Yang Zhou

Head of Data Engineering & Platforms DFDS

Conference Workshop Day

11:30 AM Workshop: From Data Mesh to Data Foundation: Designing Data Products and Teams That Actually Scale

Many organisations have experimented with data mesh, only to find that without the right maturity, it leads to fragmented ownership, inconsistent standards, and low reuse. At the same time, the rapid growth of AI is shifting where value sits, moving focus away from downstream models towards the quality and structure of foundational data.

In this hands-on workshop, Yang Zhou works with participants to rethink how their data products are structured and where teams should focus their effort. Through guided exercises, attendees will break down their current landscape, distinguish between foundational and derived data products, and explore how this impacts ownership, platform design, and the role of data engineers as AI becomes more embedded in development workflows.

• Differentiating between foundational and derived data products to prioritise where value is created

• Reframing the role of data engineers towards business understanding, architectural thinking, and product impact

• Identifying where current structures create fragmentation, technical debt, or low reuse, and defining how to simplify and scale

Conference Day 1

9:00 AM Opening Panel Discussion: Embedding Data Product Thinking Across the Business to Drive Adoption and Better Decisions

Many organisations invest heavily in platforms and tools but struggle to realise value due to cultural resistance and misaligned incentives. This panel explores how enterprises manage the cultural shift required to support data products, AI adoption, and new ways of working, particularly across functions that have not traditionally engaged deeply with data.

 Aligning incentives and behaviours to support product thinking

 Embedding data and AI into everyday decision making

 Supporting organisation wide adoption through culture and leadership

In Partnership With:

QUESTIONS?

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London SW1V 1JZ
Telephone: 44 (0) 207 368 9300
Fax: 44 (0) 207 368 9301
Email: enquire@iqpc.co.uk