In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, Dan Thornton sits down with Richard Shaw, Technical General Manager for UK & Ireland at Databricks, to explore what it really takes for organisations to become AI-ready. With over six years at Databricks, Richard shares a behind-the-scenes view of scaling a cloud-native platform from startup roots to a global data and AI powerhouse.

The conversation dives into how Databricks partners with customers beyond technology, helping them navigate cultural change, skills gaps, and data maturity on their AI journeys. The episode also covers how Databricks works with partners at scale, keeps teams continuously upskilled, and uses its own platform internally to innovate faster. Packed with real-world insights from the front line, this is a must-listen for data leaders and executives looking to turn AI ambition into business impact.

In this episode of The Databricks Diaries, we’re joined by Denny Lee, Project Management Director of Developer Relations at Databricks, to discuss the future of data engineering, AI innovation, and community building.

Denny shares how Databricks is addressing the global skills gap with initiatives like the Databricks Free Edition, free training programmes, and the MVP programme, empowering developers to succeed in the rapidly evolving world of data science and machine learning.

We also explore the importance of community building through the Apache Spark ecosystem and Dev Connect meetups, and how fostering collaboration drives product improvement. Plus, Denny dives into AI readiness, the value of experimentation, and how organisations can stay ahead in the competitive data and AI landscape.

If you’re passionate about Databricks, developer relations, or the future of AI and data science, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss!

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In this episode of The Databricks Diaries: AI Readiness Series, Andy Davis speaks with Mukund Pandey. The discussion covers the role of governance as an accelerator, embedding compliance and explainability from day one, and how cultural alignment drives adoption at scale. Mukund also highlights practical AI use cases in risk and margin management, intraday exposure, and generative AI for regulatory efficiency.