ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer Bootcamp

Description

Why this bootcamp

ISO/IEC 42001 is the international standard for AI management systems. It is fast becoming the framework that regulators, auditors, procurement teams, and enterprise buyers expect organisations to align with. Skilled Lead Implementers are in genuine demand.

Most Lead Implementer training in the UK is delivered as a 5-day intensive that requires learners to take a full week off work. That format works for some, but it excludes many practitioners who cannot step away from client commitments, delivery deadlines, or family responsibilities for five consecutive days.

The BTC bootcamp is different. Sessions run twice a week on Monday and Thursday evenings, 6:30 to 9:00 pm UK time. Delivered live online. Cohort-based, so learners build relationships with peers who are on the same journey. All sessions are recorded and available for 6 months after the cohort ends, so a missed session is not a lost session.

The programme is delivered by Dr Ben Thompson, an ANAB-accredited ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer, certified TRECCERT trainer, and AI CERTs Advisory Board member. One of a small number of UK practitioners with both Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer credentials.

Learners who complete the bootcamp and pass the TRECCERT examination receive an ANAB-accredited Lead Implementer certificate, recognised internationally under the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement.

Standard or Extended: choosing the right option

Standard – £1,750 + VAT (£2,100 inc. VAT)

Eight weeks of live training, 40 learning hours, exam preparation, and the TRECCERT Lead Implementer exam included.

For experienced practitioners who already meet TRECCERT’s qualifying experience requirements, set out in full below, and want efficient, well-delivered preparation for the certification.

Standard learners complete the programme at the end of week 8 (Thursday 7 January 2027) and can sit the TRECCERT exam from that point onward.

Extended – £2,499 + VAT (£2,998.80 inc. VAT)

Everything in Standard, plus eight further weeks (weeks 9 to 16) of supervised implementation work.

You spend those weeks building a complete AI management system for Thornleigh Clinical Intelligence, a simulated organisation we built for this purpose. Thornleigh is not a real company. It is a detailed training environment designed to behave like one: 178 staff, ISO 27001 certified, selling AI-assisted clinical documentation into the NHS, and a chief executive who wants ISO 42001 inside four months because the company has just lost a £2.8m tender over it.

It has the problems real organisations have. AI systems nobody has inventoried. A supplier contract with no AI terms. An accuracy figure in its marketing that nobody can evidence. A product sold as clinician-in-the-loop where the telemetry tells a different story. You work on all of it, supervised throughout, with written feedback on every deliverable.

You finish with approximately 100 hours of documented implementation practice, signed off by Ben as supervising trainer, and a portfolio of AI management system documentation you can put in front of an employer.

Extended is designed for earlier-career professionals, career-shifters from adjacent fields, and anyone who wants a complete pathway from learning through examination to documented implementation experience. If you do not yet meet TRECCERT’s full experience requirements, this is the route that starts building them.

Extended finishes Thursday 11 March 2027.

Cohort dates and structure

Inaugural cohort starts Monday 2 November 2026.

Sessions run Monday and Thursday evenings, 6:30 to 9:00 pm UK time. All sessions are delivered live online and recorded for catch-up (available for 6 months after the cohort ends).

Standard schedule (8 weeks)

• Weeks 1-7: 2 November to 17 December 2026
• Christmas break: 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027
• Week 8: 4 to 7 January 2027

Extended additional weeks (weeks 9-16)

• Weeks 9-13: 11 January to 12 February 2027
• Half-term break: 15 to 19 February 2027
• Weeks 14-16: 22 February to 11 March 2027

The exam window opens the week of 11 January 2027 for all learners.

What you will learn

Both Standard and Extended cover the full TRECCERT Lead Implementer curriculum. Weeks 1-8 include:

• Foundations of AI governance and the ISO/IEC 42001 standard
• Introduction to AI management systems (AIMS) and the international regulatory landscape
• The core AIMS requirements (clauses 4-10): context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation, and improvement
• Annex A: the control objectives and reference controls
• Applied AIMS implementation: risk assessment, AI impact assessment, control selection
• Exam preparation, mock exams, and question technique
• The TRECCERT certification process and post-certification pathway

Extended learners in weeks 9-16 additionally complete:

• A full documented AIMS implementation on Thornleigh Clinical Intelligence, BTC’s simulated organisation
• Weekly structured guidance sessions and peer review
• Mentoring on translating theory into practice
• A clear picture of where you stand against TRECCERT’s full certification requirements, and what you still need

What’s included

Both Standard and Extended

• All live sessions (Monday and Thursday evenings)
• Session recordings, available for 6 months after cohort ends
• Full TRECCERT training materials
• BTC-produced supplementary slides mapping the standard to practical implementation
• 50-question mock exam with detailed answers
• TRECCERT Lead Implementer exam (proctored online by TRECCERT)
• One free exam retake if needed
• Certification application support
• Welcome pack sent on booking confirmation

Extended additionally includes

• Eight additional weeks of applied implementation work on Thornleigh Clinical Intelligence, our simulated organisation
• The full Thornleigh document set: company handbook, stakeholder briefs, policies, contracts, board minutes and technical documentation
• Weekly implementation guidance and peer review sessions
• Written feedback on each of your eight deliverables, assessed against a published rubric
• Two individual supervision calls
• Final presentation to the Thornleigh board
• Documented supervised implementation hours signed off by Ben
• Personalised certification roadmap

Weeks 9 to 16: working on Thornleigh

Thornleigh Clinical Intelligence is a simulated organisation built by BTC. It does not exist, but everything about it is documented as though it does: a company handbook, an organisation chart, eight members of staff you can interview, an ISO 27001 risk register, product documentation, customer and supplier contracts, board minutes and a marketing pack.

Thornleigh sells AI-assisted clinical documentation to NHS trusts and private healthcare providers, and has recently started selling into health insurance. It has 178 staff and holds ISO 27001. In March 2026 it lost a £2.8m framework tender because the procurement questionnaire asked for evidence of an AI management system and Thornleigh had none. The board has given the executive four months to reach certification readiness. There is no budget for it and no dedicated headcount.

You are the implementer.

Over eight weeks you produce a complete AI management system, one deliverable per week, each submitted for written feedback against a published rubric.

• Week 9 – Context and scope. Organisational context, interested parties, the AIMS scope statement, and a memo justifying every inclusion and exclusion.
• Week 10 – Policy and accountability. AI policy, objectives, responsibilities matrix and competence framework.
• Week 11 – System inventory. Full inventory and classification, including the systems Thornleigh has not documented and does not know it needs to.
• Week 12 – Risk. Risk methodology and a completed assessment across the inventory.
• Week 13 – Impact assessment. Full impact assessment on the two highest-risk systems.
• Week 14 – Controls. Annex A applicability statement with written justification for every inclusion and exclusion, plus supplier and data governance controls.
• Week 15 – Operations. Operational controls, incident and nonconformity procedure, and a monitoring plan.
• Week 16 – Audit and review. Internal audit programme and report, management review pack, and the board presentation.

In the final week you present to the Thornleigh board, played by Ben and by your fellow learners in role. You defend your scoping decisions, explain what you chose not to fix and why, and answer the non-executive director who wants to know why 94 per cent of the company’s clinical AI suggestions are accepted without modification.

We built Thornleigh rather than asking you to find your own case study for three reasons. You start work in week nine rather than spending a month negotiating access to an organisation. You are not limited by whether your employer happens to have an AI governance need. And because we wrote every document in the organisation, the feedback on your work is specific rather than general.

Who this is for

Standard is right if:

• You have 5+ years of general work experience and 2+ years in a related field (compliance, risk, audit, AI, information security, data protection)
• You have (or can document) approximately 400 hours of implementation work
• You want efficient, well-delivered exam preparation
• You are ready to sit the TRECCERT exam within weeks of the programme finishing

Extended is right if:

• You want a complete journey from learning through to documented implementation experience
• You are earlier in your career and building toward Lead Implementer over time
• You are shifting from an adjacent field into AI governance and want structured practical experience
• You want a supported pathway toward the credential rather than just exam preparation

If you are unsure which option fits your situation, book a discovery call and we will help you decide.

What this means for your certification

TRECCERT certifies implementers at three levels. Which one you reach depends on your professional experience, not on this course alone.

A Bachelor’s degree waives one year of the general experience requirement. A Master’s waives two.

The bootcamp gives you the training and the exam. Extended gives you documented, supervised implementation practice and a portfolio of real work. What no course can give you is years of professional experience. If you are early in your career, you will certify at the level your experience supports and move up as you accumulate more.

That is why Extended exists. Practical implementation experience and a portfolio you can put in front of an employer are what help you get the role that gives you the rest.

Cohort size

The inaugural cohort is capped at 12 learners across both Standard and Extended combined. Small cohort size ensures individual attention, meaningful peer interaction, and quality of delivery.

Your trainer

Dr Ben Thompson is an ANAB-accredited ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer, holding both credentials under TRECCERT certification. He is a certified TRECCERT trainer and serves on the AI CERTs Advisory Board with instructor status across more than 30 AI certification programmes.

His broader credentials include a Doctorate in Education (Leadership and Management) from King’s College London, an MBA from the Open University, CIPP/E and CIPM privacy certifications, and CompTIA Security+. He is Data Protection Officer for The Cyber Helpline, supporting 90,000+ individuals affected by cybercrime.

Ben has designed the bootcamp around the practical realities of learning and applying complex standards while holding a full-time role. Every session balances taught content with applied exercises, discussion, and time for questions.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need existing qualifications to enrol?

No formal qualifications are required to attend the bootcamp. To be awarded the full Lead Implementer certification, TRECCERT requires 5 years of general work experience, 2 years in a related field, 400 hours of implementation experience, and a passing exam result. Learners who pass the exam but don’t yet meet the experience requirements receive a Provisional certification and can upgrade to full Implementer or Lead Implementer as they accumulate experience.

Will I be able to sit the exam after the bootcamp?

Yes. The TRECCERT exam is proctored online. You book your own exam slot after completing the training. Your Standard or Extended booking includes the exam fee and one free retake.

What if I miss a session?

All sessions are recorded and available for 6 months after the cohort ends. Missing an occasional session is not a problem, provided you catch up on the recording before the next.

Can my employer pay for the bootcamp?

Yes. We can issue an invoice to your employer or provide an invoice you can submit for reimbursement. Contact us before booking if you need this arranged.

Are the sessions really live, or is this pre-recorded content?

Every session is delivered live by Ben, with time for questions, discussion, and applied exercises. Recordings are made available afterward for catch-up, but the primary delivery is live.

What happens between now and the cohort starting?

You will receive a welcome pack on booking confirmation, including practical information about the programme, pre-reading suggestions, and how to prepare. The programme starts live in week 1; no additional pre-work is required.

Is this bootcamp accredited?

The certification you receive on passing the TRECCERT exam is accredited by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) under ISO/IEC 17024, and recognised internationally under the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement. Ben is a certified TRECCERT trainer delivering the training programme that leads to this certification.

Can I upgrade from Standard to Extended after booking?

Yes, provided you notify us before the end of week 6. You pay the difference in price. Contact us to arrange.

What’s the cancellation policy?

Full refund if cancelled 14 days or more before the cohort starts. 50% refund if cancelled 7 to 14 days before. No refund thereafter, but we will transfer your place to a future cohort at no cost if you notify us before week 4.

Thornleigh Clinical Intelligence is a fictional organisation created by Ben Thompson Consulting Ltd for training purposes. Any resemblance to a real organisation is coincidental.