Data & AI Leaders Manchester End of Year Social
Manchester Data & AI Leaders: End of Year Social
Join a select group of senior Data & AI leaders for an exclusive end of year event, bringing together the North West's Data & AI community for an evening of thought-provoking discussions, shared experiences and networking.
As Data & AI continue to reshape organisations, the focus for data leaders is increasingly shifting from delivering technical capability to driving measurable business outcomes. With AI adoption accelerating and traditional approaches to analytics being challenged, what does the next chapter look like for Data & AI leaders?
We'll be joined by Matthew Brown, Head of Data Analytics at Markerstudy, and Anthony Wakefield, Head of Data at TalkTalk Business, who will share their perspectives on two of the biggest challenges facing Data & AI leaders today.
The evening will feature two speaker-led discussions, followed by audience Q&A, drinks and an opportunity to connect with peers from across the region as we round off 2026.
Discussion 1: From AI Pilots to Production and Profit
Businesses across every sector are investing heavily in AI, but many are still struggling to move beyond proofs of concept.
Led by Matthew Brown, Head of Data Analytics at Markerstudy, we'll explore what it takes to turn AI initiatives into production-ready solutions that deliver genuine commercial value.
Discussion Topics
Why are so many AI initiatives struggling to move beyond the pilot stage?
What separates successful AI deployments from those that never reach production?
How can organisations identify AI use cases that deliver measurable business value?
What are the biggest barriers to scaling AI across an organisation?
How should Data & AI leaders demonstrate commercial returns from AI investment?
Discussion 2: Death of the Dashboard
For decades, dashboards have been the primary way organisations consume and interact with data. As generative AI, conversational analytics and automated insights become more mainstream, is the traditional dashboard becoming obsolete?
Led by Anthony Wakefield, Head of Data at TalkTalk Business, we'll explore how business intelligence is evolving and what the future of data consumption might look like.
Discussion Topics
Are traditional dashboards still delivering the value businesses need?
How are generative AI and conversational analytics changing the way people interact with data?
Could AI-driven insights replace traditional reporting and dashboards?
What does the future of self-service analytics look like?
How should Data & AI leaders prepare their teams for the next generation of business intelligence?
Date
Thursday 3rd December 2026
Event Format
17:30–18:00
Drinks and Networking
18:00–18:45
From AI Pilots to Production and Profit
Matthew Brown, Markerstudy
Followed by audience Q&A
18:45–19:30
Death of the Dashboard
Anthony Wakefield, TalkTalk Business
Followed by audience Q&A
19:30 onwards
End of Year Social, Drinks and Networking
Location
Department Bonded Warehouse
18 Lower Byrom St
Manchester M3 4AP
The entrance is next to The Crystal Maze.
We'll kick things off with drinks and networking from 17:30, before the first speaker session begins at 18:00. Food and drinks will be available throughout the evening.
If you have any trouble finding us on the evening, feel free to give either of us a call:
Adam: 07518 725746
Alistair Collier: 07799 626324
Who Should Attend?
This event is designed for senior Data & AI leaders, including:
Chief Data Officers
Chief Data & AI Officers
Heads of Data
Heads of Analytics
Data & AI Directors
Senior Data Leaders
The Speakers
Matthew Brown
Head of Data Analytics at Markerstudy
Matthew Brown is Head of Data Analytics at Markerstudy, the UK's largest personal lines insurance broker.
Drawing on more than 10 years of experience across analytics, data science and data engineering, he specialises in leveraging AI, machine learning and modern data platforms to deliver measurable commercial impact in the insurance sector.
Anthony Wakefield
Head of Data at TalkTalk Business
Anthony Wakefield is Head of Data at TalkTalk Business and brings over 20 years of experience in telecommunications and technology.
He has led data teams, delivered large-scale data and reporting solutions and helped organisations use data, analytics and AI to improve decision-making and drive business value.