Business & Technology
Szuplat warns UK leaders over AI-heavy communications
Former Obama Speechwriter Terry Szuplat warned British business leaders against overusing artificial intelligence in communications at a private dinner hosted by founders’ network Helm.
Szuplat, who worked on nearly 500 speeches for former US President Barack Obama, told founders that leadership still depends on direct, human communication with investors, employees and customers.
He said executives risk undermining trust if they rely too heavily on automated language in public-facing messages. Social media, he argued, is one area where audiences are already pushing back against content that feels generated rather than written by a person.
“The ability to communicate like a normal human being to other human beings is one of the most essential qualities of effective leadership.
“There’s a huge focus on AI at the moment, but there are some things it simply can’t replicate, like connecting with people, and communicating in a way that feels real and human.
“Take LinkedIn as an example. People go there for mentorship, to learn, and form genuine connections with other people. But increasingly, posts are being written by bots and AI. So the very thing that we came for is being taken away from us to the point where people don’t want to engage,” said Terry Szuplat, former Senior Speechwriter to Barack Obama.
Audience first
Szuplat also argued that leaders often fail to adapt their message to their audience. Many executives, he said, repeat the same message regardless of who is listening, even though staff, investors and customers may all be looking for different answers.
“As a rule, leaders don’t think enough about their audience, what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, and what they want.”
“Too often, leaders deliver the same message regardless of who’s in the room. That’s a missed opportunity to truly connect with an audience,” he said.
He also cautioned founders against relying too heavily on the story of how their companies began. While that history can shape identity, it is not enough on its own if leaders want people to understand the business’s current direction and their place in it.
“Your founding story is your DNA, but your audience is experiencing the story in their own way, right now. Great leaders connect the past, present and future, and show people – especially employees – where they fit into that journey,” he said.
Values and trust
Szuplat said leaders must make their values visible through decisions, not statements alone. Audiences quickly spot a gap between what an executive says and what an organisation does, he argued, and that inconsistency can damage credibility.
“People can see your values clearly through the choices you make. If what you say and what you do don’t align, trust erodes quickly. Strong leaders know their red lines and communicate from a place of conviction,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of setting clear objectives, arguing that people cannot support a mission if they do not understand its purpose. He cited shifting public messaging on Iran by US President Donald Trump as an example of how unclear goals can confuse an audience.
“Great leaders articulate clear objectives. If people don’t understand the goal, they can’t get behind the mission, and you can’t measure success.”
“When messaging shifts, as with Trump’s changing goals on Iran, from targeting its nuclear programme to talk of regime change, people are left unsure what the objective actually is.
“In business, that kind of mixed messaging quickly undermines credibility with customers, investors and partners,” he said.
Helm, formerly known as The Supper Club, describes itself as a membership community for UK scale-up founders and chief executives. It has 400 members with combined revenue of £8 billion and average revenue of £21 million per member business.
Helm Chief Executive Andreas Adamides said the growth of AI has made authentic communication by business leaders even more important.
“Great leadership has always depended on communication, and that hasn’t changed. AI is an incredibly powerful and useful business tool, but as it accelerates, authenticity becomes even more valuable. The leaders who stand out will be those who communicate with clarity, conviction, and genuine human connection,” he said.
A deal between the stadium and Bizcap Limited was announced on May 8, which will see the assignment of book debts to the lender based in London.
This means that Oxford Stadium’s outstanding customer invoices will be transferred to Bizcap UK in exchange for immediate cash flow.
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Part of a global non-bank business lending organisation, Bizcap UK says it specialises in offering “fast and flexible” funding to small and medium sized businesses.
This latest announcement comes amid reported financial challenges at the Sandy Lane stadium, which is over five months overdue on submitting its financial accounts to Companies House.
In April, Sports Information Services decided to stop covering greyhound racing at the stadium, due to financial difficulties, a decision which also impacted Oxford Speedway, a team that uses the venue.
However, last week Oxford Speedway said its long-term future at the BetGoodwin Oxford stadium was ‘secured’.
Jamie Courtenay, promoter for Oxford Speedway, said he was “delighted to confirm that following extensive negotiations the long-term future of Oxford Speedway at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is secured”.
Two new investors joined the team, both “major sponsors” since 2022 and “already a huge part of Oxford’s success story”.
In its latest accounts – which are to the end of 2023 – Oxford Stadium was found to have creditors worth £2,005,715 at the end of 2023, according a financial statement released at the end of 2024.
These are short-term liabilities that have to be paid within the 12 months after the accounts are dated.
In its statement for the year to December 31, 2023, it listed £108,077 worth of trade creditors, £68,399 for taxation and social security, £23,180 on accruals and deferred income and £1,806,059 of other creditors.
The total was significantly more than the financial document lists for the end of 2022 when its short-term creditors was listed at £1,260,559.
READ MORE: Oxford Stadium £2m in debt and 2 months late on accounts
Its latest accounts – for the year end 2024 – are almost half a year late and the Government does charge private companies for late submission of accounts with the penalty possibly rising to £1,500 if the accounts remain absent.
Despite its reported financial difficulties Oxford Stadium is still running events and offering hospitality packages for 2026.
In 2022, the venue relaunched after a regeneration project which saw £1 million invested including into kennel and veterinary facilities.
More recently, it has been confirmed as a filming destination for Mobland, a “popular returning TV drama that follows the fates and fortunes of a London crime family” starring Pierce Brosnan.
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Yodel Mobile has appointed Igor Blinov as AI Innovation & ASO Director, a newly created role.
He has been promoted as app marketers contend with rising volumes of data and changes in how users discover apps through the Apple and Google stores. His brief is to turn fragmented platform information and industry research into clearer strategic direction for clients.
Blinov has worked at Yodel Mobile for nearly six years and has more than 10 years of experience in app growth and app store optimisation. In the new role, he will track changes across app stores, assess their effect on client strategy and help the agency adjust its approach within one to two weeks of market shifts.
The appointment reflects a broader shift in app marketing. Agencies and brands now have access to large amounts of data but still struggle to turn that information into practical decisions. The new role is intended to bridge technical data analysis and commercial action.
Three priorities
The agency has set out three main priorities for the role: market synthesis, focused on condensing research and platform updates into strategy; AI tooling, centred on internal frameworks and tools to speed up insight delivery; and strategic storytelling, aimed at positioning app store optimisation in broader brand and user perception terms rather than only technical adjustments.
The remit also extends to internal operations. The role will identify repeatable patterns across the business and turn them into systems that can be used at scale, with collaborative automation workflows designed to reduce time spent sorting through disparate information.
The move comes as agencies respond to a more fragmented app discovery market. Search behaviour, store updates and AI-led user experiences are changing quickly, while many tools still produce large quantities of raw data without offering a clear path to action.
The challenge has become more pronounced as app store optimisation evolves beyond keyword ranking and metadata changes into a broader discipline that also touches on positioning, creative presentation and how users interpret listings. The speed of these shifts has made it harder for marketers to wait for accepted industry norms before changing course.
In a statement, Blinov outlined his view of the market shift.
“The way users discover apps is evolving rapidly through AI-driven experiences, shifting platform behaviours, and increasingly fragmented signals. Collecting data isn’t the hard part anymore. The goal now is building the intelligence and systems that cut through the noise and turn that complexity into meaningful action. I’m focused on how Yodel Mobile interprets and applies those insights to ensure we stay ahead of where app growth is going,” said Igor Blinov, AI Innovation & ASO Director, Yodel Mobile.
Founded in 2007, Yodel Mobile says it has worked on more than 2,500 app launches and growth programmes. Its clients include Royal Horticultural Society, TUI, Zenni Optical, UKTV, Global Player and Hinge.
The agency operates as Yodel Mobile by NP Digital and focuses on app marketing services across user acquisition, retention, engagement, conversion rate optimisation, creative and app store optimisation. The appointment of a dedicated executive for AI innovation and ASO suggests those areas are becoming more central to both agency operations and client advisory work.
Ijah Miller, Managing Director of Yodel Mobile, said the role is intended to address the gap between the pace of market change and the speed at which marketers adapt.
“Too much of the industry is still approaching ASO the way they have always done it, despite the pace of change across AI, search and app ecosystems. That gap between change and execution is where performance is being lost. With nearly two decades of experience in app growth, we know that staying ahead requires more than access to data, it requires the ability to interpret it faster than the market. This role is about formalising that capability, so we’re not waiting for best practice to emerge, we’re defining it and ensuring our clients are already executing against what comes next,” said Miller.
Junction Hair & Beauty, the salon in Corn Street, Witney, has announced ‘with great sadness’ that the business will close on Saturday, August 15.
Samantha Smith, who has co-owned the business with her husband Neil Smith since 2018 after she started her career as an apprentice in the shop 35 years ago, said it’s been a difficult decision to shut down.
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After 46 ‘wonderful years’ of the business running in the Witney, she said: “It’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
“It’s very sad that we’re going after so long in the town.”
The building at 30 Corn Street was owned by the same landlady for many years who passed away last year, and her family has decided to sell the premises.
Mrs Smith said everything was ending ‘on good terms’ and they understood the decision, but the costs associated with setting up in a new premises were prohibitive.
The co-owner added: “Obviously we could look to relocate the business, but in the current market the cost of fitting out a new shop, electrics plumbing, and everything we would need to do, it’s just not financially viable.”
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However, all of the stylists and beauty therapists, including Mrs Smith, will continue working locally, with clients to be informed of their new bases as and when they set up.
A statement released by the salon added: “We would like to sincerely thank all of our lovely clients for your loyalty, support and friendship over the years.
“It has truly been a privilege to be part of this community and share so many special moments with you.”
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