Building data excellence: culture, value and the human side of AI
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
Release Date: 10/30/2025
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...
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Why organisations struggle with change and what to do about It
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
Most organisations don’t struggle with change because of strategy or technology, they struggle because change is fundamentally human. In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Sunil Kumar, Chief Transformation Officer, to explore why transformation so often stalls and what leaders can do to make it stick. Drawing on more than 26 years working across airlines, telecoms, finance and FMCG, Sunil explains why context, such as geopolitics, customer behaviour, industry shifts and internal culture, is the deciding factor in how change lands. When...
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Why companies fail with data and what to do about it
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 Shachar Meir, a data advisor who has worked with organisations from startups to the likes of Meta and Paypal. Together, they explore why so many companies, even those with skilled data teams, solid platforms and plenty of data, still struggle to deliver real business value. Shachar's take is clear: the problem isn't technology - it's people, process, and culture. Too often, data teams focus on building sophisticated platforms instead of understanding the business problems...
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Building data excellence: culture, value and the human side of AI
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 Roberto Maranca, data & digital transformation expert and author of Data Excellence. They explore what it really means to build a 'data fit' organisation, one that treats data capability like physical fitness by understanding where you are, training for where you want to be and making improvement a daily routine. Drawing from ancient philosophy and modern business, Roberto explains how concepts from Socrates and Aristotle can help leaders rethink culture, value and human...
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Busy doesn't equal value: How great teams deliver
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
Busy isn’t the same as valuable. Too many data teams fall into the trap of endless activity chasing the next tool, migration, or hype, without ever proving their impact. In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, sits down with Maaike van den Branden, former Chief Data Officer at Compare the Market and Mumsnet, to uncover what truly makes a data team successful. Drawing on two decades of experience, Maaike shares the practical ingredients for teams that deliver real value: clarity of purpose, balanced skills, open recognition, and strong...
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The future of work isn’t about AI. It’s about us.
Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy
AI is no longer a distant concept; it’s here, reshaping the way we live and work. From coding and customer service to creative content, AI is already taking on tasks once thought to be uniquely human. But what does that mean for the future of work, and more importantly, for the role of leaders? In this solo episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, explores the real implications of AI on jobs, leadership, and human value. Drawing lessons from history, automation, shipping containers, even the rise of personal computing, Jason argues that every wave of technology...
info_outlineIn this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Roberto Maranca, data & digital transformation expert and author of Data Excellence.
They explore what it really means to build a 'data fit' organisation, one that treats data capability like physical fitness by understanding where you are, training for where you want to be and making improvement a daily routine.
Drawing from ancient philosophy and modern business, Roberto explains how concepts from Socrates and Aristotle can help leaders rethink culture, value and human responsibility in an AI-driven world.
Together, they discuss how organisations can:
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Shift from seeing data as a tech issue to a leadership mindset
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Build collective intelligence and cultural readiness
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Stay human in the age of intelligent machines