Dr. Mahdi Seify
I help organisations adopt AI responsibly and measurably — combining 25+ years of IT delivery experience with a PhD in AI-driven predictive analytics. I apply ISO/IEC 27001 audit rigour to the emerging AI-specific standards ecosystem — ISO/IEC 42001, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and EU AI Act risk-tiering. Originator of the Deep Business Analytics (DBA) framework, validated on 50M+ NHS records, and the Artificial Complementary Intelligence (ACI) philosophy: AI as assistant, humans as visionaries.
Based in Milton Keynes, at the heart of the Oxford–Cambridge growth corridor — also working with SMEs across London, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge. AI Readiness Audits from £950.
Projects delivered for
AI that proves its value before full commitment
Every VisionXY7 engagement begins with a controlled 2–6 week pilot — not a promise. You see measurable operational gains, quantified time savings, and verified ROI before we scale a single workflow.
Discovery & Readiness
Map operational bottlenecks, data landscape, and ROI potential.
Solution Architecture
Custom-engineered blueprint — not a generic template.
Controlled Pilot
Live deployment with measurable ROI checkpoints before scaling.
Continuous Monitoring
Ongoing optimisation, human oversight, and quarterly reporting.
Training, consultancy, governance & AI ownership
Beyond audits and automation builds, four ways to get direct access: hands-on AI & technology training for your team, strategic consultancy for boardroom-level AI decisions, the full AI governance lifecycle, and a fractional Chief AI Officer for organisations that need an accountable AI owner without an executive hire.
AI & Technology Training
From £75/hour (individuals) · From £650/day (teams)
Hands-on training that teaches your team to use AI and technology directly — often a faster, cheaper route to real capability than commissioning a custom-built AI agent. Online or in person.
- Priced per hour for individuals, per day for companies
- Scales with attendee numbers, format, and company size
Strategic AI & Business Consultancy
From £120/hour online (£150 in person) · From £950/day
PhD-level strategic judgment on AI adoption, governance, and where it genuinely belongs in your business — the same calibre of thinking behind my £12k–£200M programmes, priced to be accessible to SMEs.
- Hourly, daily, or ongoing fractional advisory retainer
- ISO/IEC 27001-aligned governance included
AI Governance — the full lifecycle
Scoped & quoted individually
Readiness assessment → policy and control framework → independent review → certification readiness. Five stages, ISO/IEC 42001-structured, built on ISO/IEC 27001 audit methodology. I prepare organisations for certification and review them independently — I do not certify, and cannot.
- Independent review — the Lead Auditor approach
- Governance build — the Lead Implementer approach
- The method is published in full, not claimed
Chief AI Officer — fractional
From £1,800/month · one to four days
Most organisations that need an AI owner cannot justify a full-time executive — and appointing one too early is as damaging as not appointing anyone. A senior, accountable owner for AI, without the hire.
- Chairs your AI Leadership Council
- Owns the AI policy, the approval gate and the governance calendar
- Reports AI use and AI risk to the board as a standing item
Seven areas of practice
Built over 100+ cross-sector engagements — from national health systems to SME automation.
AI Strategy & Governance
Readiness assessment, adoption roadmaps, and AI governance built on ISO/IEC 27001-aligned methodology extended into ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems), ISO/IEC 23894 (AI Risk Management), the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and EU AI Act risk-tiering — plus human-in-the-loop (HITL) governance and GDPR-aligned risk management.
AI Build & Automation
Beyond strategy: I build and ship AI systems myself — WhatsApp AI agents, n8n automation pipelines, and LLM-integrated tools, hands-on.
Applied Analytics & Data Science
Predictive modelling, fraud & anomaly detection, BI/ERP integration — 50+ business analysis engagements, 36+ advanced analytics projects.
Programme & Project Delivery
PMP®/PMI-ACP®/PMI-PBA®-grounded delivery across teams of 10–17,000 and budgets from £12k to £200M, including a $200M World Bank programme.
Academic Leadership & Research
Programme Leader, Business Analytics, University of Northampton. Founder of the FASTER (Future Analytics, Systems, Technology & Emerging Research) Research Group. 150+ dissertations supervised.
Information Security & Compliance
ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor & Lead Implementer, CERT/CSIRT frameworks, DPIA and audit-trail design.
Founder & Venture Building
Founder & Chief AI Officer, VisionXY7. Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer, Dentix7. I advise here, on this site, personally — VisionXY7 is the company that builds and deploys the automation.
Building the architecture behind ethical, human-centred AI
VisionXY7 and Dentix7 apply the same governance-first AI philosophy to two different markets.
VisionXY7
System. Intelligence. Ethics.
AI strategy, governance, and implementation consultancy for SMEs and regulated sectors. Every deployment is ROI-proven through a controlled 2–6 week pilot, with human-in-the-loop oversight throughout.
Dentix7
Intelligent automation for dental practices
Sister brand applying the same AI architecture to dental practices — CQC and GDC-aligned, co-founded with Dr. Ramin Kenani, PhD.
Trusted by senior academics & industry leaders
Independent perspectives from company founders, C-suite operators, and academic peers — earned across 100+ engagements, not solicited for this page.
"Mahdi turned our complex ideas into clear, actionable solutions and delivered precisely what we needed. Professional, fast and strategically sharp."
"Dr. Seify's doctoral research on Deep Business Analytics demonstrates exceptional originality and rigour. His development of the Business Connectivity Map — bridging operational AI with strategic management control — is a genuinely novel contribution to the field."
"Mahdi delivered a high-impact analytics and automation solution that improved our processes and added immediate operational value."
"Mahdi brings a rare combination of engineering rigour, academic depth, and practical implementation capability. His work on AI governance frameworks is directly applicable to the most demanding critical infrastructure environments."
"From a minimal brief, Mahdi produced a sophisticated, professional system — going further than contracted to ensure the output was exactly right."
"Mahdi worked with our senior team on a new business concept and helped us articulate it clearly. He took time to understand our business drivers thoroughly before proposing a solution. We would have no hesitation recommending his services."
"Mahdi came with creative ideas and took the time to listen and understand our vision. He kept us updated throughout and delivered exactly what we needed. I would recommend him for any analysis or data requirements."
"Mahdi came up with a great and inclusive simulation which highlighted our product's key functions clearly and precisely. Highly receptive to feedback. I recommend him for anyone who needs complex concepts visualised."
"Mahdi has been involved in several of our technical projects spanning electronics, AI applications, and IT systems. He brings commitment, a positive approach, and consistently an intelligent result."
"The DBA framework represents a paradigm shift in how management control systems can be designed for the AI age — moving from diagnostic-reactive to predictive-pre-emptive governance."
"Mahdi used his business analysis skills to deliver a project for my employer. He was courteous, professional, and highly receptive to all feedback. High quality work that added real value to our organisation's portfolio."
Who has done it — not just studied it.
Dr. Seify takes a limited number of strategic consultancy clients directly. Start with a free 20-minute discovery call. No jargon. No commitment — just a clear view of where AI can save you time and money.