AI Works Podcast: How Leaders Use AI Now

By: Richard Foster-Fletcher
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to the AI Works Podcast, your essential resource for harnessing artificial intelligence to drive efficiency, innovation, and practical transformation across education, public sector, and business organisations. In each episode, we bring you:
    • Real-world stories from leaders who have successfully integrated AI tools, overcoming common challenges.
    • Practical insights and actionable strategies that translate cutting-edge AI into immediate operational improvements.
    • Expert perspectives and trend analyses that demystify AI and make complex concepts clear and approachable.
    AI Works is designed specifically for leaders who want straightforward, high-impact ideas to unlock AI’s potential—without the hype.

    Join us to discover proven pathways to productivity, hear authentic experiences from your peers, and confidently navigate the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. Subscribe and tune in to gain practical, accessible AI guidance that works.

    Produced by MKAI.works
    Copyright Richard Foster-Fletcher
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Economics Management Management & Leadership
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Episodes
  • Bridging Policy and Practice: Leading AI Transformation with Keith Smith, CEO at HRUC

    Bridging Policy and Practice: Leading AI Transformation with Keith Smith, CEO at HRUC
    May 6 2025
    🎧 Episode Title:
    Bridging Policy and Practice: Leading AI Transformation with Keith Smith, CEO at HRUC

    🎙️ Podcast:
    The AI Works Podcast

    Hosted by Richard Foster-Fletcher
    Co-hosted by Kurt Hintz

    🔍 Episode Overview

    How can further education (FE) institutions turn national policy into meaningful practice when it comes to artificial intelligence? In this episode, Keith Smith—CEO at Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) and former senior leader at the Department for Education—joins us to share his perspective on sector leadership in an AI-integrated world. From building system-wide collaboration to preparing students and staff for the demands of a digital economy, this conversation explores what it takes to lead well through uncertainty, complexity, and rapid technological change.

    Keith shares practical insights on:
    • Creating an AI strategy at the organisational level
    • Supporting staff through disruption with purpose and clarity
    • Building communities of practice across the FE sector
    • Partnerships that stretch thinking, including HRUC’s collaboration with MIT
    Whether you're in education, policy, or industry, this episode offers a grounded yet ambitious perspective on the leadership required to move from AI awareness to confident, inclusive action.

    🧭 What We Cover
    ✔️ Embedding AI into FE strategy and operations
    ✔️ Staff development and psychological safety in times of change
    ✔️ Opportunities for AI to improve inclusion and neurodiverse learning
    ✔️ Sector-wide collaboration and the proposed AI community for FE
    ✔️ The future of AI in physical form: robotics, automation, and governance
    ✔️ Leadership lessons from policy to practice

    👤 About Our Guest
    Keith Smith is the Chief Executive of Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges. Prior to this role, he held senior leadership positions at the Department for Education, where he played a pivotal role in shaping national policy for the further education sector. He now leads one of the UK’s most forward-thinking college groups, with a focus on AI adoption, staff wellbeing, and system leadership.

    🔗 Links & Mentions
    • Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges: https://www.hruc.ac.uk
    • MIT Industrial Liaison Program: https://ilp.mit.edu
    • Connect with Keith Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-smith-1733b9140/
    • Richard Foster-Fletcher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardfosterfletcher
    • Kurt Hintz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-hintz/
    📬 Stay Connected

    For updates, resources, and upcoming episodes, follow The AI Works Podcast and join the conversation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mkai-works
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    45 mins
  • Leading AI Transformation in Education: The Windsor Forest Approach

    Leading AI Transformation in Education: The Windsor Forest Approach
    Apr 28 2025
    Series: FE Leadership in an AI-Driven World

    Hosts:
    Richard Foster-Fletcher, CEO, MKAI.works
    Kurt Hintz, CEO, Petroc

    Guest:
    Gillian May, CEO and Group Principal, Windsor Forest Colleges Group

    Guest Bio:

    Gillian May is the CEO and Group Principal at Windsor Forest Colleges Group, known for her strategic leadership in driving innovation, efficiency, and organisational transformation within Further Education. Under her direction, Windsor Forest has launched Winnie, a pioneering private AI platform leveraging advanced ChatGPT technology to enhance operational productivity, data analysis, and student engagement.

    Episode Title:

    Leading AI Transformation in Education: The Windsor Forest Approach

    Episode Overview:

    In "Leading AI Transformation in Education," we explore how Gillian May and Windsor Forest Colleges Group successfully implemented Winnie, a bespoke AI platform based on ChatGPT. Gillian shares insights into how the college overcame initial scepticism, championed AI adoption across all departments, and set new standards for efficiency and innovation. The episode discusses practical applications, the importance of secure AI deployment, and the potential for significant sector-wide disruption.

    Key Topics of Discussion:
    1. The strategic vision and implementation of Winnie, Windsor Forest's private AI platform
    2. Addressing initial internal resistance and effectively championing organisational AI adoption
    3. Leveraging AI for administrative efficiency, workload reduction, and operational enhancements
    4. Transforming student experiences and preparing learners with AI skills relevant to industry
    5. Navigating ethical considerations, privacy, and data management within AI integration
    Key 'Takeaway' Ideas:
    1. Effective AI integration requires visionary leadership, transparent communication, and demonstrable quick wins to build organisational trust.
    2. Further Education can substantially enhance efficiency, reduce administrative burden, and improve educational outcomes through tailored, secure AI solutions.
    3. AI provides significant opportunities for disrupting legacy systems within FE, particularly in assessment, compliance, and back-office functions.
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    44 mins
  • Introducing AI Works: Practical Insights for Leaders Navigating Artificial Intelligence

    Introducing AI Works: Practical Insights for Leaders Navigating Artificial Intelligence
    Apr 23 2025
    Welcome to the AI Works Podcast, the essential resource for leaders navigating the realities of artificial intelligence in the public sector and beyond. In this introductory episode, host Richard Foster-Fletcher sets the stage, outlining exactly what listeners can expect from future episodes:
    • Real-world insights: Hear directly from public-sector leaders who are actively integrating AI into their organisations.
    • Practical strategies: Discover actionable ideas and proven approaches to common challenges leaders face during AI adoption.
    • Candid conversations: Learn from the experiences and lessons of executives addressing AI’s toughest questions around ethics, implementation, workforce readiness, data privacy, and more.
    If you’re responsible for guiding your organisation through AI-driven change, AI Works offers clear, grounded conversations to help you confidently lead the way.

    Subscribe now and join us for practical, insightful discussions about what’s working, what isn’t, and how leaders are successfully adapting in real-time.
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    2 mins

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