At Cannes Lions, Mobsta is hosting a senior leadership roundtable on the new role of data in the media boardroom, chaired by Jon Mew, CEO, IAB UK. The conversation will explore how data is moving beyond measurement and reporting to become a more active force in predicting opportunity, shaping strategy and supporting future growth. 

Overview 

For years, data has helped marketers understand performance after the event. Now, with advances in AI, predictive modelling and agentic decisioning, the expectation is shifting. Data is being asked to look ahead, not just look back. 

That creates huge opportunity, but it also raises important questions around trust, ethics and accountability. The challenge is no longer simply having access to more data. It is knowing which signals matter, how to turn them into useful insight, and how to apply that insight in ways that are commercially effective, responsible and grounded in real human behaviour. 

This is where leadership becomes critical. As data and AI become more embedded in decision-making, senior teams need to shape how data is sourced, interpreted, governed and used. Technology may accelerate decisioning, but human judgement, responsibility and oversight remain essential. Future-facing leadership will mean creating the right conditions for data-led growth, while keeping integrity, safety and sustainability firmly in view. 

The roundtable will bring together leaders from across brands, agencies, platforms and technology partners to discuss what this next phase demands from the industry. The ambition is to leave with a clearer view of how trusted data can become meaningful insight, and how that insight can support better decisions, stronger growth and more responsible media. 

Core Narrative 

Media has evolved from: 

• Measuring behaviour 
• Reporting outcomes 
• Optimising retrospectively 

Toward: 

• Predicting future behaviour 
• Identifying growth opportunities 
• Enabling real-time and autonomous decisioning 
• Informing board-level growth strategy 

This reflects a broader industry shift: data is no longer only expected to explain the past. It is increasingly expected to shape the future. 

At the same time, this introduces a very human tension. We have moved from measuring what people did to predicting what they might do next. But people are not linear. They are complex, emotional, contextual and often contradictory. So how do we balance the promise of prediction with the reality of human behaviour? 

There is also an important distinction to be made between data and insight. The industry has access to more data than ever, but more data does not automatically mean better decisions. The real value lies in turning data into insight that is accurate, safe, interpretable and actionable. Insight should help organisations make clearer decisions, identify genuine growth opportunities and understand people in ways that create meaningful commercial and cultural impact. 

That raises a leadership challenge. As AI accelerates the speed and scale of data-led decisioning, senior leaders need to shape both the technology capabilities and the standards around how data is used. This means asking not only whether data can predict an outcome, but whether it should be used in that way, whether it is robust enough to inform action, and whether it supports a more sustainable and ethical approach to media. 

The future of data in the media boardroom is not simply about more automation or faster optimisation. It is about building confidence in the quality, integrity and application of data, so insight can become a responsible engine for growth. 

Objectives 

The roundtable is intended to: 

• Introduce a forward-looking narrative around audience intelligence, growth prediction and opportunity identification
• Create a clearer distinction between data volume and effective insight 
• Explore what data integrity, safety and accountability mean in an AI-driven media landscape 
• Encourage senior-level discussion on leadership responsibility, ethical decision-making and commercial impact 
• Surface perspectives on how predictive capabilities are changing operating models, planning processes and board-level expectations 
• Consider how organisations can use data in ways that are effective, sustainable and trusted 
• Create a high-value networking and thought leadership environment at Cannes 

Key Discussion Themes 

• From measurement to prediction: how is the role of data changing in media? 
• And what tech infrastructure is required to support those changes? 
• Data versus insight: what actually helps businesses make better decisions? 
• What does data integrity mean in an age of AI, automation and agentic decisioning? 
• How can leaders balance commercial ambition with data ethics and safety?
• What standards need to be in place before predictive decisioning can scale responsibly? 
• How do we ensure data-led media still reflects real human behaviour, not just modelled assumptions? 
• What does sustainable data use look like in media, from privacy and consent to environmental impact? 
• Who should be accountable for the way data is interpreted, activated and governed? 
• How can insight move from reporting function to boardroom growth driver? 

Impact + Chatham House Rule 

To help create an open and constructive conversation, the roundtable will be held under the Chatham House Rule. This means attendees are free to use the ideas and perspectives shared in the session, but comments will not be attributed to any individual or organisation without permission. 

The aim is to give senior leaders the space to speak openly about the opportunities and responsibilities shaping the next phase of data-led media. As AI, predictive modelling and automated decisioning become more embedded in commercial strategy, it is important that the industry can have a candid conversation about trust, data integrity, ethics, accountability and the leadership required to use these capabilities well. 

The ambition is for attendees to leave with: 

• A sharper understanding of the role data will play in the next phase of media growth 
• A clearer view of the leadership responsibility required to use data and AI well 
• Practical perspectives on how the industry can move from collecting and reporting data to creating insight that drives better decisions 
• Stronger alignment around accountability, trust and responsible commercial outcomes 
• A more grounded view of how data-led media can become not only more predictive, but more trusted, ethical and effective 

The discussion is also intended to have value beyond the room. Following the roundtable, key themes, points of alignment and practical actions will be captured and developed into a short industry-facing summary, with support from Mobsta’s PR agency. 

This output will be designed to help carry the conversation through Cannes Lions and beyond, supporting wider industry dialogue around how trusted data can become meaningful insight, and how that insight can support better decisions, stronger growth and more responsible media. 

See you there

This event is by invitation only. Places are limited.  If you’d like to join this conversation or have any questions please get in touch. 

Mike Freeman, Head of Business Management at Mobsta - Mike.Freeman@mobsta.com  

Juliana Proskourina-Barnett, Head of Comms and Creative Services at Mobsta - Juliana.Proskourina-Barnett@mobsta.com 

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