ISO42001 Consulting: AI Governance That Boards and Regulators Can Trust
At A Glance
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Who It's For: Organisations launching AI products, universities with AI programmes, AI-native tech firms.
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Typical Use Cases: integration with existing ISO 27001 management systems.
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Certification Status: Certification bodies are beginning to offer ISO 42001 assessments. Check with your chosen UKAS-accredited provider for availability.
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Starting point: Free 20 minute scoping call.
ISO42001 is the international standard for AI management systems. If you’re developing, deploying or procuring AI, this framework helps you govern it responsibly, before it’s mandated by regulators or a major incident triggers unmanageable reputational risk.
Why ISO 42001 matters now
Regulatory Pressure — The EU AI Act is in force. UK regulators are publishing sector guidance. ISO 42001 provides a structured response.
Enterprise Procurement — Buyers asking about AI governance, bias testing, human oversight. ISO 42001 alignment answers those questions.
Board Scrutiny — Boards want assurance beyond "I have an ethics committee."
Incident Prevention — Biased outputs, hallucinations, data leakage. Management systems help identify risks before crises.
Integration — ISO 42001 extends existing ISO 27001 ISMS to cover AI-specific risks.
What ISO 42001 covers
AI Lifecycle Governance — Design through deployment, monitoring, and retirement.
AI Risk Assessment — Bias, fairness, transparency, explainability, robustness, human oversight.
Roles and Accountability — Who decides, who oversees, how escalations work.
Documentation and Evidence — Audit trail for boards and regulators.
Continuous Improvement — Learning from incidents, improving over time.
How I help
Starting Fresh: Scope your AI management system, identify in-scope AI, assess risks, build documentation.
Extending ISO 27001: Both standards follow Annex SL. Integration is practical, not duplicative.
Not Seeking Certification: ISO 42001 is useful as a framework even without formal certification.
Service Tiers
Bronze
Readiness & QuickStart Scoping workshops, gap analysis for ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, certification roadmap, 90-day quick wins, core policy suite, and starter risk register.
Silver
Assisted Implementation Everything in Bronze, plus: Statement of Applicability, full risk assessment, asset register, 20–30 tailored documents, implementation workshops, staff training (up to 25 people), pre-Stage 1 review, Stage 1 audit liaison.
Gold
Consultant-Led & Strategy Everything in Silver, plus: ISO 42001 integration, one full internal audit cycle, management review facilitation, investor/board summary pack, training (up to 60 people), supplier risk management setup, Stage 2 audit support, three months post-certification GRC support.
Who this is for
Enterprises Launching AI Products — The Board wants assurance. Clients are asking questions you’re currently unable to answer.
Universities and Research Institutions — AI systems, sensitive training data, research ethics requirements.
AI-Native Tech Firms — Ahead on AI, behind on governance. Want to lead before regulation forces it.
Third-Party AI Users — Procuring or integrating AI built by others. ISO 42001 applies to users, not just developers.
My approach to ISO 42001
ISO / IEC 42001 was Published December 2023 — the first international standard for AI management systems. I've been tracking its development and working with early adopters since publication.
Deep Foundations: ISO 27001 and 42001 Lead Auditor certification and years of building management systems that pass external scrutiny. ISO 42001 shares the same Annex SL structure as ISO27001, which means the audit discipline, documentation rigour and risk assessment methodology transfer directly.
What I bring to AI Governance Engagements: practical experience integrating 42001 controls with existing ISMS frameworks, clear understanding of how certification bodies approach the standard, and the ability to build systems that satisfy boards without creating bureaucratic overhead.
Most buyers exploring ISO 42001 are in early stages themselves. I'm typically ahead of where they are and I'm transparent about what's established practice versus emerging territory.
Common questions before engaging
Do I need ISO 42001 if I have ISO 27001? ISO 27001 covers information security. ISO 42001 covers AI-specific governance: bias, fairness, transparency, human oversight. If AI is material to your business, you likely need both.
Is ISO 42001 mandatory? Not yet for most businesses, however the EU AI Act creates obligations for high-risk systems. Certification may shift from differentiator to expectation.
What if I only use AI, not build it? ISO 42001 applies to organisations that develop, provide, or use AI systems.
How long does implementation take? With a mature ISO27001 ISMS in place, adding ISO42001 typically takes between 3 and 6 months. Building from scratch takes longer.
Can you help with the EU AI Act? ISO 42001 alignment supports many governance and documentation expectations within the Act, particularly for high-risk systems. Legal compliance advice should come from qualified counsel.
Next step
Book a 20 minute scoping call. Tell me about your situation, timeline, and what's at stake. I'll give you an honest view of what's involved and whether I'm the right fit.