Events

Last weekAmazon Web Services(AWS) teamed up with Harvey Nash to host over 100 digital leaders to engage in a discussion focused on the frontier of autonomy. As we start to grapple with the impact of AI and robotics it feels more important than ever to dive into the topic with our community.

Our organisation Nash Squared were delighted to host a pre-launch event of the Digital Leadership Report 2023 at the House of Commons. Attended by over 120 members of parliament, government officials, business and technology leaders the event provided a brilliant opportunity to explore and discuss this years report’s key findings and insights. The event featured speeches from the following; Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, who kindly hosted the event and introduced the report. Bev White, CEO of our organisation Nash Squared, who highlighted the longevity of the report, now it’s in 25th year and the key findings and insights. Bev also commented: “Technology is increasingly affecting everything around us, and as the digital leadership report celebrates its 25th year I am delighted this event drew such a wide and diverse range of influential business leaders and parliamentarians” Paul Scully MP, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, who referred to the report as ‘very important’ emphasising how every minister should read it. Charlotte Baldwin, CDIO, Costa part of Coca Cola Group, who gave a passionate and inspiring speech on diversity in technology to help inspire the next generation of talent. And who also highlighted the worrying gender diversity figures that this years report has found. Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, shared her extensive experience within the technology sector and the need for us to listen to the report findings. The Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report In its 25th year of publication, the 2023 Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report is the world’s largest and longest running survey of senior technology decision makers. Launched in 1998 and previously called the CIO Survey, it has been an influential and respected indicator of major trends in technology and digital for over two decades. This year a survey of 2,104 technology/digital leaders globally took place between 22nd June 2023 and 18th September 2023, across 86 countries. The event was very well received and we were delighted so many influential individuals could attend and spread the Digital Leadership Report findings. We would like to extend our thanks to all who attended as well as Dame Caroline Dinenage MP for hosting. To view photographs from the event please visit our photo album.

We were delighted to recently host our 2nd Data Alliance Meet-up in Dublin, led by our Data Specialist Consultant, Marina Saric. It was great to bring together a range of Data experts from across Dublin to discuss the dynamic world of data, the event mainly focused on how to improve and enable a more effective data journey using new innovative tools and methods. The attendees discussed interesting topics presented by speakers Hrvoje (Harvey) Smolic, Vaibhav Oberoi, and Unal Erbayraktar. The discussions revolved around Data Maturity and the application of predictive data using AI tools, modern-day Data Migration tools, and Microsoft Fabrics' effectiveness compared to other tools. Hrvoje (Harvey) Smolic opened the event by explaining how AI can contribute to Data Maturity. He emphasised the need to move from the traditional historical data analysis method to a more dynamic method involving predictive data. By applying AI to predict future leads and customer behaviour, businesses can work more efficiently and cost-effectively. This method was well-received by attendees, who asked questions and saw the benefits of working more efficiently for their clients. Vaibhav Oberoi presented on Data Migration using modern-day data tools. He explained that the process can be more effective by applying a clear data journey, starting from raw data and transforming it using ETL methods from Data Lakes to Data Warehouses using Snowflake and how the tool is evolving and providing greater productivity than competitors. Vaibhav gave valuable insights from his career journey and advised participants to "create expectations on the data" to allow more effectiveness in the data journey. Attendees shared their experiences on where an ELT method could be more beneficial than an ETL method and the effective tools for data transformation. Unal Erbayraktar discussed how the new Microsoft Fabrics can be a game-changer compared to older versions of Microsoft products and competitors' tools such as Databricks and Snowflake. Attendees who haven't used the technology were curious about how it compares with traditional and more widely-used tools. The Data experts at the event emphasised the importance of using new technologies to work more efficiently and cost-effectively. They encouraged everyone to explore different methods and tools and experiment to find what works best for them. The discussions made it clear that data professionals are interested in using new technologies to drive efficiencies not only for themselves but also for their clients. We would like to extend our thanks to all who attended the event despite a gloomy Autumn evening allowing us to grow and expand the Data community in Dublin. Also, a massive thanks to our speakers who were informative and engaging. If you are interested in getting involved in any future events in the Data space, please reach out to the team at Harvey Nash Ireland. Find out more about our speakers Hrvoje Smolic is the founder and CEO of Graphite Note a Predictive Analytics, Auto ML, and Data Storytelling Platform. Graphite runs Predictive Analytics algorithms on raw data to provide objective data patterns that humans cannot detect, to increase lead conversion, help optimise marketing spend and reduce customer churn by highlighting characteristics of churn ahead of time. They deliver this in the platform by combining visuals and narrative to share insights so everyone can understand it. Hrvoje gave a talk titled- Navigating the data analytics maturity curve: real-world insights’. Vaibhav Oberoi is a Senior data Engineer at Optum which is a health services and innovation company on a mission to help people live healthier lives and to help make the health system work better for everyone. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, is powering modern health care by connecting and serving the whole health system across 150 countries. They combine cutting-edge technology, the world’s largest health care database and vast expertise to improve health care delivery, quality and efficiency. Vaibhav, kindly presented a talk around ‘Data migration- using modern day tools.’ Unal Erbayraktar is a data solution architect at Transact Campus after spending being a SQL / DW / BI Developer at Sun Life Financial and spending over 5 years at the Kerry Group. Unal provided a talk during this event around ‘Microsoft Fabric, is it a game-changer?’. Marina Saric is a Recruitment Consultant within the Data/AI/ML space of Technology Recruitment at Harvey Nash Ireland. Since starting her recruiting career, she has facilitated the job search for many professionals, successfully delivering for diverse roles within the Technology space, from Junior to Director level positions. Her primary focus lies in the Data area, encompassing Data Engineering, Data Science, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence.

An invitation from the Department for Education & Nash Squared 14:30-16:30, Monday 16th October 3 Noble Street, London, EC2V 7EE Register here for the event. Nash Squared is excited to announce a new partnership with the Department for Education to support our mission to build the UK’s tech talent pipeline Last year’s annualDigital Leadership Report found 70% of tech leaders feel that a skills shortage prevents them from keeping up with the pace of change; the highest we have seen since we started reporting 24 years ago. The three most desired skillsets within tech are cybersecurity experts, big data analysts, and technical architects, meaning the competition for talent is higher than ever. That is why we are proud to be working with the Department for Education on T Levels – the next level qualification designed to catapult young people into the careers of tomorrow. T Levels are a rigorous further education route that allows young people between the ages of 16 and 19 to specialise in skills such as cyber security and software design through both academic study and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours – approximately 45 days. The placement is at the heart of each T Level course. For students, it allows them to experience the world of work and put into practice the skills they have developed at school or college. For employers, it gives them early access to the very brightest young talent, helping to fill skills gaps and allowing them to inspire and shape the future of their industry. Nash Squared has been part of an influential group of employers involved in the development of the curriculum for the cyber security T Level pathway, and we are now excited to be taking our relationships with the Department for Education further as we help to build the number of employers offering T Level placements in England. We are therefore delighted to invite you to our official launch event on Monday 16th October from 14:30-16:30 at 3 Noble Street, EC2V 7EE, our City of London headquarters. This event will be an opportunity to hear more about the government’s plans for digital skills, including T Levels, the role you can play as an employer in supporting this, and how engagement in early talent development will help you get ahead of the game when it comes to filling your skills gaps and make you a more attractive and competitive employer. It will also be a chance to network with senior government figures, and high-profile members of London and the South East’s tech economy. The Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, The Rt Hon. Robert Halfon MP, has confirmed his attendance. At a time when our industry is in desperate need of a sustainable solution to the talent shortage, Nash Squared is proud to be partnering with the Department for Education to bring together policy makers and tech employers from across the country to create a solution to this. We hope to see you on 16th October to find out more. Agenda 14:30 Arrival and networking 15:00 Minister of State address 15:15 Panel discussion on T Levels 15:35 Q&A 15:50 Coffee & cakes, networking 16:30 End Register here for the event.

We were delighted to host our first ever Harvey Nash Newcastle Data event, ‘Demystifying Data’, led by Consultant, Rachael Whitburn. The event was a huge success and was attended by Data Leaders from all over the North-East. We invited two guest speakers, who presented around several discussion topics for the evening, such as AI, data governance and data literacy. Our first speaker of the evening was Andrew Blance, an Innovation Consultant at a leading North-East based IT consultancy company. He is also a member of the Institute of Data Science at Durham University and holds a PHD in Data Intensive Science. Andrew explored the challenges and opportunities around AI, while highlighting the importance of responsibility and practicality in a data-driven world. He expressed how fully understanding AI today is pivotal, and emphasised the impact AI has on human resources. After Andrew’s speech, we had an interval for guests before our second speaker of the evening. The break allowed time for our guests to enjoy the complimentary food and drinks, and also discuss their thoughts on Andrew’s presentation. Following our break, Kevin Marsden, our second and final guest speaker for the evening, began his presentation. Kevin is an Information Architect at a national housing association based in Newcastle. He is at the forefront of devising their data strategy and provided practical takeaways during his presentation. During his speech, Kevin highlighted the importance of data literacy and data governance. He presented vital skills for navigating the data landscape responsibly and showcased how to properly utilise data and how it can be used effectively within an organisation. Two key takeaways for the evening: The importance of on-going learning across an organisation regarding data literacy and introducing new ways of making this happen. For example creating an academy or game to assist with this. Taking responsibility for how AI impacts sustainability. Overall, our evening at the Supernatural Café was incredible. The gorgeous venue provided an amazing ambience and great food, while our speakers drove many interesting discussions with Data Leaders from across the North-East. We would like to extend our thanks to all who attended the event and we look forward to hosting future discussions. If you are interested in getting involved in any future events, please reach out to the team based in Newcastle or directly with Rachael Whitburn.