Founder & CEO · AI Potential

A people person who learned about AI. Not the other way around.

I've spent 20 years helping organisations through change. AI is the biggest shift most of them will face — and the ones who get it right will be the ones who start with their people, not their technology.

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Not a sales call. A conversation about where AI fits for you.

Who I Help

Leadership teams who know AI matters but aren't sure where to start.

Typically 50–500 people. Often in traditional or regulated industries. Always with a healthy scepticism about hype — and a need for something practical, not theoretical. If you've been told AI will change everything but nobody's shown you what that actually looks like inside your organisation, we should talk.

My Story

From Brighton Beach to boardrooms.

I started out as a nurse in New Zealand. Then pharmaceutical sales. Then I moved to the US and spent 20 years helping businesses grow — from startups to mid-market companies, across consulting, operations, and commercial strategy. When people in Brighton hear I came from America, they assume drugs. They're half right — it was pharmaceutical sales.

Three years ago I saw what AI was about to do to every organisation I'd ever worked with. Not the hype version. The real version — where people either get left behind or get ahead, depending on whether anyone bothers to help them through the transition. That's what I do now. I founded AI Potential to help organisations build genuine AI capability. Not install software. Not run a one-off workshop. Build the skill, the confidence, and the systems that make AI actually stick.

Keynotes & Workshops

I speak to leadership teams, conferences, and industry events about AI adoption — what's real, what's noise, and what to actually do about it. Practical, people-first, no jargon. Award-winning delivery that leaves rooms knowing what to do next, not just what to worry about.

AI Potential

As CEO and founder, I lead AI Potential's work with organisations across the UK. We build AI capability that stays — not dependency on consultants. From board-level strategy through to every person in the organisation having the skills and confidence to use AI in their actual work.

Community & Advocacy

I co-lead Brighton AI, champion women in AI and tech, and work to make AI accessible beyond the big corporates and the tech elite. AI is for everyone — local businesses, charities, schools, the self-employed. If you've got people, AI can help them.

Speaking & Recognition

Stages, podcasts, and the rooms where decisions get made.

I speak at industry events, company away days, leadership summits, and anywhere people are trying to figure out what AI means for their organisation. The feedback I get most often: "That's the first time someone's explained AI in a way that actually made sense."

Award

Dynamic Awards Winner — recognised for impact in AI adoption and business transformation

◆ Silicon Brighton / Evolve — keynote speaker
◆ Brighton AI — co-lead and regular presenter
◆ FuturAI Podcast — guest
◆ Plumm Pod — featured episode
◆ Brighton Business Show — speaker
◆ Marketing Mix — interview feature
◆ Labour Party — AI policy engagement
◆ Corporate leadership summits and away days

What People Say

In their words.

"Truly transformative. Mary's ability to make AI feel accessible and human — not threatening or abstract — changed how our entire leadership team thinks about what's possible."

Senior Leadership Team

UK Mid-Market Organisation

"A stunning work of brilliance. Mary is warm, empathetic, and has this rare ability to meet people exactly where they are — then move them forward without them even realising it."

Workshop Participant

AI Capability Programme

"When I consider ROI, I consider the amount of creative work I'm able to do in a fraction of time. Literally months into days. All of this has enabled a whole new revenue stream for my business."

Programme Graduate

Creative Professional

What I Stand For

Three things I won't compromise on.

People first. Always.

AI adoption is a people problem, not a technology problem. If your people aren't ready, your tools don't matter. Every engagement I lead starts with the humans in the room — their fears, their scepticism, their potential — and builds from there.

Capability, not dependency.

I don't build relationships you can't leave. AI Potential exists to make your organisation capable, not to make you reliant on us. The goal is always: you can do this yourselves. We just get you there faster.

AI is for everyone.

Not just big corporates with big budgets. Not just the tech-savvy. Local businesses, charities, schools, sole traders — everyone deserves access to what AI can do. I actively work to make that real, not just aspirational.

Let's have a conversation.

If you're trying to figure out where AI fits in your organisation, I'd like to hear what you're dealing with. No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about what might actually help.

Request a Conversation

Structured discussion, not a sales call.