In many ways, Vanessa Kingori is a pioneer. From becoming the first woman publishing director in British Vogue’s 100-year history and Conde Nast Britain’s first Black publisher, she now sits as the most senior Black leader in Google’s entire European business organisation.
The managing director of tech, media, and telecoms for Google UKI has been awarded both an MBE and an OBE for her troubles.
During Black History Month in the UK, Kingori spoke to her fellow Google Alum, Ramat Tejani, at Black Tech Fest about leadership, navigating change, and fostering inclusion in a constantly evolving AI-driven era.
“People mourning the way things used to be will get left behind, 100%” she warned.
Transitioning from the world of high fashion to the world of tech is no small feat. In her conversation with Tejani, Kingori described the experience as empowering.
When asked about transferable skills between the two industries, Kingori remarked that both industries demand constant learning and adaptation.
She noted that while she brings a wealth of experience from publishing, she remains in a deep learning phase within the tech world — a trait that all leaders today must embrace.
“Leaders normally show up with a deep knowledge bank from rising through an organisation or industry ranks. But today, we have to lead through change and admit that we don’t know everything,” she said.
Kingori emphasised that leadership now requires humility and collaboration.
She likened this to her time during the rise of social media at Conde Nast when seasoned executives were unfamiliar with emerging platforms like Instagram, and younger, less experienced team members had to step in as experts.
“Try to speak to someone over 35 about TikTok and see what happens!” she exclaimed.
In the tech world, Kingori uses the same approach, empowering her team to share their expertise where hers falls short.
“I see that it makes other leaders nervous, but if I don’t know something, I’m going to empower and uplift my team. I’ll say, ‘You’re the expert on this. Let’s pool our knowledge and create something really collaborative’.”
A key theme during the conversation was how leaders should manage change, particularly as AI continues to reshape industries.
Kingori encouraged the audience to adopt a mindset that welcomes change, understanding that disruption creates opportunities for those willing to innovate.
“You can go almost anywhere in the world, and Coca-Cola is the same. We are conditioned to like standardisation, but the world is shifting. Jobs will exist in the future that we don’t even understand yet.”
She continued: “Social media managers didn’t exist before. Now, it’s a key role, and a whole industry has been created around it. So, what will be next?”
While much of the public dialogue surrounding AI focuses on the potential loss of jobs, Kingori encouraged the audience to think about the jobs that will be created, urging them to explore where new opportunities will arise.
“People with ultimate power over things will need to diffuse that power to capture the entire opportunity. It’s about getting into the mindset of letting some things go, learning, and figuring out paths to success rather than mourning what was.
“The people mourning the way things used to be will get left behind, 100%.”
While there is significant discussion around the risks of bias in AI, Kingori highlighted the potential for AI to be a force for good if deployed thoughtfully.
“There are questions around inclusion that we’ve been trying to crack for decades. Human beings are full of bias, and AI has the power to be led by that bias or to be a neutralising force,” she said.
“I think that there are huge gains that can be made when AI is deployed much more around fairness, especially in these new roles that will be created.”
She referenced Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold, an AI system that recently won a Nobel Prize for solving a complex “50-year-old” scientific problem around protein folding.
Kingori argued that AI has the potential to similarly “solve” long-standing issues of inclusion if marginalised groups are actively involved in shaping these technologies.
“We have this opportunity to kind of “AlphaFold” the inclusion conundrum. The caveat is that we, as marginalised groups, must be in these spaces,” she said.
Kingori was optimistic that AI could help break down some biases inherent in human decision-making, particularly in hiring and organisational structures.
However, she issued a call to action to those from underrepresented communities.
“If we want AI to be part of the solution around problems that organisations face with inclusion, then where we have roles in these organisations, we need to show up,” she stressed.
“Because then you are, in your own small way, shaping what the technology looks like and who it sees, and those things actually matter.”
Coming from a background in publishing, Kingori understands the power of stories, but she now finds herself in a world dominated by data and algorithms.
Rather than viewing these as oppositional forces, Kingori sees them as complementary, highlighting the importance of blending data with emotional resonance to create impactful narratives.
“It’s like linking the head and the heart. The idea that the two exist separately is wrong. Your heart won’t function if your brain doesn’t, and vice versa. The magic happens when we link them.”
AI, she argued, is a tool that can help tell better stories, but human intuition and creativity will always be necessary to bring data-driven insights to life.
It’s not about replacing one with the other but integrating both to achieve more effective communication.
“I don’t think it’s a zero-sum game. It’s not one or the other, in my view,” she concluded.
The conversation ended on an optimistic note, tempered with caution. Kingori’s advice to tech leaders could be summarised in four points.
Embrace the unknown; leaders should be comfortable with uncertainty and empower their teams to collaborate.
Prioritise mindset over knowledge, fearing change is going to hold you back. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity for growth.
Harness the power of AI to boost inclusion. Marginalised voices must be part of the development of AI software to ensure the technology serves everyone fairly.
And finally, effective communication in the age of AI requires a mix of data-driven insights and human-centred storytelling.
Read more about Black Tech Fest adding some seasoning to the scene here.
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