Today I’m joined by David Farlow from the Stanford MBA Class of 1995 and Khalid Alajlan from the Class of 2025.
David is a transformation leader whose career spans global banking, fintech, and operational turnarounds across Europe and the U.S. From senior roles at Capital One and Wells Fargo to leading large-scale transformations in fintechs and UK utilities, he brings deep expertise in productivity, regulation, and customer experience. These days, he splits his time between London and rural Ireland—working remotely from a village that boasts neither a pub nor a post office, but, he assures us, has both a chapel and a chocolate factory.
Khalid is a second-year MBA student at Stanford GSB and one of the lead organizers of the recent student trek to Saudi Arabia. A former product manager in the satellite tech sector, he’s passionate about how technology bridges people and potential. He grew up in the UK and now plans to return home to Riyadh, drawn by the energy and opportunity of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transformation.
In this episode, David and Khalid reflect on the evolution of global tech—David tracing a path from Mosaic to AI chatbots, and Khalid describing the rise of a startup culture in the Gulf. They discuss intergenerational shifts in leadership, education, and innovation, and what it means to bring wisdom, curiosity, and creativity to building the next economy—whether from a farm in Kerry or a high-rise in Riyadh
00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene
04:25 Future Aspirations and Career Paths
05:20 Cultural Exchange: Saudi Arabia and the West
07:27 The Evolution of Technology and Its Impact
14:00 Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Youth Engagement
19:20 Government's Role in Economic Growth
23:31 Comparing Experiences: UK vs. Saudi Arabia
28:30 The Quest for a Silicon Valley in Saudi Arabia
31:05 Cultural Perspectives and Education
33:23 Attracting Talent to Saudi Arabia
35:35 The Power of Alumni Networks
37:47 Generational Perspectives on Change
39:56 Funding Startups in Saudi Arabia
41:51 The Shift in Career Choices
43:45 Navigating Uncertainty in Business
44:51 The Role of Natural Resources
45:57 Education and Learning at Stanford
49:09 AI in Education
51:43 The Future of AI in Work
53:38 The Evolution of Information Search
55:43 Integrating Old and New Ideas
57:40 Creativity in Business
59:15 Connecting History with Modernity
01:01:44 Final Thoughts and Future Aspirations
Join the Podcast Series
Stanford MBA: From Baby Boomer to Gen Z | Class of ‘95 Meets Class of ‘25
Each of these episodes will feature a different pair of Stanford MBA people -- one from the class of 1995, and one from the class of 2025.
Remember to rate, review, and subscribe to stay connected with future episodes!
📺 Also available on YouTube:
Entire series playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSaVisoF0D_GKxVmHmakNxdpAJCb5_VTP
More info: https://www.katharinemclennan.com/
Contact: kath@katharinemclennan.com
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