Why decision making is hard and how leaders can do it better
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
Release Date: 05/01/2025
A data and AI time capsule: what's changed, what hasn’t and what comes next
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this special 10th anniversary episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, creates a time capsule for the data and AI industry: looking back at the last decade, reflecting on where we are today and exploring what the next ten years could bring. Drawing on voices from people who have seen the shifts, lived the challenges and done the work, Jason explores what the industry got right, where expectations have run ahead of reality and what still matters when it comes to creating value from data and AI. The episode explores AI’s rise in the boardroom,...
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Building data and AI capability inside the UK's data regulator
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
What does it take to build a modern data and AI capability inside the organisation responsible for protecting information rights across the UK? In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Rob Holtom, Executive Director for Digital, Data, Technology and Customer Experience at the ICO, the UK's independent regulator for information rights. Together, they explore what it means to lead data and AI adoption from inside a regulator: balancing innovation with public trust, building capability without losing sight of value, and creating...
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Data, cyber and the business of defence: lessons in leadership and capability
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Former Deputy Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command at the Ministry of Defence. Lieutenant General Sir Tom shares his journey from a traditional infantry career through deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to leading one of the UK's most important cyber and data capabilities. Drawing on decades of operational experience, he explains how the realities of modern conflict have reshaped the role of data, technology and cyber across...
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Why now is a great time to be a woman in data and AI
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this International Women's Day special of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, Founder and CEO of Cynozure, is joined by Kavita Sandhu, Client Services Manager, and Jane Usoskina, Senior Solution Architect, for an honest conversation about careers, confidence and change in the data industry. Together, they explore how data has shifted from a back-office reporting function to a strategic business capability and why that change is creating new opportunities for more diverse talent to thrive. They discuss the outdated idea of what it means to be 'technical', the growing importance of roles...
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How to prioritise data when everything is important
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
As organisations grow, data teams face a familiar challenge - staying focused on what matters while supporting an increasingly complex operation. In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, is joined by Rob Kent, Head of Data and AI at Greggs, to explore what pragmatic data leadership looks like in practice. Rob shares how he prioritises work, aligns data initiatives to business strategy and builds trust with stakeholders across the organisation. The discussion spans how data supports both running and growing a business, from forecasting and...
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The Next Horizon: What Cynozure's 2026 Data & AI Report Reveals
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, is joined by returning guest Pete Williams, former Director of Data at Penguin Random House, to discuss the findings of Cynozure's 2026 report, The Next Horizon: Data, AI and Impact. Drawing on insights from senior data and analytics leaders, they explore a persistent challenge: while expectations of data teams have shifted towards impact, investment often remains focused on platforms and foundations. Jason and Pete reflect on why demonstrating value is still difficult, what the report reveals about...
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Why entrepreneurial thinking is essential for data leaders
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, is joined by Roisin McCarthy, Founder of Women in Data®, to discuss why entrepreneurial thinking is fast becoming a core skill for data leaders. Drawing on experience in data, technology and talent, Roisin reflects on how expectations of data teams have changed and why technical excellence alone no longer guarantees impact. The conversation explores the growing need for commercial awareness, accountability and influence, particularly as data leaders are asked to justify investment and deliver measurable...
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How to make your team visible as a data leader
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Lindsay Mason, a senior data leader with 20 years of experience across retail and the public sector. Lindsay shares her journey from analysing sales and forecasting trends at Debenhams, where frustration with poor data quality led her into data, to leading data strategy at John Lewis Partnership and moving into the civil service four years ago. The conversation explores what makes data teams visible and valued. Lindsay reflects on joining a team that was "driven and committed but...
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How organisations understand what customers value
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this guest episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, is joined by Kate Sargent, Chief Data Officer at the Financial Times, to discuss how customer understanding drives strategy, growth and trust in a digital-first organisation. Kate explains how the FT has evolved from a traditional publisher into a subscription-led business serving audiences from classroom to boardroom. She shares how customer insight underpins everything from acquisition and retention to product design and experience, guided by a clear set of "metrics that matter"....
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How culture drives behaviour, performance and change
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, is joined by Blaire Palmer, author, keynote speaker and expert on leadership and the future of work. This episode is a candid conversation about what organisations must rethink if they want people and performance to thrive in an era shaped by rapid technological change. Drawing on her background as a BBC journalist, one of Europe's first accredited coaches and the author of 'Punks in Suits', Blaire unpacks the long-held assumptions that quietly limit how people show up at...
info_outlineIn this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO of Cynozure, goes solo and explores one of the most critical yet under-discussed business skills...decision making.
Drawing on real-world examples, research, and personal experience, Jason unpacks why so many organisations struggle to make effective decisions, despite it being core to leadership, innovation, and progress. From decision paralysis to overconfidence, and data overload to gut instinct, he looks at the formal frameworks and informal dynamics that shape how choices are made across all levels of a business.
The episode delves into the role of vision, bias, data literacy, and emotional intelligence, and outlines the essential skills leaders need to build confidence, clarity and adaptability into their decision-making culture.
Whether you're leading a team, shaping strategy, or navigating change, this episode is packed with practical ideas to help you make better, faster, and more informed decisions.
🎧 Tune in now to rethink how decisions really get made, and how to make yours count.
Cynozure is a leading data, analytics and AI company that helps organisations to reach their data potential. It works with clients on data and AI strategy, data management, data architecture and engineering, analytics and AI, data culture and literacy, and data leadership. The company was named one of The Sunday Times' fastest-growing private companies in both 2022 and 2023 and recognised as The Best Place to Work in Data by DataIQ in 2023 and 2024. Cynozure is a certified B Corporation.