Cambridge Executive Business Insights
Cambridge Judge Business School 30 episodes Nov 5, 2026
Cambridge Executive Business Insights: Rethinking AI is the second series of the podcast from Cambridge Judge Business School Executive Education. Hosted by Jaideep Prabhu, Professor of Marketing at Cambridge Judge, the series explores the concept of frugal AI, an approach to artificial intelligence focused on doing more with less. It brings together leading academics, technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to discuss topics such as low-resource innovation, energy-efficient AI models, and creative constraints in technology development. The series asks what it means to rethink intelligence in a world of increasing resource constraints.
Episodes
AI and the Human Factor – Series 2 Round-up
To end series two, Jaideep Prabhu brings together highlights from guests who all agree on one thing: AI’s success depends on people, not just technology. Hear why the organisations getting real value treat AI as a focused, top-down programme aimed at the problems that were already on the board agenda before ChatGPT arrived. The episode explores the “skim tax”, the hidden cost of waving AI output t
The Economics of Frugal AI
In this episode, Professor Jaideep Prabhu is joined by Simone Lenzu, Assistant Professor of Economics and Policy at Cambridge Judge Business School, to look at AI through a macroeconomic lens. Their conversation moves beyond the technology itself to consider where the vast resources flowing into AI are going, and what that means for productivity, investment and the wider economy.
Learn more abo
Beyond Productivity: How leaders should think about AI
In this episode, Viren Lall the Managing Director of ChangeSchool introduces a new way of thinking about AI, one that shifts the focus from technology to leadership attention. He explains why AI should be treated as an investment rather than a convenience, introducing practical frameworks including the AI Allocation Matrix, the AI Investment Loop and the concept of "skim tax", that is the hidden o
From AI experiments to real business transformation
In this episode, Paul Henninger, UK Head of Technology & Data and Global AI Leader at KPMG, shares lessons from helping organisations (and KPMG itself) embed AI into everyday business operations. Paul explains why the biggest barriers to AI adoption are not technical but organisational, describing the challenges of fear, focus and friction that emerge as automation scales. He discusses why compani
Data, AI and Customer Trust
In this episode, Laura Joseph, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco Mobile, explains how her organisation is taking a deliberately human-centred approach to AI. Rather than pursuing technology for its own sake, Tesco Mobile starts with customer problems and uses AI only where it genuinely reduces friction, improves service and supports colleagues. Laura discusses proactive customer support, responsible
From hype to value: Making AI pay off
In this episode, BCG Managing Director and Nordic Tech & Digital Advantage leader Thomas Wenstrøm explains why only a small minority of companies are capturing significant value from AI, and what sets them apart. Drawing on his experience leading large-scale AI transformations across Europe and Asia, Thomas argues that success depends less on technology than on strategic focus, business ownership
Operationalising AI: turning strategy into business value
In this episode, Professor Jaideep Prabhu is joined by David Fearne, Vice President of AI at NTT DATA, to explore how leaders can embed AI into the heart of business strategy. Drawing on his experience advising organisations across sectors, David explains why AI should be viewed not simply as a technology, but as an intelligent workforce capability that enables growth, curiosity and innovation. Th
Making AI work: How organisations turn strategy into results
In this episode, Professor Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Mark Bloomfield, founder of Turbulence and AI adviser to global organisations, about how leaders can adopt AI with purpose. They explore why the greatest opportunity lies not simply in improving efficiency, but in reimagining how organisations innovate, solve problems and build competitive advantage. Drawing on examples from businesses around t
AI in sustainability
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Munish Datta, Director of Sustainability at Specsavers, about how AI is transforming the way organisations measure emissions, manage supply chains, and build resilience to climate risks. Drawing on real-world examples from Specsavers and beyond, Munish explores how AI can improve carbon accounting, enhance supply chain traceability, support climate adapt
Frugal AI in the energy sphere
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Officer at Schneider Electric, about the role of AI in creating a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Drawing on Schneider Electric's experience deploying AI at scale, Philippe explains the concept of "frugal AI", using the simplest, most efficient technology to solve real-world problems. Together, they explore how AI
Rethinking banking with AI: building an AI fluent culture
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Oscar Barlow, Head of AI Advocacy at Starling Bank, about how one of the UK’s leading digital banks is embedding AI across its organisation and customer experience. Oscar shares how Starling’s agile, technology-first culture has enabled rapid AI adoption, from AI champions and internal enablement programmes to customer-facing tools like spending intellig
From Frugal Innovation to Machine Consciousness
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Dr. Daniel Hulme, CEO of Satalia and Chief AI Officer at WPP, about the future of artificial intelligence, from real-world business applications to the possibility of machine consciousness. They explore how AI is transforming industries like marketing, why constraints can drive innovation, and what leaders need to do to stay ahead, while also tackling bi
How AI is Reshaping Influence, Stakeholder Engagement and Strategic Decision-Making at Board Level
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Nick Ford Young, co-CEO of Boldspace, about how AI is transforming marketing and communications. They explore “agentic” workflows, the balance between automation and human creativity, and why judgment remains essential in an AI-powered world. Nick shares how Boldstream integrates data, strategy and real-time insights to reshape decision-making and learni
Technology, Impact, and Global Equity
This episode features Anusha Dandapani, Chief of Data and AI at the UNICC AI Hub (United Nations International Computing Centre), exploring how the UN is building scalable, responsible AI across its global system. She shares insights on creating shared AI infrastructure, overcoming fragmented systems, and shifting from experimentation to institutional adoption. The conversation highlights “frugal
The Case For Frugal AI in a World of Giant Models
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Firas Ben Hassan, Head of Agentic AI Solutions Hub at Allianz Technology. Firas shares his journey from fraud detection data scientist to leading Allianz’s agentic AI initiatives, including AllianzGPT. He explains the concept of frugal AI - using simpler, more efficient, and more explainable models instead of defaulting to the largest systems. The conver
The future is assistive: frugal AI, accessibility, and inclusive innovation
In this episode, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Neil Milliken, former Global Head of Accessibility and Digital Inclusion at Atos, about the powerful intersection of AI and accessibility. Drawing on 25 years in assistive technology, Neil explains how today’s generative AI builds on foundations laid by early speech recognition systems and how AI can make work inherently assistive—from automated note-tak
Frugal AI in practice: smarter, leaner and more responsible intelligence
In the first episode or series 2, Jaideep Prabhu speaks with Serish Gandikota, Elizabeth Osta, and Arjuna Sathiaseelan about ‘frugal AI’ - a smarter, leaner approach to building and deploying artificial intelligence. As AI development becomes increasingly resource-intensive, reliant on vast compute power and energy the Frugal AI Hub at Cambridge Judge Business School is challenging the ‘bigger is
Journey To Regeneration: Best Bits
In this best of episode, Chris Marquis shares some of his favourite moments from Journey To Regeneration.
During the series we explored how technology and impact investing are reshaping the business landscape, from disruptive innovations to sustainable models. Visionaries like Ronnie Cohen highlighted the power of tech to drive massive change, while leaders like Heidi Renata, Lisa Ferguson, and
Journey To Regeneration: Best Bits
Professor Chris Marquis shares some of his favourite moments from the first series of Cambridge Executive Business Insights, Journey To Regeneration.
Chris features thought leaders passionate about sustainability, regeneration, and business’s role in shaping a better world. You’ll hear practical advice from Vincent Stanley of Patagonia on connecting with and defending the places we love, and stra
Shifting Cocoa Farming From Exploitation to Regeneration
In this episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Douglas Lamont, CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely, the Dutch chocolate company born when journalists exposed widespread child labour in West Africa’s cocoa fields and set out to prove a fairer model was possible. Douglas breaks down how Tony’s rebuilt its supply chain around five core sourcing principles—paying a living-income price, long-term contrac
Reimagining Accountability: The Future of the B Corp Movement
In this week’s episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, to discuss the evolution of the B Corp movement and what it reveals about the changing expectations of business in the 21st century.
They explore the rise of B Corps in the UK, now numbering around 2,700 companies employing more than 200,000 people, and consider insights from B Lab UK’s Ta
Shaping Sustainable Choices
In this week’s episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by Ellen Jackowski, Chief Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, to explore how the company is experimenting with ways to support more sustainable consumer choices. Positioned within a payments network that reaches 150 million merchants and billions of cardholders, Mastercard has a vantage point on everyday spending that can help inform how
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Green Swans and Regenerative Business
In this episode, host Christopher Marquis is joined by John Elkington, author, advisor, and originator of the “triple bottom line.” John revisits how that idea took off in the 1990s, and why he later issued a “product recall” to refocus leaders on truly integrating people, planet, and profit. The episode explores his concept of “Green Swans” - system-positive shifts that outpace incremental change
Sustainability and Circularity
In this episode, Chris Marquis explores regenerative business practices with Juliet Scott-Croxford, President for the Americas at Brompton Bicycle.
Discover how the iconic folding bike company transforms urban mobility through their mission of "urban freedom for happier lives," connecting environmental sustainability with mental health and community design. Juliet reveals Brompton's rejection of
Regenerative Business Pioneers - Natura
In this episode, Chris Marquis welcomes Ana Costa, Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Natura &Co, a pioneering beauty company rooted in Amazon conservation. They explore how Natura's Amazon origins have shaped their belief that regeneration is essential, not optional. Ana reveals how the company embeds regenerative practices across their entire value chain—supporting over 1
Indigenous Business Wisdom and Regenerative Practices
In this episode, host Chris Marquis explores regenerative business practices with two inspiring leaders - Heidi Renata, co-founder of Innovate HQ and Māori entrepreneur, and Lisa Ferguson from The Nature Conservancy. Both guests emphasise that regenerative practices aren't new concepts—they're ancient wisdom being reapplied to modern challenges. Key themes include the importance of building trust,
Investing in Regeneration - The Capital Shift
Join Chris Marquis and Sir Ronald Cohen, pioneering venture capitalist and co-founder of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, as they explore the transformation of capitalism itself in this latest episode. They explore how we're entering the era of impact capitalism—where companies are valued not just by financial returns, but by their ability to create social and environmental good. S
Policy Catalysts: Governments and Global Frameworks
In this episode, Christopher is joined by Nigel Topping, former UN Climate Champion for COP26 and one of the UK’s leading climate advocates. Drawing on his experience leading global coalitions like We Mean Business, Nigel shares how radical collaboration and systems leadership can accelerate the pace of change. From aligning business and policy to create positive “ambition loops,” to holding firms
From Giving to Regeneration: The 1% for the Planet Approach
In this episode of Journey to Regeneration, host Chris Marquis speaks with Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global network that channels at least 1% of annual sales from member businesses and individuals to high-impact environmental nonprofits. Together, they explore how a simple commitment has grown into a worldwide movement, mobilising over $800 million in support of the planet. Kate e
Sustainable Agriculture
Host Christopher Marquis speaks with Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè and founder of the Regenerative Society Foundation, in this latest episode. As a third-generation leader of the iconic Italian coffee brand, Andrea shares how illycaffè is evolving from sustainability toward regeneration—embedding principles of beauty, quality, and shared value into its business model. With coffee as the start
Rethinking Food Systems: From Soil to Soul
In this latest episode, Professor Chris Marquis is joined by Elizabeth Whitlow, founding Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance—the force behind the pioneering Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). Elizabeth shares her inspiring journey from sustainability advocate to global leader in regenerative agriculture, offering a heartfelt and strategic take on what it truly means to h
Rebuilding Business with Purpose and Values
In this episode of Journey to Regeneration, host Professor Chris Marquis speaks with Dr. Bernice Pan, founder of British fashion brand DEPLOY, about transforming fashion through systems thinking and intentional design. Drawing on her academic background in architecture and fashion systems, Bernice shares how she reimagined every aspect of the clothing lifecycle—from fabric sourcing and modular des
The Challenge of Net Positive Business
In this episode of Journey to Regeneration, host Chris Marquis speaks with Andrew Winston, renowned sustainability strategist and co-author of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take. Together, they explore how businesses can move beyond incremental improvements to embrace a bold, regenerative approach—one that restores natural and social systems while driving l
Why Business Should Care About Sustainability
In this episode, host Professor Chris Marquis speaks with Lindsay Hooper, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), about how businesses can move beyond traditional sustainability toward true regeneration. Lindsay shares CISL’s systems-level perspective on transforming markets to serve people, nature, and climate. She critiques current ESG efforts as insufficient and int
Regenerative Business Pioneers - Patagonia
In this episode, host Christopher Marquis speaks with Vincent Stanley, a long-time leader at Patagonia and co-author of The Future of the Responsible Company. Vincent offers a candid perspective on what it means for a business to act responsibly in an extractive global economy. He explains why Patagonia is cautious with terms like “regeneration,” applying it meaningfully in its food division but p
Trailer
What if business didn't just sustain, but actually restored and renewed the world around us? Join Christopher Marquis from Cambridge Judge Business School for a new podcast exploring how business can be a force for positive systemic change socially, environmentally, and economically. Over the coming weeks, tune in to Cambridge Executive Business Insights - Journey to Regeneration to hear from pion
