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.
Episodes
24 episodes
Season 2: Navigating the AI Landscape
I’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 ...
A Look Inside How OpenAI Deploys Enterprise AI With Stuart McMeechan, EMEA Deployment Engineering Leader at OpenAI
In this episode of A Class Act, Michael Young sits down with Stuart McMeechan, EMEA Deployment Engineering Leader at OpenAI. Stuart leads the team that OpenAI sends into the biggest enterprises in Europe to help them get AI into pr...
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Turning AI from Buzzword into Real Business Results with Tom McLaughlin of Tomoro
What 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 Micha...
Hiring for AI in 2026? What the Next Generation of Talent Actually Values with Google DeepMind Scholar Emma Rattray
Every 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 enginee...
Why Most Enterprise AI Strategies Fail And What to Do Instead with Eddie Short - Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer
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 reall...
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Hiring and Building Exceptional Applied AI Teams that Work with Andre Balleyguier of Snorkel AI [MUST LISTEN]
In 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 ...
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
What 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...
LLMs in 2026: What’s Happening and What It Means for Business With Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions at Vector8
What’s actually happening with LLMs in 2026 and what does it mean for business leaders?In this episode of A Class Act, Michael is joined by Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions at Vector8, for a discussion on how large language mo...
S2E7: Navigating AI Ethics in the Real World: Red Lines & Risk Tiers in Practice
AI is moving fast. Most organisations are trying to keep up.But the real question isn’t “should we use it?” anymore, it’s whether you can deploy it without creating risks you can’t explain later.In this episode, Michael Young is j...
S2E8: Nina Habicht [ Top 100 Women in Data & AI ] on the AI Funding Bubble & Founder Advice on Building AI that Lasts
Nina Habicht has been building AI since 2011 and is one of Switzerland's Top 100 Women in Data and AI.In this conversation with Michael of MBN Solutions, she's direct about what she actually thinks about why so much AI being built...
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The 4 Pillars of AI Adoption Strategy EVERY Enterprise Leader Needs with Lead Enterprise Architect at NatWest Group
If 99% of executives say their AI rollout isn’t mature, so what’s actually going wrong?In this episode of A Class Act, Michael chats with Natalia Konstantinova, Lead Enterprise Architect in AI at NatWest Group. Natalia holds a PhD...
Building the Future of Voice AI From Soundtracks to Synthetic Speech With Stu Kennedy, Edge, Realtime & AI Systems Consultant
In this episode of A Class Act, Michael chats with Stu Kennedy, an Edge, Realtime & AI Systems Consultant, core HTMX contributor, and former film composer who worked alongside David Arnold on the Chronicles of Narnia and BBC’s Sherlock.&nbs...
The One Skill That Separates Good Data Leaders From Great Ones With Asia Faulds - Head of Data Science at Booksy
If you run a data team, you already know that the hardest part of being a great data leader isn’t always the technology.In this episode of A Class Act, host Michael Young chats with Asia Faulds, Head of Data Science at Booksy. <...
The AI Leader’s Playbook for What Actually Works With Andy McMahon, Director of AI & MLOps Engineering at Barclays
In this episode of A Class Act, Michael sits down with Andy McMahon, Director of AI & MLOps Engineering at Barclays, Oxford lecturer, and author of Machine Learning Engineering with Python. Andy went from a physics PhD at Imperial C...
35 Years in Data: Lessons on Leadership & Lasting Impact with Graeme McDermott
What 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 & L...
From Apprentice to VP: Adriana Ignat on Leadership, Growth, and a Decade at Google
What 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 McKe...
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Elizabeth Hollinger on Leading with Trust and Building Award-Winning Teams at the Cutting Edge of Data
What 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...
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Stephen Ingledew on Building One of the UK’s Most Respected Fintech Ecosystems (And What It Really Takes to Lead With Purpose)
What 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, ...
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Leadership Lessons in High-Pressure Environments: From the Military to the Boardroom with David Goodacre OBE
What 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 & Leadershi...
From Green Screens to AI Strategy: Gillian Docherty’s Data Leadership Journey
She 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 DigiTe...
Transforming Cyber Resilience in Scotland: Jude McCorry’s Journey as CEO at the Cyber and Fraud Centre
What 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...
AI and Leadership Lessons from Being 10 Years Ahead with BloxWeaver Founder David Meikle
What 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
How to Build Trust & Lead Teams in FinTech’s AI Era with Kent Mackenzie
In 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 ...
A Class Act: Conversations in Data and Leadership [Season 1 Trailer]
Welcome 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 bu...