Summit | Chris Preston (ZEREN) & Rishabh Kaul (Hoxton Ventures): Building AI-native leadership teams

<p>What does it really mean to be AI-native when hiring or backing a leadership team?</p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisprestonzeren/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Chris Preston</a>, CEO at <a href="https://www.zerenglobal.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">ZEREN</a>, a global technology recruitment firm, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishabhkaul/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Rishabh Kaul</a>, Venture Partner at <a href="https://hoxtonventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Hoxton Ventures</a>, discuss how AI is changing the signals that matter in senior talent, from curiosity and hands-on experimentation to judgement and functional expertise. </p><p>Recorded at the EUVC Summit &amp; Awards Show in April 2026, they explore the trade-off between proven experience and AI-native thinking, how founders can rethink hiring and how investors can better assess and support leadership teams as expectations evolve.</p><p><strong>Highlights</strong></p><ul><li>What AI-native leadership looks like in practice</li><li>How founders and investors can assess AI capability</li><li>Why curiosity and experimentation matter alongside experience</li><li>When deep domain expertise still matters more</li><li>Why interim executives can help shape evolving roles</li><li>Why early-stage teams should focus on standout strengths rather than perfection</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p><ul><li>(00:00) Intro</li><li>(02:00) How AI is changing leadership hiring</li><li>(04:00) Why experienced leaders need to stay close to how AI is being used</li><li>(06:00) How to test for genuinely AI-native thinking</li><li>(07:00) Balancing proven experience with AI curiosity</li><li>(09:00) The investor perspective on AI adoption across portfolio companies</li><li>(11:00) When deep domain expertise still matters more</li><li>(12:00) Using interim leaders when roles are still evolving</li><li>(13:00) Why founders should hire for standout strengths, not perfection</li></ul>