Key takeaways from the 2025/26 Thorogood Data & AI Update Events

In this session, Trevor Jones moves past the AI noise to focus on real business value and the massive investments driving the technology. We explore why success depends on practical application, not inflated expectations. Learn why Generative AI enriches existing capabilities, making its successful adoption reliant on robust Data Engineering and a modern Data Platform to effectively leverage your organization’s unique data for competitive advantage.

In this session, Andrew Kennedy addresses the crucial enterprise decision: use an existing AI co-pilot (like Microsoft 365 or Fabric Copilot) or build a custom, bespoke AI application? We explore the spectrum of AI tools, from off-the-shelf general assistants to tailored internal platforms, contrasting their speed, cost models, control, and integration capabilities. Learn how to navigate the trade-offs in security, customization, and optionality to strategically choose the right AI path – whether aiming for wide, incremental user value or deep, process-revolutionizing automation – for your organization.

Discover how a hospitality organization struggled with slow data access and reporting despite using Power BI. In this session, Andy Lazenby explores leveraging the Medallion Lakehouse Architecture to establish a single source of truth. Learn how modern platforms like Microsoft Fabric empower business teams with integrated, low-code tools and AI capabilities, shifting data engineering and science from central IT to the users for faster, more comprehensive insights and better governance.

Join James Leonard (Thorogood) and Trevor Hebron (Head of Data at Apollo Underwriting) as they share Apollo’s journey to build a modern data platform and data-led culture. Specializing in the Lloyd’s market, Apollo faced the challenge of extracting critical insights from vast, complex, and unstructured documents like claims reports and emails. Learn how they leveraged their new Azure and Databricks platform and a custom Generative AI solution to successfully tackle this problem, driving significant operational efficiency and unlocking new analytical value across the business.

In this session, Jai Pradhan demonstrates how a global CPG company now finds dashboard insights faster by leveraging Artificial Intelligence. We explain the challenges the customer faced in navigating poorly governed reporting estates and showcase a solution that uses AI to understand user questions and instantly match them to the most relevant dashboards. Discover how this innovation maximizes existing report investments, reduces reliance on data teams, and drives faster, more accurate business decisions.

In this session, Sudharshan Ramani introduces intelligent agents that can reason, plan, and take autonomous action across complex business workflows. He grounds this powerful concept in a detailed, real-world case study: automating a laborious, manual procurement process for a global CPG company. Learn the difference between simple automation and where Agentic AI truly excels. Sudharshan will also share the phased implementation strategy and the technical architecture that brings these agents to life. Discover key considerations for selecting the right processes, ensuring data readiness, and managing change to successfully deploy Agentic AI and unlock significant operational value.