Episode Details

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On this week's episode of Data & AI Mastery, Miryem Salah, Director of Digital, Data and Transformation at VodafoneThree, joins Raoul Gabriel-Urma to share the story behind one of the most ambitious AI strategies in UK telecoms.

Miryem breaks down how her team approached building a forward-looking AI strategy from first principles, why most organisations fall into the FOMO trap, and how VodafoneThree is thinking about the balance between humans and AI in a post-merger business.

She also shares her thinking on governed agility, the importance of data literacy at every level of leadership, and why getting foundations right matters more than chasing the next shiny tool.

The conversation also touches on diversity in data and tech, Miryem's Women in Data network spanning 100,000 employees across VodafoneThree; and her genuine excitement about the rise of physical AI.

A frank, experience-led conversation for senior data and AI leaders navigating large-scale transformation.

Be sure to follow Data & AI Mastery wherever you listen to your podcasts to never miss an episode. 

Chapter Markers

(00:00) - Introduction and Miryem's role at VodafoneThree

(02:00) - Inside the Vodafone and Three UK merger 

(06:00) - Misconceptions about data teams and data ownership 

(10:00) - Operating model, human versus AI, and the sell-build-run framework 

(15:00) - Measuring success in early-stage AI deployment 

(19:00) - Risk management and when to put AI in front of customers 

(24:00) - Quickfire round: diversity, STEM, music and the magic wand question 

(27:00) - Raoul on AI and the future of education 

(28:30) - Key takeaways

Useful Links

Connect with Miryem Salah on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/miryem-salah-7a3ba633 

Follow Raoul for more AI insights on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raoulurma/

Explore Cambridge Spark’s AI upskilling programmes at https://www.cambridgespark.com