[Online] 50 Data Products in 4 Years: What DS Smith Got Right (and Wrong)

Continuing our DPM webinar series aimed at upskilling & knowledge-sharing, we're joined by Adrian Pinder - former Head of Digital, Data and AI at DS Smith, now building MachineMesh.ai! Four years ago, DS Smith had a complex IT environment as a result of its history of acquisitions - hundreds of applications, multiple data centres, very little cloud penetration. Data was a by-product, not an asset, with little thought to data ownership. Today they have an enterprise data platform on AWS and multiple data and GenAI products across the business delivering real business value. Adrian Pinder, who led the digital, data and AI function at DS Smith, will walk through the practical lessons from that journey: What we'll unpack How they chose where to start - and what made the difference between a product that stuck and one that didn'tWhat it takes to scale a data product from one user to global rolloutHow they made value tracking work in practice (not just in theory)The distinction between platforms, products and services that most organisations get wrongWhat changes when you add GenAI agents into the mix This is a practitioner-led conversation - real trade-offs, real mistakes, real numbers. If you're leading a data function or building data products, you'll leave with a sharper mental model for what to invest in and what to stop pretending is a product. Perfect for: Heads of data, data product managers, platform leads, and anyone building or scaling data products in a large organisation. About our speaker Adrian Pinder has over 20 years' experience leading digital, data and AI initiatives in large manufacturing and engineering companies. He was Head of Digital, Data and AI at DS Smith for four years until December 2025, when he left to launch his own AI-in-manufacturing startup and advise private equity on AI. Before DS Smith, he held digital and data management roles at Atkins, Jacobs and GE, and started his career as a scientist in the UK civil service. He has a degree in physics and an MBA. How to join This livestream will be held privately inside our new digital space! Make sure you've joined us on Circle - signing up takes 30 seconds and is free. About the Data & AI Product community Data and AI product management is still a young discipline, and there aren't many spaces dedicated to learning from peers. So we started this meetup in 2023 to change that! Since then, it's grown into a vibrant community with chapters in London, Barcelona, and Paris. Whether or not "product" is in your job title, if you're involved in shaping data, analytics, and AI initiatives (e.g. product managers, strategists, BAs, data scientists, engineers, analysts) you'll find like-minded people here. This is an informal, welcoming space to swap lessons, share challenges, and enjoy drinks and snacks along the way 😊 You can meet us in person at our in-person meetups, but also join our global community where we have expert webinars, training courses, job postings, resources, and discussions. Quick FAQ Will this event be recorded? Yes, we will upload the recording here, along with previous DPM Community webinarsIf I sign up to this event, will I be opting into any marketing emails? No. We only use the Luma mailing list to invite you to upcoming community events and share community updates (like our end of year membership survey). You can always opt out of the Luma calendar.Can I mention this to a friend or colleague? Yes, of course! If they're based in London, send them this event. If they're not, it might be better to send them the LinkedIn Live link directly, so they don't get invited to all our in-person meetups too.Why are you doing this? Data & AI Product Management is a nascent field, and we created this community to bring together practitioners and help share our skills and experiences with those newer to DPM.