In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Dan Thornton sits down with Kevin Cassar, Chief Data & AI Officer at TalkTalk to unpack what “AI readiness” really means in practice.

Kevin shares his unconventional journey from equity analyst to enterprise AI leader, and the hard-earned lessons that shaped his focus on business value, risk management, and customer outcomes. Together they explore Kevin’s five pillars of AI readiness — aligning on value, building strong data and tech foundations, putting governance and ethics in place, evolving the operating model from POC to production, and creating the culture shift needed to scale AI responsibly.

The conversation dives into real-world examples, including using AI to spot risk across thousands of regulated firms, improving healthcare outcomes through smarter triage, and practical ways to make AI empowering for frontline teams. If you’re a data or business leader trying to move from experimentation to measurable impact, this episode is packed with frameworks, war stories, and actionable advice.

In this episode, we dive into the world of retail and explore how Domino's Pizza UK&I is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform its operations and customer experience.

Join host Andy Davis as he sits down with Antony Bradshaw, Head of Digital Data and Analytics at Domino's Pizza UK&I. Antony shares his insights on:

The AI Journey at Domino's: How the company is moving from data-informed to AI-driven.

Real-World Use Cases: From optimising store operations to personalising marketing campaigns.

The Power of DataBricks: How the platform enables Domino's to scale its AI initiatives.

Building an AI-Ready Culture: The importance of people, process, and technology in successful AI adoption.

The Future of AI in Retail: Key trends and opportunities Antony sees on the horizon.

Whether you're a data professional, business leader, or simply curious about the future of AI, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical examples from a leading global brand.

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Dan Thornton sits down with Richard Shaw, Technical General Manager for UK & Ireland at Databricks, to explore what it really takes for organisations to become AI-ready. With over six years at Databricks, Richard shares a behind-the-scenes view of scaling a cloud-native platform from startup roots to a global data and AI powerhouse.

The conversation dives into how Databricks partners with customers beyond technology, helping them navigate cultural change, skills gaps, and data maturity on their AI journeys. The episode also covers how Databricks works with partners at scale, keeps teams continuously upskilled, and uses its own platform internally to innovate faster. Packed with real-world insights from the front line, this is a must-listen for data leaders and executives looking to turn AI ambition into business impact.