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.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Barrier Networks has appointed Maggie Titmuss MBE as an adviser to its Board of Directors, adding a senior cyber security figure to the Glasgow company’s boardroom.

She will provide strategic guidance on cyber security and regulation as organisations in the public and private sectors face rising scrutiny over cyber risk and operational resilience.

Titmuss has more than 35 years of experience across law enforcement and financial services. After working in national and international policing, she moved into banking and most recently served as Director of Intelligence and Incident Response at Lloyds Banking Group.

She also holds a number of other roles across the sector, including Chair of the Scottish Government’s National Cyber Resilience Advisory Board, Chair of Cyacomb, Associate at Beyond Blue and Strategic Advisor to Fivecast.

Barrier provides managed cyber security services, consultancy and cyber assurance work to organisations across the public and private sectors. Its customers include businesses and operators in financial services, legal, government, defence and critical national infrastructure.

Titmuss will advise the board as the cyber threat environment and regulatory demands continue to shift. Businesses across critical infrastructure and regulated industries are under growing pressure to improve monitoring, incident response and governance as cyber attacks become more disruptive.

Sector background

Board-level cyber expertise is increasingly sought after as companies contend with a broader range of risks, including ransomware, supply chain breaches and stricter expectations from regulators and customers. Advisers with experience in policing, intelligence and financial services can bring operational and governance perspectives that boards often lack internally.

Barrier’s services include round-the-clock threat monitoring, incident detection, technical risk assessments and incident response. The business positions itself as helping organisations identify, manage and reduce cyber risk.

In a statement on the appointment, Titmuss said she had been impressed by the business and its client base.

“Barrier Networks has built an excellent reputation for helping organisations strengthen their cyber resilience, and I am highly impressed with their team, skills and the calibre of clients that depend on them. Throughout my career, I’ve seen first-hand how quickly the threat landscape evolves and how important it is for organisations to have trusted partners who can help them prepare for and respond to those challenges. I’m looking forward to working with the Board and leadership team as Barrier continues to grow and deliver more of their expertise to organisations,” said Maggie Titmuss MBE, Advisor to the Board at Barrier Networks.

Her appointment gives Barrier access to experience spanning criminal investigation, cyber intelligence and incident response in a major banking group. That mix is likely to be relevant for a company serving clients in regulated industries and critical infrastructure, where cyber incidents can quickly become operational, financial and reputational issues.

Managed security providers are also expanding their role from technical monitoring to broader advisory work, particularly as customers seek support with resilience planning and regulatory preparedness. For smaller and mid-sized providers, external advisers can offer credibility and strategic direction as competition in the sector intensifies.

Managing Director Ian McGowan said Titmuss would help shape the company’s next phase.

“Maggie’s experience is exceptional. She has operated at the highest levels across law enforcement, financial services and national cyber resilience, giving her a unique perspective on the challenges organisations face today. As Barrier continues to grow, her strategic insight and experience will be invaluable in helping us shape the next stage of our business and continue delivering the highest levels of service to our customers,” said Ian McGowan, Managing Director of Barrier Networks.

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.