Past Speakers (2018)

As the Global Director for Big Data B2B at the Telefonica Group and CEO at LUCA Data Driven Decisions. Elena’s responsibility is to help corporate customers on their Big Data adoption journey, enabling them to become data-driven companies, providing an extensive portfolio of cutting-edge Big Data solutions. Elena holds a degree in Economics and Business studies from Deusto University (Spain) and an MBA from MIT-Sloan School of Management (USA). She has also completed studies at Berkeley University (USA) and EDHEC de Lille (France).  Elena joined Telefonica in 2000. Since then, she has held prominent managerial positions at Telefonica International and Telefonica Latinoamérica, in the units of Large Corporations, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Consumer businesses. From 2014 to 2016, Elena was the BI & Big Data Global Director at Telefonica Group, responsible for leveraging customer insights for internal use and external monetization, leading the transformation of Telefónica into a data-driven company. Before joining Telefonica, she worked for McKinsey and HI Holding – Iberdrola (Spain) and Mitchel Madison Group (USA).

Charlie began working with consumer data at Forrester Research in Boston just in time to witness the dotcom crash of 2001, before switching to lead agency measurement and analytics with multiple global clients including General Motors, American Express, AT&T, BT, Fidelity and Comcast. After receiving his MBA in 2012 at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Charlie joined BT’s MBA Leadership Programme as an internal consultant before most recently moving to TripAdvisor in 2013 in his current role of Director of Customer Insights. Now based out of London, Charlie today works to help TripAdvisor and its clients make the most of all available forms of travel research, using TripAdvisor’s own data to help the world’s largest travel companies stay current with global traveller trends

Tim is building the centralised data and insight function at one of the world's most beloved airlines.

Ben leads the customer profiling team focussing on modelling customer lifetime value, loyalty and segmentation. He has built the high performing team of PhD level data scientists. Ben has also designed and implemented large scale supervised and unsupervised machine learning solutions using Apache Spark.

As head of the Data Science at Capital One UK, Dan leads an 18-strong cross-functional team that is changing the way we do business. He uses the latest distributed computing technologies and operate across many billions of customer transactions. The models and data products that his team builds, unlocks big opportunities for the business and help UK consumers save money and reduce friction in their financial lives. He and his team have recently implemented a new open source analytic environment for model building/deployment as well as a sandpit for testing new analytic approaches. The last 6 months have seen the launch of major new credit risk models, leveraging the latest machine learning approaches to optimise our decisions. He has also made recent strides in understanding and mining customer contact data to better meet their needs and help them succeed. Dan have over 15 years of experience in analytics within the Finance industry. He has looked to build and lead highly-skilled, engaged teams focused on using data to solve real business problems.

Vanessa Galvany is on a mission to help companies grow profitable businesses by delivering best in class insights and data analytics capabilities, while acting as a change agent to transform the role of business intelligence within the organization. Vanessa held a variety of BI and marketing roles at Dell Technologies prior to becoming the “Director of Market and Business intelligence” at Royal Philips in 2014. In January ’17 Vanessa joined Liberty Global (telecom industry) as the new Global Director for their BI and Advanced Analytics unit, focused in driving operational excellence through cutting-edge data science. Specialties: BI and Information Systems, CRM, Strategic Consulting/Analytics, Program Management, Executive Engagement, Change Management and People Management. Vanessa is originally from Barcelona, Spain and holds a BSc in Business Administration and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School.

With 15+ years of experience in leading Data Science and analytics in multiple industries and countries, Gael is now responsible for data analytics within Shop direct and has lead a team of 30. He provides strategic direction on how to best leverage the data they own and is currently heading up an internal training programme to increase data skill levels across the company. On a journey to make ShopDirect one of the world analytical powerhouses, Gael has started to include linking with the academic world, having a nurturing environment for analysts of all levels, strong processes and delivering on world class analytical projects in helping shape the business.

Ryan leads Dyson's Global Data Services organisation, who work on transforming the company’s analytical capabilities. From manufacturing to marketing, their work spans the breadth of Dyson. Previously, Ryan spent four and a half years at Google, where he led the development of the global sales analyst curriculum. Most of his work involves the practical application of big data analytics – impact, not buzzwords. DataIQ repeatedly named him one of the most influential people in data-driven business. Ryan completed an MSc in Social Science of the Internet at the University of Oxford. In his spare time, he enjoys running, reading, and travelling.

Olivier has 15 years of Experience in Data Mining, Project management and integrated business forecasting system delivery. Olivier is in charge of the analytic capability within Bank of Ireland and coaches and develops teams of Econometricians and Management Scientists to impact the bottom line through advanced predictive analytics. He has delivered tangible competitive advantages to Insurance Companies, Financial Institutions and Utility Companies within countries like Philipinnes, Thailand, Mexico, Russia, Ireland, France, UK and Saudi Arabia.

Paul Laughlin is an international speaker, at conferences across UK, Europe & USA. He has been speaking professionally for over 15 years. Paul is also the founder of Laughlin Consultancy, a business that enables companies to maximize the value of their customer insight. Paul has added over £10m to the bottom line of blue chip companies annually, by removing common barriers to realising that value. Clients maximise such value by using data, analytics & research together, to intelligently interact with their customers. Services, that are achieving this, include training & consultancy. Paul also provides executive coaching, to ensure leaders can sustain such performance themselves. He helps customer insight teams, especially their leaders, to have the knowledge and skills they need to sustain this improvement. Paul is also an active blogger on the CustomerInsightLeader.com blog.

Doug is a Guru on Networking, Behavioural Psychology and Relationship Management, whose services are sought after by Major Corporations around the World and also some of the biggest names in Sport to help them manage their Sponsorship obligations. This includes the Elite, in Soccer (including David and Victoria Beckham.!), Tennis, Golf (The Ryder Cup) and Formula 1, so you can imagine what his address book looks like! His company slogan is “the people behind great people” and his passion for people development is both insightful and inspiring. So don’t miss this session on ““Emotional Intelligence” What amateurs ignore and professionals exploit as I know from experience you will feel refreshed, energised and equipped to take your Networking and Relationship management up not one gear, but two!

Enda Ridge is the Head of Data Science and Algorithms at Sainsbury's Group in the UK and the author of "Guerrilla Analytics – a practical approach to working with data". He is an accomplished data scientist who sets up and grows data science teams to help businesses leverage data to stay competitive. His experience spans 15 years of consulting, software pre-sales and academic research. He has consulted to clients in the public and private sectors including financial services, insurance, audit, IT security and retail in the US and UK. Most recently, he founded Sainsbury's supermarkets first data science team and is leading efforts to productionise data science algorithms.  He is an expert in the agile delivery of practical applied data science and analytics where data and requirements change often and results must be explainable to high profile business stakeholders.

David is the Head of Big Data Analytics for Vodafone Group Enterprise. In this role, David is responsible for developing the strategy, form and lead a team, and drive BD & AI projects that generate high value and business outcomes for Vodafone’s global enterprise customers.

Dr. Alexander Borek is a data analytics executive, evangelist and thought leader. In his current role, he serves as the Global Head of Data & Analytics at Volkswagen Financial Services. He runs an international unit consisting of data scientists, data engineers and UX experts to develop and operate high-end data analytics products. Before, he led the data analytics transformation at Volkswagen Group and worked as a consultant at Gartner and IBM, where he had advised Global Fortune 500 executives in multiple industries. Dr. Borek is the author of the books “Total Information Risk Management” and “Marketing with Smart Machines“. He holds a PhD from the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge.

 

Calvin Seward is a Research Scientist at Zalando Research and concurrently perusing his PhD at the Johnnes Kepler University in Linz. While at Zalando, he’s applied his mathematics background to fields as diverse as warehouse management, size recommendation, Artificial Intelligence and currently generative modeling. He knows AI can be a constructive force for good but since computer security has always been a topic of interest for him, he worries that poorly secured AI will put users at risk.

Dr. Stefan Meinzer is head of advanced analytics in the EMEA regions of the BMW Group. Previously, he worked in the Volkswagen Data: Lab. There, Mr. Meinzer managed numerous projects in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the 12 automotive brands of the Volkswagen Group. In parallel to his professional career, he completed his PhD at the Research Association of Data Science and Psychology of the Medical Faculty in Erlangen-Nuremberg. Mr. Meinzer writes a variety of publications about the digital transformation of the automotive industry and the use of methods from the field of machine learning as a competitive advantage.

Harvinder Atwal leads a team of analysts and Data Scientists to deliver data-driven customer insight, marketing optimisation and predictive analytics for Moneysupermarket from one of the largest customer databases in the UK with records for 23 million unique individuals. Harvinder was previously Insight Director for Tesco Clubcard at Dunnhumby and Senior Manager for Customer Strategy and Insights at Lloyds Banking Group. He is passionately interested in Data Science, Machine Learning, Big Data technologies and how they can be used to improve Customer Experience.

"With over 20 years experience of business intelligence and transformational change leadership, Pete is ranked amongst the top data people in the UK: 'Power 10' in The DataIQ Big Data Top 100 2017; 'Data Titan' in The DataIQ Big Data Top 100 2016; and Winner of the B2C Category in the Information Age Data Top 50 2016. Pete believes that better, faster decisions can be made in every situation by empowering decision makers with relevant data. He does this by designing an organisational strategy to bring together insight from marketing, digital engagement, dynamic customer insight and operational analytics to deliver high quality insight, machine learning and predictive analytics."

Imre is the Director of Market, Data and Analytics Department at Telenor Hungary. He is leading almost all data related activities - including Data Science, Big Data, DWH, Reporting, Market research – and supporting the whole organization with analytics. Beside line activities he is responsible for the data and analytical aspects of the Digital transformation and GDPR. He also initiated data intensive application development and Data as a Service at Telenor Hungary. He has got more than 15 years’ experience in analytics. Before joining Telenor he has been working in the financial, FMCG and consultancy sectors. Imre has got a strong academic background, he holds MSCs in Physics, Astronomy and Computer Science and he is also a PhD candidate.

Pierre-Philippe is an Earth Observation Applications Engineer in the Earth Observation Science & Applications Department of the European Space Agency in ESRIN (Frascati, Italy). He spent 15 years working in the field of environmental modelling, weather risk management and remote sensing. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and M.Sc from University of Liege (Belgium), a Ph.D. in oceanography from the University of Louvain (Belgium), and a Management degree from the University of Reading Business School (UK).

Engineer and entrepreneur. Passionate of the social innovation and technology, specialized in the design of software solutions to current problems of our society. With this goal in mind he creates CerQana, adapting technology to the specific capabilities of those who can not benefit from it right now. 

Totte works in the intersection of data science and behavioural research. He’s passionate about all things causality: randomised experiments, quasi-experiments and causal modeling. At Uber, his job is to help EATS and ridesharing teams across the world to apply these methods to understand what works and what doesn’t. Totte has a PhD on causal explanation from King’s College London.

Dr Eric Tyree is the Chief Data Scientist at Carlson Wagonlit Travel responsible for developing new, data driven products and services for the corporate travel industry. With a career spanning over 20 years, Eric has led the development of a wide range of data driven applications and businesses involving travel, consumer segmentation/profiling, personalisation, HR/people analytics, algorithmic trading, fund management, fraud detection and compliance. Eric is experienced in building and leading high performance organizations and has worked with a wide range of companies ranging from some of the largest corporate institutions in the world to helping develop start-ups from the ground up.

Althea has managed complex stakeholder landscape including external Service Provider, regulators and internal client stakeholders for firms such as Nike, Levis Strauss, ING Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, WUB Bank, NN Insurance, Atradius Insurance and the European Commission and ABN AMRO Insurance. Althea completes her extensive profile with management consulting experience from Accenture. She has held roles in Portfolio Management, Management Consultancy, Data Strategy and Chief Data Officer as a passionate Data Management Professional. She shows you how to put your data to work and key it in motion! 

Dr. Maryam Ramezani-Bartsch is an innovative leader in the field of advanced analytics, data driven marketing and personalization. Maryam helps companies on their digital transformation to be more data-driven and utilize Big data technologies to its full potential and drive business impact & innovation.  She has years of experience in data science and intelligent marketing projects in leading organizations such as adidas, Xaxis, SAP, IBM research, and DePaul University. Maryam has a PhD in data mining from Karlsruhe University in Germany and currently leads advanced analytic team in adidas digital brand commerce.

As Global Managing Director for Data, Jason leads dunnhumby’s data consultancy and engineering practices, helping clients drive growth by optimising their data assets through creation and execution of cloud-based data strategies which put the customer at the heart of decision making. Since joining dunnhumby in 2005, Jason has held roles such as Global Solutions Director for Category Management, Solutions Director Brazil, and Global Director of Products. Prior to joining dunnhumby, Jason was Space and Category Management Consultant at ACNielsen and has also held Analyst Developer roles at both the Royal Mail and Statpro.

 

Rob is an experienced digital marketing professional and a proven leader in the field of data & analytics with a track record of bringing customer data into the complex marketing and technology landscape. A combination of visionary and pragmatist, Rob creates solutions which blend established business processes with bleeding edge digital techniques. Having worked both as a consultant and in-house he has in depth knowledge of how businesses from multiple verticals can leverage data to power efficiency and growth.  

Joseph Nelson leads Data Advocacy at General Assembly, helping individuals and Fortune 500 companies alike become more data-driven. He helped launch and taught four cohorts of GA's Data Science Immersive, a 12-week career changing curriculum. Joseph cofounded Represently, creating products that improve lawmaker and citizen communication. He guest lectures for George Washington University's Master's in Data Science program. Joseph previously worked at Facebook, the US Senate, and digital consultancies.

Detlef Nauck is the head of data science research in BT's Research and Innovation Division located at Adastral Park, Ipswich, UK. He is leading a group of international scientists working on Intelligent Data Analysis and Autonomic Systems. Detlef’s interest is making data analytic techniques more widely available by automating analytics and embedding them into systems and processes. His research focusses on developing new ways of analysing data to achieve better insights and how to conduct analytics professionally and responsibly. Detlef is a Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University and a Private Docent at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany. Detlef holds an MSc (1990) and a PhD (1994) in Computer Science both from the University of Braunschweig, Germany. He also holds a Habilitation (post-doctoral degree) in Computer Science from the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany (2000). Detlef has published over 120 papers, holds 6 patents and 30 active patent applications.

Harry is Director of Corporate Analytics at Jaguar Land Rover, where he leads a team of 40 people delivering analytics projects and heads up an analytics transformation programme to embed evidence-based decision making at the heart of the business. The team includes data engineers, analysts and data scientists and is on track to deliver £100m incremental profit in the current year. Previously, Harry was Head of Advanced Analytics at Barclays where his team built and deployed production big data and machine learning applications. Harry is on the committee of the Royal Statistical Society Data Science Section and has a particular interest in the Industrialisation of Data Science.

Jose Sanchez Loureda is currently VP, Global Head of Data Science & Analytics at CWT, and has over 15 years’ experience in data science and research. Previously, Jose worked as Head of Data Science for Sky UK, tasked with developing the big data strategy for the business and leveraging the value of rich datasets within and outside of Sky, to deliver innovative products and services. Prior to that, he worked in the energy analytics industry in the early days of smart metering and IoT. Jose comes from an academic background, having spent a number of years at Durham University doing research and teaching in mathematical sciences.

As Director of Solutions Consulting in EMEA for Domo, Alex has had the pleasure of working with many of Domo’s European client base, helping them make better decisions and access valuable insights.  For the last 10 years Alex has been working for leading SAAS and cloud-based technologies such as Omniture, Adobe, the Oracle CX, Marketing and Social clouds, Monetate and now Domo gaining experience in how many of the world’s biggest brands and companies combine cutting-edge technology with people to really drive their businesses forward.

Professor Honor Powrie has worked in the Aviation industry for more than 25 years. She has 20+ years' experience in Machinery Health Monitoring and Management and has worked for General Electric since 2007. Honor currently leads GE Aviation's only UK-based Data Science group, delivering innovative solutions for monitoring and managing GE's extensive and world-renowned commercial engines fleet. Honor is also a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Southampton and in 2017 was awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professorship in Data and Analytics, Asset Condition Monitoring and Management.

Donna has over 18 years’ experience in developing and applying advanced analytics to a wide variety of domains including aircraft systems and engines, gas and wind turbines, financial and supply chain data, and has been with General Electric since 2007. In her current role she leads projects developing and applying analytics for aircraft systems and supply chain data. Donna has a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Exeter and is a Chartered Engineer in the Institute of Engineering and Technology. In 2015 Donna did a TEDx talk on ‘What is Big Data and why does it matter?’ at the University of Southampton.

Javier Campos is the Head of the Experian DataLabs for UK&I and EMEA.  He oversees innovation with emphasis on the development of new products and services. Pioneering application of Artificial Intelligence in mobile, voice, fraud, credit, marketing, social media, digital advertising and healthcare. Javier is also Advisor to Fenestra, that provides the global advertising market with a new platform using distributed ledger technology. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Javier has 26+ years’ experience globally within the Finance, AI, Market Research, Media and Technology fields including serving at Global Chief Technology Officer at Kantar-WPP, Havas Media and CIO at GroupM-WPP.

Tom Spencer is Head of Customer Science at Aviva, leading the customer-first data science team at the Aviva Digital Garage disrupting the insurance industry.  He is passionate about driving data science into business action and better customer outcomes. Tom’s background is in retail customer analytics, with fourteen years’ front-line experience at dunnhumby, the world’s leading customer science company. Starting out as a hands-on data analyst, career highlights include establishing dunnhumby Korea as analytics lead, heading-up data analyst teams across the Asia region, and leading the South Korea business as Country Head.

Payal has spent her career in Banking and Finance, spending 16 years at Barclays where she performed in a number of Commercial, Credit Risk and analytical roles in the UK and internationally. In her last role at Barclays, she became the Managing Director of Strategic Analytics and was responsible for all the analytics in the UK and European Credit Card division with a team of 150 people across eight countries. Payal became an independent consultant in 2016, supporting FinTech start-ups, Private Equity firms and banks and in the same year was also recognised as the most influential data professional in the DataIQ Top 100 leaders in the UK. She is very passionate about leading the agenda for greater diversity in analytics and is Chair of Women in Data UK. She also supports several charities by helping organisations become more efficient by focusing on their mission and ensuring they measure their results and impact effectively. Payal completed a degree in Mathematics and Teaching at the University of Oxford, and a master's in Management Science and Operational Research at Warwick Business School.

David Leichner has over 25 years of marketing and sales executive management experience garnered from leading software vendors including Information Builders, Magic Software and BluePhoenix Solutions. At SQream, David is responsible for creating and executing its marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for SQream’s product and market penetration.

Starting her career as a junior recruiter in 2000, focusing exclusively on data and analytics, Roisin has forged her career by building relationships between people who want to develop their careers and those who need the rare skills that these people can provide. As a result of her efforts, almost two thousand people have moved into more satisfying roles and dozens of teams put together. Today, she runs the successful recruitment firm, Datatech Analytics, and is the co-founder of the ground-breaking initiative, Women in Data UK. Over the past 18 years, Roisin has been responsible for building some of the UK’s most cutting-edge data teams and has facilitated some of the most influential and successful careers in this sector, building relationships, influence and firm friendships along the way. Roisin is seen as a thought leader and an authority on careers, team development and talent acquisition in the field. Her unrivalled network of contacts, commitment to the data and analytics community and her unwavering passion for building strong, skilled teams is what makes her so unique.

Stijn leads the Collibra global product organization with a focus on driving data governance technology innovation. Prior to co-founding Collibra, Stijn was a senior researcher at the Vrije Universiteit of Brussels, a leading semantic research center in Europe, where he focused on application-oriented research in semantics. Stijn is a sought-after expert resource, industry speaker and author on the topic of data governance and semantics. He has participated actively in several international research projects (such as ITEA, FP6 and FP7) and conferences (including OTM, FIS and ESTC). He has also published various articles and patents in the field of ontology engineering. Stan holds a Master of Science degree in Information Technology and a Masters degree in Artificial Intelligence from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and a Postgraduate in Industrial Corporate Governance from Europese Hogeschool Brussels.

Keith has over 25 years international experience in the enterprise software industry. Prior to joining WANdisco in June 2014, he spent nine years with TIBCO Software in Asia Pacific including serving for over five years as Regional Vice President & Managing Director of Australia & New Zealand. Keith worked at Librados as Vice President EMEA where he was part of the founding team from start-up until the acquisition by NetManage. Before Librados, he was a Regional Director at Reuters Plc. where he was responsible for Reuters $100m+ software solutions business across over 20 countries within Europe. Keith holds an MA in Management Science and Information Systems Studies from Trinity College, Dublin and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Helen serves both private and public sector institutions, supporting clients as they become more contemporary, higher-growth organizations – all against a backdrop of rapid change. She advises top executives and leaders on the potential to deploy advanced analytics as a source of insights and optimization. Helen has brought analytics capabilities to projects in multiple sectors and against a broad range of challenges, from commercial optimization to front-line team performance.

Kshitij is Vice President for Data, Machine Learning and AI at Zalando where he defines the future of data driven retail from infrastructure to supply chain, marketing and the online retail chain, focused on making an impact with Data and Machine Learning. He provides leadership for a range of data topics, from Blockchain to machine Learning, data science and data governance. An expat from Silicon Valley, Kshitij has been an innovation, delivery and operations leader in public and startup companies for over 20 years. He is a hands on technologist who has also worked as a VP in sales, business development, and marketing, and as a Founder in multiple startups.

Priyank has a passion for developing creative solutions to commercial challenges. Drawing on his considerable experience in Asia and Europe he is now the Head of AI & Machine Learning at M&G Prudential. Here he is leading a fast growing community of over 200 data scientists and machine learning enthusiasts to find bold and innovate ways to get closer to the consumer of today and the Future. The team has built their own cloud infrastructure, data and proprietary algorithms to solve real commercial challenges ranging from predicting the most promising real estate investment postcode in Manchester UK to reducing time taken for investment analysis from days to seconds. Priyank holds a degree in computer engineering from Indian Government’s College of Engineering and an MBA from the Said Business School, Oxford University. He describes himself as a fussy vegetarian. 

 My professional experience has always been linked to the promotion and development of projects in various fields and disciplines, overall cultural and publishing. My incorporation some years ago to the office of knowledge transfer, innovation and technology of the University of Barcelona, allowed me to direct some projects in the scientific-technological field, and this has led me to discover the exciting world of data and capacity these to help in transforming digital businesses. My mission within the research group DataScienceUB is to open opportunities with companies and organizations, and disseminate and communicate the benefits of new technologies for the development of critical and cultural society.

Marc Torrent is the director of the Big Data Analytics unit at Eurecat and the director of the Big Data Centre of Excellence in Barcelona, promoting the culture of data and providing innovative solutions for the market. Torrent has a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, a PhD in Computer Science from Karlsruhe University in Germany and an Executive MBA from the ESADE Business School. Before joining Eurecat, he had participated in different research projects in various ICT fields since 2000, forming part of different companies and universities in Europe and the United States such as British Telecom UK, NEC Deutschland, Mercedes-Benz R&D USA, the University of California in Berkeley and Ficosa International. Torrent has contributed to over 30 publications, has submitted five patent applications and is a member of the technical programme and reviews of many scientific activities.

Jordi is a Chemical Engineer (University of Barcelona) with a master’s degree in Packaging Management, a paint technology expert degree and an advance thermoforming master’s degree from Klöckner Pentaplast. Jordi started his career as an R&D Technician, in charge of optimising products and processes. Since then, he has worked as a Process Engineer in Korozo Ambalaj (Turkey), implementing new methods to reduce change processes in the polymer sector, increasing efficiency and reduce timing, and finally as a Sales Executive and Technical Assistant in Europe for the same company. To bridge the gap between R&D and sales, he decided to develop the innovative idea which is the focus of this document and transform it into his life project. Jordi is the co-founder of ReCircula Solutions and is the Product Development Manager and Sales Director of the company, combining his technical, sales and R&D experience to lead his team to recycling success.