Event: Getting AI Into Production - Beyond Pilot Purgatory
In Conversation With: Diageo, SEGA & Databricks
Getting AI Into Production - Beyond Pilot Purgatory
In-person event
21st April 2026 | 2.30 - 5.00pm
Databricks Office, Windmill Street, W1T 2JG
There is no shortage of enthusiasm for AI.
There is, however, a noticeable shortage of AI that has made it all the way through governance, ownership, deployment, adoption, and into everyday business use.
That awkward stretch between “the pilot worked” and “the organisation relies on it” is where most of the difficulty lives. It is also where a great deal of value gets delayed, diluted, or quietly lost.
On 21 April 2026, Maria Zervou, Chief AI Officer at Databricks, will host a live conversation with Steve Janoo, Global Data, Analytics & AI Leader at Diageo, and Francis Hart, VP Data, AI & Online Technology at SEGA Europe.
Together, they will discuss what it really takes to move AI into production at scale: where to focus, how to shape the right operating model, how governance and ownership need to work, and what production ready actually means in practice.
This event is for Senior executives in any line of business looking into AI Strategy, CDOs, Heads of Data, Heads of AI, and senior platform leaders responsible for turning AI ambition into production reality. If you are thinking seriously about how AI is rolled out across the business over the next few years, this will be a valuable room to be in.
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Steve Janoo is currently an independent strategic advisor working with Management Boards and Executives on how best to leverage Data, Technology and AI to deliver tangible benefits at scale. Formerly leading data, analytics and AI transformation at Diageo, shaping how one of the world's largest consumer brands turns data into commercial impact. With over 25 years of experience, he has delivered major transformation programmes across the full value chain, consistently driving growth, improving decision-making and accelerating the shift towards more consumer-centric business models. At Diageo, Steve sat at the intersection of business strategy and advanced technology, embedding AI into real-world operations across 200+ brands and 180 markets. Prior to this Steve lead Digital & Technology and Dyson, one of the world’s most renowned private innovation companies where data and technology was at the core of their rapid growth. He brings a clear, practical perspective on what it takes to move AI from experimentation into production and deliver measurable value at enterprise scale.
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Francis Hart is VP, Data, AI & Online Technology at SEGA Europe. He is responsible for ensuring the company leverages the latest technologies and best practices to deliver innovation and optimisation. He leads the strategy and implementation of data-driven and AI-powered solutions, as well as the development, architecture, and maintenance of SEGA Europe’s online systems, with a focus on turning AI from experimentation into production at pace.
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Maria Zervou is Chief AI Officer at Databricks. She works with organisations across industries to help them define and execute their data and AI strategies, focusing on how modern data platforms can enable analytics, machine learning, and AI at scale.
Why this conversation matters:
Most AI initiatives do not fail because the model is poor. They falter because the surrounding organisation has not yet decided how to make them real.
A proof of concept can create excitement very quickly. Production tends to ask more awkward questions. Who owns it? How is value measured? What counts as good enough? Will Risk sign it off? Can Engineering support it? Does the business trust it enough to change behaviour around it? These arenot minor details. They are the difference between an interesting experiment and a working capability.
This session is designed for senior leaders who are responsible for closing that gap.
What the conversation will explore:
Maria, Steve, and Francis will share their stories and insights on questions such as:
- Which AI use cases are genuinely worth backing for production
- How value, ownership, and sponsorship need to align early
- What production ready means beyond technical performance alone
- How governance, risk, and compliance can support progress rather than slow it
- What operating model helps teams move with greater speed and confidence
- Why some deployments stall, and what experienced leaders do differently
The conversation will be grounded in the practical realities of getting AI live inside, fast-moving organisations.
