THE UK'S PREMIER INVITATION-ONLY COMMUNITY MEETING FOR SENIOR DATA LEADERS
16 - 17 March 2026
| London, United Kingdom
Agenda Day 1
8:00 am - 8:30 am
Registration & Coffee
8:30 am - 8:35 am
IQPC Welcome/ Opening Remarks
8:35 am - 8:45 am
Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
Brian Jones -
Founder,
Atlantic Cedar
8:45 am - 8:50 am
Live Polls
8:50 am - 9:20 am
Keynote Presentation: CONFRONTING THE BRUTAL TRUTH - WHY YOUR AI STRATEGY IS GOING TO FAIL
Eric Tyree -
Executive Director, Data Platforms, Products & AI,
Virgin Media O2
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, AI strategies are quickly becoming the cornerstone of digital transformation. However, in the current rush to keep up with competitors, hypes and buzzwords, how many of these strategies will really succeed? How many will be written off as a huge waste of resource and money? Before you go any further, maybe it is time to think again.
- Get insights into some early failed strategies and how to avoid the same fate.
- Explore the key pillars of successful AI strategies and some key factors that must proceed any attempts of big strategic overhauls.
- Critically assess your current plans to see if you are really ready for the journey.
9:20 am - 9:50 am
Presentation: CONTEXT IS KING! WHY CUSTOMER-FACING AGENTIC APPLICATIONS NEED CUSTOMER CONTEXT
Yali Sassoon -
Co-founder & CTO,
Snowplow
Customer-facing agentic applications (most often chatbots) offer companies opportunities to effectively engage with a much higher percentage of their users, at scale, to identify what those users want, provide a better service and grow customer value. However, the vast majority of gen AI powered applications know nothing about the customer engaging with them, except what that customer has explicitly revealed in the chat thread.
- Discover why this is such a huge, missed opportunity.
- Hear examples of the difference that customer context can make to different agentic applications in different industries.
- Consider an overview of how that can be accomplished in practice, from a technological point of view.
Sponsored by: Snowplow
9:55 am - 10:25 am
Think Tank: 360 LOYALTY: LEVERAGING CUSTOMER DATA INSIGHTS TO DRIVE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT, OPTIMISE LOYALTY AND REMAIN COMPLIANT
Rebecca Ruane -
Head of Reader Revenue Insight,
The Guardian
With the proliferation of data touchpoints and advanced analytics capabilities through the help of Gen AI, businesses now have unprecedented opportunities to establish holistic personalised loyalty experiences for their customers. Leveraging customer data, like such, can drive long-term returns however can soon lead to precarious compliance territory.
- Explore how you can harness the full spectrum of customer data to drive deeper engagement and optimise loyalty programs for maximum impact.
- Assess the balance of steering clear of risky data compliance situations and maximising the usage of customer data to drive elevated customer personalisation.
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Industry Roundtable: Media & Entertainment
Meet in an informal roundtable with peers from your industry to discuss some of the hottest trends and industry-specific challenges.
11:05 am - 11:35 am
Think Tank: SCALING GEN AI – HOW A LEADING FINANCIAL INSTITUTION TRANSFORMED CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH AI
Steven Nooijen -
Head of Data & AI Strategy,
Xebia
Facing an overwhelming number of customer inquiries and overburdened support teams, a leading financial institution needed to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer satisfaction. The key to success was deploying a Generative AI Chatbot that, within six months, significantly reduced agent workload, improved response times, and elevated service quality. Discover how the institution, in partnership with Xebia, scaled its AI-driven solution, cutting agent workload by 20% and delivering measurable business impact.
- Understand how implementing a Gen AI Chatbot can automate customer interactions and optimise operational efficiency.
- Hear a use case study on how an MVP approach has enabled a rapid move to a full-scale solution.
- Uncover how AI-driven automation can enhance service quality while delivering substantial operational savings.
9:55 am - 10:25 am
One-to-one Business Meetings
10:30 am - 11:00 am
One-to-one Business Meetings
11:05 am - 11:35 am
One-to-one Business Meetings
11:40 am - 12:25 pm
Keynote Panel Discussion: HOW TO ACCELERATE YOUR ORGANISATION’S DATA MATURITY TO BECOME AI READY
Carlos Soares -
Senior VP Data & AI,
Brenntag
Christian Cardone - Head of Market Data, Glencore
Asheeka Hyde - Director of Technology - Data & Analytics, SSP Group
Niresh Rajah - Chief Data & AI Officer, DLA Piper
Moving the company along the data maturity curve, fast and cost effectively, is a goal that unites CDOs across all industries. While every venture will be faced with its own set of legacy challenges, budget restraints, structural and cultural hurdles, accelerating data maturity is imperative to be able to successfully adopt innovative technologies, including Gen AI. hear how the successes and failures of others can help fast track your journey.
- Get top tips from CDOs on what they found most successful in steering companies towards a more data mature setup.
- Find out how peers find the balance between needing to show impact quickly and make sure change is sustainable.
- Discover innovative methods to ensure C-level and financial buy-in for your innovation next-steps.
- Frameworks to accurately assess your current position on the data maturity curve, with strategies to accelerate your organisation’s data capabilities in order to become AI ready.
12:25 pm - 12:55 pm
Presentation: BREAKING DOWN DATA BARRIERS – TURNING SILOED INFORMATION INTO A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Michael Down -
Head of Financial Services Technology,
Neo4J
As organisations modernise and grapple with ever-increasing data volumes and complexity, data silos likely emerge as a result. This can significantly hinder innovation, efficiency and competitive growth. Graph databases are being utilised by organisations across industries to dismantle these barriers, transforming fragmented data into a cohesive and dynamic network of actionable insights.
- Learn how connected data can enhance department decision-making, fostering collaboration and improve visibility into critical processes such as risk management, fraud detection and customer engagement.
- Hear real-world case studies, illustrating how leading financial institutions employ graph technology to integrate their data, discover hidden opportunities and gain a competitive edge.
- Discover how moving beyond silos not only streamlines operations but also lays a foundation for innovation, driving sustainable growth in highly competitive industries.
Sponsored by: Neo4J
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm
Lunch
1:55 pm - 2:25 pm
Speed Networking: TALK DATA TO ME
Speed “Data-ing” - Meet new delegates and learn about their current data challenges and successes.
1:55 pm - 2:25 pm
One-to-one Business Meetings
2:30 pm - 2:35 pm
Live Polls
2:35 pm - 3:05 pm
Presentation: FROM EVALUATION TO IMPACT: AIR UP’S JOURNEY TO DATA DEMOCRATISATION WITH GEN AI SELF-SERVICE ANALYTICS
Marcos Monteiro -
CEO & Co-Founder,
Veezoo
3:05 pm - 3:50 pm
Panel Discussion: RETHINKING THE MODERN DATA STACK - INTEGRATED PLATFORMS OR SPECIALISED TOOLS?
Harvi Johal -
Head of Data,
WildBrain
Aubrey HB - VP of Data, Huuuge Games
Simon Short - CDO / Head of Business Intelligence, Norgren
In 2025, the data modern data stack, once categorised by a collection of specialised, best-of-breed tools, is facing new challenges and opportunities. On one side, we see the rise of all-in-one platforms promising seamless integration and simplified management. On the other, specialised vendors continue to innovate, offering cutting-edge solutions for specific data needs. This evolution raises the question for data leaders: Should you opt for integrated platforms that offer end-to-end solutions, or continue building your stack with specialised tools?
- Understand the key benefits and drawbacks of deciding between integrated platforms and specialised tools to help you formulate your strategy throughout 2025.
- Diverse insights and experiences from a panel of peers as to why they have decided to take an integrated platform or a specialised tool approach, so you can stay ahead of the game.
- Discover the potential application of both vendor strategies in order to drive cost-savings and impact across your data stack.
3:55 pm - 4:25 pm
Think Tank: BEYOND VANITY METRICS - CRAFTING KPIS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER TO THE C-SUITE
Domenico Palmieri -
Associate Director, Global Ad Analytics,
Conde Nast
Given the disputed and variable responsibilities of a CDO and the growing pressure for ‘Data’ to merge into other business functions, proving your value and effectiveness is imperative to strategic success and gaining favour in the boardroom. Discuss best practices for establishing KPIs that are suitable to both your business objectives and data strategy, as well as how to set motivating and measurable KPIs to quantify your impact on the bottom line.
- Discuss best ways for your AI Strategy’s performance to be measured.
- Develop effective KPIs that are consistent with ROI metrics and overall business objectives.
- Understand the correct scope of your KPIs.
- Share positive examples of establishing effective KPIs within your organisation.
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Industry Roundtable: Banking, Financial Services & Insurance
Meet in an informal roundtable with peers from your industry to discuss some of the hottest trends and industry-specific challenges.
5:05 pm - 5:35 pm
Think Tank: DATA-DRIVEN SUSTAINABILITY – LEVERAGING DATA & ANALYTICS FOR NET-ZERO ASPIRATIONS
James Morgan -
Chief Data Officer,
The Crown Estate
As many organisations strive towards sustainability and carbon net-zero goals, data and analytics play a crucial role in driving these initiatives. CDOs are uniquely positioned to harness the harness the power of data to inform, measure and accelerate their organisation’s journey towards environmental responsibility.
- Discuss with peers how to effectively use data analytics to balance business needs with sustainability goals.
- Explore measures The Crown Estate are taking by deploying data, analytics and reporting to effectively contribute towards their sustainability goals.
- Share case studies are best practices on implementing data-centric approaches to sustainability, including real-time monitoring, predictive modelling and optimisation strategies for achieving ambitious net-zero targets.
3:55 pm - 4:25 pm
One-to-one Business Meetings
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
One-to-one Business Meetings
5:05 pm - 5:35 pm
One-to-one Business Meetings
5:40 pm - 6:10 pm
Champaigne Roundtables: BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE - HOLISTIC VALUE MEASUREMENT FOR DATA INITIATIVES
Ayushman Saha -
Head of Data Value,
Financial Times
Charlotte Crabtree - Head of Data & AI Literacy, Ofgem
Simon Short - CDO / Head of Business Intelligence, Norgren
Dane Buchanan - Global Chief Data & Analytics Officer, M&C Saatchi Performance
- Measuring the intangible benefits of innovative data initiatives
- Aligning short-term ROI with long-term data strategy value
- Metrics for measuring stakeholder confidence and trust in your data initiatives
- Managing pressure to show quick wins of data initiatives
