The final episode looks ahead to the future of resilience, moving from reactive firefighting to a more coordinated, identity-led approach. We explore how unified governance and automation support innovation and AI adoption without increasing risk. As human and machine workforces become more intertwined, resilience depends on systems that can adapt and respond at speed. This episode outlines what it takes to build an architecture that can adapt to whatever comes next.

AI is reshaping the enterprise at breakneck speed, and much of it is happening out of sight. This episode focuses on the rapid growth of non-human identities, unmonitored AI tools, and automation that operates with little oversight. We discuss why machine credentials now represent some of the most significant but least understood threats, and how identity has become the control point for AI trust. Who owns these systems? And who is accountable when they fail?

The final episode looks ahead to the future of resilience, moving from reactive firefighting to a more coordinated, identity-led approach. We explore how unified governance and automation support innovation and AI adoption without increasing risk. As human and machine workforces become more intertwined, resilience depends on systems that can adapt and respond at speed. This episode outlines what it takes to build an architecture that can adapt to whatever comes next. 

AI is reshaping the enterprise at breakneck speed, and much of it is happening out of sight. This episode focuses on the rapid growth of non-human identities, unmonitored AI tools, and automation that operates with little oversight. We discuss why machine credentials now represent some of the most significant but least understood threats, and how identity has become the control point for AI trust. Who owns these systems? And who is accountable when they fail?

Cyber risk has outgrown the IT department. In this opening episode, we explain why cyberattacks have become board-level crises with national-level consequences. Shorter reporting windows, higher penalties, and stricter accountability mean leaders are now directly exposed when something goes wrong. We explore how identity determines the scale of damage and why leaders must take ownership of it.

In Episode 48, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Susan Laine, Chief Technology Officer (Data) at Quest Software, where they discuss the concept of building 'AI for AI', which includes;

• The state of data in the AI era and why garbage in equals disaster out
• How ‘AI for AI’ is helping organisations manage data at scale and speed
• Where AI is being used to optimise AI and why that matters
• Why most AI POCs still don’t make it out of production and what to do about it
• Balancing the race for speed with the realities of trust, governance, and risk
• Building a modern data trust model looks like and why it’s critical for AI success
• The key metrics that matter most when measuring trust in data
• The rise of the data marketplace and what it means for data sharing and adoption
• How data management convergence is changing the game for modelling and intelligence
• How user feedback loops are helping to mature data products over time
• Why context and semantic layers are essential for AI you can trust
• How GenAI is reshaping how we build and scale data products
• The structural and cultural shifts AI is triggering across data teams
• The changing roles and skillsets needed to succeed in AI-led data teams
• Why building your own capability is slowing you down and what to do instead
• Three smart steps to build trusted, scalable AI and data capabilities today

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.

At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.

From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.

We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.

Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by James Benford, Director General of Surveys, Economic and Social Statistics at Office for National Statistics, where they have a candid discussion regarding the turnaround job at hand after recent public scrutiny and high-profile errors.

They dig into what went wrong, the impact on trust, and how new leadership is refocusing priorities, rebuilding quality, and resetting culture, plus more, which includes;

• How a turnaround mandate is reshaping ONS culture, leadership, and structure after the June review.
• Why transparent acknowledgment and correction of high-profile errors is central to rebuilding trust.
• How grand tech ambitions drift without clear use cases and why that must change.
• Why building a single data platform without a clear use case became a costly lesson in purpose-led design.
• How ruthless focus and prioritisation are creating space for excellence in core statistics.
• Why survey response rates are falling globally and how ONS is adapting to the new reality.
• How digital-first, user-centred survey design can lift completion and reduce bias.
• How alternative data sources add power and why third-party data quality and governance matter.
• Why multidisciplinary teams are non-negotiable.
• How recognising data and AI as economic assets will reshape national accounting.
• Why GenAI and ML can raise quality while saving time.
• How “Stats GPT” style access can make official statistics easier to find, query, and use.

Find more information on the general reset underway at the ONS, and the detail on the statistics and the surveys discussed in this episode.

If you wish to provide feedback on what ONS is currently doing, please use this mailbox: [email protected] 

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.

At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.

From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management program.

We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.

Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organization. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

 Listen to this short episode with TD Synnex Public Sector and Chris Roberts, Director of Federal Engineering at Quest Software Public Sector, where they discuss how agencies can transform legacy data into valuable AI assets—and unlock smarter, more secure innovation. 

In this episode, TD Synnex Public Sector sits down with Quest Software’s Director of Federal Engineering, Chris Roberts, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of trusted sources and secure supply chains in government technology. Join the podcast to learn more.

In this episode, Mark Gowdy hosts a panel of experts from Quest, including Sue Laine, Yetkin Ozkucur, Bharath Vasudevan, and Sam Yoo, as they dive into the evolving intersection of generative AI and data governance. Together, they explore how organizations can build trust in AI outputs, manage the challenges of shadow IT, and adopt a product management approach to data. Through real-world examples and actionable advice, the panel shares strategies for leveraging existing governance frameworks, fostering collaboration across teams, and embracing automation to maintain high-quality data. Whether you're just starting your AI journey or refining your processes, this episode provides a roadmap for aligning data governance with AI innovation while navigating regulatory and ethical complexities.