The Stories That Technology Doesn't Tell
Tales from the Hat is a podcast about technology leadership — honest, accessible, and with a bit of personality. No hype. No jargon. Just real conversations about the decisions, pressures, and lessons that shape how organisations navigate the digital world.
Why This Podcast Exists
Technology leadership is full of stories worth telling. Stories about risk, resilience, innovation, culture, and the messy human side of digital transformation. Stories that help people understand not just what is happening in the world of technology, but why it matters and what to do about it.
Most of those stories never get told. They stay in the boardroom, the incident review, the late-night conversation over coffee after a difficult project. Tales from the Hat is a podcast that changes that.
"Technology leadership is not primarily a technical problem. It's a people problem, a governance problem, a communication problem. And the best way to understand that — is through stories."
Every episode draws on real experience — from the IT trenches and the boardroom — to explore the decisions and lessons that shape how organisations navigate technology today.
New Episodes Every Sunday at 8PM
A fresh episode drops every Sunday evening at 8PM — the perfect way to round off your week with a new perspective on technology, leadership, and governance. Subscribe on your platform of choice so it's there waiting for you.
What We Cover
Each episode tackles a specific topic at the intersection of technology, leadership, and governance — always with practical insight, never with unnecessary jargon.
AI Governance
How boards and leaders can oversee AI responsibly — without needing to be engineers.
Cybersecurity Leadership
The human and strategic side of keeping organisations safe in a threat-filled world.
Digital Transformation
Why most transformations fail — and what the ones that succeed have in common.
Board & Governance
Technology conversations at board level — bridging the gap between IT and the top table.
Leadership & Culture
The people challenges that underpin every technology challenge in every organisation.
Emerging Technology
Cutting through the noise on what's genuinely transformative and what's just hype.
Who It's For
Tales from the Hat is designed for a wide audience — not just technologists. If you work with technology, make decisions that involve technology, or simply want to understand the world we're all navigating, there's something here for you.
About the Host
Neil Manfred
Founder, Fredian Shield · The Guy in the HatNeil Manfred is a technology leader, board-level advisor, and the founder of Fredian Shield — a specialist consultancy helping regulated organisations adopt AI and technology responsibly.
With over three decades of experience spanning IT leadership, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and governance, Neil has a rare ability to translate complex technology concepts into language that boards, leaders, and people can actually use.
He is a Certified Director of the Institute of Directors and serves as a Non-Executive Director in public education — which means he lives the governance challenges he talks about every single day.
And yes — the hat is real, and it goes everywhere.
Ready to Listen?
New episodes every Sunday at 8PM. Subscribe now and never miss a story.