Help me compile the Top 50 Conversational AI practitioners in the UK

Dear reader, I need your help. 

I am collating a list of the top 50 people who are driving Conversational AI in the United Kingdom.

I am looking for your suggestions for practitioners — that is, people who are making Conversational AI actually happen in their organisations. 

So, for the avoidance of doubt, I’m not looking for vendor practitioners (who are, of course, doing great work enabling things!). I’m looking to document people who are supervising and implementing conversational AI implementations on behalf of their companies, across industry, in the United Kingdom. 

I’m looking for your recommendations for companies and organisations to feature - private sector, governmental and third sector organisations. 

To help me in this task, I have enlisted the help of Darren Henry of Intelligenta Digital. Darren has a long background bringing Conversational AI implementations to life for a variety of notable brands. I’ve asked Darren to compile and critique the list of names I’ve already created (I’ve got 20, so far!). 

My plan is to create an alphabetical list of the individuals we assess to be the top 50 practitioners and their respective organisations, together with a brief overview of their Conversational AI installations. 

To qualify, the individual should:

• have strategic and/or operational responsibility for a meaningful Conversational AI implementation in the UK
• be the clear team leader/manager/executive in charge of Conversational AI activities for their organisation
• have held the position for at least a year - be able to demonstrate or evidence the impact Conversational AI is having within their organisation
• have Conversational AI in the job title or clearly part of their remit

In some cases, this is self-evident. In most cases, I am anticipating asking Darren to hold a short qualifying discussion with the individual. 

Why do this? Shine the light!

I don't think there's enough exposure going to the individuals who are making the pieces fit and bringing Conversational AI to life in organisations across the United Kingdom. If anything, I think the individuals running these brilliant services are somewhat hidden. Now and again, a job advert, or a LinkedIn 'new joiner' announcement, helps shed some light on the size and scale of the responsibilities these individuals are carrying.

As a result, in my view, the evangelising, the championing, the smart, innovative breakthrough thinking doesn't get easily flagged externally. I'd like to change that. I think it should be changed! So step one... let's at least get a good list together so we can celebrate the achievements and experience of the individuals.

Are there even 50 in the UK?

I've assumed so. I think so. There must be, right? Just think about the banks, the insurance companies, utility providers and so on... we should be able to get 50 names.

Who do you suggest we should include? 

Please send me (or Darren) your suggestions by email, by LinkedIn or by our WhatsApp channel – all my contact details are right here. It is perfectly fine to suggest yourself: This is encouraged.

All you need to do in your email/message is write:

"I'm recommending myself / [firstname lastname] for the Conversational AI UK Top 50 and here is my / their LinkedIn account."

Feel free to give a bit more (public, non-confidential!) information to support.

I will aim to publish in due course! 

Ewan