--- title: Robert Owen date: 2026-09-22T17:14:00+01:00 author: Sarah Zia canonical_url: "https://www.connectd.com/us/stories/robert-owen" section: Success Stories --- # Robert Owen Robert Owen spent more than 40 years across the semiconductor and broadcasting industries, often working two jobs at once, before deciding at the end of 2023 to finally move into fractional work. Through Connectd's T2P and NED program, he made the significant transition from hands-on decision-maker to advisor, and after a formative first placement, secured an official board advisory role with an AI startup, where two of his own introductions have already been recruited to the advisory board. Fractional *"Your first placement will be the most difficult. That's the one where you'll feel the most like a fish out of water. Give it time and you will change, you will adapt. It wouldn't have been possible to get this board advisory position if I hadn't had the web app advice placement last year. It was an enabler for everything I've been able to do now."* ## Contents [Share via Social ↗](#share) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.connectd.com/us/stories/robert-owen.md&title=Robert%20Owen) - [X](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.connectd.com/us/stories/robert-owen.md&text=Robert%20Owen) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.connectd.com/us/stories/robert-owen.md) ### **What made Connectd the right vehicle for the next chapter of your life?** **Robert Owen, Board Advisor:** I'd been working full-time for more than 30 years, often doing two jobs at the same time. At the end of 2023, I resolved that I would finally go part-time. I'd enjoyed the previous 10 years in particular, but I thought you can't carry on working full-time forever when there are other things you want to do. I'd heard about fractional working, board advisory, and non-executive directors, and thought that with my experience, maybe I could fall into that. I saw Connectd advertised on LinkedIn, and I actually took references. I watched some of the videos on LinkedIn, contacted the people in them, and asked, "How's it been for you?" It looked like a good bet. What I liked was that I wasn't just stopping work, I had a new project. There was training, a structure, and a way of being drawn into a new world of what I hoped would be rewarding part-time work. ### **How did the NED training help shift your mindset from decision-maker to advisor?** **Robert Owen:** It was a big transition, having been very much obsessed with my work for some forty-odd years. First of all, not having to check emails and hit deadlines was a strange feeling. So I busied myself with the training. I'd signed up for two years, so my plan was to do the advisory board training and a placement first, then come back to the NED training later. One of the things about the training was that it kept emphasising the difference between giving advice and managing. That's relevant to a lot of people my age. I'd been used to saying, "I can help you with that problem, here's the plan, what do you think?" And most of my clients would say, "Yes, that's good, would you set that up for us?" And I'd get on and do it. Giving advice is quite different. You need to slow down, adjust, and change your style. That probably took me a year to fully understand in terms of how to behave in meetings. If you've generally run small teams and been very action-oriented, as I had, then it's a bigger transition. The NED training in the second year was important too. There are legal requirements, principles, and obligations for being a non-executive director, so that training was a bit more challenging and interesting because more of it was new to me. ### **What kept you motivated throughout your Connectd journey?** **Robert Owen:** During your Connectd journey, you need to be proactive. The system is good and the structure is good, but you need to show Connectd that you're keen to move onto the next stage and that you're pushing for a placement. One thing I must mention is that the mentoring was really useful. The panel of people Connectd have mentoring, gosh, I would love to be part of them. Lena Liu was my first mentor, then Richard Lever. Both could not have had more different styles, but they're really high-quality individuals with enormous experience. They have that worldly experience where, whoever they're talking to, they can quickly adjust, find out what's needed, and nudge you in the right direction. You also need to continue networking. Connectd allows you to make more connections and advertises opportunities, meetings, and events, but you need to be proactive. They're not going to drop into your inbox. So I nurtured my network, got my LinkedIn up to date, and completely overhauled it, which was a big job. I also kept going to events and trade shows in the semiconductor business, and it was really nice catching up with people. A key thing to remember is that once you stop working full-time, there are people who assume you've retired. They take you off their mental list of people they might call on. If you don't want to be in that position, you need to let people know, "Hey, I'm still around. I wouldn't take a full-time job now, but what do you need? Can I help?" ### **How did you grow from a hands-on specialist into an advisor?** **Robert Owen:** You have to be patient. I remember the first few meetings thinking, "I'm really not sure I'm adding value here." But I listened and tried to answer the questions. Some things that seem obvious to you may not have occurred to the client, but you have to be careful. Avoid phrases like, "If I were you, I would do this." That's really not a great answer, and learning not to say it is important. It's also important not to pontificate about things you know nothing about. You can't possibly know everything, so if your opinions aren't well-formed, probably don't share them. One of the key things I learned was that giving advice means leading people through the options, encouraging them to think about what's good and bad about each one. They'll often choose the one you would have chosen, but they've arrived at that point through the process. You've led them through your thinking, and if they've reached the same conclusion, you've done a good job. But you need to be pretty sure about that. ### **How did you balance offering honest critique while respecting the founder's vision?** **Robert Owen:** My first placement was a web development project, a platform for students to share notes. I was working with lovely people and had excellent discussions, but after the first three or four meetings I was thinking, are these really useful? I was used to getting things done and showing results, and these meetings were much more subtle about progress. I vividly remember the fifth or sixth meeting. They said, "We've put together a slide deck for our marketing pitch." This was right in my comfort zone. As they went through it, I thought, "This is really not good at all as a marketing presentation." And why should it be? These were experts in web development, but marketing was relatively new to them. When they got to the end, I didn't say, "It's really not very good." I said, "Let's polish this. We need to focus it more towards the client." We spent the next hour going through the whole presentation. At the end, they said, "Robert, that's great. We understand what we're going to do with this now. Thank you." That was the first time I thought, "Gosh, I made a real difference in that meeting." It cemented the relationship, and I felt good because I knew I'd contributed something substantial. ### **What has been your most significant outcome in your placements so far?** **Robert Owen:** The 2025 placement was really good hands-on training in how to give advice. As a self-development exercise, it was very valuable, and thanks to Connectd for finding it. The NED training in early 2026 was important too, a lot of it about interacting with people and guiding them constructively. It can be hard work, but you'll benefit from it, especially if you've come out of very hands-on roles. Then my mentor Richard Lever was assigned, and we found a placement in AI, which wasn't an area I'd worked in before. It was hard at first to understand my relevance, but I now know what they wanted was my experience in semiconductors. I wasn't sure it was going anywhere at first, but after a few chats, I took the opportunity to go up to London to meet the CTO and two of the other founders. What struck me was how grounded these people were. They'd done lots of projects before, but this was the one they really wanted to make something of. Many startups struggle to attract funding, but this one is at a point where it can attract it fairly easily. The question is who the right backers and partners are. That's when I thought, this project could really be going places. I'd already put in time to understand the jargon of AI, and after that meeting I could see an alignment of expectations. They told me, "We want to build an advisory board to satisfy new investment." I'm very proud to say that two of the introductions I made have led to recruitments to that advisory board. I'm not an AI expert, but my long experience and network are clearly things that will be useful to them. ### **What piece of advice would you give to someone considering Connectd for their fractional journey?** **Robert Owen:** Patience is important. The decision to meet face-to-face was a good one, and you have to let things develop. There's a significant amount of, do they like you? Do they trust you? It may be that you're not successful. But at an older age, you know who you are. So be yourself, be patient, be helpful, and be prepared to put the time in. These things do not happen overnight. Connectd as a process is training, structure, and network. If you don't do the training, give it time, and help yourself develop a more avuncular, advisory, consensual style, you won't get the benefit. And don't just expect openings to drop into your inbox. You still need to do the networking. Through the Connectd network, I've met some wonderful entrepreneurs I couldn't specifically help, but talking to them gave me a great feeling about the creativity bubbling around. It wasn't until after I joined that I realised there were other organisations doing similar things. But looking back over the last three years, Connectd has been the most successful. It's a global activity now, and it survived when others didn't, which says a great deal about the effort of the founders and the team. The final thought is that your first placement will be the most difficult. That's the one where you'll feel the most like a fish out of water. Give it time and you will adapt. Being honest, it wouldn't have been possible to get this board advisory position if I hadn't had the web app advice placement last year. It was an enabler for everything I've been able to do now. *Robert Owen, Board Advisor* ## Related articles and resources [ For Experts### Can Retired Executives Become Independent Directors or Board Advisors? Retired executives filled 54% of new S&P 500 board seats in 2026. Here’s how to land yours. ![](/uploads/Images/_876x552_crop_center-center_90_none/pexels-vlada-karpovich-7433910-1.jpg) ](https://www.connectd.com/us/article/retired-executive-independent-director) [ For Experts### How to manage multiple clients as a fractional leader ![](/uploads/Images/_876x552_crop_center-center_90_none/blog2.10.26_3_1030-x-690-@-300dpi.webp) ](https://www.connectd.com/us/article/how-to-manage-multiple-clients-as-a-fractional-leader) [ For Startups### Go-to-Market Strategy for Startups: How to Turn Early Traction Into a Repeatable Growth Engine ![](/uploads/Images/_876x552_crop_center-center_90_none/Skills-you-need_1030-x-690.webp) ](https://www.connectd.com/us/article/go-to-market-strategy-for-startups) [ Go to the Knowledge Hub ](/learn) ## Be a part of the leading startup ecosystem. Ready to level up your business? [ Register for Free ](https://www.connectd.com/join-now) ![](/dist/images/blob-red.png) ![](/dist/images/blob-red.png) ![](/dist/images/blob-red.png)