Skip to content

Karl Nicholson

I make complicated technology useful.

Technology executive, Chief Engineer and strategist working at the intersection of technology, people and business.

Explore my experience
Karl Nicholson outdoors in a blue jacket
  • Chief Engineer · QinetiQ
  • Former Field CTO · Slack
  • Former CIO · Synaptek

People I’ve worked with

What working together looks like.

“I was constantly amazed by his technical knowledge and ability to translate that into real impact/ROI for customers and the C-suite.”

Clara SmythCompetitive Intel, SlackAt the time of the recommendation
Read full recommendation from Clara Smyth

I was constantly amazed by his technical knowledge and ability to translate that into real impact/ROI for customers and the C-suite. He is a true expert and knew how to connect with customers on an unmatched level I haven't seen in my career before. He led an international team that delivered unique executive engagement experiences at custom EBRs and Slack/Salesforce conferences (Dreamforce). Any company would be truly lucky to have Karl on their team as he will up-level your future team with his management, executive engagement, and creative problem solving approaches.

“If you're looking to add talent with a perfect balance of vision and pragmatism, look no further than Karl.”

Joe WilsonCTO, WorkdayAt the time of the recommendation
Read full recommendation from Joe Wilson

If you're looking to add talent with a perfect balance of vision and pragmatism, look no further than Karl. 👈 He's got technical chops and ain't afraid to use 'em!

“Karl and his team are incredibly forward thinking and innovative, coming up with effective, efficient solutions to every challenge I throw their way.”

Dawn KelsoData & Analysis Lead, KPMGAt the time of the recommendation
Read full recommendation from Dawn Kelso

Karl is that rare beast - a focused, dedicated, knowledgeable, techie CIO, who is also thoroughly personable with a sense of humour. Karl and his team are incredibly forward thinking and innovative, coming up with effective, efficient solutions to every challenge I throw their way. Entirely unflappable, he handles any and all obstacles with ease and diligence. I can honestly say that the service and support provided is the best I've ever received. Overseeing our cloud solutions and introducing new technologies, Karl ensures we stay ahead of the curve with a rapid, responsive approach and a can-do attitude. I look forward to continuing to work with him and his team!

[01] Experience

Judgement.
Influence.
Practical change.

Complex engineering

Engineering decisions that stand up to scrutiny.

As Chief Engineer at QinetiQ, I provide engineering authority, technical assurance and evidence-based advice. My remit connects architecture, delivery and the ownership of technical decisions.

QinetiQ · Chief Engineer · September 2025 → present

Explore my engineering remit →

Executive engagement

Emerging technology in the business conversation.

At Slack, I led the EMEA executive programmes team and served as its regional executive voice. I later became a Slack subject-matter expert within the Salesforce Innovation Centre EMEA team. The team I built influenced $25.9m in annual contract value, achieving 129% of target. My executive engagements included a discussion with Brunello Cucinelli about AI, Web3 and his business.

Slack · Field CTO / Technology Evangelist EMEA · November 2021 → June 2023

Explore executive engagement →

Innovation and data

From technical possibility to a working idea.

At KLM BlueLabs I worked with departments on experiments and integration. Later, representing Virgin Media O2, I contributed to a workshop prototype connecting customer data with AI-assisted sales preparation.

KLM BlueLabs · 2023–2024 / Virgin Media O2 · 2024–2025

Read the workshop example →
Full career context, including Synaptek →

[02] Thinking

Ideas grounded in the work.

Writing on data, collaboration and the decisions behind technology change.

[03] About

An engineer by instinct.

An executive by experience. Still an unapologetic technology nerd.

I’m interested in difficult problems that cross organisational boundaries, where technology, people, strategy and execution meet.

My career has taken me from industrial automation and motorsport engineering to enterprise technology, aviation and data culture. The thread through it is making technology useful to the people who depend on it.

More about me →

[04] Connect

Let’s talk.

For a conversation about technology, engineering leadership or a speaking enquiry.