Dr Mohammad Saleh Torkestani

Dr Mohammad Saleh Torkestani is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Programme Director for MSc Marketing Management. His work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, marketing, education and organisational decision-making, with a particular focus on how generative and agentic AI can be adopted responsibly while preserving fairness, integrity and meaningful human judgement.

His current research focuses on trustworthy and responsible AI, agentic AI systems, AI assurance, assessment integrity, AI-enabled marketing and the organisational implications of generative AI. A central strand of this work is AIMA, a research and innovation programme developed with collaborators at the University of Salford. AIMA investigates how agentic AI can be used to stress-test structured decision processes and identify vulnerabilities created by generative AI. The initial application focused on higher-education assessment, leading to peer-reviewed research on agentic-AI vulnerability scanning and subsequent work on strengthening assessment design in the age of generative AI.

Mohammad's broader AI research examines responsible prompt engineering, AI skills and capability development, fairness and inclusion in AI systems, and the governance of AI-enabled decision processes. His recent work on inclusive prompt engineering and prompt engineering as a key competency in marketing education reflects his interest in moving beyond the technical capabilities of AI to understand the human, organisational and ethical conditions required for its effective use. His research on AI and marketing education has been published in journals including Artificial Intelligence Review and Marketing Education Review.

Alongside his academic research, Mohammad has a strong interest in research commercialisation and knowledge exchange. He is co-founder of AI Maven Limited, a University of Exeter and University of Salford spin-out established to commercialise research emerging from AIMA. AI Maven is currently part of Cohort 18 of the Exeter Innovation Accelerator/SETsquared Exeter programme. His commercialisation work has involved extensive customer discovery, organisational pilots, product development and engagement with employers and innovation ecosystems, providing a direct bridge between his academic research and real-world organisational challenges.

Mohammad also works directly with businesses and public-sector organisations on the implications and practical adoption of AI. His recent engagement has included executive and business-facing activities around generative AI, responsible AI adoption, prompt engineering and the application of behavioural and neuromarketing insights to sustainability and marketing strategy.

Before joining Exeter, Mohammad held academic and leadership positions in the UK and internationally, including Programme Leader at De Montfort University and senior university leadership roles including Associate Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor. Before entering academia, he worked across B2B sales, insurance, analytics and research and development. This combination of academic, managerial and commercial experience informs his interest in translating research into solutions that are both theoretically rigorous and practically useful.

He is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA), Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE), and a member of the UKRI ESRC Peer Review College and UK-ISPF programme Review College.