Cambridge Spark

Every guest is different. Every organisation is different.

But ask enough senior data and AI leaders what separates the people who thrive in this space, and one word keeps coming back.

Curiosity.

Harj Johal at the AA describes it as the quality that always stands out for him. Not just hard work or courage but the instinct to pull on a thread. To ask "what if" rather than accept the first answer.

Sudhish Mohan, Group CIO & CTO at TransUnion, goes further. Referencing Steve Jobs' famous Stanford address, he puts it to his team plainly: if you are not curious, you will be irrelevant.

In an era where AI can give you an answer in seconds, the ability to question that answer matters more than ever.

The latest episode of Data & AI Mastery is available now.

Link in comments.

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One of the most common myths we encounter is that apprenticeships are only for those just starting their careers.

As our partners at Nuffield Health highlight, data skills have no age limit. In today’s ever-changing workforce, staying ahead of the curve is about a commitment to lifelong learning, whether you’re a new starter or a seasoned professional.

We love seeing Nuffield Health embrace this, ensuring every employee has the tools they need to future-proof their career and drive better business decisions.

Read the full case study: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0wmLDD0

Earlier this month the OECD published a striking finding:

AI literacy training isn't keeping pace with demand, and the gap is widening.

It's something we've been hearing a lot about on Data & AI Mastery all year.

Kevin Cassar, Chief Data & AI Officer at TalkTalk, knows this firsthand.

Whilst reflecting on completing a Level 7 Data Science & AI apprenticeship while working full-time, Kevin explains how the skills he developed through that programme helped rescue a high-risk project and build an entire department from the ground up.

His advice: keep an open mind and invest in yourself. It's not easy. But it pays back big dividends.

🎧 Full episode in the comments.

Gaining a broader appreciation of how data impacts an organisation can change the way work is prioritised and delivered.

The apprenticeship helps shift the focus from simply delivering work to understanding the wider impact it can have across the organisation.

By encouraging conversations with business analysts and stakeholders, it supports a more outcome-driven approach, helping teams better understand priorities and deliver work that creates real value.

We marked the start of summer in the best way by bringing the Cambridge Spark team together for our Summer Event 2026 at the beautiful De Vere Latimer Estate.

From great conversations to shared laughs and time spent connecting outside the day-to-day, it was a brilliant reminder of the people and energy behind Cambridge Spark.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so memorable.

Here’s to summer, team spirit and many more moments like this.

One conversation. Three lessons every AI leader needs to hear.

One: In a world moving this fast, it is easy to get swept up in the technology. AI, agents, LLMs, whatever comes next. But the leaders who are actually winning are the ones who keep pulling the conversation back to business outcomes. What does this do for my function? How do I measure it? What does good actually look like?

AI fluency matters. But only when it is in service of that question.

Two: Transformation is a balancing act. You have to raise the floor, fix the foundations, and do the hard, unglamorous work. And you have to raise the ceiling at the same time, give people tools, show progress, and keep the organisation moving. Neither on its own is enough.

Three: This one stuck with us. Most organisations have not spent nearly enough time understanding the true cost of their own processes before they try to automate them. Labour, contractors, IT, vendor spend – all of it. Without that baseline, you cannot build a credible business case. And without a credible business case, you cannot evidence the value when AI delivers it.

Understand your processes first. Then go on the journey.

The full episode of Data and AI Mastery with Richard Moule is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Links in the comments.

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