IoA Annual Conference 2026

About IoA Annual Conference

The year 2026 marks a turning point for analytics. With accelerating AI adoption, rising regulatory expectations, and widening skills and technical gaps, the profession is undergoing its most significant shift in a decade. IoA Annual Conference brings together the people defining that future to align on benchmarks, share practical solutions, and chart a clear path forward for the global analytics community.

Conference Highlights

Take a look back at the incredible moments from the IoA Annual Conference 2026.

Engage and Contribute

Our conference is for analytics and data professionals, organisational leaders, educators and policymakers who are shaping, or preparing to adapt to, the rapidly evolving standards of the analytics profession. If you’re responsible for talent, governance, skills and capability-building or strategic decision‑making, this conference is designed for you.

Who should attend

Data & Analytics Professionals
AI & Technology Leaders
Policy Makers & Public Sector Executives
Academics & Researchers
ESG, Sustainability & Social Impact Leaders
Students & Emerging Data Professionals
Business Professionals

Key Conference Topics

The new regulatory landscape and what it means for analytics professionals
Why professional membership is becoming a critical safeguard
How organisations can move from AI hype to sovereign control

Real-world case study on addressing skills and technical debt
How organisations are adapting to rapid digital transformation
Practical insights from practitioners across sectors

How to build standards that keep pace with AI-driven change
Blueprinting credentials for both professionals and tools
Identifying when and where accreditation is essential

What “job-ready” means now that entry-level work is automated
Evidence-based insights from academia and industry
Collective problem-solving through live polling and table deliberation

What a 2026-ready curriculum must include
Bridging the gap between running a prompt and delivering impact
Joint perspectives from academia, industry, and government

Strategic direction for 2026
How the IoA will support professionals and organisations
A call to action for the global analytics community

What You’ll Take Away

Attendees leave with a strategic briefing on the regulatory and professional landscape shaping analytics in 2026.

Real examples and actionable insights to help teams modernise, upskill, and adapt to digitalisation.

Participants refine standards for oversight of digitalised solutions they can apply in their own organisations.

Through a facilitated town hall, attendees help define what “job-ready” means in an AI-augmented world.

A high-level panel reveals what employers, educators, and policymakers expect from the next generation of professionals.

Structured networking, themed tables, and committee meet-and-greets create meaningful professional connections.

A closing strategic message outlines how the IoA will support members and organisations through the next phase of transformation.

Meet the Speakers

Dr Laura Gilbert CBE

Senior Director of AI,
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Dr. Mahdi Seify

Programme Leader,
MSc Business Analytics,
University of Northampton

Asif John

Co-Founder,
ARGenesis (Board Chair of the IFoA's AI & Data Science Community)

Olga Sara

Global Commercial Director,
Institute of Analytics

Dr Clare Walsh

Director of Education,
Institute of Analytics

Claire Hodgson

Global Memberships Manager,
Institute of Analytics

Liz Wilkinson SFHEA

Senior Careers Consultant,
University of London Careers Service

Sumit Gupta

Lead BI Engineer,
Notion, USA

Professor Victor Chang

Professor of Business Analytics,
Aston University

Dhanushka Abeyratne

Vice President - Data Science,
Lion Brewery, Sri Lanka

Rosa Alonso

Head of Analysis,
Social Mobility Commission, UK

Dr Taha Osman

Principal Lecturer,
Department of Computer Science,
Nottingham Trent University, UK

Rohan Whitehead

Data Training Specialist,
Institute of Analytics

Joelle Laming

Principal Data Scientist,
Cabinet Office Digital, UK

Explore More

Agenda Overview

09:00 to 09:30 | Welcome breakfast

09:30 to 09:45 | Welcome Address by Claire Hodgson, IoA

9:45 to 10:20 | Keynote Address by Dr Laura Gilbert CBE

Predicting the Future? The AI and Data Professions in 2026 and Beyond

Laura brings a wealth of insights into leveraging AI and data for wide-scale societal impact. This expertise stems from her time working with the UK Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street as the founding director of 10DS, the data science and analytics team, as well as from her current role as Head of AI at the Tony Blair Institute. In this role, she focuses on delivering AI solutions that enhance governments’ ability to plan and deliver resilient public services, improving economic and wellbeing outcomes for citizens.

She is also an Expert Advisor in AI to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. She will share her insights on the important skills and qualities needed in the data profession for the benefit of society as a whole.

10:25 to 11:00 | DEEP DIVE: Three Case Studies in Managing the Technical and Skills Debt.

Setting Professional Standards For The Year Ahead

A UK Government & Societal Perspective

Hear how Rosa Alonso from the UK's Social Mobility Commission is putting data to work to identify and remove barriers in society at scale. Hear her perspective on which skills are vital to deliver today and tomorrow's projects.

We’re delighted to welcome Joelle Laming, Principal Data Scientist at the UK Cabinet Office Digital, who will share a case‑study‑led look at her work. Drawing on her experience within a multidisciplinary team of analysts, social researchers, economists and user‑experience specialists, Joelle will explore the blend of technical expertise and soft‑skill leadership required to deliver high‑impact data science projects.

A Global Business Perspective

Sumit Gupta joins us from the USA to share his insights on important projects driving large international tech businesses such as Notion, Dropbox and Snowflake where he has been heading up their data strategy, designing robust data models and delivering impactful reporting solutions for marketing and sales organisations. He will share his perspective on the skills teams need to keep innovation moving forward.

11:00 to 11:30 | NETWORK BREAK

11:30 to 12:15 | Workshop: Future-Proofing Standards and AI Project Outcomes

Join Dr Clare Walsh, IoA's Director of Education as she presents an opportunity for delegates to co-create a blue-print for identifying the level of AI risk on new projects, providing guardrails and an off-the-shelf checklist that anyone can use. The session will be practical and collaborative facilitated with the view to producing a valuable Open Source project document that will be available to all.

12:15 to 13:00 | Town Hall: Solving the Skills Debt

Hear Speakers from Two Perspectives on How the Land Lies and Where the Gaps Are:

Liz Wilkinson, University of London, Award Winning Senior Careers Consultant
Asif John, Co-Founder ARGenesis, Board Chair of the IFoA’s AI & Data Science Community

With a Following Panel Discussion Including

Liz Wilkinson, UoL Career Service
Dr Mahdi Seify, Northampton University
Sumit Gupta, Formerly at Notion, Dropbox and Snowflake
Asif John, ARGenesis
Joelle Laming, UK Cabinet Office Digital

13:00 to 13:45 | NETWORK LUNCH

13:45 to 14:30 | Bridging Higher Education and Industry in a Changing World

Hear the Solutions Being Realised in These Real-World Examples:

Asif John, Co-Founder ARGenesis
Dr Victor Chang - Aston University

With a Following Panel Discussion Including:

Asif John, ARGenesis
Dr Victor Chang, Aston University
Rohan Whitehead, Institute of Analytics
Dhanushka Abeyratne, Lion Brewery

14:30 to 15:00 | Network Break

15:00 to 15:45 | Expert Panel: Preparing The Next Generation Of Working Professionals

The Practical Solutions And Ways Forward, a Pathway to Success

Liz Wilkinson, UoL Career Service
Dr Mahdi Seify, Northampton University
Dr Taha Osman - Nottingham Trent University
Asif John, ARGenesis
Rosa Alonso, UK Social Mobility Commission