Executive Summit

Organisations have spent years building their AI strategies, yet only a fraction are achieving scalable impact. The next frontier isn’t more strategy, it’s strategic execution powered by governance and automation. As human-centric workflows shift to ecosystems where AI agents and people are constantly interacting, strategy sets the direction, but agents will define who leads in the next decade.

Join this session to discuss::

• What it takes to shift pilots and experimentation to enterprise wide value creation
• How to create clean, connected, machine-readable data to enable autonomous systems
• What the future of a hybrid workforce, humans and AI Agents, looks like

As AI leadership becomes an increasingly important topic across the enterprise, the role of the Chief Data & Analytics Officer continues to evolve. CDAOs are aiming to redefine ownership of AI, data, and transformation — but one question remains at the centre of the discussion: what gives a leader the mandate to shape business change? In this interactive workshop, you will reflect on the themes, challenges, and opportunities raised throughout the Summit. Rather than presenting a single viewpoint, the session is designed to encourage open discussion, challenge assumptions, and explore how data leaders can expand their influence beyond governance into enterprise-wide transformation.

Join to discuss:

• Why some organisations have expanded the CDAO remit into AI leadership while others have not
• Whether data leaders are still too closely associated with governance and control rather than growth and innovation
• What capabilities, relationships, and outcomes give a data leader the right to lead enterprise AI initiative

Deploying reusable data products drives up to 27% higher business value according to Gartner's Chief Data and Analytics Officer Agenda Survey for 2026. This shift evolves data from a raw, fragmented resource into a curated, self-contained portfolio of modular assets designed specifically for continuous reuse and self-service consumption. Data productisation bridges the gap between technical engineering and corporate strategy, transforming the D&A function from an operational cost centre into a high-impact engine of business growth.

Join this roundtable discussion as CDAO to discuss:

• How to redesign D&A team structures, establish the strategic role of the Data Product Manager, and successfully navigate the cultural shift toward shared domain accountability
• Avoiding data product inflation by prioritized data products  that solve repeatable, enterprise-wide business challenges rather than creating costly, single-use data silos
• How to operationalize machine-readable data contracts and catalogues to automatically guarantee SLAs, data quality, and secure access across federated environments without sacrificing business agility

As AI becomes a boardroom priority, CDAOs must expand their influence and shape the future direction of their organisations, guiding through a period of rapid change and growing opportunity. Join Ruben Lara, Data, Analytics and AI Director at Tesco as he explores his journey positioning AI as a driver of long-term customer relevance, competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience.

You'll learn:

• How to complement technical credibility with strategic AI leadership whilst increasing C-suite influence through stronger business alignment
• How Tesco is using AI to drive long term business goals, not just enhance efficiency
• How to build cross-functional partnerships, align AI to business priorities, and focus on long-term value to elevate both the impact of AI and the standing of the Data & AI leader