case study
DEFENCE ACADEMY OF THE UK.
FROM AD HOC TO STRUCTURED AI CAPABILITY.
How the Media Services team at the Defence Academy of the UK — part of Serco — moved from scattered AI experimentation to a clear, practical framework built around their real workflows.
THE SITUATION
The Media Services team at the Defence Academy of the UK were already producing high-quality creative work — video, photography, design, communications. They weren't behind. But AI had started to creep into their workflows without anyone having a clear strategy behind it.
Individual team members were experimenting with tools on their own. Some were finding useful applications, others were uncertain where AI was actually appropriate or safe to use in an institutional context. There was no shared framework, no governance, and no clear direction from leadership on how to move forward.
The Head of Media Services, Lee Walker, wanted to change that — not with a generic AI training day, but with something that actually fit how his team worked and what they were trying to produce.
"
Mark delivered an engaging and practical introduction to how AI can support our graphic design workflow. What set it apart was that he tailored his guidance to our real projects rather than offering generic solutions.
Lee Walker
Head of Media Services
Defence Academy of the UK / Serco
Organisation
Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
Delivered by Serco · Government-backed institution
Specialism
Media production, graphic design, photography, communications
WHAT WAS DELIVERED
THE OUTCOME
The team left with something genuinely useful — not a set of slides about AI's potential, but a working framework built around how they actually operate. Lee Walker's summary captures it precisely: clear, realistic ideas for adopting AI gradually and effectively.
The engagement demonstrated what the Production-First AI System™ is designed to deliver: AI capability that fits the organisation, rather than asking the organisation to fit around AI.
For a government-backed institution like the Defence Academy, the approach to AI adoption also needed to account for institutional sensitivities — data governance, appropriate tool selection, and a framework the whole team could trust and follow consistently. Not just what was technically possible, but what was right for their context.
Full testimonial
"Mark delivered an engaging and practical introduction to how AI can support our graphic design workflow. What set it apart was that he tailored his guidance to our real projects rather than offering generic solutions. I came away with clear, realistic ideas for adopting AI gradually and effectively within our team. I'd happily recommend Mark to any team looking to explore AI in a practical, supportive, and realistic way."
Lee Walker
Head of Media Services
Defence Academy of the UK / Serco
THE PRODUCTION FIRST AI SYSTEM
Every engagement Mark delivers is built on the same four-stage approach — from understanding how an organisation actually works, through integration and governance, to a strategic roadmap that outlasts the engagement. The Serco Defence Academy project is proof of what that looks like in practice.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ENGAGEMENT
COMMON
QUESTIONS.
Was this a one-off session or an ongoing engagement?
The core engagement was a structured workshop and audit session, with implementation guidance provided as an output. Mark works with organisations at whatever scale makes sense — from a single focused session to ongoing advisory relationships, depending on where the team is and what they need.
How do you handle AI governance for institutional or government-backed organisations?
Governance is built into the Production-First AI System™ as a dedicated stage. For organisations like the Defence Academy, that means identifying which tools are appropriate for the institutional context, establishing clear guidelines for how AI is and isn't used, and creating a framework the whole team can follow — not just the people who are already enthusiastic about AI.
What made this different from a standard AI training course?
The work was built around the team's real projects and workflows, not a generic AI curriculum. That distinction matters enormously. Generic training teaches people what AI can do in theory. This engagement showed people what AI could do specifically for their work — which is why the outcomes were practical and immediately applicable.
Can Mark work with teams at larger organisations like Serco?
Yes. Mark works with in-house creative and media teams at organisations of all sizes, including large corporates and government-backed institutions. The Production-First AI System™ is designed to be adapted to the specific context of each organisation rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all solution.
READY TO BUILD
REAL AI CAPABILITY?
Whether you're an in-house creative team, a marketing function, or a media services department — if your team is using AI without a clear framework behind it, this is where to start.
MARK HORTON
Strategic AI Advisor · Organisational AI Capability