2026 Agenda

Your time is maximised onsite through a combination of keynote presentations, workshops, interactive discussion groups, pre-arranged one-to-one meetings & quality networking sessions

Wednesday 3rd June 2026
08:30 - 09:00

Arrival, registration & breakfast networking

09:00 - 09:10

Introduction from the Network Group & Chairperson

A brief introduction to the event software, SNS — this software, unique to the industry, empowers our attendees to make the most effective use of their time at the event by maximising networking opportunities. The software designs a personalised agenda & enables attendees to arrange one-to-one meetings with each other. This will be followed by a welcome from the Chairperson.

Aparna Sharma, Head of Analytics, North London NHS Foundation Trust

09:10 - 09:40

Understanding the Challenges of Data Consumed by & to Build AI

  • How data enables digitisation
  • A look at the increasing complexities of ‘accountability’ in an increasingly diffuse ecosystem
  • How rapidly shifting privacy and sovereignty rules force constant data‑strategy rewrites

Leanne Bridges, Head of Digital & Data Risk, Lloyds Banking Group

09:40 - 10:15

Fireside Chat: Inside the Boardroom: How Data Leaders Build Credibility with the Board & CFO

  • How boards assess risk, focusing on accountability, visibility, and consequence rather than technical detail
  • What “good governance” looks like to directors in practice, beyond frameworks, policies, and committees
  • The types of evidence boards trust when seeking assurance around data, AI, and control
  • What builds executive credibility in board and CFO conversations—and what quickly erodes it

Mridul Mathur, Head of Global Data Governance, Chanel

10:15 - 10:45

FCA Case Study: How to find the insights with LLM across billions of data

  • Using large-scale market surveillance and transaction reporting data to identify and reduce market abuse across the UK
  • The evolution of LLM deployment to strengthen risk insight, detection capability, and regulatory intelligence
  • Scaling AI-driven analysis through agile delivery and a new market data processor handling 30 million data points per day
  • Building governance, trust, and accountability in algorithm-led regulation to support confident decision-making

Helen Packard, Head of Market Oversight Data & Intelligence, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

10:45 - 11:00
Coffee break & networking
11:00 - 11:25

Workshop 1

Beyond Chat with Data: Building Enterprise-Ready Analytics Experiences with AI

Marcos Monteiro, Co-Founder & CEO, Veezoo
11:25 - 11:50
Networking
11:50 - 12:15

Workshop 2

Rock-Solid Data Foundations for the Agentic AI Era

Steve Holyer, Data Platform Leader, Informatica
12:15 - 12:40
Networking
12:40 - 13:05

Workshop 3

Agentic BI 2.0: Building Living Data Apps with Your BI Tool

Oliver Laslett, Co-Founder & CTO, Lightdash
11:00 - 13:05

One-to-One meetings

Intelligently matched one-to-one meetings:

  • Advanced Analytics
  • IOT
  • Digital Transformation
  • Enterprise Information Management
  • AI/Machine Learning
  • Big Data
  • Business Intelligence
  • Data Privacy/Security
  • Cloud
  • Data Management
  • Data Integration
  • Risk, Compliance & Regulation
  • Data Visualisation
  • Data Storage/Infrastructure
  • Data Governance
13:05 - 14:00
Networking Lunch hosted by Veezoo
Stream 1 - AI
14:00 - 14:35

AI at Scale – From Pilots to Permanence

  • The organisational conditions required to move AI from pilot to production
  • Ownership, operating models, and incentives that enabled scale
  • What had to change in leadership behaviour for AI to stick
  • Why technically strong pilots still failed to become permanent

Masood Alam, Chief Data Architect, The Scottish Government

Stream 2 - Governing Platforms
14:00 - 14:35

Operating Models That Hold Under Pressure: Designing Data Functions for Scale, Risk & Control

  • Centralised vs federated vs hybrid realities
  • Where operating models collapse under regulatory, commercial pressure or AI adoption
  • Embedding governance, accountability, and control into delivery, not layering them on as oversight
  • Leadership behaviours required to sustain accountability

Laura Sauveur, Head of Data, Global Media and Entertainment

14:35 - 15:10

Building Data Foundations Fit for AI

  • Why data quality at scale matters more in an AI environment
  • Architecture decisions that enable or constrain AI use
  • The role of semantics, metadata, and lineage in maintaining trust
  • Preventing hallucinations and confidence breakdown

Nivedh Iyer, Head of Group Data Management, Danske Bank

15:10 - 15:25
Coffee break & networking
15:25 - 15:50

Workshop 4

From Human to Agents

Dominic Wright, Enterprise Account Executive & Arie Chapman, Enterprise Account Executive, ClickHouse
15:50 - 16:15
Networking
16:15 - 16:40

Workshop 5

The Context Engine — Governance That Powers Agents, Not Paperwork

Nicolas Averseng, Chief Product Officer, DataGalaxy
16:40 - 17:05
Networking
15:25 - 17:05

One-to-One meetings

Intelligently matched one-to-one meetings:

  • Advanced Analytics
  • IOT
  • Digital Transformation
  • Enterprise Information Management
  • AI/Machine Learning
  • Big Data
  • Business Intelligence
  • Data Privacy/Security
  • Cloud
  • Data Management
  • Data Integration
  • Risk, Compliance & Regulation
  • Data Visualisation
  • Data Storage/Infrastructure
  • Data Governance
17:05 - 17:50

Panel Discussion: When AI Goes Wrong: Governance, Trust & Enterprise Consequence

  • What failure looks like when AI value, risk, and accountability break in production
  • Where governance models collapse under regulatory, reputational, or financial stress
  • How boards and regulators respond when assurance proves insufficient
  • What resilient organisations do differently to prevent systemic trust failure

Aparna Sharma, Head of Analytics, North London NHS Foundation Trust (moderator)
Mark Beckwith, Director of Data, Governance and Architecture, Financial Times
Paul Neville, Executive Director of Digital, Data and Technology, The Pensions Regulator

19:00
NETWORKING DINNER & DRINK RECEPTION
Thursday 4th June 2026
08:30 - 09:00

Morning registration & breakfast

Informal Networking over breakfast before the sessions begin.

09:00 - 10:10

Roundtable discussions

Join group discussions with your peers on some of the most challenging & significant data topics—please confirm attendance prior to the session. Each host will facilitate the discussion & give a short presentation of key findings in the wrap up session.

Roundtable 1: Data Governance

Michael Sinclair, Head of Data, Analytics and Insight, London Borough of Lambeth

Roundtable 2: AI

Mohammad Mesgarpour, Head of Data Science, Microlise

Roundtable 3: Next Generation of Data Leaders

Roberto Maranca, Energy Management Data Officer, Schneider Electric

Roundtable 4: Data Products in Practice

Jimmy Thomas, Product Owner Data & Analytics, AstraZeneca

Roundtable 5: Data Platforms
Roundtable 6: Operating Models

Ioannis Grigoriadis, Director, Analytics & Decision Science, (Cencora) World Courier

10:10 - 10:45

Wrap-up session

Each host gives a short overview of key findings from their discussion & creates an ideas board to be distributed post event with the presentations.

10:45 - 11:00
Coffee break & networking
11:00 - 11:25

Workshop 6

Real-Time is Not a Buzzword: A Live Personalization Lab

Steve Overton, Senior Director Solution Consulting, Tealium
11:25 - 11:50
Networking
11:50 - 12:15

Open Forum Think Tank

Data Stewardship

Aparna Sharma, Head of Analytics, North London NHS Foundation Trust
12:15 - 12:40
Networking
12:40 - 13:05

Open Forum Think Tank

The Optimal Role of Human Intelligence

Aparna Sharma, Head of Analytics, North London NHS Foundation Trust
11:00 - 13:05

One-to-One meetings

Intelligently matched one-to-one meetings:

  • Advanced Analytics
  • IOT
  • Digital Transformation
  • Enterprise Information Management
  • AI/Machine Learning
  • Big Data
  • Business Intelligence
  • Data Privacy/Security
  • Cloud
  • Data Management
  • Data Integration
  • Risk, Compliance & Regulation
  • Data Visualisation
  • Data Storage / Infrastructure
  • Data Governance
13:05 - 14:00
Networking Lunch
Stream 1 - Data Strategy
14:00 - 14:35

From Insight to Action: Crafting a Winning Data Strategy

  • Understanding how to tailor data initiatives to achieve measurable business outcomes
  • Considering how different strategic approaches might suit your organisation & drive growth
  • Transforming raw data into clear, actionable insights that improve efficiency & decision-making

Caitlin Johnson, Head of Data Enablement & Delivery, Post Office

Stream 2 - AI
14:00 - 14:35

Are We Solving the Wrong Problem with AI?

  • Why are organisations focusing on AI adoption instead of creating value through products, services, and outcomes?
  • What capabilities really matter as AI reshapes leadership, collaboration, and creativity?
  • Who owns the outcome when AI increasingly shapes decisions, customer experiences, and results?

Mohammad Mesgarpour, Head of Data Science, Microlise

14:35 - 15:10

The Human Reality of Data & AI: Trust, Psychology & Organisational Readiness

  • Trust as the foundation of effective human–data and human–AI interaction
  • Transparency, ethics, bias, and privacy in AI-enabled decision environments
  • Psychological barriers to adoption, including fear of failure, risk aversion & resistance to change

Kinga Kadziela, Global Operations, Global Head of Data Operations, Hogan Lovells

15:10 - 15:55

Panel Discussion: Judgement Under Pressure: What Will Actually Matter in the Next 18 Months!

  • Where CDOs should concentrate leadership energy
  • Maintaining a business-first, trust-anchored mindset as AI, regulation, and cost scrutiny converge
  • What it takes to build the next generation of data leadership, including capability, inclusion, and sustainable talent pipelines
  • How experienced leaders exercise judgement under prolonged uncertainty without burning out themselves, their teams, or their organisations

Gavin Meggs, VP of Advanced Analytics, QVC (moderator)
Aparna Sharma, Head of Analytics, North London NHS Foundation Trust
Basit Tanveer, Head of Business Platforms & Data Engineering, Lebara
Benjamin Hughes, Chief Product & Technology Officer, IQVIA
Caitlin Johnson, Head of Data Enablement & Delivery, Post Office

15:55 - 16:00
Closing remarks from the Chairperson

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