Data & AI Podcast from Mesh-AI

Enterprise AI initiatives frequently stall between pilot and production, even when the underlying models perform well. Kareem Al-Hakeem traces that pattern back to two recurring failures: investing in the wrong use cases without validating return early, and underestimating the governance and security overhead that real operational data demands. The episode covers how enterprises can qualify use cases faster, where workforce enablement delivers underrated returns, and what getting AI out of the pilot phase actually requires organizationally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In celebration of International Women's Day, we brought together a group of women from across Indicium AI — from data scientists and AI advisors to people experience managers and partnership leads — to talk honestly about their journeys in technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Data & AI Podcast, host Alex Juarez, Director of Engineering at Mesh-AI, is joined by Elliot Budd (Lead AI Engineer), Millie Wan Marriott (Data Engineer), and Maartens Lourens (Principal AI Engineer) for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of AI-assisted coding. The team explores how AI coding tools have transformed from basic autocomplete suggestions to sophisticated development partners - and what that means for the future of software engineering. From the early days of GitHub Copilot to today's agentic coding systems, they discuss the trust, limitations, and best practices that are shaping how developers work alongside AI. This episode covers: The evolution from autocomplete to agentic coding systems Why trust is the critical factor in adopting AI coding tools The gap between "vibe coding" and proper engineering practices Current limitations: context management, hallucinations, and when AI changes the wrong code Emerging best practices and the concept of "guardrail…

In this episode of the Data & AI Podcast, hosts Steve Bryen, CTO at Mesh-AI, and Eric Papaluca, Principal Consultant at Mesh-AI, are joined by Adrian Hornsby, CEO and founder of Resilium Labs, focused at helping customers improve system resilience. Together, they explore what it really takes to build resilient systems and cultures that can adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of disruption. From the hard lesson of accidentally deleting a production database, to leading Chaos Engineering at Amazon, Adrian shares decades of experience turning incidents into learning opportunities. He explains why resilience isn’t something you buy, it’s something you build, and why cultural foundations are just as critical as technical tools in achieving operational excellence. This episode dives deep into: Chaos vs. resilience engineering - and why the distinction matters How game days, postmortems, and psychological safety drive true learning The prevention paradox: why good resilience often looks like “nothing happening”…

In this episode of the Data & AI Podcast, host Steve Barrett is joined by Amit Nandi, Solution and Data Architect at Barclays Corporate & Investment Bank. Amit shares how Barclays migrated its data estate to AWS, built a data mesh to empower quants, and tackled the security and compliance challenges of AI in banking. He also explores the shift from MLOps to AgentOps, the importance of domain expertise, and how to drive real adoption of AI in complex, regulated industries. Whether you’re modernising data platforms or preparing for the next wave of AI, this is a candid look at the future of operationalising AI in financial services. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Data & AI Podcast, host Josh Walker is joined by two heavyweights of enterprise data: Peter Jackson, Interim Global Head of Data at Schroders, and Jez Davies, Global Head of Data Products at Northern Trust. Together, they unpack the cultural, structural, and strategic barriers to becoming truly data-driven in Financial Services, and what it really takes to overcome them. From data silos and sceptical execs, to failed initiatives and abandoned data villages, this episode explores why data transformation is less about tools and more about mindset. You’ll hear hard-won lessons on introducing product thinking into data, reshaping organisational behaviour's, and why "data governance by stealth" might be the future... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

80% of AI initiatives fail – stuck in pilots, misaligned with business strategy, or unable to scale. With AI investment soaring, the cost of inaction is rising. In this episode, Jacob Parsons (CEO, Mesh-AI) and Phil Le-Brun (Director, Enterprise Strategy, AWS) share practical advice for business leaders on why AI transformations fail – and how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to align business and technology for long-term success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the UK’s Clean Power Mission too ambitious? What stands in its way? Are we too focused on blockers and not enough on opportunities?Join EnergyUK’s Dhara Vyas, Green Alliance’s Laura Sandys CBE and Ofgem’s Marzia Zafar for a deep dive into making a net zero transition a reality and digitalising the UK’s energy system.Laura Sandys: “We shouldn’t wait for a crisis to adopt digitalisation.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is only as good as the data behind it. Without a clear understanding of their data, businesses risk missing opportunities, making poor decisions, and struggling to scale AI effectively. Data analytics provides the insights needed to unlock value, solve critical challenges, and build the foundation for innovation. In our latest podcast, Data Analytics Explained: Turning Raw Data into Impact, we break down what effective analytics looks like in the real world – and how organisations can set themselves up for success. Join Mesh-AI’s Data Analytics Lead Mike Swordy and former Stuart and Ocado data analytics expert Lydia Monnington as they discuss: How organisations are proving the value of data analytics Why analytics must come before AI adoption How to overcome resistance and drive business-wide impact The rise of automation and its impact on data teams Listen now to discover how data analytics can help you make better decisions, faster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EDF is the largest generator of zero carbon electricity in the UK, and its Wholesale Market Services (WMS) unit acts as a bridge between the supply and generation sides of the business. Their team had a problem: a lack of access and usability of the vast amount of data in its possession. This data holds the key to more effective pricing and ensuring electricity isn't wasted. By enabling data-centric decision making, Mesh-AI helped EDF unlock better insights and be in the strongest position to help Britain achieve Net Zero. We caught up with EDF Data Engineer Cici Whitcomb to discuss the challenges faced by the WMS team, the collaborative approach with Mesh-AI to solve these challenges, and the great uplifts in unlocking additional value from the data. About Our Guest Cici Whitcomb is a Data Engineer in the Wholesale Market Services (WMS) department at EDF. She has previously spoken on modernising her team's approach to data, her unconventional path into data engineering, and what organisations must do to…

Ensuring data is used and owned in the right way is a challenge for many organisations. Data contracts, long touted as the answer, are nothing new. But their role in a robust data governance strategy is still unclear to many. How does this fit in with your existing policies? What’s the impact on data products? How will it help you solve data quality issues at the source? We speak to the creator of data contracts to answer all of these questions and more. Join GoCardless’ Principal Engineer Andrew Jones, author of “Driving Data quality with Data Contracts”, Mesh-AI’s Principal Data Consultant Dan Ward and Consulting Director Deepak Ramchandani-Vensi as they demystify data contracts and delve into how engineers and data owners can make use of them. They cover: What role a data contract plays and the problems it solves The link between data contracts and data products The resource impact on organisations of adopting data contracts The misbeliefs around data contracts The next steps organisations can take About…

Understanding how regulation impacts business operations is an integral part of innovation, and AI is no different. The much talked about EU AI Act is still in its nascent stages, but the importance of understanding how it will apply to you and the way you’re using AI can’t be underestimated. Join Mesh-AI’s Chief AI Officer, David Bartram-Shaw, and AI regulation expert Tom Whittaker, as they discuss the implications for regulated and non-regulated sectors, the transition periods for EU AI act, and strategies for balancing legal compliance and preparing for the future. In this latest episode of the Data & AI podcast, they cover: The importance of standardised frameworks Understanding your engineering risks and how to solve them How quickly businesses need to take action The transition periods for the different risk level and uses of AI systems The foundational stages of a modern engineering approach How to help compliance functions understand what’s different About Our Guest Tom Whittaker is a renowned expert…

Welcome to the first episode of 2024 as we delve into the challenges of AI implementation, data quality, and the future of data adoption with experts from Mesh-AI Brendan Foxen, Kayleigh Bull, and Tareq Abedrabbo, as well as from your co-hosts Deepak and DBS. ‍ From the impact of generative AI to the role of partnerships in driving innovation, we cover it all. Tune in to learn more about delivering high-quality data for value, the pressures to adopt AI… and what is likely to happen in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trust is very difficult to gain, but very easy to lose, and a lack of trust in data and AI can hamper any transformation journey. But investing in the right frameworks and risk controls can foster greater trust in data and AI systems, and, in turn, improve the quality of underlying data and the output of AI. In this podcast, hosts DBS and Deepak welcome Mesh-AI Senior Data Scientist Jakub Janowiak to discuss: How can we foster better trust in AI systems? What are the pitfalls of a lack of trust in AI and data? How do we gain stakeholder support? What frameworks do organisations need in place? About the Podcast ‍The Data & AI Podcast explores the developments, insights and trends in data science and AI. Our hosts will delve into the latest news and discuss the challenges on how enterprises are reimagining how they use data and AI to benefit their customers. ‍Interested in speaking on the show? Get in touch with us at podcasts@mesh-ai.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opportunity is ripe for enterprises, with the majority saying AI is crucial to their operations but they lack clearly defined strategies for how to implement it. Our new research report, The State of AI in the Enterprise, revealed what’s driving AI adoption and the challenges enterprises are facing. In the latest episode of the Data & AI podcast, Mesh-AI Chief Customer Officer, and co-author of the report, Ben Saunders, joined us to discuss the report’s key findings: Knowing how to apply AI to the business is the biggest hurdle to AI adoption Data quality and accessibility are the biggest technical barriers The difficulties facing organisations attracting the right talent Predictions for the year ahead for AI in the enterprise About the Podcast ‍The Data & AI Podcast explores the developments, insights and trends in data science and AI. Our hosts will delve into the latest news and discuss the challenges on how enterprises are reimagining how they use data and AI to benefit their customers. ‍Interested in…

Di Mayze is the Global Head of Data and AI at leading global marketing and advertising giant WPP. Di is the first to hold the title, setting the data strategy for WPP and its agencies. We asked her how she’s built a data driven culture to accelerate literacy and help agencies understand how to harness data and AI. We discuss WPP’s philosophical approach towards data management and its importance to fuelling AI, data variety vs data volume and the importance of capturing new types of data at an unprecedented scale. Di also explains how to give people fulfilment in their careers by diagnosing where humans can do strategic work and use AI to lower value tasks. Links mentioned Di’s Twitter Di’s LinkedIn ai@wpp.com WPP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we’re joined by Júlia Bayascas Caseras, Sandra Cristina Correia and Erika Duckworth Oates from Siemens Energy. They discuss the internal community they created, Women+, which aims to empower and connect women and minority genders working in the data space at Siemens Energy. The community has grown to almost 200 members, including a diverse group of male allies, women, and other minority genders. Tune in as we explore the challenges women face in the tech industry and the trio's continued efforts to address the myriad of issues. Links mentioned: Júlia Bayascas Caseras on LinkedIn Sandra Cristina Correia on LinkedIn Erika Duckworth Oates on LinkedIn TEDxPasadena: How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias The European Institute for Gender Equality International Women’s Day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy McMahon is a physicist turned data scientist and machine learning engineer with interests across science and data. He is author of ‘Machine Learning Engineering with Python’ and the Head of MLOps at NatWest Group. He has extensive experience of taking analytics solutions from ideation to production. Andy talks about his insights on the impact of AI, the challenges of implementing MLOps in large organisations, and the importance of collaboration between data scientists and engineers. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of MLOps and its role in the development and deployment of machine learning models. Links mentioned Andy’s book ‘Machine Learning Engineering with Python’ (2nd edition due in August include material on LLMs) Andy’s LinkedIn Andy’s Twitter @ElectricWeegie Andy’s Website Andy’s Medium AI Right? Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bart Vandekerckhove is the Co-founder of Raito, a modern data access management fabric that enables organisations to put a wrapper around their entire data estate. He joins the show to share his background and explains how the challenge of scalable data access management led him to start Raito. Tune in as we unpack more about the role of access management in democratising data, especially in modern paradigms such as data mesh and data products. We also touch on mitigating risk with data governance, limiting service-based access, as some scalable approaches to consider. Links mentioned: Raito Bart on LinkedIn Episode Hosts Deepak Ramchandani — Consulting Director, Mesh-AI DBS - Chief AI Officer, Mesh-AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin Sutara is the Field Chief Technology Officer at Databricks. Over the course of her career, she has worked with hundreds of organisations to create game-changing data strategies, whilst building a strong data culture with diverse data teams. In this podcast, we hear more about Robin’s experience working at Microsoft and Databricks to help their customers transform into data enabled organisations. We also explore more practical ways in which organisations can embrace and prioritise diversity and inclusion in tech and the key initiatives she is working on. Links mentioned Robin’s LinkedIn Databricks Women In Data Episode Hosts Deepak Ramchandani — Consulting Director, Mesh-AI Rhyd Lewis — Director of Delivery, Mesh-AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roisin McCarthy founded Women in Data® in 2015 after being disappointed by the diminishing number of female applicants for data jobs and she is now recognized as an expert in talent acquisition and retention. Her endeavours with Women in Data have cemented her as an authority on gender representation in the world of data. Women in Data has grown to 25,000 members and Roisin continues to drive inclusive and innovative methods to engage women in data careers and advance key initiatives such as Women's Safety, Women's Health, and Girls in Data. In this episode, Roisin shares her story of how she started the movement in 2014. We unpack more about the community as well as the positive impact of having more women in the industry, the need for inclusive environments and flexible policies, and what companies and individuals can do to promote diversity in their workplaces. Links Women in Data: https://www.womenindata.org/ Mesh AI: https://www.mesh-ai.com/ Email: podcasts@mesh-ai.com Episode Hosts Candice Nicholas —…

Welcome to the first episode of the Data & AI Podcast! In this episode, we explore the world of Generative AI and its impact on our lives. In light of some recent announcements in the space around section 230, we explore the potential harm implications and liabilities of this technology. We also discuss the topic of regulation and why it can be a positive thing, as well as using Generative AI for the right purposes and the role of education in ensuring that people understand its capabilities and limitations. Links Gary Marcus: https://garymarcus.substack.com/ GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot Mesh AI: https://www.mesh-ai.com/ Email: podcasts@mesh-ai.com Episode Hosts David Bartram-Shaw — Chief AI Officer, Mesh-AI Deepak Ramchandani — Consulting Director, Mesh-AI Rhyd Lewis — Director of Delivery, Mesh-AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.