AI for Directors & Leaders Programme – Fleet Mortgages

AI was clearly becoming the topic everyone was talking about, but very few people truly understood it. Like many businesses, we were dabbling; testing tools here and there but without any real structure or strategy. My concern was that without a proper understanding, we could either misuse AI or miss its potential entirely.

I didn’t want Fleet Mortgages to have a ‘Kodak moment’ where a disruptive technology comes along and businesses fail to adapt because they haven’t taken the time to understand it properly. We needed clarity, not hype, and a way to think about AI strategically at leadership level.

“AI is the new buzzword. Everyone’s talking about it, but no one really understands it”

Alongside our CEO, I wanted to properly understand how AI could be interpreted, used, and embedded into our business in a controlled and responsible way. The course stood out because it wasn’t just about tools, it was about developing an AI strategy that could be shared, discussed and ultimately embedded across the organisation.

It gave us the foundation to move away from experimentation for experimentation’s sake and towards a clear, business-aligned approach.

“I wanted to understand how we could develop a strategy around AI and embed it across the business.”

The course delivery was outstanding. The facilitation encouraged participation, debate and real engagement from everyone in the room. The quality of the materials, the structure of the sessions and the in-person format all contributed to an experience that far exceeded my expectations.

What really stood out was the diversity of the group. From small businesses to large corporates, including representatives from organisations like the BBC. That mix brought depth to the discussions and helped contextualise AI across different organisational sizes and stages of maturity.

“It was probably the best course I’ve been on, and that’s saying something”

The biggest value was clarity. The course helped demystify AI and reinforced the importance of applying a human lens. Interrogating, validating and interpreting AI outputs rather than blindly trusting them.

It also provided a framework that I can now take back to our board, ensuring leadership alignment before embedding AI across teams. That shared understanding is critical if AI is going to be used responsibly and effectively.

“AI tools are wonderful, but you still need the human lens to interpret and validate what they’re telling you”

1. Inquisitiveness around AI – The training encouraged us to be curious and open-minded about AI, without fear or blind adoption. It reframed AI as an opportunity rather than a risk.
2. The importance of a clear AI strategy – Rather than fragmented experimentation, the course reinforced the need for a coherent, business-wide AI strategy aligned to leadership objectives.
3. Controlled exploration through working groups – We now have a clear idea of how to create focused working groups that can explore AI use cases in a structured way and share learnings, both successes and failures, across the business.

“If you want to understand AI properly and embed it in a way that actually makes sense for your business, this course is absolutely worth it”