In this episode of What Next? Leadership Conversations for a Better Future, hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn speak with innovation and sustainability leader Dominic Vergine about how artificial intelligence can be directed toward solving the world’s hardest engineering and energy challenges rather than fuelling hype or waste. Drawing on two decades at the intersection of technology, engineering, and purpose - including building the sustainability function at ARM - Dominic offers a grounded perspective on where AI’s genuine value lies and why leadership judgment, not speed, will determine its legacy. Guests: Dominic Vergine (CEO, Monumo) Hosts: Lindsay Hooper (CISL) & Marc Kahn (Investec) In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec Rather than focusing on the hype around chatbots and large language models, Dominic explains why the most transformative applications of AI will emerge in targeted, complex scientific and engineering challenges, such as improving the efficiency of electric motors and generators - technologies central to global decarbonisation. A 5 per cent improvement in motor efficiency, for example, could remove emissions equivalent to France and Germany combined. The conversation explores how economics, energy costs, and human behaviour will shape AI’s trajectory - from the unsustainable business models driving large language systems to the targeted, high-value innovations that could accelerate the energy transition. Dominic also reflects on how AI could disrupt incumbent industries, reshape work, and even help humanity optimise for competing sustainability goals. Ultimately, the episode calls for clear-sighted leadership: understanding where AI adds real value, anticipating social disruption, and ensuring powerful technologies accelerate progress toward more sustainable and equitable futures. Key quote: “It is the most powerful tool by some margin that humans have ever had. And we will use it badly, we will use it for good, and we will use it incompetently. The question is, where will the needle lie?” – Dominic Vergine Key takeaways: • AI’s true value lies in solving complex, high-impact problems - from engineering efficiency to medical breakthroughs - not in hype-driven chatbots or data scraping. • Leadership judgment matters more than speed. The impact of AI depends on disciplined choices that link innovation to real-world value and ethics. • Business models will evolve. Today’s energy-intensive, low-value uses are commercially unsustainable; economics will drive a shift toward targeted, high-value applications. • Policy incentives should be deployed to steer AI investment toward productive, sustainable innovation rather than speculation. • Education must evolve. With machines mastering information, human advantage will lie in critical thinking, creativity, and moral reasoning. Credits Presented by: • Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL • Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett In partnership with: Investec Listen and Subscribe: Available on all major podcast platforms or visit the CISL Leadership Hub or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights. Disclaimer: The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.

For years, we’ve comforted ourselves with the idea that young people will “save the world.” But is that hope realistic - or an unfair projection? Many young people care deeply about climate, justice and inequality, yet face economic precarity, political disillusionment and shrinking civic space. How can youth today find real agency and meaningful work amid systemic barriers and concentrated power? Hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn are joined by: • Clover Hogan — climate activist and founder of Force of Nature, helping young people turn climate anxiety into action • Ravi Naidoo — CEO of the Youth Employment Service (YES) in South Africa, the world’s largest private-sector-funded youth internship programme Together, they explore what leadership looks like for a new generation, the myths and realities of youth activism, and how today’s leaders can support young people not just to inherit the future, but to shape it. In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec. Key Takeaways • Hope must be active, not passive. Despair is understandable, but the antidote is engagement — from corporate boardrooms to community-led movements. • Youth agency is the moral and strategic frontier. Today’s young activists are organised, strategic, and redefining influence through creativity and digital power. • Narratives shape reality. Media framing can legitimise or delegitimise social movements — understanding and challenging this is essential. • An intergenerational economy is possible. Embedding the rights of future generations into law and governance can drive justice, sustainability, and longevity. Key Quotes “Sustainable leadership means making space for young people not just to be heard, but to lead — to shape the decisions that define their own future.” — Clover Hogan “We need to replace the shareholder value model with an intergenerational value model — an empty chair in the boardroom for the people not yet born.” — Ravi Naidoo Credits Presented by: • Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL • Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett In partnership with: Investec Disclaimer: The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.

What Next? Leadership Conversations for a Better Future explores how leaders can help build future-fit economies, bringing fresh perspectives, provocative questions and conversations with leaders shaping the future of markets, business and society. This episode focuses on the industrial transition — how to decarbonise the “hard-to-abate” sectors that power modern economies, and how to sustainably mine the metals and minerals needed to build the clean energy infrastructure of the future. While technologies for low-carbon, resource efficient steel, cement, heavy transport and mining are advancing rapidly, deployment still lags behind what’s required. Policy signals remain inconsistent, investment is cautious, and supply chains face both physical and geopolitical constraints. The conversation examines what’s working, where momentum is building, and what kind of leadership will be needed to deliver scale and pace. Hosts Lindsay Hooper (CISL) and Marc Kahn (Investec) are joined by: Faustine Delasalle – CEO of the Mission Possible Partnership, working with heavy industry and energy sectors on rapid decarbonisation Katie Fergusson – SVP, Studies & Development, Anglo American Together they discuss how to create the conditions for cleaner industry to compete and thrive - from green steel and hydrogen to innovation, investment and the human leadership required to navigate complexity and drive real change. In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec. Editorial Note: This episode focuses on the role of mining and heavy industry in accelerating clean industrial transitions. It does not attempt a comprehensive review of the sector’s environmental or social impacts. We recognise that responsible mining, community engagement, and demand-side efficiency are essential complements to the technological and policy measures discussed. Key Quotes: "Sustainable leadership means making space for experimentation and learning — we can’t innovate without being willing to fail fast.” — Katie Fergusson “True leadership is not just about navigating what’s coming; it’s about shaping what’s coming.” — Faustine Delasalle Key Takeaways: Responsible mining is essential: The world needs critical minerals, but production must minimize carbon, water, and social impacts. Partnership drives progress: Collaboration across sectors, supply chains, and governments accelerates innovation and de-risks transition investments. Policy stability matters: Clear, long-term frameworks give investors confidence to back new technologies and infrastructure. Innovation must scale: Bridging the gap between pilot projects and deployment requires new financing, mindset shifts, and regulatory agility. Leadership in complexity: Future leaders must balance vision with adaptability, combining commercial insight with social and environmental responsibility. Credits Presented by: Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett In partnership with: Investec Listen and Subscribe: Available on all major podcast platforms or visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights. Disclaimer: The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation.

How do we rebuild confidence in the future - and in our collective ability to shape it? How do we reconnect economic growth with social progress, fairness, and stability? And how do we harness innovation without widening inequality or navigate political tensions without retreating from cooperation? Responses to these questions demands new thinking - ideas that challenge assumptions, acknowledge what isn’t working and offer credible paths forward for business, finance and government. That’s the focus of our new podcast series, hosted by CISL CEO Lindsay Hooper, and Investec Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer Marc Kahn. You’ll hear from leaders, innovators and critical thinkers who are grappling with the toughest challenges of our time - and bringing forward important new thinking and practical action. From industrial transformation and AI to philanthropy’s catalytic role, the voices of the next generation and the shifting geopolitics of power, we ask how today’s leaders can bridge divides, unlock innovation and steer economies toward long-term stability and opportunity. Follow the series for updates and new episodes.