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.

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 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 insightful emerging voices in the UK AI space. Through roles at Procter & Gamble, IBM, and JP Morgan, and her current work in robotics and computer vision, she has seen how technical excellence and human leadership intertwine.

In this conversation, Emma and Shannon explore how young professionals are navigating a world where AI progress moves faster than workforce readiness.

You’ll hear:

• How Emma pivoted from chemical engineering into AI without a computer-science degree.
  
  
• The “magic combo” of skills that makes today’s AI professionals stand out: strong software fundamentals plus applied ML and data-science experience.
  
  
• Why learning in public and sharing work, experiments and reflections online builds visibility, confidence and opportunity.
  
  
• 3 Key Insights Emma learned inside major organisations Procter & Gamble, JP Morgan and IBM.
  
  
• How her research into robotics perception in cluttered environments shows why messy, real-world data drives real progress.
  
  
• Why confidence and adaptability have become essential skills for anyone working with fast-moving technology.
  
  
• What early-career AI talent now looks for in employers: supportive cultures, genuine learning environments, and leaders who communicate with clarity and care.

Guest Information:

Connect with Emma Rattray on Linkedin

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:

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

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 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 hear real stories from founders, engineers and executives who are actually in it, the ones leading AI change inside their organisations today.

We’ll talk about:

• What’s really working (and what’s not).
• How leaders are embedding AI into their businesses right now.
• And the skills and mindset you’ll need to lead and hire effectively in this new landscape.

If you’re sitting in the boardroom wondering what you should be doing about AI, this season is for you.

🎧 Subscribe now and join us as we explore how to turn AI from buzzword to business results.

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 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 founding his own AI consultancy and now to helping some of the world’s biggest organisations turn AI from buzzword into business results.

In this conversation, we ask the question: 

How do you actually make AI work in practice?

You’ll hear:

• How Tomoro’s Strategy → Solution → Scale framework takes AI from idea to impact.
• What it’s like to build alongside OpenAI on enterprise projects.
• Lessons from Supercell on shipping production-ready AI safely.
• Why embedding engineers with client teams accelerates success.
• The leadership, mindset and cultural changes needed to actually make AI work.
  
  

If you lead Data, Digital, or AI strategy and want to understand how to move from experimentation to execution, this conversation offers practical insight from someone who’s in the trenches.

Guest Information:

• Connect with Tom McLaughlin on Linkedin
• Discover Tomoro

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

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 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 lessons
• Kent’s framework for building high-performing teams: trust, competence, and psychological safety
• The biggest mistakes leaders make when scaling FinTech and RegTech solutions
• The hard calls he’s made, from retraining staff to steering business exits
• Why “it is AI” that will reshape SaaS and demand new human-centric leadership skills
  
  

Kent also shares his personal philosophy - from Stoic ideas like amor fati (“love your fate”) to simple rituals like Sunday pancakes - that keep him grounded while leading through complexity.

If you’re leading teams in FinTech, data, or AI, this episode offers practical strategies and honest reflections on what it really takes to lead through change.

Connect with Kent MacKenzie on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-mackenzie-b807685/

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:

Michael Young on LinkedIn – Follow Michael for advice on talent acquisition, leadership in data science, and stories from the front lines of tech recruitment. Connect with Michael here.

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

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 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.

You’ll discover:

• How to lead teams through fear of AI and show its value.
  
  
• Why psychological safety is essential for innovation and high performance.
  
  
• How David rebuilt trust after leading a restructure early in his career.
  
  
• The leadership principles behind scaling from 12% to 98% online orders in a year.
  
  
• Why patience, adaptability, and strengths-based leadership matter most in change.
  
  

If you’re leading in data, technology, or any fast-moving industry, this conversation offers practical insights to help you build trust and unlock performance in the AI and tech industry.

Connect with David Meikle on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemeikle/

Discover BloxWeaver: https://bloxweaver.com/

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:

Shannon McKechnie on LinkedIn – Follow Shannon for advice on talent acquisition, leadership in data science, and stories from the front lines of tech recruitment. Connect with Shannon here.

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

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, 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 the CEO of one of Scotland’s most influential cyber organisations, Jude works across sectors from public services to enterprise and third sector - shaping how we respond to the evolving threats of fraud and cybercrime.

You’ll hear:

• Why Jude left a solid career in Ireland to start from scratch in Scotland
• The leadership lessons she learned building a network, a team, and an organisation during lockdown
• The importance of relationships and connections in the development of her leadership style
• The human cost of cyberattacks and what we can do to build resilience across every sector
• How partnerships with UNICEF and others have shown the power of public-private collaboration
• The one piece of advice she would give to leaders in the data and cyber space early in their career

Connect with Jude McCorry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jude-mccorry-5970911/

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 Jude McCorry in this episode are her own and do not reflect those of her 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:

Shannon McKechnie on LinkedIn – Follow Shannon for advice on talent acquisition, leadership in data science, and stories from the front lines of tech recruitment. Connect with Shannon here.

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