Seriös Group has published a report on the pressure facing UK data leaders, finding that rising demands are leaving many senior executives overstretched.

The report, titled Chief Information Overload, draws on survey responses from more than 100 data leaders, along with roundtable discussions and expert interviews. It argues that the main challenge is no longer persuading organisations that data matters, but dealing with a widening gap between the responsibility assigned to data leaders and the control they have over the systems and practices needed to deliver results.

Seriös calls this gap the Data Responsibility Rift. It describes a situation in which accountability is concentrated on senior data leaders, while ownership of data creation, management and use is spread across multiple teams.

The findings point to a broad increase in workload. According to the research, 87% of data leaders said their responsibilities had grown since they first took on a senior data role.

Cybersecurity and data protection were the most commonly cited source of pressure, identified by half of respondents. Data governance and quality followed at 40%, while 35% pointed to AI enablement and readiness.

The research also suggests that strain is affecting how sustainable the work has become. Around half of respondents said they could meet expectations comfortably, but about 40% said they felt uncomfortable, overstretched or close to burnout.

AI pressure

AI featured heavily in the report’s assessment of changing expectations. As more teams test data-driven uses for AI tools, senior data leaders are being asked not only to support those efforts but also to ensure the underlying data is reliable, governed and secure.

That is expanding the role. Data leaders are now expected to improve data quality, strengthen governance, manage risk, support decision-making and prepare organisations for wider AI use, even when formal ownership remains fragmented.

Lee Rorison, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Seriös Group, said: “We are no longer trying to convince organisations that data matters; that job is done. For data to operate as a true business asset, organisations need the structure, governance and clarity to support it.”

The report argues that the pressure does not come from a single operational issue. Instead, respondents pointed to a mix of executive expectations, technical complexity and organisational structure.

When asked what would most ease that pressure, data leaders cited senior sponsorship and executive alignment, stronger data quality and governance foundations, simpler tools and platforms, and clearer ownership. The findings show that 23% said senior sponsorship and executive alignment would do most to reduce strain.

Structural issues

Adam Brown, Head of Data Strategy and Architecture at Seriös Group, said: “We can see a clear gap between how important data has become and how organisations are structured to support it. Data leaders are being asked to influence decisions, manage risk and enable AI, often without clear ownership or alignment across the business. Closing that gap is not a technology challenge alone. It requires ownership, governance, environment and capability to work together as a coordinated system.”

To address the issue, the report sets out four areas organisations should tackle: ownership, governance, environment and capability. Ownership refers to clear accountability across business functions, while governance is framed as the guardrails needed for consistent data use. Environment covers accessible, structured data systems, and capability refers to a blend of technical skill, business understanding and communication.

The findings reflect a broader shift in how data leadership is viewed inside organisations. Senior data executives were once tasked mainly with building awareness and improving access to information. They are now often expected to bridge regulatory compliance, business strategy, operational delivery and AI adoption.

That shift has come as businesses in sectors including financial services, retail, healthcare and technology have become more dependent on data-driven processes. With that dependence has come greater scrutiny of how data is governed, who owns it and whether it can be trusted in business systems or AI models.

The report suggests that poor alignment inside organisations can undermine those efforts. If responsibility sits with a Chief Data Officer or another senior leader but decision-making and execution remain distributed, the result can be duplicated work, inconsistent standards and mounting pressure on a small group of senior specialists.

For that reason, the study argues that the challenge is as much organisational as it is technical. Businesses need clearer lines of ownership and stronger internal support if they want data leaders to meet a growing list of demands without increasing the risk of burnout.

Rorison described that strain in direct terms: “This is the reality of Chief Information Overload. There isn’t a shortage of information, there is too much of it, combined with an expectation that it should always deliver. But for data leaders, the opportunity is in bridging that gap. Not by adding more, but by creating the conditions where data can be trusted, understood and used consistently across the organisation. More data isn’t the answer, clarity is.”

The Crafters Emporium will shut its shop on Sheep Street, Bicester in October – less than a month after it closed its site in Faringdon on June 30. 

The announcement was made in a letter to crafters last week, just days after The Enforcement Agency repossessed the company’s remaining shop on Cornmarket Street, Oxford due to unpaid rent. 

The business is now expected to file for insolvency after reports of crafters who sold stock in the store being left out of pocket by thousands of pounds. 

Crafter Miss Peachy, who joined the store in May, said she hadn’t been paid for any of her stock that had been sold since she teamed up with the company, leading to her collecting all of her items from the Oxford store on July 3. 

She claimed that the items were still on display when she arrived and that the company owners are still asking her to pay rent for July, despite all of her items having now been removed. 

Magdalena Bialas, who sold her handmade crafts in the Oxford and Bicester shop, said: ” Since at least August, I’ve had to chase my payments every single month.

“I still haven’t received my December payment.

“It’s definitely not cheap to be there — they take a really high commission on sales, and the rent for the space isn’t small either.

“I honestly feel like they’ve lost control of the situation and ended up in a cycle they can’t get out of.”

In 2023 the company reported a total of £319,818 in capital and reserves, meanwhile in 2025 it reported a total of £489,550.

The business announced the closure of their Faringdon store last month after six years in the town.

Natasha Martell opened her second Crafters’ Emporium, with another store in Didcot, which opened in October 2019 with a range of local artisan crafts people providing gifts.

An announcement regarding that store has not yet been made and it is believed to be open at this time. 

The Crafters Emporium specialises in handmade crafts, with crafts and gifts from more than 50 crafters across the UK.

Artists are picked by the shops directors and go through a selection process to have their work in the shop.

The Crafters’ Emporium has declined to comment.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Efekta Education has appointed Matt Fisher as Chief Technology Officer, adding a former Microsoft and Amazon technology leader to its senior team.

Fisher joins the education technology group with nearly 20 years of experience at Microsoft, Amazon, Auth0, Daydream and Adventr. He will lead technology strategy and product development as Efekta expands its AI-based learning platform.

His background includes building products for large-scale use, with a focus on applying emerging technology to consumer and business services. At Microsoft, Fisher co-created Codie, a multilingual AI assistant designed to help developers access coding knowledge in their own language.

He will oversee further development of Efekta’s teaching and learning platform and work with the leadership team on the company’s use of AI in education.

Fisher has also maintained close links to higher education. Alongside his commercial roles, he has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member in Brown University’s engineering department.

Efekta operates in a crowded market for AI tools in education, where companies are competing to persuade schools, governments and employers that software can tailor lessons more closely to individual learners. Its systems are designed to support teachers as well as students, reflecting a wider debate in the sector over whether AI should supplement classroom teaching rather than replace it.

Scale is central to Efekta’s pitch. The platform has taught more than 24 million people in 179 countries and is used by more than 4.5 million active students, 3,000 corporate clients, tens of thousands of teachers and government partners.

The company was spun out from EF, the private education group also known as Education First. That heritage gives Efekta links to one of the largest private education businesses in the world as it seeks to build direct relationships with public and private school systems, publishers, governments and employers.

Leadership build-out

Fisher’s appointment comes amid a broader expansion of the leadership structure. Earlier this year, Efekta named Stefania Giannini, the former UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education and former Italian Minister of Education, as President of Government Relations and Research.

The business has also formed an advisory board chaired by José Manuel Barroso. The group includes figures from education, policy and technology, underscoring Efekta’s effort to strengthen ties with institutions and governments as scrutiny of AI in classrooms grows.

For education technology companies, senior hires with product and engineering experience have become increasingly important as customers seek evidence that AI systems can be deployed reliably and responsibly. Providers face pressure to show that their software can improve learning outcomes while fitting into existing teaching structures.

Fisher set out his view of the opportunity in education in a statement released by the company.

“Education represents one of the most important and exciting opportunities for AI to create meaningful impact,” said Matt Fisher, Chief Technology Officer, Efekta Education. “I’ve spent my career building technologies that help people learn, connect and achieve more. What attracted me to Efekta is its clear vision for using AI to enhance learning, support teachers and make high-quality education accessible to more people around the world. I’m excited to join the team as we continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in personalised learning.”

Stephen Hodges, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said the appointment reflects the next stage of Efekta’s growth.

“Matt brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise, product vision and leadership experience. He has spent nearly two decades building technologies at scale and turning ambitious ideas into products that deliver real impact for users. His experience across AI, engineering and product development will be invaluable as we continue to expand our platform and deliver transformative learning experiences for students, teachers and institutions around the world,” said Hodges.