Executive program in London equips C-level leaders for the AI era
In November, Maven Insights and The Financial Academy hosted a four-day executive program in London. Over 40 C-level leaders joined the fully sponsored experience to sharpen how they think about AI's business impact and the operating models required to put it to work.
Alper Kulak, Senior Partner at Maven Insights, put it simply: "This program demonstrated that AI is transforming more than just technology. It is redefining how organizations allocate resources, make decisions, and collaborate."
He added, "True leadership in this era comes from understanding not only the tools, but also the human and strategic dynamics that enable teams to work smarter, more ethically, and with greater impact."
Sessions that turned strategy into operating models
The program combined interactive sessions, hands-on work, and expert-led discussions across key London venues. At Imperial College London, leaders and academics built a clear foundation on AI and digital disruption. Speakers included Dr. Islem Rekik (Associate Professor of Computing and Director of the BASIRA Lab), Professor Christopher Tucci (Vice Dean of Education and Interim at Imperial Business School), Niresh Rajah (Chief Data & AI Officer at the University of Oxford), and Erik Norland (Chief Economist).
Sessions emphasized reasoning exercises, innovation-focused cultures, and the practical steps to turn AI strategies into scalable operating models. Executives saw how to connect pilots to P&L outcomes and how to build governance that enables speed without losing control. For reference on executive learning, see Imperial Executive Education.
Industry panel: shifts leaders can't ignore
An industry panel dove into market shifts and new digital requirements. The conversation featured Dr. Ibraheem Sheerah of Saudi Airlines, Gagan Arora of Maven Insights, Anastasiya Kizima of BridgingFi, as well as Tucci and Rajah. The message was clear: AI advantage now hinges on data quality, speed of iteration, and cross-functional execution.
A closer look inside Bloomberg
Executives visited Bloomberg's London headquarters for a first-hand view of AI at scale. The discussions showed how data quality, model transparency, and risk controls anchor sustainable AI systems. The visit offered a working example of how to balance innovation with responsibility-where experimentation is encouraged, but auditability and governance stay non-negotiable.
The next phase of AI leadership
The program reinforced how leadership is changing as AI reshapes industries, organizations, and talent over the coming decade. Participants gained the confidence to set direction, align teams, and scale what works. At the close, executives received official certifications from Imperial Executive Education and The Financial Academy.
Khalid AlKhudairi, Senior Partner at Maven Insights, said, "This program gave leaders a clearer view of what it takes to guide their organizations through the next wave of AI adoption with confidence, responsibility, and focus."
What this means for your strategy
- Treat AI as an operating model shift. Update decision rights, incentives, and risk policies-not just tools and vendors.
- Governance by design. Bake in data quality, model transparency, and monitoring from day one. Align to a clear risk framework such as the NIST AI RMF.
- Scale what proves value. Move pilots to production with clear owners, SLAs, and measurable business outcomes. Kill what doesn't compound.
- Build cross-functional teams. Pair product, data, engineering, and risk in durable squads so ideas don't stall between silos.
- Invest in the data layer. Reliable pipelines, documentation, and access controls will save months later.
- Upskill leadership and talent. Teach managers to ask better questions, read model outputs, and set realistic ROI timelines.
About Maven Insights
Founded in 2010, Maven Insights is a management consultancy with offices in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Ankara. The firm is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
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