The Data and Digital Leadership Forum 2026 took place on 12 February and brought together leaders, policymakers and industry specialists for a day of discussion and insight. The Forum provided an opportunity to explore the fast‑changing landscape of data, digital transformation and regulatory developments.
Participants heard from a range of speakers who shared their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges shaping Ireland’s digital future, including the growing impact of artificial intelligence and the evolving regulatory environment. The event encouraged thoughtful discussion across sectors and highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation and informed leadership in a rapidly developing digital world.
Video Transcription
Colin Rooney
I’m Colin Rooney, Partner and Head of the Technology and Innovation Group at Arthur Cox. At today’s Data and Digital Leadership Forum, we will be hearing from a range of voices in relation to data and digital matters, including in relation to data protection, AI, cyber resilience, and tech regulation more generally.
Malcolm Byrne
I’m Malcolm Byrne, and I’m Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence.
Olivia Mullooly
My name is Olivia Mullooly. I’m a partner in the Technology and Innovation Group in Arthur Cox. The Data and Digital Leadership Forum is an important event for us because it brings together clients across a range of different sectors. So the laws pertaining to data and technology and the digital environment, these are not issues that just pertain to the tech sector, they are increasingly touching on clients across a range of other sectors also. So today is an opportunity for us to reflect and break down some of the key laws in these areas and also to hear from the key regulators about what their strategies and priorities are in the months and years ahead.
Michael Egan
I’m Michael Egan. I’m at the Conrad Hotel for the Data and Digital Leadership Forum. Events like these are important because they bring technical, legal, and risk perspectives together around real data challenges. That shared understanding helps organisations shape how they use technology in advance before the pressure hits.
Malcolm Byrne
For Ireland, it’s critical that we’re a leader in the AI space, and that means both getting the appropriate level of regulation in place to maintain public trust and confidence, but also to support innovation, to be able to use this new technology to ensure that we can better deliver goods and services. For the State, that means how do we safely use AI to deliver public services better to citizens. But for companies and for organisations, it’s about using this technology to be able to improve business processes.
Colin Rooney
Events like the Data and Digital Leadership Forum are important because I think they provide an opportunity for us to bring together different important voices in the data and digital landscape. So for example, it’s a great opportunity for us to present to our clients in relation to new and novel and emerging areas of law. But it’s equally a fantastic opportunity for us to hear from the clients in relation to the things that are coming across their desks, which are occupying them, which are maybe perhaps occupying senior leadership within their organisations as well. So it’s a great opportunity to have that conversation. And I think it’s also a nice context to meet clients and maybe to have a friendly discussion over a cup of coffee.
Aoife Mac Ardle
I’m Aoife Mac Ardle. I’m an of counsel in the Technology and Innovation Group in Arthur Cox. So in a world where digital regulation has become, especially in the last five years, increasingly complex, events like today where we can gain a regulatory insight as well as insights from our client and insights from the wider Technology and Innovation Group, I think they’re really important in terms of navigating what has become increasingly complicated terrain.
Colin Rooney
For more information, please visit arthurcox.com/dataanddigitalleadership
GDPR with Colin Rooney
In this video, Colin Rooney, Partner and Head of our Technology & Innovation Group, shares his reflections on the key themes shaping client priorities, including:
✅ The rapid expansion of data and digital legislation over the past two to three years
✅ The growing impact of AI, cyber resilience, and online safety requirements
✅ The continued importance of GDPR as a core compliance foundation
✅ How strong GDPR governance supports readiness for AI, cyber reporting, and emerging digital obligations
Colin highlights that although the regulatory landscape is broadening quickly, organisations with robust data protection frameworks are best positioned to adapt with confidence.
Video Transcription
Colin Rooney
I’m Colin Rooney, Partner and Head of the Technology and Innovation Group at Arthur Cox. At today’s Data and Digital Leadership Forum, we’ll be hearing from a range of voices in relation to data and digital matters, including in relation to data protection, AI, cyber resilience, and tech regulation more generally. Our clients are encountering a wide range of different challenges in relation to the data and digital space. I think perhaps the most challenging for our clients is the sheer breadth of law that has been passed over the last number of years, over the last two, three years in particular. There is a wide range of data and digital legislation, the AI, cyber, and online safety space for example, which has had a significant impact on our clients. But underpinning this is still the fact that data protection and GDPR compliance remains a core requirement for a broad range of our clients. I think with the very, very quick movement that we’re having in relation to data legislation and case law, a strong existing GDPR Compliance Governance Framework can really help organisations to have a baseline from which to work to prepare themselves for AI compliance, to deal with the reporting aspects, for example, in relation to cyber, and to deal with the other issues that can arise in the new and emerging digital space.
For more information, please visit arthurcox.com/dataanddigitalleadership
Cyber risk and resilience with Olivia Mullooly
In this video, Olivia Mullooly, Partner in our Technology & Innovation Group, shares her reflections on the forum and the key themes from her sessions, which also featured Paul Stanley, Head of Engagement at the National Cyber Security Centre, Ireland (NCSC-IE) and Vivian Spies, Foreign Registered Lawyer, Arthur Cox LLP:
✅ Cyber resilience
✅ Cyber risk management
✅ Organisational cyber readiness
✅ Effective incident response
Video Transcription
Olivia Mullooly
My name is Olivia Mullooly. I’m a partner in the Technology and Innovation Group in Arthur Cox. We’re here in the Conrad Hotel for our annual Data and Digital Leadership Forum. The key themes of my session today are cyber, cyber risk, cyber readiness, cyber response. The session is designed to bring the benefit of our experience in navigating clients to the aftermath of a cyber attack, the investigation, the remediation, and the mitigation of the issues that will typically arise for clients when they’re dealing with such an unfortunate event. My colleague Vivian Spies is then going to touch on some of the emerging laws in the area of cyber resilience and cyber in this, and we’re delighted to again be joined by Paul Stanley, who’s head of engagement in the National Cyber Security Centre, to talk us through some of the priorities for his organisation in the months following implementation of the cyber security bill into Irish law.
The Data and Digital Leadership Forum is an important event for us because it brings together clients across a range of different sectors. So the laws pertaining to data, technology, and the digital environment, these are not issues that just pertain to the tech sector. They are increasingly touching on clients across a range of other sectors also. So today is an opportunity for us to reflect and break down some of the key laws in these areas, and also to hear from the key regulators about what their strategies and priorities are in the months and years ahead. For more information, please visit arthacox.com/dataanddigitalleadership, or contact any member of our team.
