Lizzy Johnson, Director of Client Management for Decoded, reflects on Mastercard’s RiskX summit and why collaboration is the fastest route to responsible, real-world AI adoption across any organisation.
I was pleased to be part of the Decoded team at RiskX, Mastercard’s global risk, cyber and fraud summit held in Rome September 2025. The event brought together leaders across payments, tech and security at the Rome Cavalieri to share what’s working and what’s next. Here are the moments that stayed with me, and how they reinforced my view that collaboration is the shortest path to practical, responsible AI.
RiskX was a reminder that collaboration isn’t just a slogan. The way Mastercard framed their 2030 view put partnership and shared principles at the centre of safe AI adoption. The takeaway was clear: if we want innovation and safety to progress together, we need clear, shared principles for how AI is used and regulated across countries and we need to share more openly across sectors to overcome common challenges.
Across the conference, there were a range of thought-provoking sessions that reinforced this idea that collaboration, sometimes through unlikely partners, is a strategic multiplier.
I listened in on a conversation between Mastercard and McLaren. There are clearly similarities between the organisations that extend beyond just a sponsorship relationship: pace, innovation and a strong focus on technology and the people they serve.
A particularly fascinating part of the conversation shone a light onto McLaren’s work with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. I remember ten years ago or so the Williams F1 team sharing work they’d done with neonatal units to apply the learnings from the pit to a fast paced, high stakes healthcare environment. McLaren’s work with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation allows them to share their data modelling expertise to layer into the Foundation’s deep understanding of the world’s largest coral reef system. The sum of these organisations is having an impact far beyond what they can achieve alone.
Inside any organisation it’s easy to get siloed. But we all know that collaboration cuts duplication, gives people shared context and speeds up decisions. Cross-functional teams spot risks earlier and turn ideas into useful tools faster because they can see the whole picture, not just their part of it.
At Decoded we design learning to break silos. Our sessions bring together learners from across an organisation so individuals can work together, share and learn on real scenarios.
When we work with one organisation at a time, we can be flexible to set up groups that bring together key teams or roles, and our open cohorts bring together individuals across sectors. Retail and pharmaceutical. Investment banks and publishing houses. Having the opportunity to learn with others outside your team encourages you to challenge your established practices to innovate and grow.
All of our sessions are interactive – and our fantastic teams are continuing to look at how we can make the most out of every minute in each workshop, in a way that’s fun and engaging.
We aren’t quite saving the Great Barrier Reef yet, but we’re supercharging teams through sharing and productivity.
If you want to build cross-functional confidence with AI, we can help. Explore our AI immersions, or get in touch to talk to us about a cohort designed around your teams and use cases.
If you’d like to learn more about Decoded and how we can help transform your
organisation, we’d love to hear from you.
