Scotland Data Science & Technology Meetup

MBN are excited and honoured to partner with the group to host a series of events promoting all types of diversity.
To kick off the series we’ll be discussing the importance of diversity and hearing inspiring stories on neurodivergence and diversity in leadership / building Data & AI Teams.

Anna Skelly, Senior Data Engineer at People’s Postcode Lottery will do a short introduction with an overview of the Diversity in Tech group.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaskelly

Shannon McKechnie, Managing Director at MBN will chair the evening.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmckechnie

We have 2 exceptional speakers.

Damien Anderson, Teaching Associate and Programme Leader for the MSc in Software Development at the University of Strathclyde.

Against the Odds: My Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Belief

Growing up there is an ideal path that everyone is encouraged to follow: do well at school, go to University, get a degree, get a job, win: what about those that don’t fit the mould?
For Dr Damien Anderson, life has dealt speed bumps that required forging a different path, battling self-doubt, and facing moments where success seemed out of reach.
In this deeply personal talk, Damien shares his journey from struggling to becoming a university lecturer, researcher, and award-winning scholar.
Through honest reflections, moments of humour, and hard-earned lessons, he will explore the role of resilience, mentorship, and self-acceptance in building a fulfilling career.
This is not just a story about overcoming challenges, it’s about embracing difference, recognising strengths, and using them to thrive.

Speaker Bio
Dr Damien Anderson is a Teaching Associate and Programme Leader for the MSc in Software Development at the University of Strathclyde. His career path has been anything but linear: from early struggles in education to earning Scotland’s top PhD scholarship from the Carnegie Trust, Damien’s journey is a testament to perseverance and self-belief.
Passionate about creating inclusive environments where all minds can flourish, Damien blends his academic expertise with his lived experience to inspire others to see difference as a strength. Today, he champions approaches to learning and working that celebrate the unique ways people think, learn, and solve problems.
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Edafe Onerhime, Enterprise Data Architect at Royal London.

Executive Director | Data Leader | Key Note Speaker | Author | Responsible AI, Data Science, Analytics, Data Strategy, Data Architecture

The importance of diversity when building Data & AI teams.
Edafe Onerhime is a data specialist, speaker, and writer. She has spent the last twenty years leading on the human element of data for impact. She is a leading voice on diversity, decolonisation and making data useful, usable, and put into use.

Can you please register here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/diversity-in-tech-edinburgh-tickets-1604773072459?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Can you please register here -

AI moves fast. New frameworks and flashy models appear every week, but jumping on every trend won’t help you build products that last. At this event, we’re bringing two voices with very different perspectives - but the same mission: making AI practical, reliable, and trusted.

Shannon McKechnie, Managing Director at MBN will be the chair for the evening.

Talk 1
Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions @ vector8
In a World of Platforms, Bring Your Own Tooling: Eating Your Own (AI) Dogfood

Richard (Head of AI Solutions at Vector8) shares why his team ditched the hype cycle and built their own AI stack. He’ll show how knowing your tools inside out lets you move faster, build stronger, and outpace the competition.

Talk 2
Maria Kalantzak, Senior Validation Manager, AI @ Virgin Money

Validating AI in Finance: Compliance, Trust, and What’s Next. Maria will take us inside the world of AI model validation. From fraud detection to GenAI, she’ll break down how banks make sure models stay compliant, fair, and fit for purpose - while keeping up with the latest AI trends.
Expect real stories, sharp lessons, and plenty of takeaways on how to build AI that actually works in the wild.

Speakers bios.

Richard Bownes, Head of AI Solutions @ vector8
Richard is Head of AI Solutions at Vector8 where he looks after solutions architecture, delivery, internal product development and developer advocacy. From an academic background in machine learning to internet scale public sector recommendations, NLP start ups and Data and AI consultancy Richard brings interdisciplinary and industry experience to solve meaningful and challenging problems for clients of all sizes.

Maria Kalantzak, Senior Validation Manager, AI @ Virgin Money
Currently leading the Model Validation of AL/GenAI and fraud models in Virgin Money. Previous I worked in the innovation team of Virgin Money and Experian as model developer leading the development of fraud models. Her work in finance comes after a switch in careers in drug discovery and genetic engineering , where she acquired key skills around data science.