Our Executive Education courses address timely and pressing challenges and helps businesses and professionals seize new opportunities. Courses are developed and taught by leading experts from across the University of Edinburgh and delivered in partnership with Edinburgh Futures Institute and the University of Edinburgh Business School.
In this Q&A, Sam Weston, Head of AI and Marketing at 80 DAYS, reflects on how the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Executive Education programme ‘AI and Generative AI for Leaders’ helped him formalise AI governance, strengthen responsible use, and lead confident, values-driven adoption across a global hospitality marketing agency.
What business challenge were you addressing, and why did you choose the University of Edinburgh Executive Education programme in ‘AI and Generative AI for Leaders’?
At 80 DAYS, our core challenge wasn’t whether to adopt AI, but how to lead its adoption responsibly, credibly and at pace –– both internally across the agency and externally with clients in the luxury travel and hospitality sector. AI and generative technologies are already materially changing how we and the industry work: from strategy and insight development through to content, performance marketing and discovery. The challenge I was looking to address was ensuring that our use of AI was not only effective and commercially valuable, but also ethical, well-governed and aligned with our values as a B Corp working with global hotel brands. I chose the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Executive Education programme because it offered exactly the balance I was looking for: strategic depth (with zero hype), combined with real-world application and a strong emphasis on governance, ethics and decision-making at leadership level. The programme helped me pressure-test assumptions, broaden my perspective and sharpen how I think about AI as a leadership, cultural and organisational challenge, not just a technical one.
Since completing the programme, what tangible changes have you implemented in your organisation as a direct result of your learning with the University of Edinburgh?
One of the most tangible outcomes has been the formalisation and strengthening of our approach to AI governance and responsible use. Off the back of the programme, I led the development of a clear set of internal AI guidelines at 80 DAYS, covering areas such as data protection, confidentiality, copyright, human-in-the-loop review, transparency with clients and appropriate use cases for AI across the agency. While we were already using AI actively, the course gave me the confidence and structure to develop a shared framework that is helping to empower our teams to use AI confidently –– without compromising quality or trust. We’ve also been more deliberate in how we design and pilot AI-enabled workflows. Rather than adopting tools in an ad-hoc way, we now carefully assess AI initiatives within our framework. This has influenced everything from how we approach internal productivity gains to how we talk to clients about AI’s role in marketing strategy and creative work.
How has the University of Edinburgh’s programme influenced the way you lead on AI strategy, governance and responsible use across your organisation?
The programme fundamentally reinforced my own perspectives; that AI leadership is less about specific tools and more about judgement. While I was already deeply engaged with AI from a practical and strategic standpoint, the course helped me step back and view AI through a broader leadership lens: governance, accountability, ethics, sustainability and long-term organisational impact. It sharpened my ability to ask better questions, particularly around risk, responsibility and unintended consequences. As a result, my approach to AI strategy at 80 DAYS is now more explicit and more confident. We are clear that AI is an enabler, not a replacement; that human creativity and expertise remain central; and that responsible use is a competitive advantage, not a constraint. The programme also strengthened my confidence in navigating potentially grey areas such as copyright, originality and co-authorship. Of course, these are topics that are especially important in creative industries.
The cohort and ongoing community are central to the Executive Education experience. How did the peer-to-peer learning shape your journey, and what are you looking forward to as you continue connecting with peers from the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the wider Business School network?
The peer-to-peer element was a really valuable aspect of the programme. The cohort brought together leaders from very different sectors, and we were all grappling with similar questions around AI adoption, governance and organisational change. Hearing how others were approaching AI, particularly in heavily regulated or high-risk environments, helped to contextualise challenges within my own industry and avoid viewing AI purely through a marketing or creative lens. Some incredibly useful insights came not from formal teaching, but from discussion, comparing approaches, debating ethical trade-offs and learning where others had encountered friction or resistance. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue the conversation with the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the wider Business School network. I feel that AI is evolving too quickly for any one course to ever be ‘complete’ or ‘comprehensive’, so the opportunity to remain connected to a thoughtful, multidisciplinary community is incredibly valuable.
About 80 DAYS
80 DAYS is an award-winning, full-service creative and digital marketing agency based in Edinburgh, Scotland, specialising in hospitality and travel. Established in 2002, the agency works with 450+ leading hotel and travel brands and operates internationally with offices in London, Málaga and Dubai.
About the programme
Elevate your organisation’s AI leadership. Register your interest in the next cohort of AI in and Generative AI for Leaders at the University of Edinburgh Business School’s Executive Education. Start date: 23rd April 2026
Visit the website to find out more: AI and Generative AI for Leaders: Empowering Digital Transformation and Strategic Decision Making – University of Edinburgh Business School
Or contact the Executive Education team to discuss the programme and groups bookings in more detail: executive@business-school.ed.ac.uk
