If your data and AI investment is not paying back the way it should, the problem is almost never the technology.

I work directly with financial services leaders to diagnose what is not working in their data and AI programme and give them a clear, unvarnished view of what to do next.

Here is what I see repeatedly.

Most organisations I work with have been here. The money has been spent. The teams are working. Some of it is genuinely good work. But when you look at the portfolio honestly — warts and all — initiatives have stalled, usage is low after delivery, and nobody has really got their arms around the whole picture.

Stalled initiatives. Low adoption. A portfolio that has grown without anyone stopping to ask whether the investment is actually connected to the business outcomes it was supposed to deliver.

That is exactly what The Canvas Session is designed to fix.

The Data & AI Strategy Canvas

This is the framework I use in every engagement. It was built to do one thing, cut through the complexity of a data and AI portfolio and surface what is actually going on.

Ten structured questions. A clear picture of where value is being lost, where governance is letting things down, and what needs to change before any more money gets spent.

I developed it, wrote the book on it, and I use it every time because it works.

The Canvas Session

A single 90-minute working session with your C-suite, using the Data and AI Strategy Canvas. You bring a live use case from your business. We work through it together, surfacing where value is being lost, why initiatives have stalled, and what the gaps in your operating model and governance are actually costing you.

Within five working days you receive a written diagnostic report covering everything the session surfaces, with a clear set of priorities and next steps.

No slide decks prepared in advance. No theoretical frameworks. Just an honest picture of where things stand and what to do about it.

Fixed fee: £12,500 + VAT

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Our Core Services

Data & AI Strategy

Helping businesses figure out the best way to use data and AI to solve real business problems and grow successfully.

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Data & AI Operating Models

The Operating Model is how you make your strategy real to create value and deliver your company’s goals and objectives.

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Data & AI Governance

Making sure your business handles data and AI safely, ethically and correctly to avoid mistakes and risks.

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Implementation Services

Helping businesses put their data and AI plans into action, turning use cases into real solutions that work.

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What Our Clients have to say

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"The California Dental Association engaged datazuum to audit our association management system implementation and recommend system and process optimizations ahead of the next phase of the project. The datazuum team responded immediately to the initial request and got started on a short timeline. Over the course of the engagement, the datazuum team was a pleasure to work with. They are highly responsive and engaged experts in their respective fields, and their insights were credible and useful. The team gathered our input and used a clear evaluation framework to provide actionable recommendations. Their insights were unvarnished and their advice was clear. Overall the datazuum team and their insights were very helpful to the next phase of our project and we would highly recommend them to others."

Leslie O’Neill, Vice President, Events and Digital Products, California Dental Association, USA
"After experiencing remarkable results on a Data Strategy consultancy project with datazuum, we were eager to partner with datazuum again, and this time to design a cutting-edge operating model for our Data & Analytics department. For this initiative, we had the opportunity to work directly with their CEO, Samir Sharma, whose extensive experience in business and data strategy, combined with his understanding of our team and company’s dynamics, proved invaluable. Through a series of high-quality, well-structured meetings, we achieved a clear, industry-best operating model that is set to elevate our Data & Analytics capabilities to new heights. The model is tailored to our unique needs yet grounded in proven best practices, positioning our team for sustainable growth and impact."

Ander Murillo, Head of Data Science, e.global, Mexico
"Our data governance strategy was in place, but we have so much data that it was difficult to know where to start and get value. We needed a wider enterprise data strategy and datazuum came highly recommended. They identified 5 priority use cases, designed our operating model and engagement frameworks, and prepared a hugely beneficial roadmap for us to follow. Samir and his team are an absolute pleasure to work with, always accommodating and insightful with expert advice, and a value driven approach. We are looking forward to further engagements with datazuum, rolling out the enterprise-wide data strategy."

Group Data Officer, Financial Services, Europe
“With expert insight and knowledge, datazuum played a full part in helping us modernise our approach to data management. Steering attention to the foundations of data management success, such as data governance, data architecture and data literacy; as well as what outputs we were looking for from platform modernisation. They had an instrumental influence on our data strategy. They were also hugely impactful in automating our regulatory reporting, ensuring our data was structured, cleansed and ready for presentation.”

Director of Data & Analytics, Housing Association, UK
“I had settled into my new role as a ‘Head of Data Science’ and realised that it would be helpful to develop a data strategy, with a plan to exploit the data to its full capacity. However, I didn’t know where to start. I engaged with datazuum to start off the process and they were able to give an independent assessment of data maturity with a thorough plan on how to exploit our data assets. datazuum’s approach into developing a data strategy was to understand the business strategy and challenges our business faced, and then develop plans on how data can help with these objectives. It was refreshing to have a consultancy that looked at the underlying business issues rather than delve straight into the IT solutions.”

Head of Data Science, Global Insurer
“We were looking for experts in enterprise data and analytics strategy that would approach its development from a business-first perspective and not a technology-first perspective. datazuum’s team was able to meet and exceed the expectations for the deliverables, including a culture assessment, vision development, use cases, roadmap, and operating model. They were very easy to work with, and they drove great discussions among both our executive team and operational teams. The work they did has provided a lot of value and was instrumental in preparing us for the future. I would highly recommend their services and look forward to our continued partnership and success.”

Dominic Cavalco, Director Data Strategy, Goodwill, USA
“The team at datazuum delivered on time and to budget, an executive dashboard management tool. They gave us insights into our business we haven’t had before. Their approach to designing and implementing dashboards is unique and innovative, using design thinking concepts. I particularly liked their data strategy canvas which helped our executives understand how the dashboards would facilitate decision making. Their collaborative approach with weekly updates, enabled flexible development until we were happy with the result.”

Head of Product, Mutual Insurer, UK
“datazuum were instrumental in helping us evolve our data maturity; they helped benchmark our data capabilities, advise on data strategy, established our data and information governance policies and operating model, staffing, architecture and day to day management. They helped us build tools to measure and processes to improve the quality of our data. They engaged well across our organisation at senior and technical levels, helping us build internal political consensus that we needed to invest and transform.”

Head of Technology & Data, Not-for-Profit, UK

What makes datazuum different

When you work with datazuum you work directly with me. Not an account manager. Not a junior team assigned after the pitch. Me. Someone who has been doing this for 25 years across multiple sectors and continents, who has seen every version of this problem before, and who will tell you what is not working even when that is uncomfortable to hear.

When the work requires specific expertise I bring in associates who have lived and breathed their specialism for as long as I have. People who have held senior roles, led real programmes, and carry no interest in telling you what you want to hear.

No handoffs. No surprises. Just honest, senior expertise applied directly to your problem.