Helen Mannion

Most organisations have invested heavily in data and AI. Few have seen the commercial return they expected. The reason is rarely the technology. It's the organisational conditions around it. With more than two decades leading data & AI teams and advising executive leadership, this talk names the six constraints behind the data and AI value gap - in organisations that look, on paper, like they're doing everything right. If you've ever sat in a steering committee wondering why the investment isn't landing, you'll recognise more of this than you'd like. You'll leave able to spot which of the six is playing out in your own organisation.

As AI systems become increasingly agentic - acting with more autonomy, initiative, and influence - the need for a new kind of human leadership has never been greater. Technology may accelerate decisions, but it cannot set direction, build trust, or inspire people to change. That’s the role of agentic leadership: intentional, visible, and human-centred. Drawing on both current research and her experience leading global data programmes and coaching senior executives, Helen Mannion will show why organisations must evolve their leadership as much as their technology. Attendees will leave with clear insight into how they can accelerate AI adoption in organisations, the specific leadership behaviours that make the biggest difference, and practical steps they can take to start building the conditions for AI to succeed.

We all understand the importance of a business brand or a personal brand. But every team has a brand too - a reputation that shapes how others see you, trust you, and choose to work with you. The challenge is that most leaders don’t intentionally define it. In this interactive VIP session, Helen Mannion will guide senior leaders through a Team Brand 360 reflection, exploring how their teams are perceived today and how they want to be known tomorrow. Drawing on lessons from personal branding and customer experience, she’ll show how the same principles - clarity, consistency, and visibility - can help teams strengthen their identity and influence. Attendees will leave with practical tools to start shaping their team brand and fresh insight into how a structured Team 360 process, training, and coaching can accelerate adoption and embed culture change at scale.

Data governance can feel like rules slowing you down – but done well, it does the opposite. It gives clarity, builds trust, and lets teams move faster with less risk. This interactive session will explore how to make governance practical, human, and useful in your day-to-day work. We’ll focus on the real decisions people make every day, how to clarify ownership, and how to overcome common blockers without adding unnecessary overhead. Through scenario-based exercises and a simple governance mapping activity, you’ll leave with actionable steps to take back to your organisation – helping you turn governance from a box-ticking exercise into a genuine business enabler.