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Artwork for A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership

A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership

Michael Young MBN Solutions Data & Leadership
Artificial Intelligence
Leadership
Data
Fintech Scotland
Genai Adoption
Voice AI
Atom Bank
Agentic AI
Data and Technology Leadership
Financial Services
Psychological Safety
Change Management
Fintech
Regtech
Banking
Openai
Emma Rattray
Genai
AI Ethics
Natwest Group

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 conversati... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes23Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessManagementTechnology

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Artwork for A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership

Latest Episodes

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 College to leadin... more

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. 

Asia has built data... more

YouTube

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. 

Today, Stu ... more

YouTube

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 in Computational ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Asia Faulds
Head of Data Science at Booksy
Booksy
Episode: The One Skill That Separates Good Data Leaders From Great Ones With Asia Faulds - Head of Data Science at Booksy
Stu Kennedy
Engineer solving real-time voice AI in production
Edge, Realtime & AI Systems Consultant
Episode: Building the Future of Voice AI From Soundtracks to Synthetic Speech With Stu Kennedy, Edge, Realtime & AI Systems Consultant
Natalia Konstantinova
Lead Enterprise Architect in AI at NatWest Group
NatWest Group
Episode: The 4 Pillars of AI Adoption Strategy EVERY Enterprise Leader Needs with Lead Enterprise Architect at NatWest Group
Nina Habicht
Founder and CEO of Dreamleap; Startup Advisor and Investor; former AI Product Director at UBS
Dreamleap; UBS
Episode: S2E8: Nina Habicht [ Top 100 Women in Data & AI ] on the AI Funding Bubble & Founder Advice on Building AI that Lasts
Jeff Watkins
Fractional Chief AI Officer and CTO, AI Advisor, Keynote Speaker
North Star Intelligence (launching), AI consultancy
Episode: S2E7: Navigating AI Ethics in the Real World: Red Lines & Risk Tiers in Practice
Richard Bownes
Head of AI Solutions at Vector8
Vector8
Episode: LLMs in 2026: What’s Happening and What It Means for Business With Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions at Vector8
Russell Collingham
Head of AI and Data Science at Atom Bank
Atom Bank
Episode: 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
Andre Balleyguier
AI Solutions leader at Snorkel AI, formerly DataRobot
Snorkel AI
Episode: Hiring and Building Exceptional Applied AI Teams that Work with Andre Balleyguier of Snorkel AI [MUST LISTEN]
Eddie Short
Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer with extensive experience in AI-driven transformation
Private equity-backed firms, global corporates
Episode: Why Most Enterprise AI Strategies Fail And What to Do Instead with Eddie Short - Global Chief Digital, Data & AI Officer

Host

Michael Young
Host of A Class Act Navigating the AI Landscape

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 11 ratings
  • Lime “fresh thinking energy”

    This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of leadership in an AI-driven world. It strikes a great balance between practical leadership insights and thoughtful discussions about how artificial intelligence is shaping decision-making, culture, and strategy. The hosts ask smart questions, explain complex ideas clearly, and bring on knowledgeable guests who add real value. Insightful, engaging, and highly relevant—five stars without hesitation.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Paul Mclernon
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Season 2 on AI

    Great podcast, I’ve really enjoyed season 1 and now on to season 2 about AI

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BRY1400
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • A class act indeed: Does what it say on the tin!

    Just listened to A Class Act—insightful, sharp, and packed with practical leadership advice. As an owner of 3 businesses, I’ve taken some great learnings from these episodes.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Xxxxxxxxxxebrb
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Great listen

    Really good podcast and outstanding guests. Real like lessons in leadership .

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ROBLOX LOVER CALLED BELLE
    United Kingdom10 months ago
  • Great content

    Wow. Great content and information! Please keep them coming!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PeteD82
    United Kingdom10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guest lineup delivers valuable, actionable takeaways
Insightful leadership discussions with practical, real-world guest insights
Strong balance of technical and leadership content that's useful for hiring and team-building

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#183
United Kingdom/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Stephen Ingledew on Building One of the UK’s Most Respected Fintech Ecosystems (And What It Really Takes to Lead With Purpose)
Q: How would you describe your leadership style and how has it evolved over the years?
He explains that leadership evolved from a rah-rah, directive approach to one that requires diverse, inclusive teams and a toolkit of leadership modes; openness, transparency, and empathy became central, along with a focus on engagement with people inside and outside the organization.
Leadership Lessons in High-Pressure Environments: From the Military to the Boardroom with David Goodacre OBE
Q: What enables trust across cross-cultural or cross-functional teams?
Trust comes from declaring and living values, practicing servant leadership, empowering teams with the right resources, and maintaining open, honest communication about goals and progress.
Leadership Lessons in High-Pressure Environments: From the Military to the Boardroom with David Goodacre OBE
Q: How do you differentiate transformation from ordinary change?
He explains transformation as a deliberate, vision-driven shift involving skills, structure, and strategy, with clear planning and sponsorship, whereas change can be smaller, internal steps.
Leadership Lessons in High-Pressure Environments: From the Military to the Boardroom with David Goodacre OBE
Q: What early experiences shaped your understanding of leadership?
David describes realizing leadership is about people, not just being in charge, starting from school leadership roles and cadet experiences, which laid the foundation for a people-first approach.
LLMs in 2026: What’s Happening and What It Means for Business With Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions at Vector8
Q: What is the current pace of LLM progress and its implications for business?
The pace is intelligent and capable, but not explosive; focus should shift to applying existing capabilities, building reliable systems, and reducing operational complexity to extract business value.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership

What is A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show spotlights leadership, strategy, and practical execution in data and AI, with conversations that peel back the realities of building high-performing tech teams. Episodes frequently explore leadership approaches, governance, and the human side of AI adoption, often through founder and executive perspectives across finance, tech, and enterprise settings. Listeners can expect hands-on guidance on hiring, scaling AI programs, and embedding data-driven decision making in complex organizations. A notable strength is the focus on real-world challenges and durable value—moving beyond hype toward repeatable processes, governance, and culture that enable durable impact in AI and data initiatives.

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1. Huberman Lab

How many episodes of A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership are there?

A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership launched a year ago and published 23 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership?

Recent guests on A Class Act: AI, Data & Leadership include:

1. Asia Faulds
2. Stu Kennedy
3. Natalia Konstantinova
4. Nina Habicht
5. Jeff Watkins
6. Richard Bownes
7. Russell Collingham
8. Andre Balleyguier

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