Headline Partner

Nirali Patel, Group Vice President Data and AI, Liberty Global

Describe your career to date

I have played a pivotal role in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven strategies across diverse sectors, while being a recognised leader in the data and AI industry and mentoring others to achieve their best. Notably, I spearheaded the creation of a collaborative AI team, prioritising scalable solutions within operating businesses. My leadership extended to designing foundational AI platforms, fostering global partnerships in line with technological trends. I have orchestrated group-wide digital and AI maturity assessments, facilitating transformative initiatives. At Openreach, I identified and delivered £200 million in benefits through AI transformation, establishing Google as a key partner in developing a scaled data platform.

In the telecommunications sector, I employed AI to drive investment decisions, diversifying Openreach into a data insight provider, enhancing customer experiences, and continually evolving AI applications. Globally, at AXA Group, I led the data and AI strategy, fostering cultural programmes and learning initiatives. I harnessed AI for cost savings, improving contract management, and delivering personalised pricing, resulting in over £100 million in savings. My achievements extended to implementing a scalable, compliant data and analytics platform, diversifying service offerings, and transforming organisational strategies. Through my leadership, business intelligence service running costs were significantly reduced, and proactive analytics reshaped health services, meeting public needs and reducing emergency costs. My career has been marked by a transformative impact on businesses through strategic AI and data-driven initiatives.

Data literacy is a key enabler of the value and impact from data. How are you approaching this within your organisation?

Establishing the data literacy across Liberty Global and its operating businesses has required vision and pragmatic implementation, with great collaboration. The focus has been twofold around upskilling the data teams and business stakeholders. To uplift the data and AI knowledge among the business stakeholders, a couple of approaches have been taken: (a) trial of a gamified dedicated learning programme, and (b) using carefully selected learning courses. These trials are ongoing and I hope that they yield similar results to when I have deployed them in previous roles. At LG, I chose not to conduct a full baseline analysis of the current literacy, but to provide options to uplift what already existed. For the Data and AI teams, career pathways are being established, with dedicated learning programmes – I found that this method was effective in previous enterprises and am expecting the same here.

How are you preparing your organisation for AI adoption and change management?

Within Liberty Global, we established an Executive AI Council, whose members are from businesses in the disciplines of Technology, Cyber Security, Regulatory and Compliance, People and Comms, and Business Operations. This Council sets the strategy for AI Transformation across the group, acknowledging that AI transformation is made up from AI, tech integration, and business adoption. There are working groups that are executing the various strategies including change and adoption, which is led by culture and change experts, hence ensuring that our people are part of the design, testing, and adoption of new AI products.

Alongside this practical development of AI products, a clear communication and awareness strategy is developed, where the approach is little and often on our AI-related stories – from recognition for a product to employee feedback on their experience with a new AI product. There is a natural interest in AI with it being heavily featured in the news and social media, so we are embracing that wave to share what is happening within this field, its impact, and how we are embracing it in a responsible manner.

Nirali Patel
has been included in:

100 Brands 2020 (EMEA)
100 Brands 2021 (EMEA)
100 Brands 2024 (EMEA)
No. 7 100 Brands 2022 (EMEA)

Enabling data and AI leaders to drive impact

Enabling the success of Data and AI leaders and their teams.

DataIQ is a trading name of IQ Data Group Limited

DataIQ INC is a wholly owned subsidiary of IQ Data Group Limited

Registered office: 6^th Floor Charlotte Building, 17 Gresse St. London, W1T 1QL