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Datalyst 2025

The inaugural event that ignites the spark between Data, Accounting, Finance and Analytics professionals

12th June 2025
The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne

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How data, accounting and finance professionals use, or can use, planning analytics, descriptive analytics, diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics to add value, considering:

  • Faster and Better Decision Making - Providing Operational Insight, including Real Time
  • Planning and Forecasting
  • Audit and Quality
  • Visualisation and Communication
  • Robotics and Automation
  • AI
  • Data Governance, Ethics and Legalities

 

Check out the Datalyst schedule, speakers and talk information.

This event is supported by:

Datalyst 2025 schedule: To be announced

Introducing Datalyst speakers:

ME Profile

Mark Edmondson

CEO

Mark began his career in a small accounting practice before making his mark at a Big Four firm. 

He founded Inflo to revolutionize the audit and accounting profession with next-generation software and make auditing more attractive to today’s accountants and future generations.  

Mark is a member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) Technology Working Group and Less Complex Entities Reference Group, chairs the AICPAs Data Standards Working Group and supports professional accounting bodies around the world. 

Inflo

Ian Pay

Ian Pay

Head of Data Analytics and Tech
Ian joined ICAEW as Head of Data Analytics and Tech in March 2022, looking at the role that analytics and technology solutions play in the profession, and supporting the ICAEW’s members in their exploration and development of knowledge around technology. Prior to this, Ian worked for over 10 years at PwC UK in Data Analytics, specialising in External Audit and Data Acquisition and developing robust data transformation processes. Ian is passionate about digital upskilling, and has previously trained as a secondary school teacher and a musician. 

ICAEW

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Louise Braithwaite

Data Scientist
With a background in operations management Louise changed careers in 2020 when she gained her Data Science MSc from Newcastle University. She now works on variety of data science projects including, natural language processing, generative ai, data analytics and data science project scoping.

National Innovation Centre for Data

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Mac Misiura

Software Engineer - Machine Learning
Mac Misiura is a Machine Learning Engineer at Red Hat, specialising in developing trustworthy AI solutions, with a focus on evaluating and implementing guardrails for large language models (LLMs). Prior to this, he worked as a Data Scientist at the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), where he guided businesses in adopting Generative AI technologies. Mac's expertise lies at the intersection of AI innovation and practical application, helping organisations harness the power of machine learning responsibly. 

Red Hat

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Chris Bowen

Commercial Solicitor

Chris is a commercial solicitor who has significant experience advising on data protection matters, such as data subject access rights, international data transfers (including transfer risk assessments), reviewing and drafting privacy policies and notices, reviewing and drafting Data Protection Impact Assessments and Legitimate Interest Assessments and drafting and negotiating data protection clauses in agreements. He also advises on technology contracts, including SaaS agreements and other software licensing arrangements.

Womble Bond Dickinson

Geoff Trotter 2

Geoff Trotter

Co-Founder and CEO

Geoff is a recent repatriate to the North East after a 40+ year career in London, Hong Kong and San Francisco during which time he held a series of CxO roles in the ‘for profit’ and ‘not for profit Sectors. He is the CEO & Founder of ESG Excel, a Startup seeking to provide businesses with a state-of-the-art SaaS Platform to provide solutions that will facilitate the effective measurement, management and reporting of their Environmental, Social & Governance [ESG] performance. 

ESG Excel

Gareth James

Gareth James

Assurance Partner

Gareth leads EY's UK Data & Intelligence Delivery CoE, comprising over 200 people who specialise in audit data strategy, solution architecture and data science. His team works with data of any size from any system, delivering the data, technology and innovation needs of over 1600 organisations. Gareth grew up in the North-East and now lives in Yorkshire with his family - enjoying time outside work in the Dales and supporting local and national charities.

EY

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Jessica Liang

Senior Risk and Analytic Specialist
Jessica has over 6 years of experience in data and automation, specialising in banking risk and analytics. She streamlines data processes to enhance decision-making and risk management. Coming from a business intelligence consultancy background, Jessica has worked with data from various industries, including retail, legal and finance etc. She is passionate about leveraging data and automation to create impactful solutions and mitigate risk effectively.

Virgin Money

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Paul Watson

Director
Paul is the Director of the National Innovation Centre for Data after serving as Newcastle University's Research Director. His research interests centre on the design of integrated data analytics solutions and exploiting functional programming for stream processing. As well as being the National Innovation Centre for Data's Director, Paul is also Professor of Computer Science at Newcastle University and a Fellow of The Alan Turing Institute. 

National Innovation Centre for Data

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Yara Jubran

Operations and Strategy Consultant
Yara Jubran is an Operations & Strategy Consultant with over 14 years of experience in data and analytics, where she has led many projects to enhance operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making. Her expertise lies in crafting analytics solutions that drive business insights and support complex decision processes across sectors. Currently a final-year PhD candidate in Operations Research and Business Analytics at Durham University, Yara’s research focuses on advancing forecasting accuracy and applying machine learning techniques for optimisation in complex business environments.  

Durham University

Datalyst talk information:

Talk information to follow

Dr Emma Black, CEO, Cascade Cash Management
Stephen Ingledew OBE, Chair, FinTech Scotland

Elevating Planning and Forecasting with AI: Strategies for Finance and Analytics Success

Explore how finance and analytics professionals can leverage AI to enhance planning and forecasting. This session provides actionable insights for tackling implementation challenges, improving forecast accuracy, and developing agile strategies that drive success in the AI era. 

This session shows how finance and analytics professionals can use AI-powered tools to elevate planning and forecasting. Covering essentials from foundational practices to advanced techniques like machine learning and real-time analytics, attendees will learn to make informed decisions, enhance forecast accuracy, and overcome implementation challenges.  

Session outcomes include:

1. Understanding how AI and machine learning can improve forecast accuracy and drive data-informed decision-making. 
2. Learning best practices for overcoming common implementation challenges associated with AI-driven planning and forecasting. 
3. Gaining actionable strategies for developing agile, effective forecasting methods to respond quickly to dynamic business needs. 

Who will benefit from attending this session?

Team members, leaders, and decision-makers alike will benefit from strategies to integrate AI into their planning and forecasting, supporting agile, data-driven decision-making across functions. 

Yara Jubran, Operations and Strategy Consultant, Durham University

Leveraging Data and Analytics for Growth

Explore the cutting-edge world of data analytics and its transformative impact on audit and assurance. Discover how big data is reshaping traditional practices and opening new horizons for financial professionals with this fireside chat between the CEO of Inflo, a locally based startup that has blossomed into a global player, and ICAEW's Head of Data Analytics. Learn how this homegrown company is now delivering advanced data analytics solutions to businesses across the US and beyond.

Mark Edmonson, CEO, Inflo
Ian Pay, Head of Data Analytics and Tech, ICAEW
Gareth James, Assurance Partner, Ernst & Young

Talk information to follow

Louise Braithwaite, MSc, Data Scientist, National Innovation Centre for Data
Andrew Mason, Head of Data Analytics, Grainger PLC

Bots in Action: Revolutionising Accounting, Data and Reporting

In this 15-minute session, Fatima will be showcasing two Python-powered robotic apps that bring automation to life in the finance and reporting space:

1) Live SAP Cash Clearing Bot Video: A Python Knime bot that automates cash clearing from SAP at the click of a button—clearing hundreds of accounts within minutes.

2) SAP Data Downloader for JES Upload Video: This app automates streaming large datasets from SAP and performs advanced analytics before generation and upload of multiple reports.

Fatima Sayeda, Senior Data Engineer, P&G

 

Algorithmic trading taster: simple investment strategy simulations in Python

In this presentation, you will experience an interactive 15-minute tutorial on building a trading strategy simulation in Python, with simple data downloading tools, signal detection, and performance evaluation techniques explained. The entire trading bot will be built from scratch, and you will have time to interact with the algorithm, testing your own ideas about assets and model specifications

Savva Shanaev, Assistant Professor in Finance, Northumbria University

Talk information to follow

Dr Mac Misiura, Software Engineer - Machine Learning, Red Hat

Panel information to follow

Chair

 

Panelists

Geoff Trotter, Co-Founder and CEO, ESG Excel
Ian Pay, Head of Data Analytics and Tech, ICAEW
Chris Bowen, Commercial Solicitor, Womble Bond Dickinson
Jessica Liang, Senior Risk and Analytic Specialist, Virgin Money

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