A Class Act - Navigating the AI Landscape in 2026

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 joined by Jeff Watkins (former CTO, fractional Chief AI Officer / advisor) to get specific about what “responsible AI” looks like in practice.
Michael asks Jeff:
What does responsible AI look like day-to-day as a way teams make decisions, not a set of statements?
Where do you draw red lines (what you won’t do with AI) and who has the authority to stop a deployment?
How do you triage Gen AI use cases using a simple risk-tier approach (green/amber/red) so governance supports delivery?
What does evidence actually look like and how do you prove controls are working in real operations?
When AI causes harm, who owns the decision and what does accountability mean in practice?

Guest information
Jeff Watkins is a CTO and AI strategist with 25+ years of experience leading digital and AI transformation. Former CTO at CreateFuture, he led AI Enablement and now advises boards and delivery teams on secure, responsible GenAI, where AI, security, governance, and culture collide.
Connect with Jeff Watkins on LinkedIn: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-watkins-cto/
About Your Host: 
Michael Young is the Managing Director of MBN Solutions and host of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership. With nearly two decades of experience helping organisations build high-performing data, analytics, and AI teams, he brings frontline insight into what makes exceptional talent and leadership.
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.
Subscribe & Follow: Enjoying the series? Don’t miss an episode. Follow A Class Act wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to help more listeners discover these conversations in data and leadership.
Connect with MBN Solutions:
If you’re hiring for data or AI leadership roles, scaling AI capability, or rethinking how talent supports your AI strategy, the team at NBN partners with organisations to build data and AI teams that actually deliver.
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.
Visit MBN Solutions website at www.mbnsolutions.com

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 models are evolving and why the biggest shift isn’t capability, but consistency, reliability, and system design.
Rather than chasing the next capability jump, Richard explains why we’re seeing a slowdown in headline performance gains alongside an improvement in consistency and reliability.
In this conversation, Richard shares:
What's really happening with LLM development right now in 2026
Why the enterprise production lens matters: the trade-off between brilliant but unstable outputs and reliable, predictable systems.
Richard’s practical map of the stack: naked LLM calls → workflows → tool calling → MCP servers → agent skills (and what each step is designed to solve)
“Stateful” AI explained clearly
The organisational gap Richard flags as adoption scales that leaders must be aware of right now

Guest information
Richard Bownes is Head of AI Solutions at Vector8, where he helps organisations design and deploy practical AI systems that move beyond experimentation into real-world business impact. He’s worked across public and private sector environments, bridging strategy, delivery, and real-world implementation. His experience spans Voice AI systems, applied NLP, and the ethical considerations that come with deploying machine learning at scale.
Connect with Richard Bownes on LinkedIn: 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjbownes/
About Your Host:  Michael Young is the Managing Director of MBN Solutions and host of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership. With nearly two decades of experience helping organisations build high-performing data, analytics, and AI teams, he brings frontline insight into what makes exceptional talent and leadership.
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.
Subscribe & Follow: Enjoying the series? Don’t miss an episode. Follow A Class Act wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to help more listeners discover these conversations in data and leadership.
Connect with MBN Solutions:
If you’re hiring for data or AI leadership roles, scaling AI capability, or rethinking how talent supports your AI strategy, the team at NBN partners with organisations to build data and AI teams that actually deliver.
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 : https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbn-recruitment-solutions
For questions, guest recommendations, or to connect:
Email: [email protected]
Visit MBN Solutions website at www.mbnsolutions.com

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 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 career as a lecturer and researcher in AI at Durham University, before moving into industry where he led engineering teams, served as AI Practice Lead at Hedgehog Lab, and now guides AI strategy inside a live, highly regulated banking environment.
In this conversation, Russell shares:
How Atom Bank is using AI to automate back-office processes and remove manual, repetitive work
Why AI adoption must start in “safe spaces” before becoming customer-facing
The real risks of generative AI in regulated environments
Why enterprise AI success depends more on operating models, governance, and people than on tools
How the role of an “AI Champion” accelerated adoption across the organisation
What the future of AI in banking could look like from embedded systems to personalised financial education
If you’re a CEO or responsible for shaping AI strategy where reputation, risk, and trust matter, this episode offers practical insight into what enterprise AI really looks like in practice.
Guest information
Dr. Russell Collingham is Head of AI & Data Science at Atom Bank and one of the most experienced AI leaders in UK financial services. He has worked in artificial intelligence since the 1990s, spanning academia and industry, and now leads AI strategy inside a highly regulated digital banking environment.
Connect with Russell Collingham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellcollingham/
About Your Host
Shannon McKechnie is the Managing Director at MBN Solutions - the Data and AI talent experts, and a passionate advocate for building exceptional teams and authentic leadership. As co-host of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership, Shannon brings a grounded, people-first perspective to leadership ,exploring how trust, alignment, and shared success drive high-performing teams in today’s complex landscape.
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.
Subscribe & Follow: Enjoying the series? Don’t miss an episode. Follow A Class Act wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to help more listeners discover these conversations in data and leadership.
Connect with MBN Solutions:
If you’re hiring for data or AI leadership roles, scaling AI capability, or rethinking how talent supports your AI strategy, the team at NBN partners with organisations to build data and AI teams that actually deliver.
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: [email protected]
Visit MBN Solutions website at www.mbnsolutions.com

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 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 episode, Michael and Andre explore what it really takes to hire and build AI teams that work in practice and what leaders should pay attention to if they want AI systems that are trusted, adopted and production-grade.
You’ll hear:
How Andre moved from engineering, maths and finance into early applied AI and machine learning.
What it was like joining DataRobot at Series A, becoming the first technical hire in EMEA and then growing the technical organisation
The biggest lesson he learned the hard way about building applied AI teams
How the AI landscape has shifted from classic machine learning and “big data” to today’s GenAI and agent-based systems
Why Andre is cautious about generic AI agents and what to focus on instead
How a telco’s GenAI billing assistant went from roughly 54% to about 95% correct 
The ICCE hiring framework he uses and why he now refuses to compromise on coachability and character, even for very strong technical candidates.
Practical guidance for data, digital and AI leaders on where to focus over the next few years
Guest information
Connect with Andre Balleyguier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aballeyguier/?locale=en_US
Learn more about Snorkel AI: snorkel.ai
About Your Host:  Michael Young is the Managing Director of MBN Solutions and host of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership. With nearly two decades of experience helping organisations build high-performing data, analytics, and AI teams, he brings frontline insight into what makes exceptional talent and leadership.
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.
Subscribe & Follow: Enjoying the series? Don’t miss an episode. Follow A Class Act wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to help more listeners discover these conversations in data and leadership.
Connect with MBN Solutions:
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: [email protected]
Visit MBN Solutions website at www.mbnsolutions.com

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: [email protected]
Visit MBN Solutions website: www.mbnsolutions.com
If you enjoyed this conversation with Eddie Short, make sure you:
👉  Follow the podcast
 👉 Leave a comment with your biggest takeaway
 👉 Share this with a colleague working in AI, data or transformation
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.