Data Governance:
The Most Underrated Skill in AI

Hosted by Data & AI Stockholm x Developers Bay


đź“… Wednesday, May 20, 2026

đź“ŤUnited Spaces Waterfront (Host Developers Bay) 

⏰ 17:30 - 20:00

AI dominates every boardroom agenda but most organizations are sprinting toward models and tooling while ignoring the foundation underneath. This session makes the case that data governance isn't a compliance checkbox; it's the single biggest predictor of whether your AI investments will deliver or disappoint.

Attendees will learn:

Why the majority of AI projects stall not on algorithms, but on data quality, lineage, and ownership gaps

What "AI-ready data" actually looks like in practice and how far most organizations are from it

A lightweight governance framework you can start applying immediately, without a multi-year program

How to position data governance as a strategic enabler (not a bureaucratic blocker) when talking to leadership

Real-world examples from organizations that got governance right before scaling AI and what happened to those that didn't

Speaker

John Wernfeldt

John Wernfeldt is the co-founder and Managing Director of Northridge Analytics, a Nordic-based data governance and AI consultancy with an international client base, and serves as President of DAMA Sweden. With a background that includes Gartner and a recognized following of 48,000+ professionals on LinkedIn, he combines strategic advisory work with a practitioner's lens on what it actually takes to make organizations AI-ready.

Read more

Estimated Agenda

17:30 – Informal Networking, Mingling with snacks and drinks

18:00 – Speaker Presentation, John Wernfeldt shares insights on data governance

18:20 – Interactive Q&A

18:30 – Group Discussions, Participants explore predetermined questions related to data governance in small groups

18:50 – Group Summaries, Groups return together to report out on key insights with the full audience

19:15 – Continued Networking

20:00 – Event Concludes

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Developers Bay@developersbaymaria@developersbay.se

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