The AI Leader’s Playbook for What Actually Works With Andy McMahon, Director of AI & MLOps Engineering at Barclays

In this episode of A Class Act, Michael sits down with Andy McMahon, Director of AI & MLOps Engineering at Barclays, Oxford lecturer, and author of Machine Learning Engineering with Python. Andy went from a physics PhD at Imperial College to leading AI engineering at one of the world’s largest banks, and he’s got a sharp take on why most AI never makes it out of the demo.In this conversation, they get into⬇️ ✔️Why the gap between AI that demos well and AI that works in production has never been wider✔️The 'trust infrastructure' most teams skip and why Andy calls them zero-regret investments ✔️What changed when AI engineering replaced MLOps as the paradigm and what stayed exactly the same ✔️How to spot genuinely good AI talent✔️Why imposter syndrome is a signal you're in the right place ✔️The shift from data science to AI engineering and what that means for hiring and team structure ✔️Andy's take on what people are getting wrong about AI right now ✔️Responsible AI in practice: how to make it real and not a tick-box exercise ✔️Building a career portfolio that outlasts any single role Guest InformationAndy McMahon is Director of AI & MLOps Engineering at Barclays, where he leads teams building production-grade AI systems across the bank. He holds a PhD in theoretical physics from Imperial College London and is the author of Machine Learning Engineering with Python (Packt), now writing the third edition — a rewrite shifting focus from MLOps to AI engineering. Andy lectures at the University of Oxford, has been named one of Computing Magazine's Top 100 Leaders in IT (2026), and co-writes Forward Deploy, a Substack on practical AI engineering with Matthew Higgs.Connect with Andy McMahon on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mcmahon/Read Forward Deploy on Substack:Forward Deploy SubstackPaper mentioned: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6843118 Podcast - https://linktr.ee/airightpodcastPlease note: The views expressed by the guest in this episode are their own and do not reflect those of their current or former employers.About Your HostMichael Young is the Managing Director of MBN Solutions and host of A Class Act: Conversations in Data & Leadership. With nearly two decades of experience helping organisations build high-performing data, analytics, and AI teams, he brings frontline insight into what makes exceptional talent and leadership.Subscribe & FollowEnjoying the series? Don’t miss an episode. Follow A Class Act wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to help more listeners discover these conversations in data and leadership.Connect with MBN SolutionsIf you’re hiring for data or AI leadership roles, scaling AI capability, or rethinking how talent supports your AI strategy, the team at MBN partners with organisations to build data and AI teams that actually deliver.MBN Solutions on LinkedIn – Explore industry updates, groundbreaking projects, and the latest in data and analytics talent. Visit the company page here: linkedin.com/company/mbn-recruitment-solutionsFor questions, guest recommendations, or to connect:Email: [email protected] MBN Solutions website at www.mbnsolutions.com