Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy

In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Tom Spencer, Director of Customer Data Sciences at Aviva, about what it takes to build a genuinely customer-centric organisation using data and AI.
 
Tom shares how Aviva is using customer analytics, machine learning and emerging AI technologies to improve customer relevance, strengthen retention and create more joined-up experiences across millions of customers and multiple product lines. The conversation explores how large organisations can connect data strategy directly to business outcomes through experimentation, targeting intelligence and faster feedback loops.
 
The episode also looks at the operational realities behind the ambition: legacy systems, fragmented journeys, data foundations and the importance of strong partnerships between data teams and the wider business.
 
Tom reflects on how generative AI is changing customer expectations and why organisations that succeed will be those with the strongest understanding of their customers.
 
🎧 Tune in to hear the full conversation.
Cynozure is a leading data, analytics and AI company that helps organisations to reach their data potential. It works with clients on data and AI strategy, data management, data architecture and engineering, analytics and AI, data culture and literacy, and data leadership. The company was named one of The Sunday Times' fastest-growing private companies in both 2022 and 2023 and recognised as The Best Place to Work in Data by DataIQ in 2023 and 2024. Cynozure is a certified B Corporation.

In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Alessandra Di Lorenzo, advisor to CMOs, author of Adjust and TEDx speaker, about how AI is reshaping the internet business model.
They explore the rise of zero-click search, recommendation engines and feed-based commerce, and discuss why brand trust, direct traffic and consumer awareness are becoming more important as AI increasingly acts as a gatekeeper between brands and audiences.
For senior business and technology leaders, this episode offers a timely perspective on what happens when the economics of the internet start to change.
Cynozure is a leading data, analytics and AI company that helps organisations to reach their data potential. It works with clients on data and AI strategy, data management, data architecture and engineering, analytics and AI, data culture and literacy, and data leadership. The company was named one of The Sunday Times' fastest-growing private companies in both 2022 and 2023 and recognised as The Best Place to Work in Data by DataIQ in 2023 and 2024. Cynozure is a certified B Corporation.

In this special 10th anniversary episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, creates a time capsule for the data and AI industry: looking back at the last decade, reflecting on where we are today and exploring what the next ten years could bring.
*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-69f1c83d-7674-832c-9e33-72c071e1792e-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-38" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Drawing on voices from people who have seen the shifts, lived the challenges and done the work, Jason explores what the industry got right, where expectations have run ahead of reality and what still matters when it comes to creating value from data and AI.






The episode explores AI's rise in the boardroom, the speed of experimentation, the challenge of moving from proof of concept to production and the growing importance of humans in the loop. But it also comes back to the fundamentals that continue to shape success: business outcomes, data quality, governance, adoption, trust, culture and leadership.
It is a chance to pause, take stock and ask what we know to be true now, and where we think things are headed. And, for anyone listening in 2036, to see what we got right and what we got wrong.

What does it take to build a modern data and AI capability inside the organisation responsible for protecting information rights across the UK?
 
In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Rob Holtom, Executive Director for Digital, Data, Technology and Customer Experience at the ICO, the UK's independent regulator for information rights.
 
Together, they explore what it means to lead data and AI adoption from inside a regulator: balancing innovation with public trust, building capability without losing sight of value, and creating space for experimentation while staying grounded in responsibility.
 
Rob shares how the ICO has approached capability building by starting with people, developing strategic as well as operational skills, and using data and AI to improve scale, efficiency and decision-making. The conversation also looks at why generative AI matters for regulators, where it can unlock value, and why data teams need to stay closely involved rather than treating it as someone else's problem.
 
This is a practical conversation about leadership, policy, experimentation and the reality of using data well in complex organisations.

In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO and Founder of Cynozure, speaks with Lieutenant General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes KCB CBE, Former Deputy Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command at the Ministry of Defence.
 
Lieutenant General Sir Tom shares his journey from a traditional infantry career through deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to leading one of the UK's most important cyber and data capabilities. Drawing on decades of operational experience, he explains how the realities of modern conflict have reshaped the role of data, technology and cyber across defence.
 
The conversation explores how defence is adapting to a world where information moves faster than ever, where data can shape decisions both on and off the battlefield, and where cyber capability is now central to national resilience.
 
Lieutenant General Sir Tom also discusses the leadership challenge of building capability in this environment: attracting and retaining scarce technical talent, evolving culture and incentives, and recognising that the success of technology and data ultimately depends on people.
 
A fascinating look at the intersection of defence, cyber and data and the leadership lessons that apply far beyond the military.