LSE Group Alumni

Company: [AI Safeguarding Platform Name]

Location: London, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Sector: Artificial Intelligence, Online Safety and Safeguarding

Company Stage: MVP / Pilot, transitioning to commercial scale

Position: Independent Non-Executive Director (NED)

Time Commitment: Approximately 2–3 days per month

Term: Initial 12 months

Remuneration: To be agreed, potentially comprising a non-executive fee and/or equity participation

Key Relationships: Founder and CEO, Board of Directors, Senior Leadership Team and Investors

Investment Context: LSE Alumni Investment Ecosystem

About the Company

The Company is developing an innovative AI-powered platform designed to improve the online safety and safeguarding of children and young adults.

Having established its initial product and progressed to pilot stage, the business is preparing for the next phase of commercial development, organisational growth and potential institutional investment.

The Founder and CEO brings significant entrepreneurial vision and product innovation capability. As the Company moves towards commercial scale, the priority is to complement these strengths with experienced leadership guidance, robust governance, effective executive management and disciplined financial oversight.

Role Purpose

The Company is seeking an experienced, commercially astute and highly credible Independent Non-Executive Director to act as a trusted advisor, mentor and constructive challenger to the Founder and CEO.

The appointment is intended to support the founder's development from pioneering product innovator into an effective CEO capable of leading a growing, investor-backed technology business.

The successful candidate will provide independent board-level oversight while establishing a strong and trusted working relationship with the CEO.

A central purpose of the role is to strengthen executive leadership, improve organisational accountability, support disciplined deployment of investment capital and ensure that commercial growth is supported by appropriate management structures and governance.

The NED will also help maintain an effective relationship between the Company and its investors, reducing the need for investor involvement in routine management matters while ensuring appropriate transparency and escalation of material risks.

The role is advisory and non-executive. It is not intended to replace the CEO or assume responsibility for day-to-day management.

Key Responsibilities

CEO Mentoring and Leadership Development

•  Act as a trusted confidant, sounding board and critical friend to the Founder and CEO.

•  Provide independent, candid and constructive advice on significant business and leadership decisions.

•  Support the CEO's transition from product innovator to effective organisational leader.

•  Help the CEO develop stronger decision-making, delegation, communication and leadership capabilities.

•  Provide perspective and practical guidance during periods of commercial or organisational pressure.

•  Challenge assumptions and decisions constructively without undermining the CEO's authority.

•  Support the CEO in managing relationships with the Board, investors and senior executives.

Executive Leadership and Accountability

•  Support the CEO in developing an effective executive leadership structure.

•  Review management capabilities and identify critical skills or experience gaps.

•  Advise on senior leadership recruitment, succession and organisational development.

•  Encourage clear executive responsibilities, reporting lines and decision-making authority.

•  Support the establishment of measurable management objectives and performance indicators.

•  Challenge progress against agreed business and operational milestones.

•  Help the CEO address leadership underperformance, organisational tensions and management conflicts.

•  Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration and effective execution.

Board and Investor Relationships

•  Help maintain an effective working relationship between the CEO, Board and investors.

•  Encourage management issues to be resolved at the appropriate organisational level.

•  Help distinguish routine operational matters from issues requiring Board or investor consideration.

•  Provide independent perspective on material strategic, financial and organisational risks.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

•  Sound judgment and commercial pragmatism.

•  Empathy combined with intellectual independence.

•  Confidence to challenge constructively and deliver difficult advice.

•  Strong mentoring and coaching capabilities.

•  Discretion, trustworthiness and personal integrity.

•  An ability to build relationships without compromising independence.

•  A collaborative and supportive leadership style.

•  A commitment to responsible innovation and the safeguarding mission of the Company.

Role Boundaries and Independence

The NED will act as an independent member of the Board and will owe their statutory duties to the Company.

The appointment will not involve:

•  Acting as an executive or shadow CEO.

•  Taking responsibility for routine operational management.

•  Directly managing members of the executive leadership team.

•  Replacing the CEO's authority over employment or management decisions.

•  Guaranteeing financial or commercial outcomes.

•  Assuming specialist safeguarding, technical assurance or data protection functions.

•  Restricting information that the Board or investors are entitled to receive.

Overall Objective

The purpose of this appointment is to provide a pioneering founder with the experienced counsel, constructive challenge and leadership support required to become an effective CEO of a growing technology company.

For the Company and its investors, the role provides an additional layer of independent oversight, management assurance and strategic discipline during a critical period of transition.

The desired outcome is a stronger CEO, an accountable leadership team, disciplined use of investment capital and a business capable of scaling responsibly and sustainably.