A Class Act - Navigating the AI Landscape
By: Michael Young MBN Solutions Data & Leadership
Language: en-gb
Categories: Technology, Business, Management, Careers
What does it really take to build world-class tech teams and lead with impact in today’s data-driven AI landscape.I’m Michael Young from MBN Solutions and after two decades placing top talent across data, AI, and tech, I’ve seen the real stories behind high-performing teams.On A Class Act, we go beyond buzzwords. You’ll hear real life, experience-led conversations with the leaders shaping digital transformation - those hiring top tech talent, building data science capability, and leading with purpose.Whether you're a data leader, people manager, or recruiter, join us for honest, human-first insights into hiring, leadersh...
Episodes
What Enterprise AI Really Looks Like in Practice Inside One of The UK’s Most Regulated Digital Banks With Russell Collingham, Head of AI at Atom
Jan 07, 2026What if you could sit down with the Head of AI inside one of the UK’s most regulated digital banks and hear the truth about what actually works and what leaders need to get right?
That’s exactly what we explore in this episode of A Class Act.
Shannon is joined by Dr. Russell Collingham, Head of AI & Data Science at Atom Bank, and one of the most experienced AI leaders in UK financial services.
Russell has worked in AI since the 1990s.
He began his caree...
Duration: 00:29:59Hiring and Building Exceptional Applied AI Teams that Work with Andre Balleyguier of Snorkel AI [MUST LISTEN]
Dec 10, 2025In this episode of A Class Act, Michael Young, CEO of MBN Solutions speaks with Andre Balleyguier, AI Solutions Leader at Snorkel AI, formerly at DataRobot, and recognised by DataIQ as one of the UK’s most influential figures in data and AI.
Andre has spent around fifteen years working with data and more than a decade in applied AI. Today, he leads global AI solutions engineering at Snorkel AI, helping major organisations deliver end-to-end applied AI systems using technologies such as agents and retrieval-augmented generation.
Across the e...
Duration: 00:52:51Why Most Enterprise AI Strategies Fail And What to Do Instead with Eddie Short - Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer
Nov 26, 2025Most enterprise AI strategies fail not because the technology isn’t ready, but because organisations are still operating with 20th-century models. In this episode, Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer Eddie Short breaks down what’s really going wrong, and what leaders must do instead to build AI into the DNA of their organisations.
With over 30 years of experience as a Fortune 1000 CTO/CDO, Big Four partner, and transformation leader across telecoms, retail, FMCG, healthcare and private equity, Eddie has helped global organisations embed AI at scale, redesign operating models, and drive step-change performance.
This is a...
Duration: 00:52:15Hiring for AI in 2026? What the Next Generation of Talent Actually Values with Google DeepMind Scholar Emma Rattray
Nov 12, 2025Every organisation is racing to adopt AI but capability isn’t just about technology.
It’s about people.
In this episode, host Shannon speaks with Emma Rattray, an AI Engineer whose journey from chemical engineering to software development and AI research offers an honest look at what the next generation of AI talent truly values and how forward-thinking leaders can attract and retain it.
After earning a fully funded scholarship for her master’s in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Edinburgh, Emma has become one of the most insight...
Duration: 00:23:46Season 2: Navigating the AI Landscape
Oct 29, 2025I’ve been in this market for nearly 20 years and in that time, I’ve helped place over 4,000 senior leaders in data, analytics, and AI roles around the world from the dot com boom to big data.
What I’ve learned is this: technology isn’t the hard part. Leadership and implementation is.
That’s why we’re back with Season 2 of A Class Act, and this time, we’re calling it Navigating the AI Landscape - because right now, it really does feel like uncharted territory.
In this season, you’ll h...
Duration: 00:01:34Turning AI from Buzzword into Real Business Results with Tom McLaughlin of Tomoro
Oct 29, 2025What if you could sit down with an engineer who’s building AI partnerships alongside the top companies shaping the future like OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Microsoft?
That’s exactly what we’re doing today.
In this Season 2 opener, host Michael Young sits down with Tom McLaughlin, Forward Deployed Engineer at Tomoro. Their partnerships with the pioneers behind the world’s most powerful models mean clients get early access and deep integrations that keep them months ahead of the curve.
Tom’s journey has taken him from Computer Science at Strathclyde, through J.P. Morgan, to...
Duration: 00:50:16How to Build Trust & Lead Teams in FinTech’s AI Era with Kent Mackenzie
Sep 09, 2025In this episode, host Michael is joined by Kent Mackenzie, Group Chief Operating Officer at Corlytics and former Deloitte Partner.
Kent’s career has taken him from pulling apart ATMs as a curious young technologist, to leading Deloitte’s global FinTech and RegTech practice, and now to scaling one of the leading names in regulatory technology.
You’ll hear:
Why “you don’t need to have all the answers” is one of the most powerful leadership lessonsKent’s framework for building high-performing teams: trust, competence, and psychological safetyThe biggest mistakes leaders make when scaling F... Duration: 00:25:58AI and Leadership Lessons from Being 10 Years Ahead with BloxWeaver Founder David Meikle
Aug 26, 2025What can AI teach us about leadership when you’re a decade ahead of the curve?
In this episode of A Class Act: Conversations in Data and Leadership, host Shannon speaks with David Meikle, founder of BloxWeaver and former CTO at Lingo24. David reflects on the leadership lessons he learned introducing AI and automation into the translation industry nearly ten years before most businesses began facing the same challenges.
From the fear of job loss to the need for psychological safety, David shares how leaders can guide teams through uncertainty, transformation, and growth.
...
Duration: 00:35:27Transforming Cyber Resilience in Scotland: Jude McCorry’s Journey as CEO at the Cyber and Fraud Centre
Aug 12, 2025What would you do if your first day as CEO started with no funding and ended with national lockdown?
That was the reality for Jude McCorry, now CEO of Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Centre.
In this episode of A Class Act, Jude joins Shannon for a conversation about her journey from Ireland to Scotland.
She left a successful career in Ireland, landed in Scotland with no job, and rebuilt not just her career but a network, a reputation, and an organisation that now leads national cyber resilience efforts.
As...
Duration: 00:34:36From Green Screens to AI Strategy: Gillian Docherty’s Data Leadership Journey
Jul 29, 2025She almost didn’t apply.
Gillian Docherty is one of the most influential figures in Scotland’s data and AI landscape - but she almost didn’t take the job that changed everything.
Recently named CEO of the Year at the DigiTech Awards, Gillian served as CEO of The Data Lab, Scotland’s national Innovation Centre for data and AI. She’s also a TEDx speaker and a vocal advocate for purpose-led leadership and inclusive tech.
In this conversation with Michael on A Class Act, Gillian shares her journey, what it really takes to build h...
Duration: 00:34:09Leadership Lessons in High-Pressure Environments: From the Military to the Boardroom with David Goodacre OBE
Jul 15, 2025What does it take to lead when the pressure is on?
How do you inspire teams to stay aligned in the face of complexity, change, and uncertainty?
In this episode of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership, host Shannon McKechnie is joined by David Goodacre OBE, a Senior Executive, Board Member, and experienced leader with significant experience in strategy, transformation, and operational delivery across the military and corporate sectors.
David shares his real-world leadership lessons from high-pressure environments, from commanding teams in combat to leading complex transformation initiatives in global organisations.
Stephen Ingledew on Building One of the UK’s Most Respected Fintech Ecosystems (And What It Really Takes to Lead With Purpose)
Jul 01, 2025What does it really take to lead change not just in your company, but across an entire industry?
In this episode of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership, Michael Young speaks with Stephen Ingledew, Chair of FinTech Scotland and a driving force behind one of the UK’s most respected fintech ecosystems.
Stephen shares his 40+ year journey through financial services from traditional corporate roles to building a 250+ firm innovation cluster.
Along the way, he unpacks what leadership means in complex environments, why purpose must be your anchor, and how lasting imp...
Duration: 00:31:07Elizabeth Hollinger on Leading with Trust and Building Award-Winning Teams at the Cutting Edge of Data
Jun 17, 2025What does it take to lead with trust, earn credibility, and build exceptional teams in today’s data-driven world?
In this episode, Michael Young sits down with Elizabeth Hollinger, a data and technology leader whose career spans actuarial roots, enterprise transformation, and building award-winning teams.
From feeling out of her depth in her first technology project at Deloitte, to leading cutting-edge data strategy at Aggreko, Elizabeth opens up about the real lessons that shaped her leadership journey.
This is a conversation about what it actually takes to earn trust, build capability, and lead peo...
Duration: 00:31:17From Apprentice to VP: Adriana Ignat on Leadership, Growth, and a Decade at Google
Jun 03, 2025What does it take to build high-performing teams in today’s product and tech landscape - and how do you keep your own leadership evolving in the process?
In this episode of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership, Shannon McKechnie, Managing Director at MBN Solutions, is joined by Adriana Ignat - a Pproduct Management and Design leader and an AI specialist, whose career includes more than a decade at Google and roles leading product innovation in high-growth, data rich M&A-driven environments.
From her early days as an apprentice in Poland to shaping Google’s pre...
Duration: 00:49:2835 Years in Data: Lessons on Leadership & Lasting Impact with Graeme McDermott
May 20, 2025What does it take to thrive across 35 years in data leadership? And how do you build high-performing teams – not just for now, but for the future?
In this inaugural episode of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership, Michael Young sits down with a true veteran of the data world: Graeme McDermott, Chief Data Officer at Tempcover.
From his early actuarial days to leading enterprise data transformations through five company acquisitions, Graeme brings insights into what makes a modern data leader tick – and stick.
But this conversation isn’t just about strateg...
Duration: 00:29:57A Class Act: Conversations in Data and Leadership [Season 1 Trailer]
May 13, 2025Welcome to A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership.
I’m Michael, and after nearly two decades leading data talent acquisition with MBN Solutions, I’ve seen firsthand that exceptional teams don’t just happen - they’re built. They’re crafted by placing the right people in the right roles, at exactly the right time.
This podcast pulls back the curtain on what it takes to build and lead high-performing teams in today’s data-driven world.
Each episode, we sit down with the leaders shaping the future of technology and analytics - t...
Duration: 00:01:05