THE UK'S PREMIER INVITATION-ONLY EVENT FOR SENIOR DATA LEADERS IN BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INSURANCE
November 11 - 12, 2025
| London
Agenda Day 1
CDO BFSI Agenda Day 1
8:00 am - 8:30 am
EVENT REGISTRATION & COFFEE
8:30 am - 8:35 am
CDO BFSI EXCHANGE WELCOME
8:35 am - 8:45 am
OPENING ADDRESS FROM THE CHAIR
Pedro Cosa -
Founder and Managing Director,
Data Minds
8:45 am - 8:50 am
LIVE POLLS
8:50 am - 9:20 am
A DATA AND AI REVOLUTION AT THE BANK OF ENGLAND – BUILT TOGETHER, FOR EVERYONE
James Benford -
Chief Data Officer, Executive Director for Data and Analytics Transformation,
Bank of England
James Benford
Chief Data Officer, Executive Director for Data and Analytics TransformationBank of England
9:20 am - 9:50 am
DATA DEMOCRACY OR DATA MERITOCRACY? NAVIGATING THE PATH TO SMARTER DECISION-MAKING
Neil McIvor -
Head of Data,
esynergy
Duncan Cooper - Chief Data Officer, Northern Trust Asset Servicing
Join Duncan Cooper, Chief Data Officer at Northern Trust, and Neil McIvor, Head of Data at esynergy, as they explore the ground-breaking data modernization project between Northern Trust and esynergy. They will discuss innovative approaches to managing and leveraging data, focusing on the balance between "meritocratic" and "democratizing" data. With technology as a foundation, they will emphasize the importance of thoughtful implementation, business adoption, strategic oversight, and balancing broad access with governance to drive progress across banking and insurance. Gain practical insights to enhance your team's data utilization and decision-making, and learn how to build effective data strategies for your organization.
9:55 am - 10:25 am ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
10:30 am - 11:00 am ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
11:05 am - 11:35 am ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
9:55 am - 10:25 am ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
10:30 am - 11:00 am THINK TANK: GENAI IN BFSI - STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN AUTOMATION AND AUGMENTATION
Astitva Karunesh - Product Owner – AI and Data Science CoE, Lloyds Banking GroupIn the dynamic world of Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), Generative AI (GenAI) presents unparalleled opportunities for enhancing automation and efficiency. However, the key challenge is to balance these technological advancements with robust oversight to mitigate potential risks. This session will delve into how BFSI organizations can seamlessly integrate GenAI while preserving the essential role of human judgment. We will explore strategies to effectively manage the risks associated with GenAI-driven automation.
- Uncover the common risks and pitfalls associated with GenAI
- Discuss effective risk mitigation techniques
- Debate different ways to strike the right balance between autonomy and human involvement
11:05 am - 11:35 am ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
11:40 am - 12:25 pm
THE VALUE OF DATA-DRIVEN INNOVATION – USING SUCCESS TO ADVOCATE FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INVESTMENT
Dr Charles Phiri -
Executive Director - SME AI/ML Innovation,
J.P. Morgan Chase
Emily Prince - CEO of Yield Book - Group Head of Analytics, London Stock Exchange Group
Srimanth Rudraraju - Group Director of Engineering, Data & Analytics, London Stock Exchange Group
Rebecca Fitzgerald - Director of Data, Yorkshire Building Society
Pedro Cosa - Founder and Managing Director, Data Minds
Due to its highly regulated nature, the financial sector tends to use a defence-oriented approach to data strategy but CDOs in the space are often focused on creating value through offense-oriented initiatives. Pragmatic innovation that enables them to understand and predict performance and behaviour and very quickly react to changes in the market has become the golden standard of using data to add value, create competitive advantage and guarantee budget signoff.
• Find out about approaches data leaders have taken to prove ROI of their investments to gain stakeholder advocacy
• Hear how industry peers are approaching the decision-making procession to inform your own strategy
• Learn how to encompass unquantifiable benefits in storytelling when pitching to stakeholders
• Discover the best way to advocate for long term investment in short term budgeting cycles
Srimanth Rudraraju
Group Director of Engineering, Data & AnalyticsLondon Stock Exchange Group
12:25 pm - 12:55 pm
LEVERAGING AI-DRIVEN CX TO UNLOCK TRANSFORMATIVE VALUE AND DRIVE FAST ROI
Chris Thomson -
Senior Account Executive,
Treasure Data
Ready to take your customer experience to new heights? Discover how to leverage AI-driven CX strategies to unlock transformative value and drive fast ROI with our cutting-edge Customer Data Platform.
In this power-packed session, we will reveal the secrets to harnessing the full potential of AI and machine learning to deliver personalised, omnichannel experiences that keep your customers engaged and loyal.
• Hear how to unify customer data from multiple sources for a 360-degree view
• Learn advanced segmentation techniques powered by predictive analytics
• Discover how to automate customer journeys with AI-driven decisioning
• See real-world examples of brands achieving up to 35% increases in customer lifetime value
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:55 pm - 2:25 pm ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
1:55 pm - 2:25 pm
THINK TANK: GOOD DATA LEADS TO GOOD AI – IMPORTANCE OF RIGHT DATA ECOSYSTEM TO DELIVER BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Saurabh Chandra -
Director,
WNS Analytics
Today organizations are committed to invest in AI strategies and programs to unlock the potential of AI for driving business outcomes. To enable AI to drive business outcomes, having the right data ecosystem is the cornerstone. Data, which is clean, accurate, structured and resides in a centralized repository/DW/Cloud is the foundational stone for any Analytics or AI program. Most organisations have a long way to go in just getting their data in order, before being able to leverage the true power of Analytics and AI.
- Identification and prioritization of usecases to drive business impact
- Stakeholder alignment on the business goals and roadmap
- Building data strategy based on data readiness
- Data modernization and delivering value through PoCs
- Building scalable solutions
2:30 pm - 2:35 pm
LIVE POLLS
2:35 pm - 3:05 pm
PREDICTIVE PARAMETRICS USE CASE – THE PROACTIVE INSURANCE REVOLUTION THROUGH AI
The world is becoming increasingly digital, with data and AI embedded more and more in our customers’ lives. Traditional methods are no longer enough, as established businesses are disrupted. Insurance is no different, and AI presents an opportunity for insurers to help customers in ways never possible before, by anticipating disasters before they occur and working to help mitigate their damage. I discuss how we’re getting ready for this future at Zurich, the challenges along the way and the expected benefits.
3:05 pm - 3:35 pm
“SMALL DATA,” THE UNSUNG HERO – A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO DATA ANALYTICS
Viktor Talan -
Vice President, Analytics & Business Insights Europe,
Mastercard Europe
Contemporary data science discourse is highly focused on big data, machine learning and AI. These tools offer amazing opportunities but come with costs in time, skills, and infrastructure. One should remember that no matter how sophisticated the data analysis is, the result is always a practical “small data” to be consumed by a human. Whether a credit decision or projected revenue growth, many tasks can be solved with simple yet powerful solutions.
• Delineate big and small data beyond volumes
• Explore the effects of consciously placing “small data” in the front of the data journey
• Learn how “small data” boosts your storytelling
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm INTERACTIVE LIGHTING ROUND DEBATE
Lightning Debates encourage quick thinking, concise expression, and active engagement. The debates are intellectual sprints, challenging you to articulate viewpoints on controversial issues effectively within tight time constraints. Vote with your feet, choose a side and defend your point of view.
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm ONE-TO-ONE BUSINESS MEETINGS & NETWORKING
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm THINK THANK: FUTURE-PROOF YOUR DATA TEAM – THE SKILLSETS FIT FOR THE AI ERA
Dizem Ozalp Sari - Head of Global Investment Data Services, BNP ParibasWith the emergence of AI, building a skilled data team has never been more essential for harnessing the value and power of data-driven decision-making. Explore the critical skillsets required to assemble a high-performing data team that can navigate the complexities of modern BFSI. A robust data team is nonnegotiable, but what do you find to be the skills that are harder to recruit for, is your team ready for the new “AI driven Data Revolution”? Are more soft skills and a collaborative mindset needed or is it all about a new technical skillset?
• Discuss what you find to be the most in-demand and harder to recruit for technical skills for data teams in the BFSI sector today
• Debate the success rate of different strategies employed to upskill existing teams to meet new demands
• Assess the sector’s preparedness for integrating AI and machine learning technologies and what the data team of tomorrow needs to look like
CHAMPAGNE HOUR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
5:25 pm - 6:10 pm ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: BUILD YOUR DATA LEGACY, DATABASE REPLICATION MODERNIZATION
Poonam Agate - Senior Solutions Architect, FivetranOrganisations must respond to business practices and environments that are always changing. More and more companies are choosing to modernise their data infrastructure to decrease costs, increase flexibility, and better the efficiency and extensibility of their data stack. Join this session to learn more about pipeline modernization, particularly for key sources like Oracle and SAP and while utilising Fivetran's new Hybrid deployment option. We will cover critical aspects such as ensuring security and compliance, managing costs, and addressing the complexity of DIY pipelines. Discover how Fivetran's data movement platform can support hybrid environments and unlock the full potential of your data, driving real-time decision-making and innovation.
5:25 pm - 6:10 pm ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU PROVE THE BUSINESS VALUE YOU DELIVER?
Petr Beles - Lead PreSales, Datavault BuilderDo good and talk about it. Let’s discuss effective ways to measure and communicate business value, the impact of cost of delay, and the benefits of adhering to regulatory requirements
5:25 pm - 6:10 pm ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: ACCELERATE YOUR AI STRATEGIES FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES WITH A STRONG DATA FOUNDATION
Steve Holyer - Data Platform Leader, InformaticaIn the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation, the integration of AI into cloud management systems is paramount for achieving operational resilience and efficiency. This roundtable session will delve into the latest organic cloud management strategies that enhance readiness for AI, drawing on insights from Informatica’s pioneering work in this field.
The discussion will highlight the critical role of data quality in AI readiness, as underscored by Informatica’s global survey of data leaders. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the holistic data management capabilities necessary to overcome challenges and fully harness the potential of generative AI.
Join us to explore how peers are implementing innovative strategies that can fortify an organization’s cloud infrastructure, ensuring it is robust, adaptable, and primed for the future of AI-driven business transformation.
