Data Leaders Roundtable: Hiring, Developing, and Leading for Impact
Details
Join us in London for our next in-person meet-up in partnership with Deliveroo on Wednesday, 15th October 2025. A free evening of tech talks, a chance to network with the community, and refreshments provided.
⭐️ Event: Data Leaders Roundtable: Hiring, Developing, and Leading for Impact
📆 Date: Wednesday 4th June 2025
⏰ Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm BST
📍 Location: London, UK
💡 About the event:
Growing and sustaining high-performing data teams is one of the most important and most challenging responsibilities for today’s data leaders. This exclusive evening event, hosted by the Data Science Festival in partnership with Deliveroo, brings together an intimate group of managers and senior practitioners for an interactive programme of lightning talks and breakout discussions.
Join us on October 15th at Deliveroo’s London headquarters for an evening of insight, inspiration, and practical strategies.
Three expert speakers, from Deliveroo and across the wider industry, will share their experiences on:
-Hiring elite data teams and maintaining quality at scale
-Developing and empowering teams once they are in place
-Sustaining long-term performance and impact through culture, leadership, and future-proofing strategies
Each short talk will be followed by intimate breakout discussions, giving attendees the chance to connect with peers, share experiences, and take away actionable insights. Food and drinks will be provided at the start and end of the evening, alongside opportunities to network with the community.
🗣️ Speaker sessions:
Talk 1
Speaker: Mahana Mansfield, VP Science @ Deliveroo.
Title: The Qualities That Great Data Scientists Share – and How to Assess Them
Abstract: Hiring great data scientists takes more than scanning for technical brilliance. The most impactful hires bring a balance of deep analytical skills, creativity in problem-solving, and the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively. In this talk, Mahana will share the common qualities that set exceptional data scientists apart and why both technical and soft skills are critical to long-term success.
Talk 2
Speaker: Priscilla Nagashima, VP of Data and AI @ Pleo.
Title: From ladders to lattices: the career framework your Data team can actually use
Abstract: Traditional career ladders break when data roles span engineering, analytics, product, data science and now AI. Your data scientist ships production code, your analytics engineer shapes product strategy and your senior IC has no interest in management. This talk shares how we designed a career framework for Data at Pleo that recognises hybrid roles, using capability mapping data and talent reviews strategically to create compelling growth paths beyond people management.
Talk 3
Speaker: Dmitry Sityaev, Director of AI @ Connex AI.
Title: Beyond the Model: Inspiring Purpose and Belonging in Data Science Teams
Abstract: Sustained motivation doesn’t come just from excelling at your job — it comes from a sense of care, belonging, and shared purpose. When leaders bring care, connection, and flexibility into how they manage, data scientists don’t just get more done — they find meaning in the work. In this talk, Dmitry will share practical strategies for nurturing motivation and long-term engagement within data science teams.
🕧 Schedule:
6:00 PM – Doors open, food, drinks, and networking
6:30 PM – Intro
6:35 PM – Talk 1 (15 mins)
6:50 PM – Breakout 1 (15 mins)
7:05 PM – Talk 2 (15 mins)
7:20 PM – Breakout 2 (15 mins)
7:35 PM – Talk 3 (15 mins)
7:50 PM – Breakout 3 (15 mins)
8:05 PM – Drinks and networking
9:00 PM – Close
Food and drinks are included.
🎟️ IMPORTANT: Due to high demand and limited space, tickets for this event will be allocated by a random ballot. Applying does not guarantee entry. Successful applicants will be notified throughout September and early October. If you have not received confirmation by October 10th, this means your ballot ticket was not drawn this time.
🚨 PLEASE NOTE: Clicking 'attend' does not register you for the event. You will need to register for the event on the link provided below to receive a QR code ticket via email. If you do not have a QR code, you will not be able to attend the event.