In the spotlight - Tom Grogan

This article first featured on thewealthnet and eprivateclient on 11 July 2025.

Tell us about yourself

I am Chief Transformation Officer at Mourant. I have a great job – I get to work with smart and dedicated people, act as a leader of leaders with accomplished and experienced senior execs, and work to rewire the Group to excel and accelerate through our next stage of growth.

I am an experienced, inspiring and proven senior leader, with particular expertise in business transformation, change, technology and data. I pride myself on leading with authenticity, fostering high performance with laser-focused and data driven strategy backed by high empathy and interpersonal skills.

Job history

I have advised some of the world’s most prestigious organisations and brands across a variety of sectors, produced nation state technology strategy (including in relation to digital assets and distributed ledger technologies), and led impactful and compliance engineering projects for forward thinking companies. I’ve addressed the EU Commission and politicians on emerging technology, and have lectured and spoken at the University of Oxford, Cambridge University, UCL and QMU, amongst others.

I have worked as an English qualified corporate and technology solicitor at leading law firms Allen & Overy (now A&O Shearman) and Mishcon de Reya, heading up the latter’s tech and transformation consultancy services as CEO, alongside various other strategic leadership roles and responsibilities.

Why do you specialise in this area?

Because I think it's the only future. I realised a number of years ago that the word 'unprecedented' was being used so often as to essentially lose its meaning. This effectively makes perpetual change the new normal - in business it's no longer enough to predict where the world is heading and try and shortcut there, rather we need organise ourselves to be able to pivot, adapt and transform with a regularity and seamlessness that has historically not been necessary or possible. This is a human challenge, in response to technological progress - it's this blend that I find so exciting and fulfilling.

Why are digital assets so important to the industry?

I see digital assets comprising one of the core pillars of the new economy. I have worked in and around cryptoassets and distributed ledger technology for about 12 years and have seen enough hype cycles and disappointing behaviours to foster a healthy scepticism towards a large part of the industry. I do, however, remain convinced that there is an opportunity, increasingly (and quietly) being realised, for digital assets and tokenisation to transform valuable and economically critical verticals.

The need for a low-friction transaction layer alongside the information layer (i.e. the internet) has never been more acute, especially given the technical progress and mass adoption of AI. Effective industrial strategy, regulation, and legal support will be essential to underpin digital assets' proper roll-out.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?

The more senior you get, the more clearly you'll see that nobody knows what they're doing. Stop second guessing yourself, work really hard, and become the go-to for a 'thing'.

What are your favourite ways to relax/switch off from work?

Exercise. I have gotten really into yoga, and also run. I also enjoy rugby and the gym generally. I've never felt worse after a workout, even if I'm not feeling it before I start!

What’s one book you think everyone should read?

Zero to One by Peter Thiel. It epitomises the Silicon Valley mindset that has characterised the last ~25 years of good product development. As always, read it critically – some of it may not survive the new AI-driven paradigm, and VC is clearly an imperfect asset class.

If you couldn’t do your current role, what would your dream job be?

I think a teacher. I'm very proudly Chair of Trustees of a leading UK state secondary school, and I always marvel at the profound effect great teachers can have on a large number of young people.