Data & AI Mastery

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In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma speaks with Aidan Innes, Head of Data Standards at Nuffield Health, the UK’s largest healthcare charity.

Aidan shares his unique journey from sports science into data leadership, revealing how he built a strategy that connects patient outcomes, data literacy, and advanced analytics to drive both social and financial impact.

Elsewhere in the episode the pair discuss building outcome frameworks that scale across a complex healthcare organisation and how Nuffield Health is leveraging data apprenticeships to boost literacy, save millions, and empower staff.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional, a data leader, or simply someone passionate about how data drives impact, this episode is packed with insights and actionable takeaways.

Be sure to follow Data & AI Mastery wherever you listen to your podcasts to never miss an episode.

Chapter Markers:

(05:00) – COVID-19 rehabilitation programme and measuring outcomes

(08:00) – Scaling outcome frameworks across the organisation

(12:00) – Technology, governance, and people in data strategy

(16:00) – Measuring ROI and success stories in procurement

(18:00) – Advanced analytics and award-winning projects

(22:00) – Quick-fire round: contrarian views, learning habits, and personal insights

(24:00) – Aidan’s vision for the future of data in healthcare

(26:00) – Closing reflections and takeaways

Useful Links:

Connect with Aidan on LinkedIn

Visit the Nuffield Health Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programmes at cambridgespark.com

Start your data & AI transformation journey with Cambridge Spark.

What does it take to prepare students—and their teachers—for a future shaped by AI? In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, host Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma sits down with Prof. Sue Sentance, Director of the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre at the University of Cambridge, to explore the evolving landscape of computing education. 

From the importance of teaching AI literacy and programming skills, to the challenges of teacher development and interdisciplinary learning, Sue offers research-backed insights into what inclusive, future-ready education should look like. 

They discuss the role of pedagogy like PRIMM, frameworks such as SEAME, and why critical thinking—not just technical know-how—is essential for navigating today’s digital world. Whether you're an educator, policymaker, or AI enthusiast, this conversation will leave you rethinking how we equip the next generation with the skills to engage with, critique, and shape AI technologies.

Chapter Markers:

(00:00) Start Your Journey into AI Mastery

Kick off with Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma as he sets the stage for this episode's deep dive into computing education and AI literacy.

(01:20) Discover Prof. Sue Sentance’s Path to Shaping Computing Education

Explore Sue’s unique journey from AI PhD to classroom teacher to academic leader in computing pedagogy.

(03:29) Unpack the Latest Research in AI and Programming Education

Learn about Sue’s current work, including AI education, debugging, and longitudinal studies in physical computing.

(04:43) Master the Skills You Need in the Age of AI

Find out what essential skills students need today to thrive in an AI-driven world—and why confidence and critical thinking are key.

(08:51) Learn Why We Must Teach AI—and How to Do It Effectively

Sue explains why understanding AI isn't optional and offers insights on how we can teach it meaningfully in schools.

(11:59) Break Down AI Literacy with Real-World Frameworks

Get to grips with leading AI literacy models from UNESCO, OECD, and the EU—and their implications for education.

(15:01) Get Actionable Advice for Parents Navigating AI and Tech

Sue shares how parents can support their children in learning about AI—even without technical expertise.

(17:23) Explore the Line Between Teaching with AI and Teaching About It

Understand the difference and how educators can responsibly integrate AI tools into teaching practices.

(21:26) Debate the Future: Should We Still Teach Programming?

Sue tackles the hot topic of whether coding still matters in an age of generative AI—and what we risk if we stop.

(24:08) Hear Personal Insights in a Rapid-Fire Q&A

Find out Sue’s favourite programming language, subjects at school, and the music that fuels her work.

(28:23) Wrap Up with Final Thoughts on Empowering Learners with AI

Raoul reflects on key themes, from coding's long-term value to the role of education in fostering AI literacy.

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In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma speaks with Matthew Cloke, Chief Technology Officer at Endava, about how one of the world’s leading technology companies is embracing AI at scale.

Matt shares how Endava created an AI committee to set governance and strategy, built cross-functional champions networks and celebrated AI heroes to drive adoption, and invested in ChatGPT Enterprise across 8,000 employees, achieving 85–90% daily usage.

The pair also dive into the business case for AI and how to secure executive buy-in and why creating "wake-up moments" for executives is critical.

Whether you’re a senior leader shaping AI strategy or a professional curious about scaling adoption, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.

Be sure to follow Data & AI Mastery wherever you listen to your podcasts to never miss an episode. 

Chapter Markers:

(03:45) Who owns the AI agenda? Inside Endava’s AI committee

(10:30) The Champions Network & AI Heroes

(15:20) Making the business case for ChatGPT Enterprise

(25:30) “Wake up, crawl, walk, run”: driving executive aha moments

(29:30) Balancing wait-and-see vs. first-mover advantage

(32:40) Quickfire round: contrarian views, environment, favourite language & more

(38:40) Closing reflections & key takeaways

Useful Links:

Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn

Visit the Endava Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Learn more about Cambridge Spark and how we’re helping organisations upskill their workforce in Data & AI: https://cambridgespark.com

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma sits down with Tamar Yehoshua, Advisor and former President of Product & Technology at Glean, and former Chief Product Officer at Slack and VP at Google. Tamar brings decades of experience leading product and engineering teams at the most influential tech companies.

Throughout this episode you will learn what AI literacy looks like in the boardroom today and why imagination, not just infrastructure, is the biggest barrier to AI transformation. You will also hear Tamar give us her take on the evolving role of AI agents in reshaping work across engineering, sales, and product and how the next generation of leaders can bridge the gap between incremental improvement and radical reimagination.

You’ll also hear insights on how top companies are defining their AI metrics, the role of boards in demanding ROI from AI investments, and why the most successful leaders are those who remain authentic, transparent, and consistent.

If you’re navigating AI transformation or leading teams through change, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Chapter Markers:

(03:45) Tamar's leadership principles

(11:44) What metrics matter for AI?

(16:28) Use cases and real-world AI agent examples

(19:06) What is Glean and how does it work?

(25:52) From incremental improvement to reimagination

(28:54) Quickfire round: Lisp, math, musicals

(29:36) Closing reflections & key takeaways

Useful Links:

Connect with Tamar on LinkedIn

Visit the Glean Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Learn how Cambridge Spark can help your business transform with data and AI: https://cambridgespark.com

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, host Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma sits down with Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP, to explore a bold rethinking of artificial intelligence—beyond automation and into adaptive, evolving systems.

Daniel shares how marketing is being reengineered through AI—dynamic segmentation, synthetic audiences, brand-safe content generation, and more—and how businesses must focus on frictions rather than blindly chasing trends. Drawing on decades of experience, he also reveals a powerful framework for AI defensibility built on data, talent, and leadership.

This is a must-listen for executives, AI practitioners, and innovators eager to move past hype and into action.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and follow to catch more discussions with data & AI leaders who are transforming their industries.

Chapter Markers:

(05:50) The case for goal-directed adaptive systems

(08:05) Why businesses chase tech hype instead of solving problems

(12:34) Case study: Using AI to augment creativity at scale

(15:07) Micro-moments & the future of personalised, timely marketing

(17:00) Real-world transformation challenges (and how to overcome them)

(19:05) What gives AI efforts defensibility in business

(21:39) Biggest misconceptions business leaders have about AI

(24:46) Daniel on staying ahead: predictions, neuromorphic AI, philosophy

Useful Links:

Connect with Daniel Hulme on LinkedIn

Visit the WPP Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Learn how Cambridge Spark can help your business transform with data and AI: https://cambridgespark.com

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma is joined by James Garner, Head of AI & Data at Gleeds, a global construction consultancy. Together they explore how a traditionally conservative industry is embracing data and AI to drive innovation, improve forecasting, and revolutionise operations.

James shares his remarkable journey from chartered quantity surveyor to leading Gleeds' AI and data initiatives. They discuss why domain expertise combined with data science is the new superpower — and why finding these "translators" is so hard. They also cover the importance of hackathons, experimentation, and failing fast to discover valuable AI use cases in construction. And finally they discuss why data quality matters — but isn't the blocker people think it is anymore — and why culture and continuous upskilling are the real keys to AI adoption.

Whether you’re in construction, infrastructure, energy, or just keen to see how AI is reshaping even the most traditional sectors, this conversation is packed with practical insights and future-facing perspectives.

🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and follow to catch more discussions with data & AI leaders who are transforming their industries.

Chapter Markers:

(07:10) Data quality, domain expertise, and building that first model

(10:22) Taking prototypes to production

(11:28) GPT chatbots, LLMs, and the assist tool for industry knowledge

(13:48) Why hackathons and safe sandboxing accelerate innovation

(16:47) The near future: AI agents, robotics, and blockchain impact

(21:30) Worries about industry readiness and losing control to big tech

(22:57) Quickfire Round: contrarian views, magic wand problems & learning mindset

Useful Links:

Connect with James Garner on LinkedIn

Visit the Gleeds Website

Find out more about Project Flux here

Subscribe to the Project Flux Newsletter & Podcast here 

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Transform your workforce with cutting-edge data & AI skills — visit cambridgespark.com to get started today.

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma sits down with Jeff Boudier, who leads Product and Growth at Hugging Face, the world’s leading open platform for AI builders.

Throughout the episode, the pair explore how enterprises are turning to smaller, specialised open models to solve real business problems; the importance of maintaining control over your data; and how Hugging Face is helping enterprises bring AI safely into production.

Whether you’re a CTO navigating how to deploy AI at scale or an engineer eager to sharpen your edge, this episode delivers powerful takeaways on using data & AI strategically — not just for experimentation, but for driving real ROI.

Subscribe to Data & AI Mastery and never miss insights from global leaders pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with data.

Chapter Markers:

(05:50) Real-world ROI: Financial services & patent tech using smaller open models

(08:50) When to adopt specialised vs. large models

(10:50) The AI adoption curve & why general models aren’t one-size-fits-all

(12:30) Protecting your data: governance, builder culture, and avoiding lock-in

(14:30) How Hugging Face keeps up with the latest developments in AI

(17:50) Supporting enterprises: from rogue IT to secure, compliant AI

(21:30) Security, safe tensors & scanning models for vulnerabilities

(24:40) Quick-fire round: Jeff’s favourite programming language, subjects & music genre

Useful Links:

Connect with Jeff Boudier on LinkedIn

Visit the Hugging Face Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Want to unlock the full potential of data & AI across your organisation? Visit cambridgespark.com to explore how we help enterprises upskill their workforce with cutting-edge, industry-relevant training programmes that drive real business impact.

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, host Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma sits down with Sam Smith, VP of Global Data Privacy and Governance at Merlin Entertainments, to explore how privacy and governance are the unsung heroes powering innovation in data-driven businesses.

Sam shares her fascinating career shift from solicitor to data leader and unpacks what it really means to build effective global data governance strategies. They discuss how to demonstrate ROI from data governance, the carrot vs. stick of compliance, and the practical challenges of AI regulation in a hyper-connected world.

Whether you’re a privacy professional, business leader, or data practitioner, this episode offers real-world insights on embedding privacy by design, aligning legal and commercial goals, and why AI literacy is now a business-wide mandate—not just a legal issue.

If you found this episode valuable, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Chapter Markers:

(02:00) Samantha’s journey: From law to data privacy

(04:30) Why data governance is a hard sell—and how to frame ROI

(08:30) Data governance as both insurance and innovation

(10:30) Key terms explained: Ownership, stewardship, and privacy

(14:00) The ethics and strategy behind collecting personal data

(18:00) What happens when AI tools go too far?

(25:00) Where AI and data governance teams should sit in your org

(27:45) Quick-fire questions: Industry views, lifelong learning, and favorite tunes

(29:30) Raoul’s reflections: Why AI literacy matters now more than ever

Useful Links:

Connect with Sam Smith on LinkedIn

Visit the Merlin Entertainments Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Want to equip your workforce with the data and AI skills they need to drive real transformation? Cambridge Spark partners with global organisations to build high-impact, scalable training programmes that deliver measurable business outcomes. Learn more at cambridgespark.com.

In this episode of Data & AI Mastery, Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma speaks with Roxane Heaton, Managing Director of Digital Colleague Experience at Barclays, about what it means to design digital systems for real people—at scale.

Roxane shares her unique journey across the public and private sectors, from the Cabinet Office to Macmillan and now at Barclays, and brings an unshakable focus on user-centered innovation. In a world obsessed with digital transformation, Roxane challenges conventional thinking by arguing that AI doesn’t replace thinking—it deepens it.

Whether you're a digital leader, HR strategist, or AI practitioner, Roxane offers an inspiring and grounded vision for inclusive, impactful transformation.

Tune in to discover how to unlock human potential through data-driven design.

Chapter Markers:

(05:46) How to Measure the Impact of Digital Tools

(08:32) Using Passive vs Active Data in AI Design

(10:47) Automation, Copilots & Rethinking Workflows

(13:07) Why Upskilling Requires More Than Just Tools

(16:33) The Role of Ethics and Data Governance

(19:51) Storytelling as a Leadership Skill in the AI Era

(20:21) Why Design Thinking is the Must-Have Mindset

(26:01) Raoul’s Reflections

Useful Links:

Connect with Roxane Heaton on LinkedIn

Visit the Barclays Website

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Curious about how you or your organisation can lead in the age of AI? Visit CambridgeSpark.com to explore cutting-edge training programmes and resources.

To celebrate the six-month milestone of Data & AI Mastery, we flip the script! This time, host Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma steps into the hot seat, interviewed by Cambridge Spark's CTO, Kevin Lemagnen. 

In this special anniversary episode, Raoul shares his personal journey—from coding on calculators in high school to founding Cambridge Spark and leading the conversation on data and AI transformation.

Together, they also go on to reflect on the biggest takeaways from past guests and why lifelong learning is no longer optional. Plus, Raoul answers a rapid-fire round of personal and professional questions that offer a glimpse into the mind behind one of the industry's most forward-thinking educators.

Whether you're aspiring to lead in tech or shaping strategy from the C-suite, this episode offers insights, inspiration, and practical wisdom.

Chapter Markers:

(05:00) From calculators to classrooms: Raoul’s early love for education

(15:00) The ROI of AI: cost vs. customer delight

(20:00) Bold prediction: The rise of agentic AI in education

(23:00) Favorite guest moments: from NATO to Lloyds to Pearson

(26:00) The future of work and why apprenticeships matter

(27:30) Quickfire round: contrarian views, reading habits, Python love, and more

Useful Links:

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn

Connect with Kevin Lemagnen on LinkedIn

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programs at cambridgespark.com

Functional Programming in Java by Raoul-Gabriel Urma: Amazon Link