Alex Pearce

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Chief Microsoft Strategist Softcat

With over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry, Alex has worked across a wide range of private and public sector contracts both in the UK and internationally. He is part of the Advisory team at Softcat, a leading Microsoft partner and the UK’s number one IT reseller. In his role as Chief Strategist for Microsoft, Alex supports organisations of all sizes, from small schools to some of the largest universities in the UK, while also advising major Microsoft 365 Education institutions worldwide.

Bio from: Big Data LDN 2025

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AI: It’s Going Back to the Future

2025-09-24 · Big Data LDN 2025

Face To Face

with Alex Pearce (Softcat) , Andy Crossley (Oakland)

AI/ML Big Data GenAI Microsoft

Last year, Big Data London’s GenAI theatres were packed. Fast forward 12 months, and AI is everywhere. So, this AI lark is easy now… right?

Lifting the lid on the AI bubble, reality is starting to bite. AI initiatives are stalling, models are drifting, and demonstrating tangible business value is really hard. Why? Because we’ve all sprinted into the AI future without first packing the essentials: high-quality, trusted data; a shared language for decision-making; solid governance; and the skilled people to make it all work.

In 2025, the organisations that will see the best returns from their AI programs are those that have gone back to the future by pressing rewind to get their data foundations right before scaling the shiny stuff.

Join Andy Crossley, CTO at Oakland, alongside Alex Pearce, Chief Microsoft Strategist at Softcat, for a no-holds-barred conversation about the realities of AI in practice.

Lifting the lid on:

Why so many AI projects fail to deliver real value

The critical data foundations every business needs to succeed

Real-world lessons from organisations discovering that AI is far more complex than the hype suggests

The good news? You’ll leave with practical, actionable steps to start unlocking value from your AI investments.

We can’t promise all the answers, but this session will reassure you that you are not alone. We aim to inspire new thinking and provide the guidance you need to navigate the most common pitfalls on the path to making AI work for you.