Strategic collaboration proposal prepared by Danilo McGarry for the Financial Times Group. Proposals for discussion only; not approved or endorsed by the FT.
ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL AI LEADERS
Building the Next Chapter of Our Collaboration
After years of successful collaboration with the Financial Times, I believe there is an opportunity to build something considerably bigger together.
My experience spans more than US$5 billion in AI and digital transformation value creation, leadership of major enterprise AI programmes, education of over 90,000 senior executives and the development of an international business audience approaching one million followers and subscribers.
This proposal explores how those capabilities could help the FT Group develop distinctive products, expand its executive reach and create new commercial opportunities.
Danilo McGarry Global AI Leader | Enterprise Value Creation | Executive Education Former Head of AI, Citigroup and UnitedHealth Group
A rare combination of proven enterprise results, global influence, executive education and commercial reach.
US$5 Billion in Real Business Value
Danilo's career has focused on turning AI and digital transformation investment into measurable enterprise outcomes. Across major programmes, he has contributed to more than US$5 billion in value creation, connecting technology to financial performance, operational efficiency and organisational change. His experience is grounded in enterprise outcomes, not just AI pilots.
Value to FT: Financially grounded expertise that can differentiate FT research, board education, executive programmes and commercial content.
Leadership Inside Some of the World's Largest Enterprises
Danilo has held senior AI leadership roles at Citigroup and UnitedHealth Group, operating in complex, highly regulated environments. His experience spans enterprise AI strategy, large-scale transformation, adoption and governance, with first-hand knowledge of the decisions and constraints that matter to senior corporate leaders.
Value to FT: Executive-level insights drawn from real programmes, organisational complexity and major investment decisions.
90,000 Executives Trained. Methods Taught in 100+ Universities.
Over the past decade, Danilo has educated more than 90,000 senior executives worldwide. His methods and educational work are used in more than 100 universities internationally. He combines clear communication of complex technology with the enterprise experience needed to make that knowledge useful to boards and leadership teams.
Value to FT: A proven educator for premium executive education, board programmes, scalable learning products and international leadership audiences.
Nearly One Million Followers and Subscribers
Danilo's international audience approaches one million combined followers and subscribers across his channels. It includes a reported 150,000-person C-level newsletter audience, the It's All About AI video and podcast platform, and professional social channels. This offers a channel for relevant content and senior decision-maker engagement beyond speaking or training.
Value to FT: Potential executive-audience reach, agreed content distribution, sponsor interest and event or programme promotion. Audience composition and permissions must be confirmed.
Trusted Across Global Enterprise and Technology
Danilo's work spans major global enterprises, leading technology companies and international business audiences, combining operating leadership, strategic advisory, speaking, education and commercial media partnerships.
Enterprise leadership
Citigroup: Previous senior AI leadership
UnitedHealth Group: Previous senior AI leadership
Selected technology collaborations
IBM: Event coverage and executive content. Campaign described on Danilo's sponsorship portal.
Salesforce: Technology collaboration reported by Danilo. Approved supporting case study to be confirmed.
International keynote speaker and executive educator, with speaking and commercial work documented through selected collaborations.
Previous enterprise roles and technology collaborations are separate relationships. No company endorsement of Danilo, FT or this proposal is implied.
A Proven Relationship. More Opportunities Ahead.
Our collaboration already has a strong foundation. Over several years, I have worked with the Financial Times, particularly through its Board Director Programme, helping directors and senior business leaders understand AI and its implications for their organisations.
The programmes have received consistently excellent feedback and demonstrated the value of combining FT's respected executive platform with practical, enterprise-level AI experience.
That relationship sits within a much wider executive education record and international business audience. I believe there is considerable scope to extend it across other relevant FT businesses.
These opportunities build on what FT already does exceptionally well, not duplicate its existing offerings.
Build on the established FT director workshops to create an advanced, repeatable AI governance, investment and implementation programme for corporate boards.
What FT already does
FT already provides AI education through its Board Director Programme and other executive learning offerings. This is not a proposal to replace or recreate them.
What this adds
Advanced AI board governance simulations
Private programmes delivered to entire corporate boards
AI investment decision exercises
Practical board AI-readiness assessments
Annual refresh sessions on technological and regulatory change
Corporate learning packages for private equity portfolio companies
Benefit to FT
A scalable premium extension of an established programme, drawing on Danilo's record of educating over 90,000 senior executives and methods used internationally. Private board editions, repeat cohorts and sector-specific learning could increase corporate bookings and recurring education revenue.
Benefit to participants
Practical support for governance and investment decisions, rather than simply understanding AI concepts.
An advanced corporate-board edition for one selected enterprise client, building directly on the existing FT workshop.
Relevant teams
Board Director Programme, Executive Programmes, FT Specialist
02. FT Enterprise AI Decision Labs
Interactive executive experiences in which leaders evaluate real AI investment choices and work out how to translate them into measurable business outcomes.
What FT already does
FT already runs executive events, leadership programmes, conferences and community experiences. The addition is a structured format informed by enterprise AI leadership and the economics of major transformation programmes.
What this adds
A CFO choosing between competing AI investments
A CEO deciding which enterprise workflows to redesign
A board responding to an AI governance incident
A private equity operating partner assessing AI across a portfolio
An executive team weighing the financial and operational risks of agentic AI
Benefit to FT
A distinctive senior-level event format combining Danilo's international speaking experience, executive networks and enterprise results. Agreed promotion through his professional audience could support participation, sponsor engagement and premium corporate experiences.
Benefit to participants
Realistic decision-making practice, working through scenarios, financial assumptions and trade-offs, with a practical output to take back to their organisations.
A 20-person executive decision lab attached to an existing FT event or executive programme.
Relevant teams
FT Live, FT Forums, Executive Programmes, Board Director Programme
03. FT Enterprise AI Value Index
A commercially sustainable research and benchmarking programme investigating which enterprise AI investments produce measurable value, and why.
What FT already does
FT already produces substantial research, analysis, data journalism, AI reporting and commercial thought leadership, including through FT Longitude. The addition targets one evidence gap: the implementation economics of enterprise AI.
What this adds
Realised versus projected financial returns
Total implementation and operating costs
Workforce adoption and process redesign
Governance and risk management
Scalability and operating-performance improvement
Lessons from unsuccessful AI investments
Benefit to FT
Potential sponsored research revenue and a repeatable annual asset, informed by Danilo's contribution to more than US$5 billion in transformation value. Executive relationships and technology-brand collaboration experience could help identify research participants and commercial interest, with agreed distribution to relevant business audiences.
Benefit to participants
Properly qualified evidence that helps distinguish genuine business impact from vendor claims or promotional metrics.
Potential commercial model
Research sponsorship, commercial reports, enterprise benchmarking, executive briefings and related learning programmes.
Starting pilot
A narrowly defined report with a small group of senior executives, on one question such as “What separates high-return AI programmes from low-return programmes?”
Relevant teams
FT Longitude, FT Commercial, FT Specialist, Executive Programmes
Sponsors would not influence independent FT journalism. Any commercial research would be clearly identified and follow FT independence and disclosure standards.
04. Inside Enterprise AI: Content and Audience Collaboration
Premium commercial content combining enterprise AI results, candid executive conversations and an established international audience, with clearly agreed sponsorship and distribution.
What FT already does
FT already produces podcasts, technology journalism, newsletters, documentaries, sponsored content, branded video and executive interviews, including Tech Tonic, The AI Shift, FT Studio and FT Longitude. This complements them; it is not another general AI podcast or newsletter.
What this adds
A short branded video series on enterprise AI transformation
Executive interviews about practical investment decisions
Evidence-led explainers distributed through FT and Danilo’s channels
Sponsored enterprise transformation case studies
Live interviews recorded at FT events
Each story follows: challenge, decision, implementation, what failed, what improved, what was measured, what was learned
Benefit to FT
Premium branded content, executive interviews and sponsored campaigns could combine FT's production capability with Danilo's nearly one million combined followers and subscribers, including a reported 150,000-person C-level newsletter audience. Experience collaborating with technology brands could support sponsor conversations. Distribution, permissions and commercial terms would be agreed separately.
Benefit to participants
Useful business evidence and candid lessons rather than promotional AI claims.
A three-part professionally produced commercial video series, with a potential sponsor and a defined distribution plan.
Relevant teams
FT Studio, FT Longitude, FT Commercial, Editorial and Audio (separately)
FT independent journalism, including podcast guest selection and commissioning, remains entirely at the discretion of FT’s editorial teams. No paid editorial coverage or guaranteed appearance is proposed.
05. FT Strategies: Enterprise AI Leadership and Strategic Advisory
Explore how Danilo's enterprise AI leadership, multibillion-dollar value creation experience and senior executive relationships could complement FT Strategies' consulting, Advisory Partners and Partner Ecosystem.
What FT already does
FT Strategies already consults on growth, technology, data, AI and transformation, particularly for media and publishing organisations, and has an Advisory Partners network and technology partner ecosystem. This is not another general FT AI consultancy.
What this adds
Senior strategic advisory on enterprise AI investment and transformation
Executive decision workshops for media and publishing leaders
AI operating model and governance assessments
Workforce and workflow redesign
AI value measurement frameworks
Selected joint client engagements and introductions, under separately agreed terms
Benefit to FT
Senior strategic advisory, business development and potential introductions to executive decision-makers, backed by leadership experience inside Citigroup and UnitedHealth Group. Specialist knowledge of large-scale AI transformation could strengthen selected client engagements without duplicating existing FT Strategies capabilities.
Benefit to participants
Access to an executive who has led complex transformations inside major organisations and can connect recommendations to measurable delivery.
Potential commercial model
Project fees, a specialist advisory arrangement, defined subcontracting work or separately negotiated joint assignments.
Starting pilot
A discussion with FT Strategies leadership to identify one specific capability gap or client opportunity where Danilo adds genuinely complementary value.
Relevant teams
FT Strategies
FT brings
One of the world's most respected business media brands, a highly influential global readership, specialist executive audiences, established educational and event platforms, research capability and international commercial relationships.
Danilo brings
More than US$5 billion in AI and transformation value creation, enterprise AI leadership at Citigroup and UnitedHealth Group, experience educating over 90,000 senior executives, methods taught in over 100 universities, relationships with global technology brands and an international audience approaching one million combined followers and subscribers.
Together, we could create
Distinctive premium executive programmes, commercially valuable research, high-quality business content, new opportunities to engage senior decision-makers and mutually beneficial revenue-generating partnerships.
Three Practical Ways to Begin
Expand the established board programme. Board Director Programme. One advanced corporate-board edition building on the current workshop. First action: Agree a target client profile and outline session design.
One sponsor-funded content or learning programme. FT Commercial / FT Studio / FT Live. A three-part video series or a 20-person decision lab at an existing event. First action: Identify one event or sponsor conversation to test the format.
One specialist advisory or research collaboration. FT Strategies / FT Longitude / FT Specialist. A defined advisory engagement or a narrowly scoped research question. First action: A short exploratory conversation with the relevant team lead.
BearingPoint
A Global Ambassadorship Announcement in December
A public announcement is due in December. Danilo will be named Global Ambassador of BearingPoint, one of the world's leading consultancy firms, headquartered in Europe.
More collaboration options with BearingPoint are coming soon.
This section will be updated once the public announcement is made.
Which Opportunity Should We Take Forward?
Select a priority opportunity, identify the relevant FT team and arrange an initial discussion to agree a focused pilot, its commercial terms and measures of success.
Combining proven enterprise AI results, international executive education and an established global audience to create new opportunities for the Financial Times Group.
Positioning and figures provided by Danilo. Latest approved values and supporting evidence to be confirmed before public launch.
US$5BN+: AI and Transformation Value Created
Provided by Danilo. Supporting evidence pending.
Danilo reports contributing to more than US$5 billion in value across AI and digital transformation programmes. This is cumulative enterprise value, not personal revenue or a forecast for this proposal.
Before public launch: Approved programme-level evidence, contribution attribution and value-measurement methodology.
90,000+: Senior Executives Trained
Provided by Danilo. Supporting evidence pending.
Danilo reports educating more than 90,000 senior executives globally over the past ten years. The FT workshop listing documents an existing programme, not the cumulative total.
Before public launch: Consolidated programme and attendance records covering the stated period.
Danilo reports that his methods and educational work are taught or used in more than 100 universities worldwide. This does not imply faculty appointments or institutional endorsement.
Before public launch: An approved institution list and examples of teaching or educational use.
1 MILLION: Combined Followers and Subscribers
Provided by Danilo. Supporting evidence pending.
Danilo reports a combined audience approaching one million across social channels and his newsletter. These are combined channel counts, not unique people; audiences may overlap.
Before public launch: Dated platform counts and newsletter records, with the aggregation basis stated.
Approximately 150,000 C-level subscribers is Danilo's supplied positioning figure. His sponsorship portal reports 147,840 sends for one IBM campaign and a broader Director-level-or-above audience profile; neither independently establishes that every subscriber is C-level.
Before public launch: Latest active subscriber total and verified seniority breakdown, distinguishing C-level from Director-level and above.
