Oxford Talks

You Need an Intelligence Strategy, Not an AI Strategy | Kari Zeller

Will AI replace you? Kari Zeller, author of Re-Placed, says no, but the way we work and the way we see ourselves are changing. She tells Waleed Khalid why work may be our buffalo, why leaders need an intelligence strategy rather than an AI strategy, and why care, hunches and judgement remain human. Inside the episode 0:00 Will I be replaced? 1:58 What if work is our buffalo? 10:05 Why executives see only a fraction 17:33 A thousand voices from the front line 21:31 We need an intelligence strategy 25:00 Will profit push the humans out? 30:36 Thinking sovereignty and ancient wisdom 36:49 What to do now: imagine it, value it 46:34 Fear of not being fast enough 49:56 The two books she recommends most About Kari Zeller Kari Zeller is the author of Re-Placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI (Fast Company Press, July 2026), and her company is TGN Consulting. She wrote the book because of one question: am I going to get replaced? Mentioned in this episode Re-Placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI, Kari Zeller (Fast Company Press) Radical Hope, Jonathan Lear (Harvard University Press) Good Strategy Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt Managing Transitions, William and Susan Bridges Watch Kari's Oxford Talk, Re-Placed, Not Replaced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFXBkl38S8o Connect with Kari Zeller: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-zeller/ Website: https://karizeller.com Book: https://re-placed.ai Oxford Talks Podcast is hosted by Waleed Khalid, CEO of Oxford Talks. Connect with Oxford Talks: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theoxfordtalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoxfordtalks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oxfordtalks Website: https://www.oxfordtalks.io/

• Chapters

The Man Who Won't Tell You What to Think | Edward Burtynsky

When Edward Burtynsky began photographing open-pit mines and the largest dam ever built, he was not setting out to lecture anyone. After more than forty years documenting the biggest things humanity has ever made, he still refuses to tell you what to feel about them. In this episode of the Oxford Talks Podcast, the world-renowned photographer explains why he treats his work as a collaboration with the viewer rather than a verdict, why he believes every reading of an image is legitimate, and where he draws the line between an artist and an advertiser. He talks about bearing witness instead of passing judgement, the pursuit of truth over beauty, and what a lifetime of access to the world's mines, oil fields and shipbreaking yards has shown him. Along the way he makes the counterintuitive case that reaching net zero will demand more mining, not less, names the single environmental threat he believes we have no tool to reverse, and turns to AI, an invention he ranks alongside electricity, and what its uneven arrival could do to the gap between those who have and those who do not. It is a conversation about seeing, extraction, art, truth and survival, from a man who has spent his life bearing witness to the scale of what we build. 🔍 Inside the Episode: 0:00 – Introduction 2:00 – From a GM factory floor to the world's biggest landscapes 5:30 – The $20 room that ended his life as a painter 13:00 – Why your taste is trying to tell you something 24:00 – The Rorschach test hidden inside every photograph 28:40 – The line between an artist and an advertiser 35:50 – The two threats he ranks above all others 40:00 – Why reaching net zero means mining more, not less 42:00 – The damage he says we can never undo 48:57 – AI, electricity, and the gap that could break society 53:28 – The world he walked into that he didn't believe existed 1:01:44 – How to actually take a great picture

What Gen Z Knows That You Don't | Courtney Lukitsch

Going viral can make you visible for a week. It rarely makes you matter for a decade. In this episode of the Oxford Talks Podcast, a communications strategist, Courtney Lukitsch who has built businesses across thirty countries makes the case that the loudest voice in the room is almost never the one that lasts. We talk about why public relations has quietly stopped being about press and become something much closer to strategy and business development. Why a generation raised entirely online is the one bringing print and in-person back into fashion. And why, as AI compresses time and floods every channel, human discernment and a trusted network in a single room might be the most valuable assets you have left. There is a warning here too, about a widening gap between those fluent in AI and those locked out of it, and about what happens when executives get pushed in front of a camera long before they are ready. It is a conversation about influence, taste, and building something with staying power while everyone else chases the next quick hit. If you have ever wondered whether being everywhere online is actually working for you, this one is worth your time. Have a listen, and let us know where you land. 🔍 Inside the Episode: 0:00 – Introduction 2:55 – Why designers want a business mind, not just press 6:26 – The 100X AI shift coming this year 9:20 – Why Gen Z is quietly going back to print1 4:46 – The AI divide that could split society 18:16 – The real reason your days feel shorter 20:42 – When press becomes the least of it 27:35 – The boutique that makes legacy firms nervous 29:25 – Twenty five years, not one client solicited 41:00 – What the Timothée Chalamet moment really taught us 44:36 – Why a massive following won't win an election 59:44 – The simple reason people say yes

Steven Bartlett's Secret Weapon: The Man Who Hijacks 15 Million Brains In 90 Seconds

Anthony Smith has helped turn the Diary of a CEO into the second biggest podcast in the world, and he had never listened to a podcast before joining. As Director of Trailers, his job is to compress a two to three-hour conversation into 90 seconds that makes someone rearrange their day. In this episode, he breaks down exactly how that is done. Anthony explains why the hook is just the tip of the iceberg, how his team uses psychological techniques drawn from film and neuroscience to hold attention rather than simply grab it, and why he refuses to call his production framework a blueprint. He talks through the 15-point checklist that governs every DOAC trailer, what it means to make a genre piece instead of a podcast clip, and why the team once intentionally tried to fail more often. He also shares the moment he sat in a cinema and watched his own work on the big screen, and what that meant for a kid who grew up being told his passion would never pay. If you work in content, podcasting, or storytelling at any level, this conversation will change how you think about the first 90 seconds of anything.

Followers Are the Least Interesting Metric | Verity Park

Most people chasing a following are optimising for the wrong thing. Verity Park has spent a decade building businesses with some of the world's biggest creators, and she'll tell you that follower count is the least useful number on the dashboard. In this episode, Verity breaks down why people trust people over brands, what actually makes a creator worth signing, and why she'll often spot talent before they've posted a single piece of content. She talks through her time helping build TALA with Grace Beverley, the surprising lessons of running a candle business from her kitchen, and why she founded TBH Talent, now a team of ten, around a very specific belief in creator IP. We also get into the rise of what Verity calls expert creators, the debate around talent managers having personal brands, and the practical first steps for any executive thinking about showing up online. Plus, her biggest concern about AI, and it's not what you'd expect. A candid, grounded conversation from someone who's been in the room for some of the most exciting moments in the creator economy.

What Happens When Every Expert Says "No" | Erin Moroney

What do you do when every expert in the industry tells you, “This cannot be done”? In this episode, Erin Moroney shares the unglamorous reality of building an FMCG brand from scratch, from technical roadblocks and retail challenges to the hard truths founder stories often leave out. This is an honest conversation about clean ingredients, lower-sugar product development, and what it really takes to turn an idea into something that can survive in the real world. Erin reflects on the lessons she’s learned along the way, and why one of the biggest founder advantages is simply refusing to give up. 🔍 Inside the Episode: 00:01 — Why clean, lower-sugar products are so hard to make 05:35 — The market gap that started it all 13:48 — Why she walked away from a 17-year career 37:30 — The product detail that changed everything 41:32 — Four years trying to scale one product 42:16 — “This is un-manufacturable at scale” 43:59 — The moment she built her own facility 53:52 — The retail lesson founders learn too late

Your Tone Is Costing You | Anisa Telwar Kaicker

What if the real reason people shut down around you is not your strategy, but your tone ? In this episode, Anisa Telwar Kaicker, the global founder of Anisa International, shares the unglamorous truth behind building multinational companies without a college degree, starting at 24 after her family business collapsed, and being “trained” by a formidable mother who insisted she be called by her name, not “mom.” The lesson stuck, but so did the hardness. She opens up about the moment she realised her harsh tone was creating fear, not results, and how a divorce, being humbled, and a Dale Carnegie training forced a brutal reset in how she leads, listens, and earns trust.

The AI Idea We’ve Been Missing | Shekhar Natarajan

What if AI’s “next leap” isn’t more intelligence… but more humanity? In this episode, we sit down with Shekhar, CEO of Orchestro AI, to unpack his concept of “angelic intelligence” —technology designed to mimic what the best humans do, not just what’s average. We go deep into the personal story that shaped the philosophy: losing his mother, learning that “work is worship,” and using work as escape velocity from the context he grew up in, a slum in India.Then we get practical: first-principles thinking distilled into three fundamentals, space, relationships, adjustments and how that lens changes decision-making in business and life.

Extended Audio | Lessons From Two Creative Icons | Harry Pearce & Michael Bierut

This extended audio cut includes the complete conversation, with extra insights and off-camera moments you won’t hear anywhere else. Two of the world’s most influential designers, Michael Bierut and Harry Pearce open the doors to Pentagram’s radically different way of working. From partner dynamics to creative longevity, this episode reveals why the studio’s structure shouldn’t work… yet continues to produce some of the most iconic design of our time. It’s a conversation about trust, responsibility, ego, character and what it truly takes to build work and a life that lasts. Correction: Harry mentions Black Elk towards the end of the episode. Black Elk was Lakota. The book is Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt.

Lessons From Two Creative Icons | Harry Pearce & Michael Bierut

Two of the world’s most influential designers, Michael Bierut and Harry Pearce open the doors to Pentagram’s radically different way of working. From partner dynamics to creative longevity, this episode reveals why the studio’s structure shouldn’t work… yet continues to produce some of the most iconic design of our time. It’s a conversation about trust, responsibility, ego, character and what it truly takes to build work and a life that lasts. Correction: Harry mentions Black Elk towards the end of the episode. Black Elk was Lakota. The book is Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt.update

Redefining Leadership With Heart | Claude Silver

What if your company cared as much about feelings as it does about revenue? In this Oxford Talks Podcast episode, Waleed sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, to decode what “leading with heart” actually looks like when you’re responsible for thousands of people across the world. Claude shares how she’s turned HR into People & Experience, why every employee is trained in emotional intelligence and psychological safety and how she spots culture issues long before they explode.From her three-part framework of emotional optimism, bravery and efficiency to the idea of becoming a true “Vayner citizen”, Claude reveals the systems, language and habits that keep VaynerMedia human in a world obsessed with speed and scale. They dive into burnout, belonging, AI, return-to-office battles, and the uncomfortable truth that many of us were never taught how to deal with our own emotions, let alone anyone else’s.If you’ve ever wondered how to build teams that are both kind and high-performing, this episode is your new playbook.

Success Has a Formula | Adolfo Gómez Sánchez

What separates world-class performers from everyone else?Adolfo Gómez Sánchez spent 35 years decoding that question and discovered a formula anyone can follow. From training with martial arts masters in Japan to coaching CEOs and ATP athletes, he reveals why most people fail not from lack of talent, but from lack of mindset. Learn how the world’s top performers think, how to challenge limiting beliefs, and why “scoreboards don’t define success, process does.” If you’ve ever felt stuck, this episode will make you rethink everything you believe about growth, failure, and greatness.

The Cost of Not Knowing Yourself | Dr Barbara Morris Jensen

We live in an age of noise, constant information, constant pressure, constant pretending but what happens when the mask finally cracks? In this conversation, clinical psychologist and hypnotherapist Dr Barbara Morris Jensen shares her life’s work: helping people rediscover their authentic selves. From growing up with a father who transformed from a man of war to a man of peace, to facing her own battles with fear, depression, and motherhood, Barbara explores what it really means to heal. Together we unpack: 👉 Why survival instincts can disconnect us from our true selves. 👉 How generational trauma silently shapes our choices. 👉 The link between modern disconnection, technology, and spiritual emptiness. 👉 The difference between pain that destroys and pain that transforms.

The Nurse Who Exposed the System | Lee Powers

What if the system designed to heal you nearly killed you instead? Nurse Lee Powers survived a violent assault, a medically induced coma, and years of insurance denials — revealing the profound crisis at the heart of U.S. healthcare. In this Oxford Talks episode, Lee exposes: 👉 Why nurses are the most assaulted professionals in America 👉 How insurance companies determine who receives treatment — and who gets left behind 👉 The silent epidemic of post-ICU syndrome affecting millions A powerful, urgent conversation about survival, resilience, and the path to transforming care.

AI's Hidden Cost | Jane Newman

AI isn’t just the future, it might be humanity’s last invention. In this conversation, Jane Newman lays bare the terrifying environmental impact, the loss of customer service in a tech-ruled world, and why children are already showing signs of technology addiction. From Skynet fears to real-world data centre disasters, this episode asks: are we building a future worth living in, or signing away our humanity for good? We explore: 🔐 The dangers of lost privacy & control 🤖 The jobs, values, and connections AI is erasing 🚨 Why unchecked technology may outpace humanity itself

Exposing the World of Ads | Ricky Solanki

Everyone’s talking about AI. Few understand how it’s really reshaping the way we buy.In this episode of Oxford Talks, Ricky Solanki, co-founder of PUSH, discusses the hidden world of digital marketing. Ricky explains how consumer behaviour has shifted from Yellow Pages to Google, then to social media, and now to AI-driven search and commerce. Instead of a long journey from research → consideration → purchase, people are moving straight from thought → action, often without realising it. Ricky has seen every shift in how we buy, sell, and trust. Now, he reveals why the next wave of change will be faster and scarier than anything before. We explore: 👉 How AI is collapsing the journey from research to purchase. 👉 Why platforms like TikTok and YouTube are racing to control the future of commerce. 👉 The surprising ways small businesses can outsmart big brands. 👉 The trust crisis ahead, where even reviews and testimonials might be AI-generated.

The Art of Messages That Last | Alex Merry

Some messages fade the moment they’re heard. Others echo for years. So, what makes the difference?In this powerful conversation, we explore the art of messages that truly last, why your personal story alone isn’t enough, and what separates talks that move audiences from those that are forgotten.

Divorce Isn’t the End of Your Story | Sara Davison

Inside this raw and unfiltered conversation, we explore why heartbreak feels so much like grief and the healthy way to process it. Sarah reveals how to break free from the shame spiral that often follows divorce and shares the fastest way to shift from pain to power. We talk about helping children cope through separation without carrying lifelong emotional scars, and uncover how to recognise the subtle red flags in relationships before it’s too late.

The Billion-Dollar Cities of Tomorrow | Catalina Valentino

She’s not pitching the future, she’s building it. Catalina isn’t your average founder. At just 25, she’s already running multiple companies revolutionizing smart cities from digital twins and retrofitted energy systems to alternative models for public transport and data ownership. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of what it really takes to rebuild cities from the ground up: legally, financially, and technologically. Expect big ideas: free transport through real estate-backed revenue, why most smart city pitches fail, and the invisible infrastructure we never talk about data centers, supply chains, and rare earth materials. Think smart cities are still futuristic? Think again. They’re being built right now and this episode shows how.

Why Aren’t Women in Power? | Rola El Chami

What if your voice was your greatest asset and your biggest risk? In this powerful episode, Rola pulls back the curtain on what it really means to lead with impact in a world that wasn’t built for you. From executive education to grassroots advocacy, her journey is a masterclass in courage, clarity, and conviction. Hear why silence is never neutral, how systemic change really happens, and why empowering women is not a nice-to-have, it’s a non-negotiable. This conversation will challenge your assumptions and awaken your ambition.