The Databricks Diaries

In this episode of Databricks Diaries, Andy Davis is joined by Sam Worthington, Chief Data Officer at Crux Underwriting, for a practical conversation on how insurance organisations can get real value from AI. Sam shares his perspective on where AI is most useful in insurance, particularly around data ingestion, extraction, underwriting augmentation, bordereaux processing, fraud detection, operatio...

Chris Greeno, CTO at Fresha, joins Andy Davis to discuss how Fresha approaches real-time data streaming, engineering productivity, AI adoption, Claude in practice, and what it takes to build technology at serious scale. Chris shares a practical view of what it takes to scale technology inside a high-growth product business, covering Fresha’s approach to near real-time data streaming, architecture...

In this episode, Andy Davis is joined by Liam Morris-Ellis, Dan Prideaux and Ankit Rawat to discuss where organisations are actually seeing value from AI today. The conversation moves beyond hype and explores why the biggest opportunity is not just automating individual tasks, but rethinking workflows, scaling productivity and building the right data foundations. The group also discusses AI adopti...

In this episode of Databricks Diaries, Daniel Thornton sits down with Andreea Moldovan, Associate Director of Data Science at Sage Publishing, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to lead data science and AI in the real world. Andreea's journey is anything but conventional — starting as a social scientist in Romania, she went on to complete a PhD funded by the We...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries , Andy Davis speaks with Sindy Yick, Head of Data Science and Machine Learning at Markerstudy Group, as part of our ongoing AI readiness series. Sindy brings a valuable data science perspective to the conversation, exploring why AI readiness is not just about adopting the latest tools or building agents. Instead, it starts with strong data foundations, goo...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Daniel is joined by Kieran Pointon , Director of Data & Analytics at Bromford Flagship LiveWest — one of the largest housing providers in the UK with around 120,000 homes following a recent three-way merger. Kieran brings 20+ years of experience across data engineering, BI, and enterprise architecture, including leadership roles at Halfords and Adidas...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Daniel is joined by James Blagg, a seasoned Chief Data Officer with over 25 years of experience leading data strategy, architecture, and modernisation programmes across financial services. James shares hard-won lessons from a career that spans the 2008 financial crisis, the big data hype cycle, the move from Teradata appliances to cloud-native platforms,...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries , Andy Davis is joined by Claire Thompson, Chief Data Officer at Quilter, to explore what AI readiness really looks like inside a modern financial services organisation. Claire shares her perspective on the pace of change in data and AI, why strong foundations still matter, and why organisations cannot afford to wait for everything to be perfect before sta...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, host Andy is joined by Gordon Logan, Director of Data Services at PRS for Music, for a deep dive into the unique challenges of preparing a century-old organisation for the AI era. Managing data for over 180,000 members—including composers, songwriters, and publishers—Gordon shares how his team navigates astronomical data volumes driven by the modern shift...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, host Andy sits down with Steve Green, a senior data leader who has navigated the high-stakes intersection of data and AI from both the regulatory halls of the FCA and the front lines of private banking. Steve strips away the persistent AI hype to offer a masterclass on building a truly "AI-ready" business within the rigorous constraints of the financial s...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries , I sit down with Tom Heath, a data and AI leader who has spent the last 20+ years working across data, semantic technologies, machine learning, and organisational transformation. Tom shares a really thoughtful perspective on how the conversation has shifted — from having to convince people AI mattered, to helping organisations work out what to actually do...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries , I sit down with Chris Hounslow, Head of Data Science & AI at Lebara, to talk about what it actually takes to turn AI from hype into real business impact. Chris shares the journey behind Lebara’s transformation — from building solid data foundations to rolling out production-grade AI tools across a lean team… and winning industry recognition along the...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Andy sits down with Mike Leverington, Director of Data Analytics at Skyscanner, to discuss the practical realities of AI readiness in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Mike shares why successful AI integration begins with a cultural mindset rather than just technical infrastructure, urging leaders to "lean in" and embrace experimentation even amidst mark...

AI isn’t failing because of the models. It’s failing because organisations can’t scale and adopt it. Everyone’s talking about AI readiness. Very few are talking about what actually happens after you build something. In this episode, I sit down with Magnus — a seasoned Data & AI leader who’s spent 20+ years helping global organisations (UEFA, Unilever, Worldpay, National Energy System Operator)...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries , we sit down with Tim, the Head of Data Science at The Citation Group, to explore his journey from a PhD in statistics at Lancaster University to leading AI innovation in a private equity-backed firm. Tim discusses the transition from the massive R&D landscapes of companies like Shell to the resource-constrained environment of an SME, where he now bal...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Sunando Das, Global head of Predictive Analytics at Unilever shows how they approach AI readiness at scale, balancing proven predictive models with emerging generative AI to drive measurable business growth. Drawing from years of applied AI across demand forecasting, marketing, innovation, and investment efficiency, Sunando estimates AI's potential to unl...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Andy sits down with Nuno Faustino, Head of Data and Analytics at Credit Spring, to discuss the strategic reconstruction of a data function designed for the AI era. Drawing on his experience at global giants like AstraZeneca and Lloyds, Nuno provides a blueprint for building a future-proof architecture from the ground up, moving away from legacy constraint...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, we are joined by Seeta Halder, Head of Data Insights at Nottingham Building Society, to discuss the unglamorous but essential work of AI readiness. Seeta challenges the industry's rush toward AI by reminding us that "you can't be artificially intelligent if you're dumb with data". This episode explores the "Foundation First" approach, detailing why Nottin...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Daniel Thornton sits down with Yann Cluchey, CTO at Corsearch, to explore what it really means to build an AI-first business. Yann shares his journey from writing code and specialising in web technologies, databases, and distributed processing, to leading technology strategy at Corsearch, where the mission is to protect consumers and brands by fighting co...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Daniel Thornton sits down with Sami Alsindi to explore what it really takes to turn AI ambition into business value. Sami brings a rare blend of scientific thinking, hands-on technical experience, and commercial perspective. With a background spanning neuroscience, data science, machine learning, generative AI, and AI leadership, he shares a grounded view...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, we continue our AI Readiness series with Ali-Reza Moschtaghi, a veteran Chief Architect with a wealth of experience transforming IT landscapes for global organisations. Ali-Reza strips away the "silver bullet" hype surrounding artificial intelligence, arguing that the true value of AI is found not in isolated vertical solutions, but in a horizontal archit...

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries , Daniel Thornton sits down with Donal Simmie (Head of Data Science & AI at PEI) to unpack why many AI initiatives never reach production, and how leaders & teams stay motivated. They explore governance, prioritising use cases by value vs effort, creating stakeholder buy-in, celebrating “weekly wins”, and hiring curious, product-minded teams.

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Andy is joined by Rina Lakhman Interim Director of Digital at the University of Manchester, for a deep dive into AI readiness. Rina brings her extensive experience across legal, telecommunications, and academia to discuss the practical application of AI in large organisations. The conversation explores the critical balance between agentic AI for personal...

In this episode of Databricks Diaries , Dave Williams, Head of Data Engineering at National Grid, shares a grounded and practical perspective on what it really takes to unlock AI value in a critical infrastructure organisation. Drawing on lessons from past data and AI hype cycles, Dave explains why AI is an amplifier, not a silver bullet, and why strong foundations in people, process, technology,...

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Dan Thornton sits down with Kevin Cassar, Chief Data & AI Officer at TalkTalk to unpack what “AI readiness” really means in practice. Kevin shares his unconventional journey from equity analyst to enterprise AI leader, and the hard-earned lessons that shaped his focus on business value, risk management, and customer outcomes. Together they explore Kev...