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Newsletter - September 2025
Welcome to our monthly newsletter - top news picks and exclusive updates from the team at DAMA UK.
Dear Data People
The nights are drawing in, and there’s a chill in the air… It’s September, and we can’t shake off that familiar “back to school” feeling. So why not grab a coffee, embrace it and catch up on all the latest from DAMA UK?
Exciting things are going on! We have our very first DAMA event in Northern Ireland coming up, plus your chance to join the action at Leeds Digital Festival. In Europe, the IRM UK: Data & AI Conference 2025 promises five days of insights, innovation, and real-world case studies. And if something bite-sized but equally eye-opening is more your thing, check out our upcoming October webinars.
We’re also delighted to welcome our newest sponsor, Semarchy, and share all the top picks, highlights, and insights from the last few weeks. So, grab a mug of pumpkin spice, choose which events you'll be going to, and get inspired by the ideas shaping the future of data and AI!
Top Picks from the last few weeks
Why Your Modern Data Stack Might Be Missing the Point
The allure of a modern data stack can certainly overshadow the foundational work of a true strategy.
Sebastian Hewing highlights a very common and critical challenge many organisations face… Confusing the implementation of tools with a well-defined strategy!
The simple, yet powerful question, "What decision will be easier after this is done?" serves as a great reminder throughout any data initiatives that it's business impact that should be measured, not how many dashboards can be created!
Great post, Sebastian. 🙌
Why Data Governance and Risk Aren't Polar Opposites
Businesses often treat data governance and risk separately: one about control, the other about compliance. But both exist to solve the same challenge. Protecting organisational knowledge and enabling better decisions in uncertain times.
In our latest blog, we share a 4-step checklist for integrating governance and risk without falling into the trap of bloated tech or costly frameworks.
Find out how mature integration means collaboration, resilience, and smarter decisions that won’t break the bank. 👇
Driving Real Businesss Growth with AI
AI has quickly become the headline act in almost every boardroom conversation. Leaders see it as the tool that will unlock efficiency, agility, and most importantly, growth. And they’re not wrong!
When used correctly, AI absolutely has the power to grow businesses. For data professionals working with businesses, the best thing you can do to support this is to listen closely.👂
Understanding AI from a business-oriented perspective matters because if you know the lens through which leaders see AI, you can meet them where they are. 🤝
Check out the last post in our AI series, sharing insights from Quantexa’s info-packed report all about AI and its growing role in business decisions.
Dive in
Welcome to Semarchy!
We’re excited to announce that Semarchy has joined DAMA UK as our newest sponsor! Semarchy’s AI-powered platform helps teams get their data in order. They clean it up, connect it across systems, and turn it into insights everyone can rely on.
This partnership marks an exciting step forward as we continue to grow our community and create opportunities to explore new ideas and innovations together. We can't wait to work with Semarchy to support our members on their data management journey!
👉Learn more about Semarchy here: https://semarchy.com/
Diary Dates
DAMA UK is sponsoring this year’s Data Crowd Event, taking place on Thursday 2 October 2025 at the Flutter Leeds Office as part of Leeds Digital Festival.
Join us for an afternoon packed with exploration, challenge, and connection, as we tackle the real opportunities (and the hard truths) of putting data and AI into practice. A fantastic chance for our members to attend another major event in the North this year.
👉 Don’t miss it! Secure your place here
IRM UK: DATA & AI Conference Europe 2025, October 13-17
📢 Nicola Askham will be speaking at IRM UK’s Data & AI Conference Europe 2025!
Come meet us in London from 13–17 October for five days packed with insights, innovation, and real-world case studies from global leaders in data, AI, and analytics. Don’t forget, you can save 10% with code SPKR10 when you book your place.
Register here
We’re also giving contributors the chance to share their expertise with the wider community:
- Write a short blog post (500–1000 words) linked to your session theme
- Take part in a quick written Q&A to highlight your key takeaways
Your contribution could be featured across our website, newsletters, and on LinkedIn. A great way to make your voice heard and connect with fellow data professionals!
We look forward to welcoming you to London for the Data & AI Conference Europe 2025.
See you in October!
DAMA UK & DAMA Ireland Joint Event - 28 October, Belfast
We’re thrilled to announce The AI Dataverse: Navigating the New Frontier — the very first DAMA event in Northern Ireland! Jointly hosted by DAMA Ireland and DAMA UK, and generously supported by the Bank of Ireland. This free, in-person conference will take place on Tuesday 28th October 2025 at the Bank of Ireland’s Donegall Square offices in Belfast, 9.30am-4.30pm, followed by a networking reception sponsored by BearingPoint.
Please join us at this special one-day event bringing together leading voices from Bank of Ireland, BearingPoint, Royal London Insurance, Elsevier, Castlebridge, Queen’s University, and more to explore the world of AI and data management. Through keynotes, case studies, lightning talks, and panel discussions, we’ll explore best practices, real-world success stories, and how AI is shaping new opportunities for data professionals across the UK and Ireland.
👉Places are limited, so register early to secure your spot at this landmark event for the data community in Northern Ireland
📢 How AI is Changing the Way We Think About Data Management
Open Webinar - Thursday 3 October, 12:30pm GMT
AI is reshaping data management, but not always in the way the hype would have us believe. In this free webinar, join Ben Clinch (Partner at Ortecha and recognised data & AI thought leader) for a fireside chat that cuts through the noise and focuses on the real opportunities.
We’ll explore when AI is truly fit for purpose, how to avoid swapping data silos for “insight silos,” and the common thought traps (yes, even Nobel laureates fall into them!) that can derail strategy. If you want a clear, practical perspective on how AI can add real value to your data practices, this session is for you.
👉 Register here to secure your place
Open Webinar 📢 Practical AI for Data Management: Scaling Delivery, Insights, and Business Value
Friday 31 October, 12:30pm GMT
Discover how to use AI to make data management faster and more impactful! Join Amardeep Lidder, DAMA UK member and CDMP, for this free webinar exploring how AI can help teams scale delivery, generate insights, and drive real business value. He'll share real-life examples across data quality, engineering, and insight generation, showing how AI can further what your team can do with the resources you already have.
Amardeep will also cover how workflows and roles are evolving with AI, how to design initiatives around business users, and ways to embed trust and governance while staying delivery-focused. Unmissable guidance and advice for all data professionals.
Did you miss any of our recent webinars?
Each of our webinars addresses a specific aspect of data management or the challenges and opportunities facing us data practitioners. They’re hugely popular and valuable so, if you didn’t catch them all, why not take a look at our fantastic archive here 👉 DAMA UK - Events.
Sponsors
Finally, we would like to say a HUGE thank you to our brilliant sponsors, who support DAMA UK on our mission to nurture a talented community of data professionals championing the value of data management across the UK.
