2025 Shortlist

Who it’s for: Teams or organisations that demonstrate excellence in managing data quality, security, compliance, and ethical AI usage to drive innovation and operational effectiveness.

FINALISTS:

• Aviva Best Data Governance with AI Initiative 
• Lloyds Banking Group Evolution of Ownership with AI
• Mead Johnson & Company, LLC Reckitt DART - Data Analytics with Reliability and Trust 
• NatWest and Version 1 AI Governance Programme 
• ReachPLC AI Enablement at Reach
• Veolia Breaking the Sisyphus Curse: Veolia’s AI-Powered Data Governance Revolution
  

Who it’s for: Any organisation that is demonstrating and/or championing a responsible approach to the use of AI in a programme.

FINALISTS:

• Admiral Group Responsible AI 
• AXA AI Framework
• Barclays UK Ensuring Fairness and Transparency in AI through Robust Model Governance
• British Airways Revolutionising Airline Safety 
• Lloyds Banking Group Responsible AI Programme
• National Grid Responsible AI 
• NatWest Group Leapfrog
• News UK Scaling AI with Confidence: News Transcribe & AI Guardrails Initiative 
• Veolia The Leader of Ecological AI
• Westpac Driving safe and scaled responsible AI innovation
  

Who it’s for: Any organisation which can show it has achieved significant uplift against a target metric or progress towards a specific goal through the application of data or AI.

FINALISTS:

• BDO Data Driven Tax Transformation 
• Carwow & WeDiscover Driving Value with Predictive ML 
• Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland Ltd Precision Forecasting AI Transforms Operations for 1,300-Store Franchise Network 
• Entain Transforming Global Performance Through Unified Analytics and AI Readiness
• Jaguar Land Rover Intent-Score Signal Use In Programmatic Media 
• Lebara From Warehouse, to Lakehouse, to AI 
• Nestlé, WPP Marketing Data Foundation & Analytics 
• OLIVER & Pets at Home AI Heartstrings: How Pets at Home revolutionised Valentine’s Day 
• Openreach Fleet Surplus Reporting
• Trilateral Research & MHRA Protecting Public Health: AI Innovation in Online Pharmaceutical Crime
• Veolia AI for Energy Recovery Facilities at Veolia 

Who it’s for : Beyond profit, having a social purpose or aiming to apply AI or data resources to the benefit of everyone is what makes for a hero organisation.

FINALISTS:

• Aston University Data with Purpose: Aston’s Vision for Social Mobility
• BAE Systems Plc Safeguarding Children, SeaCAT Project
• Cafcass & Version 1 Scribe: Transforming Communication with AI for Better Child and Family Support 
• FTI Consulting & the UK's Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Project Flame & Spark D&A Team
• Kubrick & Women in Data Harnessing GenAI for Women’s Health Research 
• National Grid Dark Data
• NatWest Group Data Fusion
• Nectar360 & Severn Trent Using the power of customer data and collaboration to reduce overall water consumption 
• Nuffield Health How Nuffield Health’s ‘Programmes for All’ are addressing unmet healthcare needs
• Bright Data & The Molly Rose Foundation The Bright Initiative 
• The FA Creating Football Opportunities for all through Data
• The Pensions Regulator & Cynozure Harnessing Data & AI for Societal Impact
  

Who it’s for: An application of artificial intelligence, machine learning or automation to introduce a new approach or service.

FINALISTS:

• Aviva Most Innovative Use of AI
• Direct Line Group CIA: Gen AI Customer Insights Accelerator 
• E.ON UK Accelerate AI Platform: Democratising the Use of Enterprise AI Assistants
• Haleon Transforming Insights: Haleon’s AI-Driven Approach to Elevate Consumer Relations and Drive Strategic Growth 
• Merkle Creative Feedback at the Speed of Thought 
• NatWest Group Complaints Final Response Editor (Letter Generation)
• Notting Hill Genesis Innovating for Tenants: Property maintenance through AI in Social Housing
• ReachPLC Guten 
• The AA Vixa: Proactive Car Care
• The Open University AskOU
  

Who it’s for: An application of artificial intelligence, machine learning or automation to introduce a new approach or service.

FINALISTS:

• Allianz Türkiye Customer Value Management Project
• Blend & Inizio Medical MSL Interact: Accelerating Field Readiness for Medical Science Liaisons
• Burberry Limited Supercharging Customer Service with Penguin, Burberry’s Innovative AI-driven Assistant 
• Destination Canada Traveller Twin: Transforming Tourism Marketing Intelligence from Insights to Interaction
• Mead Johnson & Company, LLC - Reckitt Agentic AI Ops
• The HEINEKEN Company & IBM HEINY: Global Metadata Launchpad for easy Data Mapping and powerful Connected Data 
• WNS Multi-agent system to revolutionize complex research

Who it’s for: Any organisation that has achieved significant outcomes or culture change through deploying AI.

FINALISTS:

• Allianz Türkiye Smart STP (Smart Straight to Process)
• Aviva Transformation with Data and AI
• EDF UK Data and AI: Helping Britain Achieve Net Zero 
• E.ON UK E.ON Next AI Virtual Assistant 
• Haleon Transforming Haleon with HaleonTranslate: Revolutionizing Translation through AI
• NatWest Group Aiden 
• ReachPLC Reach Data Engineering team - powering data and AI-led transformation
  

Who it’s for: Any global organisations that have achieved significant outcomes or culture change through deploying AI.

FINALISTS:

• Destination Canada Redefining Tourism with Data and AI: The Canadian Tourism Data Collective
• Informa Elysia a comprehensive GenAI platform
• Mead Johnson & Company, LLC – Reckitt Nautilus powered by Creative Intelligence
• The British Council The Eva App: Transforming the Value of Research & Evaluation with AI 

Who it’s for: Any organisation that has achieved significant outcomes or culture change through deploying data.

FINALISTS:

• Arts Council England Illuminating the arts and culture sector through data
• Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland Ltd From Data Distrust to Digital Dominance: Domino’s Remarkable Data Transformation Journey 
• E.ON UK PropSol - Grunenthal First...data migration & AI experimentation... then the world!!!
• Lebara Data Warehouse to Lakehouse to AI
• NatWest Group Modernising Customer Engagement with a Strategic Data Model
• NatWest Group Fraud Telephony Routing Release
• OLIVER & Informa Revolutionising Informa’s Flagship Pharmaceutical Event
• UK Power Networks Intelligent Connections Triage System
  
  

Who it’s for: Any global organisations that have achieved significant outcomes or culture change through deploying data.

FINALISTS:

• Burberry Limited Redefining Customer Engagement Through AI and Data Science
• Henkel Adhesives Technologies VISIBLE, BETTER, SMARTER - How Data Transformed Our Customer Journey and Powers an Amazing Customer Experience 
• Meta Platforms DS in business decision making 
• Nestlé, WPP Marketing Data Foundation & Analytics 
• SMBC EMEA Japanese proverb ”Three years on a stone” means perseverance will be rewarded, and importance of patience and dedication.
  

Who it’s for: The EU AI Act emphasises AI literacy across organisations. This award recognises brands fostering AI understanding at all business levels ahead of the February 2025 requirement and beyond.

FINALISTS:

• Aviva Best AI Literacy Initiative
• Lloyds Banking Group Leading with AI
• Ofgem Ofgem Data & AI Literacy Initiative 
• Scottish AI Alliance Living with AI 
• The Financial Times Leading with AI Literacy at the FT 
• UK Power Networks Bolstering our back-office workforce with Microsoft 365 Copilot rollout
  

Who it’s for: Brands operating across EMEA face complex cultural, ethical, and legal challenges in data use and AI. This award celebrates those that have excelled in cross-regional collaboration to deliver data-driven or AI-powered services.

FINALISTS:

• Admiral Group Data & AI Collaboration across Group entities 
• Axpo DnA Platform Implementation
• Nestlé, WPP Nestlé: Marketing Data Foundation & Analytics 
• Veolia Data-Powered Transformation of Global Plastic Recycling
  

Who it’s for: Any programme that is focused on building data skills and a data-first mindset.

FINALISTS:

• Aston University Powering a Data-Confident Future: Aston’s Integrated Academy Approach 
• AXA Empowering our People, Unlocking our AI Future Together
• Direct Line Group DLG’s Data Academy - Insuring Data Excellence
• Entain The Business of Better Decisions: Entain’s Data Academy in Action 
• Lebara Data Ventures Literacy Programme 
• Lloyds Banking Group Data Vault - The Data Escape Room
• Lloyds Banking Group BOOSTing Data Literacy (where it’s least expected)
• Love Energy Savings LOVE Data Academy 
• Nuffield Health Nuffield Health’s Data Academy with Multiverse
• Sheffield City Council Empowering a Workforce to Lead with Data and AI 
• The Financial Times Data & AI Fluency at the FT: A Changing Programme for a Changing World
• Veolia Veolia’s global data transformation plan
  

Who it’s for: Effective examples of how data insights have been communicated through story-telling or visualisation.

FINALISTS:

• British Airways Every Second Counts
• BT Active Intelligence Cities after dark: Shining a light on the 24-hour economy
• Entain Growing Together: Visualising Business Impact with Goal Trees 
• Jaguar Land Rover Variable Profit Continuum
• LADbible Group From a vibe content has done well, to a robust effectiveness visualisation
• Lilly Pharmaceuticals and CorEvitas Diabetes Patient Insight Storyboard
• Nuffield Health Putting patient and planet first: How Nuffield Health secured buy-in for more sustainable business
• Superdrug Democratising Insight: Dashboard Central and Shopper Missions
  

Who it’s for: Any data and AI team or project that won the hearts and minds of its sponsor or stakeholder.

FINALISTS:

• AXA GenAI Call Summarisation
• Boots and Moderna Boots x Moderna - A perfect partnership
• Coventry Building Society Data Governance
• E.ON UK Supporting Neurodiversity and Wellbeing with M365 Copilot
• Landsec Raising the benchmark for stakeholder engagement
• Veolia Improving Global Procurement Efficiency Through Data Automation
  

Who it’s for: A cultural change that was driven by data and has significantly increased its adoption by stakeholders and data consumers.

FINALISTS:

• BT Active Intelligence Road insights - Understanding the use of road diversions
• Haleon & Ekimetrics Haleon: Embedding a global approach to marketing effectiveness for 1000+ marketers 
• IAG Cargo London Heathrow Operations Management 
• NatWest Arago Programme 
• News UK Fewer, better stories: How Times Editorial Data (TED) transformed a newsroom 
• Orange France New Ways of Working with Data at Orange: Finance and Network Division 
• RBS International RBSI’s Data Science Team
• Royal London Insight-led decisions for good customer outcomes
• RSA Insurance Tradition meets transformation: rewriting the rules of value
• Wood for Trees, part of Salocin Group & Cats Protection Golden Record – a cat-alyst for change
• Superdrug & Geolytix Geolytix x Superdrug Collaboration: The Property Project
• UK Power Networks Turbocharging our digitalisation evolution through Triage
  

Who it’s for: A cultural change that was driven by data and has significantly increased its global adoption by stakeholders and data consumers.

FINALISTS:

• Aramco Enabling better business decision making through reputation intelligence 
• Brown & Brown Athena Project 
• Burberry Limited Pioneering high-stakes decision making with RABBIT, Burberry’s Advanced Testing Platform
• Destination Canada LASR Transforming Tourism Strategy: Smarter Decisions with AI-Powered Spend Insights
• HEINEKEN HEINY - Global Metadata Launchpad for easy Data Mapping and powerful Connected Data 
• Informa Driving Revenue with 360 Degree Customer View 
• LEGO Group Counting What Counts: Measuring AI Value Through Adoption 
• National Grid Data Connect Innovation Lab
• Syngenta Power to the People: Data Intelligence for everyone in Syngenta
  

Who it’s for: High-performing squads of data and AI practitioners working internally at client/brand organisations.

FINALISTS:

• Admiral Europe Data Governance and Data Quality
• Aston University From Insight to Impact: Aston University’s Data Team Driving Strategic Change
• EDF UK Transforming the energy market through Data and AI
• GKN Aerospace Taking Out The Guesswork 
• Lloyds Banking Group Data & AI Culture Team
• National Grid The Data Science Team Empowers the AI Revolution at National Grid -
• Openreach Best Data & AI Team - Data Strategy Team, ODI
• Openreach Best Data & AI Team - Data Engineering -
• Openreach Best Data & AI Team - Data & Insight Team 
• UK Ministry of Defence Data Programme
• Veolia Group Data Office
  

Who it’s for: High-performing squads of data and AI practitioners working internally at client/brand organisations within the media industry.

FINALISTS:

• Informa IIRIS Team: Productizing Data & AI for Growth, Monetization, and Productivity
• News UK From Insight to Impact: News UK’s industry leading Data team
• ReachPLC Data and Analytics team 
• The Financial Times The FT’s Focus on Data Value
• The Telegraph Behind the headlines: from data to decisions
  

Who it’s for: A client/brand-side data and AI department where employee satisfaction and skills levels are off the chart!

FINALISTS:

• Aviva The Best Place to Build your Data Career
• Brambles Digital
• easyJet holidays Data Team - Best Place to work in Data & AI 
• Entain Powering People, Driving Data – Life at Entain
• Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Banking Group 
• SMBC Empowering Growth and Excellence: The Journey of SMBC’s Data Team 
• Superdrug Best Place To Work in Data? We are Superdrug Insights!
  

Who it’s for: Data and AI departments in enabler organisations (ie, solutions providers, consultancies, agencies, etc) who love to deliver for their clients.

FINALISTS:

• DataChef DataChef
• Ekimetrics The Joy of Excellence
• OLIVER Where Data & AI Professionals Shape the Future
• Oxylabs Empowered to Innovate
• Seriös Group Empowering our people to deliver excellence
• ThoughtSpot ThoughtSpot

Who it’s for: A data and AI leader with impact, influence and engagement across their organisation.

FINALISTS:

• Aston University Prof Victor Chang, Professor of Business Analytics
• Aviva Sarah Self, GenAI Director 
• DLA Piper UK LLP Niresh Rajah, Group Chief Data and AI Officer 
• Lloyds Banking Group Omar Rafiq, Head of Data & AI Innovation & Exploration
• Lloyds Banking Group Suzanne Ellison, Head of Product
• NatWest Sarah Walker, Head of Data Management
• ReachPLC Dan Taffler, Group Director of Data and Analytics
• UK Power Networks Martin Knoebel, Head of Digital Solutions and Analytics
  

Who it’s for: A global data and AI leader with impact, influence and engagement across their organisation.

FINALISTS:

• BBC Nathalie Berdat, Head of Data and AI Governance
• Entain Natalijia Bezubova, Global Head of Enterprise Analytics
• GB Corp Bishoy Sawiris, Chief Data Officer 
• Linkedin Sandeep Jha, Principal Staff / Director TPM, GenAI
• Microsoft Ravi Vedula, Corporate Vice President of Engineering
• National Grid Andrew Burns, Global Head of Data Strategy
• Southern Cross Healthcare Mike Congdon, Head of Data & Analytics
  

Who it’s for: Brand promises that include data use, AI-driven customer experiences, decision-making, and employee support, recognising full integration of data and AI.

FINALISTS:

• Lebara Data Ventures Literacy Programme
• Love Energy Savings LOVE Data Academy
• NatWest Group Data Fusion 
• Nestlé, WPP Marketing Data Foundation & Analytics
• News UK Fewer, better stories: How Times Editorial Data (TED) transformed a newsroom
• Notting Hill Genesis Innovating for Tenants: Property maintenance through AI in Social Housing
• Openreach Data & Insight Team - Best Data & AI Team 
• Superdrug Best Place To Work in Data? We are Superdrug Insights! 
• The Financial Times Leading with AI Literacy at the FT
  

Who it’s for: Young professionals who are part of an internal data team within a client or brand organisation.

FINALISTS:

• Entain Will Banks, Data Engineer
• NatWest Group Clare Rankin, Machine Learning Engineer
• Openreach Danny Clayton, Senior Data Analytics Manager
• Openreach Vicky Raine, Reporting Architect
• Royal London Daisy Power, Data Apprentice
• Starbucks EMEA Ben Pereira, Finance Business Digital Data Apprentice
• The British Council Nikhil Singh, Data Scientist 
• The Crown Estate Jordan White, Data Analyst