diminishes, the need for human judgement, accountability and responsible stewardship at board level.
Board and advisory experience
Nneka serves on the boards of FTSE-listed companies, private-equity-backed businesses, higher-education institutions and public bodies, often in environments operating under scrutiny and pressure.
She currently chairs Responsible Business / ESG Committees and has served across Audit & Risk, Nomination and Remuneration Committees, with particular strength in:
- Technology and digital oversight
- Risk, controls and assurance
- Transformation and operating model change
- People-led and professional-services businesses
Her board work is characterised by independence of thought, clarity of judgement, and an ability to surface uncomfortable truths constructively, strengthening decision-making without escalating friction.
Executive Career
Before building a portfolio career, Nneka held senior executive roles across multinational, technology-enabled and services organisations, operating at scale in regulated, people-led environments.
Her experience spans strategy execution, large-scale transformation projects, operational leadership and governance in high-risk operating models, including periods of rapid growth, integration and regulatory scrutiny.
This grounding gives her a practical understanding of how decisions land inside organisations, how incentives behave, where accountability fractures, and what it takes to translate board intent into operational reality under pressure. It is this combination of executive responsibility and reflective rigour that defines her approach: disciplined, pragmatic and outcome-focused.
Recognition and professional standing
Nneka was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for Services to Business and recognised by the Financial Times as one of the UK’s leading technology professionals.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) and the Association for Project Management (APM), and a finalist for the Governance Professional of the Year award (Chartered Governance Institute, UK).
Outside the boardroom
Outside the boardroom, Nneka is a mentor to emerging leaders and founders, an advocate for ethical and inclusive leadership, and someone who values thoughtful conversation, lifelong learning and time with family.
For board advisory, governance support or speaking engagements, request a conversation.
