The inaugural Technology Leader Speaker Series event brought AI infrastructure leader Dr Omar Mir to Imperial Business School to share his career journey from a coffee shop idea to a leader of a multi-billion-dollar global business and a senior advisor for some of the world’s largest institutions and organisations. Explaining that this was achieved with young people and a solid people-first focus, he also gave his advice for students entering an ever-changing jobs market outlining the importance of having strong principles of good culture and respect. 

Imperial Business School launched its new student event series on 20 October 2026, welcoming Dr Omar Mir for an evening of candid conversation about leadership, ethics and the future of AI. 

Co-created with Dr Mir, a member of the School’s Advisory Board and Visiting Professor of Practice, the series is designed to bring technology leaders into the heart of business education at Imperial. It gives students direct access to people building and shaping the industries they are preparing to enter. Professor Peter Todd, Dean of Imperial Business School, led the conversation in front of a packed audience of students, alumni, staff and guests. 

The launch capped a significant day for Dr Mir’s relationship with Imperial. Earlier that afternoon, Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, and Professor Todd unveiled Dr Mir’s place on Imperial’s Circle of Benefactors installation, recognising his support for the university.

From a coffee shop to a global business 

A computer scientist by training, Dr Mir led the international expansion of World Wide Technology (WWT), growing its presence to be truly global. It started with almost nothing. He said: “…and now it has scaled to the world.” 

He credited that growth to people and values rather than technology alone. Culture, a duty of care and integrity along with the basic business fundamentals such as net contributions were the foundations, he said, and WWT will even walk away from clients who do not share the right core values and culture of integrity. 

“Don’t lose your moral compass” 

Asked how students should navigate the ethical grey areas of AI, from intellectual property to sustainability, Dr Mir urged them to scrutinise technology like a lawyer and to think like a ‘problem architect’, deciding carefully which tasks to automate and which must stay in human hands. 

He used the example of an airline pilot. He said: “Ninety per cent of the time, the plane is flown normally. But when it comes to the mission-critical moment of landing, it’s a human who makes that decision.” 

He described AI as the latest in a line of revolutions, after the agricultural and industrial, and warned that its disruption is easy to overlook because it is less visible. His message to students was direct. He said: “When you walk out that door of Imperial, don’t lose your moral compass, because the more money, the more power, the less empathy.” 

An AI frenzy, and the case for independent regulation 

With the International Monetary Fund recently warning of the risks of an AI market correction, Professor Todd asked whether we are in an AI bubble. Dr Mir offered a different word. He said: “I think AI frenzy is the best way to put it. And eventually we will hit the AI winter.” 

He was cautious about large technology companies calling on governments to regulate them, noting that those with the deepest pockets are best placed to shape and absorb new rules, while startups may struggle. Instead, he called for independent, third-party oversight agreed internationally, with every major power at the table. 

He compared it to the car industry. He said: “A car can’t come off a production line and be roadworthy if its steering and brakes haven’t been independently tested. So how can you let something out without the brakes being tested?” 

What employers are looking for 

For students preparing to enter the workforce, Dr Mir was clear about what he looks for when hiring. He said: “People who are creative but also very inquisitive. Ask the questions constantly. Don’t take things at face value anymore.” 

He encouraged students to make the most of the resources around them at Imperial and to get hands-on. He said: “Start trying to build your own AI agents. Curiosity is the key.” 

His most practical advice came during the audience Q&A, when a student asked which skills to master. His answer was to go back to business fundamentals. He said: “Truly understand the principles of a balance sheet, audit, compliance, regulation and showing a return on investment. That is the fundamental for me.” 

Sovereignty, trust and the UK’s opportunity 

Responding to a question from an alumnus on building trust in AI, Dr Mir warned against governments and organisations depending on a single technology provider. He urged them to run smaller proof-of-concept projects in parallel, as a safeguard. He said: “If you are going to hand over the keys to your Fort Knox, why don’t you have a disaster recovery model?” 

He also argued that the UK’s strength in AI comes from its human capital and institutions such as Imperial, but that more must be done to keep great ideas and startups in the country. 

Building trust in the creative industries 

To show what people-first AI looks like in practice, Dr Mir invited two guests to join him: Anne Biondi Simonds, Founder and CEO of Muse System Enterprises, and Brian Gary, its Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Muse builds AI tools that help writers and creative professionals harness technology while keeping control of their work and intellectual property. 

Anne, who has spent her career in the entertainment industry, explained that Muse began as a lab inside her own Hollywood studio five years ago. She said: “Machine learning, actually built right, is a very, very powerful cognitive unlock.” 

Brian, who chairs the Writers Guild of America’s technology committee, said trust had to come first in an industry where many creatives fear AI. He said: “It wasn’t enough to build tools. We had to build trust.” 

He also offered students a way to think about their own value. He said: “My commodity is not words, my commodity is time. Curiosity is my currency.” 

His advice for anyone learning with AI was simple: use it to challenge your thinking rather than replace it. He said: “Don’t shortchange your process of learning and discovery.” 

Back to basics 

Closing the evening, Professor Todd reflected on a common thread running through the discussion. He said: “We’re on this frontier, bleeding edge of technology, and almost every message that comes from these technology leaders is about getting back to basics. It’s about the core human experience, core values and core business principles.” 

What’s next for the series

The Technology Leader Speaker Series returns in 2027, with sessions planned for February and April. Speakers will be announced soon, and Dr Mir gave the audience a hint of what to expect, promising that the next event will dig deeper into geopolitics, the frontiers of chip technology and business, with one of the world’s leading figures in tech joining the panel. 

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