In Episode 13 of our AI Readiness series, Andy Davis is joined by Alex Blyth, Head of Data at NEST (National Employment Savings Trust), for a candid conversation on what it really takes to prepare an organisation for AI.

They discuss why cultural readiness matters more than technical capability, how tools like CoPilot are helping drive practical adoption, and the risks of applying AI to the wrong problems. Alex shares his philosophy on removing unskilled tasks to unlock real value, the importance of strong data governance, and why transformation should always be approached step by step.

This episode offers a grounded, inside view of AI adoption in the public sector — full of lessons for any organisation thinking about how to turn hype into impact.

In this episode, we speak with Dizam Ozalp Sari Director & Head of Data Services Domain at bnp Paribas bout the real work behind AI readiness in the financial services sector. With years of experience driving data strategy across global institutions, Dizam shares candid insights on:

• Why mindset and culture matter more than tech
• The growing disconnect between consumer and corporate AI experiences
• What makes a use case truly scalable (and why many won’t survive)
• The critical role of leadership sanity in avoiding AI hype cycles
• Opportunities in synthetic data, data lineage, and knowledge retrieval
• Why product thinking is still the most important tool in your AI toolkit

This is a thoughtful and grounded conversation for anyone navigating AI strategy, transformation, or delivery at scale.

In this episode, Andy Davis is joined by Andy McMahon, Principal Engineer for AI & MLOps at Barclays, to unpack what AI transformation really takes inside large organisations.

They dig into the realities behind the GenAI hype, including the tough conversations around data readiness, process redesign, and the cultural ingredients needed to deliver value at scale. From proof-of-value pitfalls to bridging the POC-to-production “chasm,” this is a brutally honest take on why most AI efforts stall — and how to avoid the same fate.

Whether you're leading technical teams or shaping data strategy, this conversation is full of hard-won lessons from the frontline of enterprise AI.