Mike Potter to Deliver Keynote “Success by Design” at Sector-Leading Technology Event for Charities and Membership Organisations
LONDON, UK – July 2025 — TechSmart NFP 2025, the UK’s premier technology conference for the not-for-profit sector, will open with a powerful keynote from Mike Potter, the UK government’s former Chief Digital Officer, on 23rd September 2025 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London, St Pauls.
Mike Potter, who previously led digital transformation across HMRC, NHS and every central government department, will deliver the opening session, titled “Success by Design”; a compelling call to action for charity, membership and association leaders navigating complex change.
“If you can transform services at the scale of government, you can apply those same principles—often more effectively—in not-for-profits,” Potter says. “It’s not about big budgets. It’s about clarity of purpose, product thinking, and involving people from the start.”
With a career grounded in both public service and purpose-driven innovation, Mike Potter’s session will share tested strategies for creating lasting digital change; even in resource-constrained environments. From leading NHS Blood and Transplant’s donor engagement overhaul to championing user-led technology in government, Potter’s experience offers rare insight into how mission-driven organisations can scale impact with confidence.
“Mike brings credibility that few can match,” says Alan Perestrello, Managing Director at Hart Square, the consultancy behind TechSmart. “He’s done the hard work of transformation, from inside massive systems like the NHS and HMRC to smaller, more agile organisations. His message for our sector? You don’t need to wait for perfect conditions. You just need to start—with clarity, collaboration, and courage.”
This year’s TechSmart theme—From Inspiration to Implementation—is reflected across a practical, solution-focused programme designed for senior leaders in charities, membership bodies, associations, and trade unions. Key tracks include:
- The Data-Driven Non-Profit: Turning insight into action
- Tech-Driven Change: Leading people-first digital projects
- Success Through Innovation: Exploring AI, automation and smarter systems
Mike Potter’s keynote is just one of the many reasons TechSmart is fast becoming the UK’s must-attend technology and digital leadership event for the non-profit sector.
As part of its mission-led focus, TechSmart will also donate £10 from every ticket sold to two charities, including Maggie’s, a cause close to Potter’s heart following his cancer recovery, and Suicide&Co, supported by Hart Square.
