The Next Horizon: What Cynozure's 2026 Data & AI Report Reveals

About this episode

Jason Foster and Pete Williams discuss the findings of Cynozure's 2026 Data & AI Report and the challenges of demonstrating value in data teams.

In this episode of Hub & Spoken, Jason Foster, CEO & Founder of Cynozure, is joined by returning guest Pete Williams, former Director of Data at Penguin Random House, to discuss the findings of Cynozure's 2026 report, The Next Horizon: Data, AI and Impact. Drawing on insights from senior data and analytics leaders, they explore a persistent challenge: while expectations of data teams have shifted towards impact, investment often remains focused on platforms and foundations. Jason and Pete reflect on why demonstrating value is still difficult, what the report reveals about priorities, decision-making and data leadership, and the gap between having data and using it effectively. Read the full report to explore what Cynozure's 2026 Data & AI research reveals about turning capability into value. 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…

People in this episode

Host: Jason Foster

Guest: Pete Williams

Topics covered

• data strategy
• AI impact
• data leadership
• analytics
• investment in data

Keywords

• data teams
• AI report
• Cynozure
• data leadership
• analytics insights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cynozure, Penguin Random House, DataIQ

Books & works: The Next Horizon: Data, AI and Impact, Cynozure's 2026 Data & AI Report

More episodes of Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy

• Can AI improve social mobility or deepen inequality? · June 11, 2026 · 35 min
• The human side of AI: building customer-centricity at scale · May 28, 2026 · 38 min
• AI, algorithms and the future of the internet business model · May 14, 2026 · 38 min
• A data and AI time capsule: what's changed, what hasn't and what comes next · April 30, 2026 · 53 min
• Building data and AI capability inside the UK's data regulator · April 16, 2026 · 46 min
• Data, cyber and the business of defence: lessons in leadership and capability · April 2, 2026 · 49 min