Aligned on AI Podcast - Conversations with Business Leaders in the Context of the AI Revolution

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones speaks with David Guttman, based in the Greater Phoenix Area, Arizona, in the United States, founder of Guttman Media, host of The David Guttman Podcast, mentor, investor, operator and creator of the ANTI-MBA course. David has spent more than 35 years building, buying, scaling, advising and exiting businesses across more than forty industrie...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones is joined by Bennett B. Borden, Founder and CEO of Clarion AI Partners, based in Washington, D.C., USA, for an in-depth conversation about responsible AI adoption, governance, risk management and business transformation. Drawing on careers spanning the CIA, data science, global law firms and AI governance, Bennett explains why AI should augm...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones sits down with Stacey Force, Wisconsin-based Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, workforce transformation specialist and advocate for human-centred AI adoption. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across organisations including Philips, Honeywell, ManpowerGroup and Korn Ferry, Stacey shares practical lessons from working at the inter...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones sits down with Luke Ferguson, planning consultant, founder of Planlift AI and one of the most vocal advocates for practical AI adoption within the UK planning profession. Luke began his career in planning policy at Westminster City Council before moving into consultancy, giving him a unique perspective on both public and private sector plann...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I talk to Catherine Lindner of Sagres Consulting, based in Evanston, Illinois, United States. This conversation focuses on how mid-sized organisations can approach AI adoption in a practical, controlled way. Rather than chasing tools, Catherine shares how businesses can use AI to process information faster, improve decision-making, and enhance marketin...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones speaks with Doug Hudson, CEO of ATS Energy, based in Denver, Colorado in the United States, about the real-world intersection between AI adoption, energy systems and industrial transformation. This conversation explores how AI is driving unprecedented demand for energy, particularly through data centres, and why many businesses are underesti...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I speak with Vanessa Bright, who is leading innovative work at the intersection of social impact, environmental restoration and workforce development in the United States. Vanessa’s journey is anything but typical. Starting in insurance and financial literacy, she went on to found the Maryland Reentry Resource Center, supporting individuals returning f...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I speak with Dr. Nikki Blacksmith , organisational psychologist and Co-founder of Symeta , based in Chicago in the United States. Nikki explains that many organisations still rely on instinct when it comes to people, while using data rigorously for everything else and why this gap creates risk, from poor hiring decisions through to leadership blind spo...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I’m joined by Steve Diloia, based near Buffalo in the United States, founder of AXIOM Coaching, to explore a critical but often overlooked truth about AI adoption: technology will not fix broken processes. We unpack what is really happening inside manufacturing and operational businesses today, from leadership challenges and inconsistent processes to t...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I speak with Dr. Jon Finn, founder of Tougher Minds, about one of the most overlooked factors in AI adoption: human performance. While many businesses focus on tools, platforms and automation, Jon brings a different perspective. Drawing on his background in performance psychology and behaviour change, he explains why AI adoption often fails not because...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I speak with Chip D’Angelo, a highly experienced environmental remediation specialist based in Princeton, New Jersey, US, and founder of WND Consultants. With over 45 years of experience across environmental risk, brownfield development, and complex project recovery, Chip shares practical insights from working on high stakes projects including The Whit...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones speaks with Tom Mentink, an operational excellence consultant based in the Netherlands, about why so many technology and AI initiatives struggle to deliver real results. Something that stood out to me in this conversation is how rarely organisations fail because of the technology itself. More often, they fail because people were not brought...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, I sit down with Trisha Gulati, based in New York, United States, co‑owner of MergeWorks, to explore how businesses can move from manual processes to scalable, AI‑enabled systems. Something that really stood out in this conversation is how many businesses are still operating on legacy processes that rely heavily on individuals rather than structured sys...

In this episode of the Aligned on AI podcast, Karl Jones speaks with Steve Cassingham from MYNT Systems about how energy is becoming one of the most important strategic considerations for modern businesses. Something that surprised me in this conversation is how quickly energy is shifting from something businesses simply pay for, into something they can actively manage, optimise and even monetise....

Most organizations are rushing to adopt AI without fully understanding the skills their people need to succeed alongside these new systems. In this eye-opening episode, Koreen Pagano reveals why focusing on skills data and workforce capability is the key to a successful AI transformation—and how many companies are getting it wrong.   Join us as Koreen, an expert in workforce learning and AI readin...

How do you build a trust-led service business from scratch - and scale it using associates without losing quality? In this episode of Aligned on AI, Karl Jones talks with Simon Henson (Derbyshire, UK), Managing Director of Titan Private Investigation, about moving from 17 years in policing to running a high-discretion investigations business serving both corporate and private clients. Simon breaks...

Selling wine in 2026 isn’t just about great bottles — it’s about margins, stock decisions, customer behaviour, and marketing that actually gets done. In this episode of Aligned on AI, Karl Jones chats with Mark Davies (Shropshire, UK), founder of Hard to Find Wines, about what it really takes to run a specialist wine retail and wine e-commerce business under rising UK costs — and how AI for SMEs c...

In our first episode of Aligned on AI, Karl Jones chats with John Allen (of TSD (Total Systems Development) in Kentucky, USA) about Toyota-style continuous improvement, systems thinking, and how AI can help teams make sense of operational data without losing human judgement. Key takeaways include the importance of flow and mutual trust and respect in organizational success. The conversation delves...