The Data Malarkey Podcast

Recorded live at the DataComms 2025 conference in London, this very special episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast features Nick Ratcliffe, Customer Experience Director at Volkswagen Group UK. Host and master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, delves into how Nick and his team wield data to enhance customer experience, transform brand desirability, and prepare for the automotive industry's electric futu...

We've reached 51 episodes and wrapped Season 7 of Data Malarkey! In this greatest hits episode, host Sam Knowles shares the most powerful moments from a season packed with insights—from AI ethics to data puppets, from psychology and kindness to practical business transformation. Revisit brilliant guests like Sylvie Delacroix, Julie Holmes, Cecilia Dones, Robin Banerjee, Adam Davidson, and Scott Ta...

In this energising episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles speaks with Julie Holmes, entrepreneur, inventor, and AI advisor. Julie shares her insights into how businesses can make AI work with their people – not instead of them. She dives into creative automation, ethical AI, and the dangers of dabbling without direction. From her practical UPGRADE Framework to he...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, host Sam Knowles welcomes Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, to break down why data storytelling is the missing business skill in the world of AI, analytics, and business intelligence. Scott shares why he believes in Truth Before Meaning, the idea that businesses need clean, structured data before they can extract meaningful insights. He also explains w...

Is kindness just a "soft" concept, or is there real science behind it? In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement at the University of Sussex. Robin's research explores the psychology of kindness, empathy, and human connection, revealing how data can unlock powerful ins...

In this engaging episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, Master Data Storyteller and host Sam Knowles welcomes Cecilia Dones, a thought leader in data, AI, and human connection. Ceci explores how technology shapes the way we interact, trust, and build relationships—both online and offline. She shares insights into AI ethics, uncertainty in machine learning, and why trust is the cornerstone of all ou...

Check out our Data Storytelling scorecard: https://data-storytelling.scoreapp.com In this episode of the podcast, Master Data Storyteller Sam Knowles sits down with Adam Davidson, Head of Data Science at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Adam shares his fascinating journey from CERN's Large Hadron Collider, where he contributed to the search for the Higgs boson, to leading data-driven eff...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Data Malarkey Podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles sits down with Sylvie Delacroix, the inaugural Jeff Price Chair in Digital Law in the Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College London. Sylvie shares her insights into data ethics, the vulnerabilities we face in a data-driven world, and the transformative potential of generative AI. She also intr...

In this special wrap-up episode of Data Malarkey, host and Master Data Storyteller, Sam Knowles, takes us through the standout moments from Season 6 of the podcast. From neuroscience-driven storytelling to data privacy law, this compilation showcases some of the smartest and most impactful ways people are using data to improve communication, branding, and societal outcomes. Featuring insights from...

In this episode of Data Malarkey , we sit down with Natalia Talkowska, founder of Natalka Design , to explore the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, visual communication, and storytelling. Natalia shares her inspiring journey and how she helps people overcome self-doubt, embrace creativity, and communicate their big ideas with impact. From her revolutionary Visualise Futures tool to the imp...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Bill Wallsgrove, Head of Ideas at Brighton-based communications and design agency, Brandad.   Bill has more than 30 years' experience working in business strategy, brand creation, and communications development. He trained at the London College of Printing and cut his teeth at the legendary design agency...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Alice Wallbank, a professional support lawyer for the law firm Shoosmiths, whose clients include Mercedes-Benz, Octopus Ventures, and Travelodge. The company also specialises in working for businesses in both the property and banking sector.   The Financial Times has garlanded Shoosmiths as "one of Europ...

Join master data storyteller, Sam Knowles, for an enlightening conversation with Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde and senior research fellow at the National Centre for Social Research. As we navigate 2024 which has been dubbed "the ultimate election year," Sir John shares his insights on polling accuracy, political volatility, and data-driven decision-making...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, we join master data storyteller Sam Knowles, in conversation with Cristina de Balanzo, PhD, Founder and Board Director at Walnut Unlimited, as she delves into the fusion of neuroscience, behavioural science, and strategic insights to unlock human behaviour. In this engaging discussion, Cristina shares practical examples of how neuroscience informs comm...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Mike Ellicock, Founder and Chief Executive of The Plain Numbers Project. Plain Numbers says of its purpose: "We enable clear communication of numbers everywhere so that people can better understand the choices they face in life." This matters, because about half the adults in the UK have the numeracy ski...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, master data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Ylann Schemm, Vice President for Corporate Responsibility at the leading academic publisher, Elsevier, home to almost 3,000 academic journals, specialising in scientific, technical, and medical content. Elsevier describes itself as "an information analytics" business – so right up our alley here at Data...

Using data smarter is an attitude of mind. It's characterised by those who choose to communicate simply, clearly, and effectively, by making sense of the signals and cutting out the noise. Above all, it's about empathy, humanity, and appreciating the likely data tolerance of your audience.   After our fifth collection of six great guests, it's a wrap for Season Five of Data Malarkey – the podcast...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Cambridge, where he also runs the Autism Research Centre. Simon has been working in the field of autism for approaching 40 years and is one of the world's leading authorities on the subject.   Since the mid-1980s, the researc...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by John Hibbs, the Co-Founder of CoEfficient, a company that helps organisations grow from the human perspective. It does this by gathering genuinely useful feedback from those who work for an organisation and then deploying this intelligence in the most productive way possible, to drive both individual and organi...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Ian Whittaker, one of the leading financial and commercial analysts covering the media and advertising sector. Ian is the managing director and owner of Liberty Sky Advisors, has twice been the City AM Analyst of the Year – first in 2014 and again in 2019 – and he writes regularly for both the media and the fin...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by Sorin Patilinet, Senior Director of Marketing Effectiveness at Mars. Sorin is also known as the Marketing Engineer.   Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 4 April 2024.   Thanks to Joe Hickey for production support.   Podcast artwork by Shatter Media .   Voice over by Samantha Bof...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by Olivia Jensen, Director of the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (IPUR) based at the National University of Singapore.   Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 13 March 2024.   Thanks to Joe Hickey for production support.   Podcast artwork by Shatter Media .   Voice ove...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, your host Sam Knowles is joined by one of the world's finest data storytellers, David Spiegelhalter, the statistician and public communicator of his generation. Although he claims to have been retired for five years, the Emeritus Professor of Statistics from Cambridge University is working harder than ever.   Our conversation was recorded remotely, via...

After our fourth collection of six great guests, it's a wrap for Season Four of Data Malarkey – the podcast about using data smarter. Your host, master data storyteller Dr Sam Knowles , picks out common themes and chooses his highlights from a lively series of conversations – recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, between July and December 2023.   Thanks as ever to Joe Hickey for produ...

In this episode of the Data Malarkey podcast, data storyteller Sam Knowles is joined by Mike Bell, the first data visualiser to feature in almost 30 episodes of the podcast. Mike is the Founder and Owner of a thriving new business called Mike Bell Maps which describes itself as "Tube maps of bands and other stuff".   Our conversation was recorded remotely, via the medium of Riverside.fm, on 13 Dec...