Data and AI for Leaders

With no coding or programming experience required, by joining this course you will begin building a high-level of data literacy knowledge. You will also learn to weigh technologies and their potential impact and discover a confidence in numbers you didn’t realise existed.

Whichever industry you work in, data and AI literacy is fast becoming a fundamental and sought-after skill, and it’s increasingly important for decision-makers to have the ability to integrate this knowledge into the strategic choices they make.

Develop the skills needed to make impactful, data-driven decisions within your business, and build your conceptual understanding of AI and how it can be applied within your organisation.

Throughout the course, we’ll explore how data and artificial intelligence can support smarter decision-making and long-term business success.

We’ll cover:

• Turning data into business value - Understand how data drives performance, innovation and growth – and learn to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and uncover insights that lead to smarter decisions, without needing to be a data analyst.
• The power and limits of AI - Explore what AI can and can’t do. Gain a clear view of how it’s being used in business, from automation to advanced insights
• Responsible and ethical use of data and AI - Understand the risks and responsibilities that come with data and AI. We’ll look at trust, bias, fairness, and how to make decisions that are both smart and ethical
• Building a data-driven culture - Discover how to lead change in your organisation, develop data confidence in your teams, and create a culture where insight drives action
• Unlocking the toolkit of modern AI and analytics - Explore how cutting-edge techniques, from powerful data visualisations and predictive models to optimisation tools and large language models (LLMs), can transform decision-making. Learn the assumptions behind these methods and how to choose the right one for the challenge at hand

During the course, you will have a range of opportunities to get to know your class, including a course dinner which offers the chance to come together with a wider cohort of short-course learners to help expand your network.

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This face-to-face course at Alliance Manchester Business School’s Executive Education Centre connects theory to practice through interactive workshops, group discussions, and guest talks from experts like Vlad Jiman (Policy Expert), Benjamin Mawdsley (City Football Group), and Joe  Loxham (Peak).

We’ll explore the cutting-edge Data Visualisation Laboratory and work with real data sets to build practical skills.

Designed to facility understanding of complex data and AI concepts, the course uses case studies, models, and dashboards to demonstrate real-world AI applications for business.

Throughout the course, you will:

• Learn from world-leading academics who combine cutting-edge research with extensive experience helping industry partners adopt and commercialise AI
• Collaborate with senior professionals from diverse industries
• Apply learning directly to your own organisational challenges
• Engage in lively discussions, workshops, and exercises that bridge theory and real-world practice

Stand-out learning features

• Applied learning - Work in an environment designed to foster active engagement, where your facilitator draws on the collective experience of your cohort to enrich the learning
• Peer knowledge exchange - Benefit from ongoing feedback and insights from professionals across sectors - helping you grow your leadership mindset and strategic marketing skills
• Reflective practice - Take a rare pause from your daily routine to reflect on your own marketing capabilities and challenges, with support from top-tier academic experts
• Professional networking - Build long-lasting professional relationships with peers from a variety of backgrounds, expanding your business network and perspective
• Personal growth - Deepen your self-awareness and discover how to sharpen your core marketing competencies in a changing business landscape
• Behavioural change - Embrace new mindsets and adopt evidence-based practices that will enhance your decision-making and managerial effectiveness

Learning continues beyond the classroom

Before, during, and after the course, you will have access to our virtual learning environment, where you’ll find:

• Pre-course preparation
• Slide decks and case studies
• Recommended readings and resources

And to support your long-term growth, you’ll continue to access these materials, plus the University of Manchester’s online library, for up to 12 months after course completion.

By the end of the course you will:

• Enhance decision-making using data and AI models
• Understand AI ethics, legal, and social responsibility issues
• Build data literacy and storytelling skills
• Learn key AI terminology and critical questions to ask
• Gain insights from real-world case studies and industry experts
• Reflect on your skills with guidance from AMBS faculty
• Identify risks and opportunities through data analysis

Plus your organisation will gain:

• Improved data-driven decision-making across teams
• Higher productivity and performance through analytics
• Solutions for AI deployment challenges and risks
• Access to the AMBS Executive Education Network with events and professional connections

This course is ideal for general and technical managers, leaders, and decision-makers across industries who:

• Have a basic understanding of data
• Want to improve their skills in interpreting and critically analysing business data and AI models
• Aim to leverage data and AI to drive better business outcomes

No prior coding or programming experience is required; this course focuses on practical insights and strategic application.

This session explores the key drivers of productivity and how leaders can identify practical opportunities to improve performance. You will consider the wider economic policy levers that shape productivity, the factors within an organisation's control, and the trade-offs leaders need to navigate when seeking sustainable improvement.

• Explore the drivers of productivity and how they affect firm-level performance.
• Use a practical framework and checklist to identify opportunities for improvement.

This session helps leaders build confidence in understanding and applying AI responsibly. You will explore the opportunities, risks and governance considerations linked to AI adoption, while experimenting with practical tools that can support leadership tasks and organisational decision-making.

• Understand key AI concepts and how they can support productivity and decision-making.
• Identify responsible approaches to AI adoption within your organisation.

This session explores how organisational design, operating models and processes influence performance. You will consider practical ways to improve effectiveness, manage resources and support continuous improvement in complex and changing environments.

• Explore how structures, systems and processes shape organisational performance.
• Identify practical actions to strengthen effectiveness and adaptability.

This session explores how leaders can support people and organisations through change and transition. You will use practical models and tools to understand why change can be unpredictable, communicate with clarity and build confidence during periods of uncertainty.

• Apply practical tools to communicate clearly and support teams through change.
• Use models such as Bridges’ Transition Model and the 4C framework to strengthen leadership effectiveness.

This session explores strategy as the art of making choices. You will consider how leaders can assess strategic options, make effective trade-offs and allocate resources in a fast-paced world, including the importance of stopping some activities to focus on the priorities most likely to deliver successful outcomes.

• Explore how to judge strategic choices and trade-offs in different situations.
• Apply simple strategic models to support focus, resource allocation and decision-making.

This session introduces risk appetite and enterprise risk management as practical tools for leadership decision-making. You will explore how organisations identify, assess and manage risk, while considering how risk appetite can support responsible business growth.

• Understand how risk appetite supports better leadership decisions.
• Explore practical ways to assess, prioritise and manage organisational risk.

This session explores how leaders can build, protect and manage organisational reputation in complex environments. You will consider the links between governance, strategy, trust and legitimacy, and examine how organisations can respond effectively during reputational challenge or crisis.

• Explore the drivers of reputation, trust and legitimacy.
• Consider practical approaches to managing reputational challenges and values-based relationships.