Frances O'Rafferty

Data and AI is full of brilliant people. Yet many of us, especially women, have at some point questioned whether we truly belong in the room. In this panel chat, Emma Crabtree brings together Zoe Kelly and 3 other female leaders in Data and AI with different journeys, personalities and paths to leadership. What connects us is not a single formula for success, but the process of learning to own who we are. We will speak honestly about the moments we played small, the times we did not put ourselves forward, and the turning points that helped us step into our voice. Owning who you are is not about being louder. It is about recognising your expertise, trusting your perspective and being clear about the value you bring. And when you reach that place, something changes. Success starts to feel bigger than your own progression. You begin to notice who is not being heard. You recommend someone for an opportunity. You share credit publicly. You nominate others to speak. You make introductions. You pay it forward. This will be an interactive and reflective session, inviting the audience into real scenarios and honest conversation. Because leadership in Data and AI is not only about what you build. It is about

Trusted data is the foundation for success of many business ambitions today. Organizations aspire to make data-driven decisions, but often leaders fall back on gut instincts due to fragmented data experiences. This session explores how a user-centric approach that integrates data, metadata, quality metrics, and lineage can build the necessary foundation of trust for truly data-driven decision making. Frances will share practical insights on creating holistic data experiences that empower everyone in the organization to trust their data and make confident, fact-based decisions.