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A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership
What does it really take to build and lead a world-class AI or data team?
I'm Michael Young, founder and CEO of MBN Solutions in Scotland. After two decades placing top talent across data, AI, and tech, I've seen what actually separates high-performing teams from the rest, and it's rarely what the headlines tell you.
A Class Act is where I bring you those stories.
Honest, experience-led conversations with the data and AI leaders making the hard calls right now: who they hire, how they build data science capability, and what real leadership looks like when the technology never stops moving.
No hype. No jargon. Just practical insight from people who've actually done it.Whether you're a data leader, a people manager, or hiring in tech, you'll walk away from every episode with something you can use.
New episodes twice a month. Follow A Class Act so you never miss one.
A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership
Why Most Enterprise AI Strategies Fail And What to Do Instead with Eddie Short - Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer
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Most 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 direct conversation about what actually moves the needle in enterprise AI adoption.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why most enterprise AI strategies fail
- Why bolt-on approach never works (and what built-in AI means)
- How to architect an AI-enabled organisation
- Why use-cases are outdated thinking
- Why AI success is 70% reinvention of work, 20% data & tech, 10% algorithms
- How to move from backward-looking to predictive-by-design
- The new talent model: hybrid, fractional, capability-based
- Real examples from telecoms,healthcare, retail, FMCG, and private equity
CONNECT WITH EDDIE SHORT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-short-0b683a/
WORK WITH MBN SOLUTIONS
If you’re building AI, data or engineering capability or redesigning your operating model , MBN helps organisations hire better, move faster, and build world-class teams.
🔗 Follow MBN Solutions on LinkedIn: Explore industry updates, groundbreaking projects, and the latest in data and analytics talent. Join the conversation and discover how MBN Solutions is shaping the future of data leadership. Visit the company page here.
📩 For questions, guest recommendations, or to connect:
Email: michael@mbnsolutions.com
Visit MBN Solutions website: www.mbnsolutions.com
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Please note: The views expressed by the guest in this episode are their own and do not reflect those of their current or former employers.