Key Moments: 

Jeremy Kahn

• The history of AI: the Turing Test and the Eliza Effect with Jeremy Khan (1:50)
• Jeremy’s view on how we can learn from lessons of the past (9:00)
• It starts with data and people: leveraging AI to increase productivity (16:00)

Sol Rashidi

• Sol Rashidi on failing to succeed in AI (31:00)
• The need for rogue executives (37:00)
• Sol’s view on prioritizing GenAI use cases and measuring ROI (42:50)

Bernard Marr

• Bernard Marr on demystifying AI (60:02)
• Is society ready for AI’s impact on augmenting jobs? (66:00)
• AI’s impact on personalization of medicine, treatment and drug discovery (72:00)

Key Quotes: 

Jeremy Kahn

• “We're in a position where we can take action while this technology is still being shaped, to try to set some sensible guardrails. If we do that, we will see a lot of benefit from this technology. If we wait, we’re going to be in a situation like with social media. We will have a deskilling of essential human cognitive abilities.”
• We don’t talk enough about how to train people to use AI software. The organizations that think hardest about that are going to be very successful.”

Sol Rashidi 

• “Usually I start the conversations of how ROI shouldn't just be a financial measure. There's three ROI's in my opinion. There's a financial ROI, there's a cultural ROI, and there's a relevancy ROI.”
• “I am adamant that business value is not the number one marker. Everything needs to be scored and graded by criticality and complexity. And your criticality is a measure of ‘what is the impact if we don't do this?’”

Bernard Marr

• “What we are seeing is we will see an augmentation of pretty much every single job. I can't think of many jobs that will not be augmented by GenAI. We need to really expect change as individuals.”
• “We must create a world where education is seen as something that never stops, that carries on. I believe that we are currently entering a hyper evolution cycle, with artificial intelligence right at the center of it.”

Mentions: 

'Mastering AI: A Survival Guide to Our Superpowered Future' by Jeremy Kahn 

'Your AI Survival Guide: Scraped Knees, Bruised Elbows, and Lessons Learned from Real-World AI Deployments' by Sol Rashidi

'Generative AI in Practice: 100+ Amazing Ways Generative Artificial Intelligence is Changing Business and Society' by Bernard Marr

Bios: 

About Jeremy Kahn 

• Jeremy Kahn is an award-winning journalist for Fortune magazine, where he covers AI and other emerging technologies. Previously, he wrote about technology, including AI, for Bloomberg. His writing on a range of subjects has also appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek,The Atlantic, Smithsonian magazine, The Boston Globe, The New Republic, and Slate. An Ohio native, he now lives with his family in Oxford, England.

About Sol Rashidi

• With 10 patents granted and winning numerous awards that include: 'Forbes AI Maverick & Visionary of the 21st Century', 'Top 100 People in AI', 'Global 100 Power List', 'Top 75 Innovators', 'CAO of the Year', 'Top 5 CDO's', 'Top 65 Most Influential Women', Sol Rashidi is an seasoned executive, leader, and influencer within the AI, data, and technology space. Sol’s experience comes from real-world deployments where she has had to roll up her sleeves and do the work, while keeping the strategic intent in mind. Sol is currently Head of Technology for Startups, North America, at AWS.

About Bernard Marr

• Bernard Marr is a multi-award-winning and internationally best-selling author of over 20 books, who writes a regular column for Forbes and advises and works with many of the world’s best-known organizations. He has a combined following of 4 million people across his social media channels and newsletters and was ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top 5 business influencers in the world.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Key Moments:

• The road to entrepreneurship (1:00) 
• Bringing transparency to the prescription drugs industry (4:30) 
• Analyzing in-game sports data to shoot for new heights (20:00) 
• Changing the world by making data and AI accessible to everyone (25:00) 
• How LLMs can build curiosity for the next generation of tech talent (33:00)

Key Quotes:

• “As with all things technology, everybody has access to the information, but few people take the time. But those who do tend to have an edge. If you're curious, if you love to learn, you're going to do pretty well. But how do you find those people when they're kids and how do you try to just capture their imagination and get them excited about the technology? That's why we started the bootcamp.”
• “I wanted to make technology accessible to people who otherwise couldn't get it. It doesn't matter what you look like, who you are, what your ethnicity is, what your background is. There are just going to be people who don't have access. I wanted to open that door for them. I'm a big believer in diversity, and that when you look at places where other people aren't, that's when you find brilliance that can change the world.”
• “The path to least resistance to learning AI is simple. All you’ve got to do is use it. You can use it in ways that you can’t possibly imagine. You can learn how to use large language models to start your own programming and teach yourself how to do it. The sky's the limit. Better way to put it, there is literally next to nothing you can't teach yourself using a large language model. You can even train and educate the model. It’s a virtuous cycle. It can surge curiosity with kids.”

Mentions:

• Cost Plus Drugs
• The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine will Remake our World 
• Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics in Baseball, Basketball, and Football 
• Mark Cuban AI Bootcamps

Mark Cuban Bio: 

Mark Cuban has been a natural businessman since age 12, when he sold garbage bags door to door.  He went on to found MicroSolutions right out of college, selling it to H&R Block.

From there he became an active stock trader, building a track record, starting a hedge fund and selling it a year later. In 1995, he and Todd Wagner started the first commercial streaming company, AudioNet, which became Broadcast.com. They later sold the company in 2000 for 5.7B dollars.

Mark acquired the Dallas Mavericks in 2000.  The Mavs competed in their first NBA Finals in 2006, won their first League title in 2011.  Mark sold majority ownership in 2023, but still retains a significant stake. During his time as majority owner, the Mavs had the second best record in the NBA.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

In developed nations, corporations often rollup and eat independent mom and pop shops into big box retail or big .coms that centralize supply chains and logistics. Meanwhile, independent sellers are the backbone of emerging markets. But a collision is starting to occur and it’s happening fast. Big corporations want to bring the same strategy to these emerging markets, so how can the independent seller maintain their independence? To do that, they need technology partners like RedCloud. In this conversation, we learn how RedCloud sits at the forefront of the 3 key disruptions inside of emerging markets: employment, technology, and sustainability. Learn how Soumaya Hamzaoui, Co-Founder and COO and JD de Jong, SVP of Product combine data, technology and deep knowledge of emerging economies to help independent sellers.

Key Moments: 

• A personal mission: Born in Algeria, Africa, Soumaya discusses how her childhood shaped her understanding of emerging markets.
• Unlike Amazon: Commerce has existed in emerging markets since the beginning of civilization. Yet independent sellers face existential challenges if big corporations are allowed to enter their markets and gobble up all of the opportunities. Learn how RedCloud hopes to not be like Amazon, and would rather focus on keeping independent sellers independent.
• Data for emerging market independent sellers: discover how the team developed the right products for these markets and how they overcame challenges unique to their customers.
• Challenges in emerging markets: Gain unique perspectives into how international marketplaces work. 

Key Quotes: 

• “We are not only here to develop the technology, but we are also here to educate these businesses on the value of digitization, on the value of data. [According to a World Bank Report] 90% of these businesses need training and upskilling to keep up with the pace of the evolution of how the economical world and technological world is evolving. 88% need support in digitization on how to take their business from traditional businesses to fully digital business. And another 80% need mentorship and support on how to transform their business. - Soumaya
• “It is one thing to give a user access to create their own visualization. It's an entirely different thing to create not just the visualization, but an interpretation of what that visualization means. - JD
• “When companies look at emerging markets and the lack of digitization, they think there's a reluctance to digitize and there really isn't. It's not about the adoption of technology, but the simplification of and the cost of that technology.” - JD

Mentions: 

• World Bank Reports
• M-Pesa in Kenya
• Large Language Models (LLMS) with Dialects
• Marketplace Counterfeit Challenges
• Book: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Bios: 

Soumaya Hamzaoui describes herself as an Entrepreneur and Product Strategist. She has a strong track record of developing products across Enterprises focused on the fintech and commerce global industries. She has deep sector expertise built over the last 15 years across Africa, Asia, and EMEA in mobile money, digital financial services, and FinTech launches. She attended prestigious universities in France and Algeria.

Juandre (JD) de Jong is a seasoned Product professional and Chartered Management Accountant, currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Product at RedCloud. Juandre combines his financial acumen with a deep understanding of customer needs to drive product strategy and innovation. He has a proven track record of successfully launching and scaling innovative products that meet market demands. He was born in South Africa and currently resides in the UK. 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Cindi Howson is the Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot and our host of The Data Chief. To kick off this new podcast, we wanted to switch the roles… today, Cindi is our guest!

Tune in for a discussion between Cindi and Ian Faison, Executive Producer of The Data Chief, about culture, leadership, innovation, data for good, and what you can expect from future episodes of The Data Chief.

Key Takeaways:

• How being an aspiring writer – but a lousy typist – got Cindi into technology.
• The biggest changes Cindi has witnessed over the last 20 years.
• Where the new role of CDO (Chief Data Officer) fits into the hierarchy among the CIO and CAO, the barriers someone in this position can expect to face, and the ways we can expect this role to evolve in the months and years to come.

More About Cindi:

Cindi Howson is the Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot, formerly a Gartner Research Vice President in Data and Analytics, and the Founder of BI Scorecard, an independent analyst firm focused on helping customers select BI tools and manage their BI portfolio and achieve more impact with data. She is also the author of several books, including Successful Business Intelligence: Unlock the Value of BI & Big Data and SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0: The Complete Reference.

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The Data Chief is presented by our friends at ThoughtSpot. Searching through your company’s data for insights doesn’t have to be complicated. With ThoughtSpot, anyone in your organization can easily answer their own data questions, find the facts, and make better, faster decisions. Learn more at thoughtspot.com. 

-- 

For full show notes and more, go to thedatachief.com.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Data is transforming how we think about life, work, business, healthcare, education, and everything in between. Meet the world’s top data and analytics leaders bringing this data revolution to life.

In each episode of The Data Chief, host Cindi Howson, Chief Data Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot, sits down with data and analytics leaders to discuss the trends, technologies, and cultures transforming fact-driven companies around the globe.

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The Data Chief is presented by our friends at ThoughtSpot. Searching through your company’s data for insights doesn’t have to be complicated. With ThoughtSpot, anyone in your organization can easily answer their own data questions, find the facts, and make better, faster decisions. Learn more at thoughtspot.com. 

-- 

For full show notes and more, go to thedatachief.com.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Description:
Cindi Howson is joined by Valerie A. Logan, CEO and founder of the DataLodge and Chief Strategy Officer at DATA SOCIETY GROUP, and Jason Beyer, Vice President of Data and Analytics at Bridgestone Americas. They delve into the vital concepts of data literacy and AI literacy, sharing their insights and experiences in fostering a data-driven culture within organizations. Valerie, widely regarded as the "godmother of data literacy," sheds light on the three key pillars of her approach: mindset, language, and skills. Jason provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Bridgestone is cultivating data literacy, including partnerships with HR, creating a data marketplace, and fostering a community of data enthusiasts.

Key Moments: 

• Valerie Logan explains the three pillars of data literacy: mindset, language, and skills (06:16)
• Jason Beyer shares Bridgestone's approach to scaling data literacy, including partnering with HR and creating a data marketplace (22:10)
• Valerie highlights the importance of leadership in modeling the right mindset for data literacy (29:28)
• Cindi, Valerie, and Jason discuss the evolution of data literacy to AI literacy (33:48)
• Lightning round with fun questions for Valerie and Jason (38:26)

Key Quotes: 

• ISL (Information as a second language) is really a foundational methodology for how we look at the enablement of people, the empowerment of people with this capability. And when I talk about data literacy in ISL, I look at it really as three things, mindset, language, and skills. - Valerie A. Logan
• Terms, Techniques, then Tools. If you're trying to drive a different behavior, a tool is part of that. But how somebody thinks, how someone engages is also part of it. - Valerie A. Logan
• Leaders need to think about data fluency different from those that may be using data in their role or may have data as a role and recognize that there's different levels of fluency, proficiency, and the core literacy that go along with that. - Jason Beyer
• Even before we called it a data literacy program, we had this mindset and approach as a COE team and our value contribution to the organization is we need to raise the water for the entire organization in how we use and make the most of our data assets. - Jason Beyer

Mentions: 

• Data Literacy Movement
• Information as a Second Language (ISL) methodology
• The Data Lodge and Bridgestone Data Literacy Webinar
• Generative AI and prompt engineering classes

Bios

Valerie A. Logan 
Founding The Data Lodge in 2019, Valerie is as committed to data literacy as it gets. With train-the-trainer bootcamps, and a peer community, she’s certifying the world’s first Data Literacy Program Leads. Valerie is excited to also serve as the Chief Strategy Officer of DSG. Valerie has more than 30 years of experience in consulting leadership and telecommunications.  She lives between the Adirondacks in Upstate NY, and Sarasota, FL with her husband Brian, and their yellow lab, Cooper, the Lodge mascot.

Jason Beyer
A Data, Analytics, & Technology pioneer with a proven ability to lead transformational change. Jason brings global experiences from automotive, retail, industrial manufacturing, construction, medical, and government industries. He believes what’s good for society is good for business. Jason serves on multiple boards for his community of Nashville, and for the data industry

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Description: 

In this episode, Chris Stephens, Field CTO at Appen, dives into how CDO’s are navigating the world of generative AI. From setting clear expectations to driving adoption within organizations, Chris and Cindi explore the challenges and opportunities in this evolving landscape. Chris shares Appen's innovative approach to integrating humans into deep learning processes and discusses the potential of synthetic data. Plus, he shares how crucial human expertise is, in shaping ethical AI practices and touches on the impact of legislation and industry trends on AI's future.

Key Moments: 

• The Impact of generative AI on CDOs  [06:19]
• Appen and the excitement of generative AI [10:34]
• The potential of synthetic data and content curation [12:13]
• The importance of CDOs embracing generative AI [17:40]
• The early stage of generative AI and funding innovation [26:39]
• The importance of human in the loop [34:09]
• The role of legislation and industry leadership [38:46]

Key Quotes: 

As a CDO, I think you absolutely have to figure out how to grab onto that, take ownership of it, and provide the leadership that your company needs - if you don't, then of course someone else will.  

All of the challenges come on the non-technical side. Being successful in these programs is about more humanistic type skills than it is being a wizard in the technology space, in my opinion.

The work that Appen does is working in support of all of these global organizations and the key is getting humans involved in these loops. 

Mentions: 

• Deep learning
• Deep fake 
• Synthetic data 
• Gartner 
• Generative AI 

Bio: 

Chris has been leading large-scale data transformations for over a decade, bringing advanced analytics capabilities to the world for 25 years.  Most recently, he served in CDO roles at GEICO, Zendesk, and American Eagle Outfitters.  Prior to that he helped lead the Data Science practice at Pivotal Software helping organizations around the world adopt modern data and software practices.  He is Field CTO and Head of AI Solutions at Appen bringing AI systems to life for organizations around the world.  He is an advisor to Insight Partners and Battery Ventures helping shape a new generation of technology and teams.  He is Adjunct Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University teaching our next generation of data and AI leaders.   He is passionate about the human side of data, transformation, and innovation.  He hails from Pittsburgh with his wife and 5 young adult children.  An avid music fan, he reminds us that, "you who choose to lead must follow."

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Description: 

Michael Jordan once said that players win games, and teams win championships. In this episode, Cindi interviews Alfredo Colas, Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics at Procter & Gamble. Together, they explore the importance of fostering a data-driven culture and digital fluency, while delving into strategies for overcoming challenges in data culture. They also discuss the company's rich history of data innovation and the evolving impact of technology on data access and processing. From key insights on investing in data and AI fluency to discussing the role of the AI factory in accelerating machine learning processes, Alfredo and Cindi cover it all. 

Key Moments: 

• Building a data-driven culture and data fluency [9:48] 
• Overcoming challenges in data culture and adoption [10:16] 
• Investing in data and AI fluency across the organization [19:55] 
• The AI Factory and accelerating machine learning processes [20:16] 
• Addressing fears and human oversight in AI [27:50]

Key Quotes: 

As part of that also, we believe we need everyone in the organization to understand data, to understand analytics. So we are heavily investing in the digital fluency of the full organization and not just the IT function.

Michael Jordan said that players win games and teams win championships, I agree with him. To me, it's not about one trait. It's about having a diverse team where everyone brings something different. 

If we want to be here another 100 years or another 183 years, we need to be training the new generations so that they can be successful in the future.

Mentions: 

• AI Factory 
• chatPG 
• Generative AI

Bio: 

Alfredo Colas is the Senior Vice President of IT for Data & Analytics, and Digital Go-To-Market. He leads an organization of more than 850 P&G IT professionals and over a thousand partner resources.

Data and Algorithmic solutions are a key engine of P&G’s Integrated Growth Strategy. Through a combination of Enterprise Data Lake platform, data pipelines and machine learning workbenches, this team is creating cutting-edge capabilities across all dimensions of the business.

As part of his Digital Go-To-Market role, he is accountable for developing new capabilities to help P&G win by unlocking the full potential of P&G’s Sales organization. He oversees the digitization of the company’s sales processes and powering them with analytics. He also leads P&G’s Salesforce Platform Team.

Alfredo joined Procter & Gamble in 1996 in Spain and, over the years, led various local, regional and global organizations across the U.S. and Europe, including Italy, Russia, Spain and Switzerland. In 2005-2006, Alfredo participated in a Manager-On-Loan program, where he worked in PC business operations at Hewlett-Packard. He has extensive experience in transforming and enabling the sales organization at P&G, and has led commercial and supply chain redesigns, e-commerce initiatives and the integration of multiple acquisitions. Most recently, he led IT & Shared Services for North America, P&G’s largest region.

Alfredo thrives at the intersection of business and technology. He is motivated by applying technology to transform the business and create significant value. He also has long-standing experience working in external forums to identify opportunities and impulse efficiencies that improve the end-to-end value chain and ultimately benefit consumers. He started working with GS1 Spain (AECOC) more than 20 years ago. He has been in the board of GS1 US since 2016 and actively participates in key industry initiatives such as Verified by GS1 and the migration from product barcodes to 2D codes.

Alfredo resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and his two younger children. His eldest is a freshman in engineering at Purdue University.

 

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Alfredo Colas on The Data Chief. 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Giving ABC’s more meaning, in this episode of The Data Chief host Cindi Howson, engages in a captivating conversation with Nisha Paliwal, the managing VP of Enterprise Data Technology at Capital One. Nisha dives into her multifaceted role as a tech leader, visionary, and advocate for STEM education. The discussion traverses topics ranging from the impact of technology on younger generations to the future of work in the era of AI. With insights into Nisha's unique ABC leadership framework and Capital One's innovative culture, this episode offers a rich exploration of data leadership and human-centered tech strategy.

 

Key Moments:

The impact of technology on younger generations [3:05]

Nisha’s leadership style: The ABC Framework [5:02]

The future of work and AI’s impact [15:56]

Mitigating risks and building trust in AI [20:20]

The importance of data in AI [25:22]

Capital One’s culture of innovation [31:18]

 

Key Quotes:

“Let's just be who we are and bring the best in others too. So all the people who I work with, bring their best self to work and are comfortable with whoever they want to be.”

 

“I think AI might not be for everybody to start with. I think it's okay to wait and watch. I think it's okay to let it bake because again, these things are not cheap either, right? These require a lot of investment upfront.”

 

“Data is the king these days, we have a lot of investment in data, we have about 1000 plus people and I'm here to serve them, to serve the organization, serve our product – I care about what we build.”

 

Mentions:

• Databricks 
• IBM
• Hyperautomation
• Generative AI
• The Secrets of AI Value Creation

 

Bio:

Nisha Paliwal is Managing Vice President of Enterprise Data Technology at Capital One, where she has held a variety of leadership roles over more than eight years. An accomplished leader, visionary technologist, and passionate change agent, she has been a relentless advocate for leveraging technology and data insights to create true business value for more than 20 years.

 

At Capital One, she also actively contributes to and holds leadership roles in the Women in Tech and Origins business resource groups (BRGs). Nisha has a big heart for her associates and desires for them to feel valued, engaged and psychologically safe.

 

With a passion for introducing young girls to technology, she also mentors others and supports several STEM-focused non profits, with a long-term vision of bringing more women into the ranks of technology leadership. Nisha volunteers her personal time with three non-profits - Boolean Girls, CodeVa, and WingsForGrowth, which focus on STEM education for K-12 and education for women in leadership-related topics.

Nisha is an avid learner who made the jump from microbiology to the tech world after teaching herself C# programming. She continues her life-long pursuit of learning by reading, listening to podcasts, and participating in internal and external speaking engagements.

Nisha has recently co-authored a book “The Secrets of AI Value Creation,” published by Wiley, in her pursuit of learning and sharing those learnings with the community in the form of this book.

 

Order Nisha’s new book, The Secrets of AI Value Creation now.
 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.
 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

On this episode of The Data Chief, Katie Russell, Data Director at OVO Energy shares OVO’s transformative journey to become a sustainable energy leader, emphasizing the shift to Google Cloud Platform and a data mesh strategy. The discussion covers OVO's innovative use of generative AI, measuring success through customer savings, and the ongoing challenge of fostering a data-driven culture.

Key Moments: 

• OVO’s mission and data support [1:05]
• Data transformation [7:37]
• Technology modernization [11:17]
• Data discoverability and data mesh [17:28]
• Measuring business contribution [22:03]
• Generative AI and data privacy [27:56]
• Data-driven culture and trust [30:51]

Key Quotes: 

"We chose Google Cloud Platform as our underlying data platform with BigQuery then as the data warehouse. The thesis being that they practically invented the technology and so should be good at it." 

“My job is to represent my team, make sure that we're working on the right things, and then, build  trust with the leadership community that we're doing the right things with data for the business.”

"I'm thinking that there might actually be a bit of a full circle on data privacy and sharing. I think with ChatGPT being so easy to use with its really human-centered design and with social media ups and downs over the last few years, I'm wondering if there's going to be a revolution in data privacy and data sharing and personal data." 

Mentions: 

• SQL buddies program
• Python program
• Google Cloud
• BigQuery
• Monte Carlo
• Generative AI
• ChatGPT

Bio: 

Katie Russell is the Data Director at OVO Energy, leading teams of Data Scientists, Data Engineers and Analysts who are transforming OVO’s data capability. As part of a technology led business, leveraging data using artificial intelligence keeps OVO truly innovative, delivering the best possible service for our customers. 

Katie joined OVO in October 2017 having spent 5 years at ONZO - an energy analytics startup  - as Head of Data Science. During that time she was chuffed to be awarded Big Data Hero by techUK in June 2016 and helped ONZO win multiple awards for their innovative solutions for utilities. Prior to that Katie worked for another analytics start up in the water industry, got a PhD in Mathematical Physics and holds a BA and MMath from the University of Cambridge. 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

You’ve heard the term data science, but have you heard about decision science? Juergen Kallinger, VP of Data and Insights at HP, shares valuable insights and reflections from his 22-year journey at HP. In this episode, Juergen dives into HP’s pivotal shift from solely reporting, to the dynamic realm of decision science and how it’s aligned their data team.

Key Moments: 

• Balancing technical skills and business acumen [7:16]
• The analogy of being a great cook [9:24]
• Maintaining proximity to business stakeholders [16:55]
• Adjusting the language for different audiences [22:35]
• The evolution of data science and decision science [32:48]
• The excitement and potential of AI [37:19]

Key Quotes: 

“I talk a lot about extreme ownership. We're in the data world and we're at the end of a very long chain of things that have to work for us to be able to deliver high-quality data analytics and insights to our business users. We cannot assume that everything upstream always works and is always perfect and we just rely on the very last mile.” 

“Data is like water. It's vital for our survival in the modern business world." 

"The more tech buzzwords there are, the less I would use them with the business teams. I would more focus on the business outcomes and what we enable. It's important to talk about the implications of strong data governance, aligning to the same metrics, enabling specific insights, and guaranteeing higher data quality to build trust in the data."

Mentions: 

• Data warehouse
• Data migration
• Data quality improvement
• Decision science
• Generative AI

Bio:  Together with his team, Juergen is currently responsible for HPs Data, Business Insights & Analytics globally. His team of consultants, project managers, solution architects & developers is responsible for the design & delivery of data products, business intelligence and analytics solutions to HPs Commercial (Sales, Category, Operations), Finance, Supply Chain, Services, Customer Support & Digital Transformation teams globally. He joined HP in November 2001 as Project Analyst in Vienna, Austria and has held several regional and worldwide management positions since then. During his career at HP Juergen worked in a wide range of international roles where he gained deep insight into HP’s core processes and systems globally covering Marketing, Sales, Pricing, Category, Configuration & Quote as well as Finance and Sales Compensation. In 2022, Juergen has been appointed to lead the HP-wide Data, Business Insights & Analytics organization to introduce a more modern, consistent, and efficient Business Intelligence operating model, data & platform strategy. Before joining HP, Juergen has worked for BASF and a local tax advisory company in Vienna. Juergen graduated with a master’s degree in economics from the Vienna University of Economics & Business and completed an executive education program for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Stanford University. Together with his wife, Juergen moved to Houston, Texas in January 2014.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Gen-AI, Gen-AI, Gen-AI. The transformative technology has captured the imagination of everyone in the tech industry. Industries are shifting before our eyes, and the roles and responsibilities of data practitioners everywhere are going to shift again. The question is not whether an impact will be made, but what will the impact be? 

In this episode, Cindi sits down with 3 industry leaders to discuss how AI will impact our work and our personal lives in 2024. Sandy Carter shares how a severe injury in Brazil impacted her outlook on data sharing, and data verification in a world where AI can convince millions that the Pope wears puffy jackets. Jai Das sees a gap in educating technical workers if AI is too widely adopted. Prab Pritchandi shares how the financial industries will modernize in a heavily regulated environment. 

 

Industry Predictions: 

• There will be an intersection of AI Privacy and blockchain technology that will be poised to reshape the entire landscape of proof of ownership. And therefore, also revolutionize data sharing practices. We will go and move into a decentralized proof of ownership because of the increasing use of Gen AI and the fear of deep fakes. (34:15) - Sandy Carter
• Generative AI is going to get rid of a lot of the grunt work that we have day to day. Including some of the groundwork in data prep, some of the groundwork that analysts have to do, or even understanding reports and dashboards. I think the fear about [AI] getting really smart and destroying the world is really far-fetched. All of the LLMs and all of these GPT 5 and all of these models, they're great [but] they're not really reasoning. They're not right. They're great at getting some information and putting it in a new form. They don't come up with anything original. So I'm not actually fearful of [AI] replacing humans. (14:30) - Jai Das
• 90 percent of the data available in the world has been created in the last one year.And every year the amount of data is actually increasing. I could say data is really a good digital twin of your business [but] that itself is not a value unless you're able to convert this data to insights and then convert the insights to actionable insights. (1:06:00)- Prab Pitchandi

 

Key Moments

• Jai observes 2023 AI startups are missing profitable business models  (10:55)
• Jai identifies a gap in education. Developers are trained through repetition. But what happens when repetition is replaced by AI (24:53)Sandy breaks her femur and surgery is delayed by 48 hours due to data (34:54)
• Sandy says, Taylor Swift is Web 3.0 (46:30)
• Prab compares banking data and analytics to cricket (51:27)
• Prab wonders if Formula 1 can be driverless (1:07:00)

 

Mentions: 

• Microsoft CoPilot
• Google Gemini
• Midjourney
• OpenAI
• Top 10 data and analytics trends 2024
• The Year GenAI Comes to Fruition: 10 Enterprise Tech Trends Set to Define 2024

 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

The world's top data and analytics leaders share their stories on the The Data Chief. New episodes return in January 2024. Until then, take a look at some of the previous episodes and hear case studies, industry insights, and personal lessons from the executives leading the data revolution. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Description:
On this episode, Benn Stancil, Co-Founder of Mode Analytics and current Field CTO at Thoughtspot  shares his thoughts on who wants to use data to solve problems, and who just wants data to validate an opinion. He brings unique perspectives to how data excellence can be proliferated through an organization, whether shadow IT is a nuisance or a guide post, and how large language models will influence the future of data. 

Key Moments:

• How an internal analytics tool Benn built at Yammer led to starting Mode Analytics to serve the new breed of technical data teams (4:00)
• Why the urgency around BI consolidation in 2023 prompted conversations with ThoughtSpot (52:30) 
• The risks of shadow tools and lack of consistency; importance of a centralized data infrastructure (26:30)
• Using natural language search as an interface for asking novel questions and changing how people use data (44:00)
• Data teams need visibility into the business context; centralization for infrastructure but decentralization to embed in business units (23:30)
• How ambition plays an outsized role in the type of data tools selected in an organization (17:58)

Key Quotes:

• Courage, ultimately, is needed in making a decision that you have to own. [Unfortunately], data can be a punt. If you make a data driven decision, nobody made the decision. The data made the decision. There is like an abstraction there of who was actually responsible for it. 
• What ends up happening [in shadow IT] is you spend all this time just trying to figure out, like, which one do you trust? Who's right? Everybody has their different perspective
• Good Googlers are not people that know the, the exact syntax of weird Google searches. Good Googlers are the people who have some spider sense about where to go looking for things. And I think AI is probably going to be similar to that, where it's not the crazy prompt engineers that'll make it good. It’s like some of the next level spider sense skills that we don’t know yet.

Mentions

• R
• Shadow IT
• Microsoft acquires Yammer
• Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Mode

Bio

Benn Stancil is ThoughtSpot’s Field CTO. He joined ThoughtSpot in 2023 as part of its acquisition of Mode, where he was a Co-Founder and CTO. While at Mode, Benn held roles leading Mode’s data, product, marketing, and executive teams. He regularly writes about data and technology at benn.substack.com.  Prior to founding Mode, Benn worked on analytics teams at Microsoft and Yammer.

Personal Details:

- Enjoys playing baseball and is a Braves fan

- Favorite pump up song: "Labour" by Paris Paloma

- Grateful for opportunities to travel and gain new perspectives

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Key Moments:

• Why is the data wrong? (6:00)
• Our products are our data (11:00)
• The true size of the data quality problem (14:00)
• Clean your data before you prioritize shiny new tools (26:00)
• The next frontier: GenAI and unstructured data (31:00)

Key Quotes:

• “The data estate has changed significantly. But the way in which we manage data and data quality specifically has not adapted.” – Barr Moses
• “I tracked every single change in the data that I made, and could calculate how much money a company saved after a data cleanup. For a mid-size company, the difference was approximately a quarter of a billion dollars. For a large company, it could be several billion dollars. 45% of the data I cleaned had errors.” – Olga Maydanchik
• “The competitive advantage is really the access to your proprietary data that you have as an enterprise. So you need to make sure that that data is accurate, reliable, and on time. Now, how do you do that? That's something that people are still figuring out.”  – Barr Moses

Mentions:

• Information Quality Applied: Best Practices for Improving Business Information, Outcomes and Systems: Book by Larry English
• The Rest is History Podcast
• Freakonomics Podcast
• The Matrix Film Series
• The Play That Goes Wrong

Bio: 

Barr Moses: 

Barr Moses is the CEO and Co-Founder of Monte Carlo, the data reliability company. Monte Carlo is the creator of the industry's first end-to-end Data Observability platform. She is also co-author of O'Reilly's Data Quality Fundamentals: Building Reliable Data Pipelines. Previously, she was VP Customer Operations at Gainsight, a management consultant at Bain & Company and served in the Israeli Air Force as a commander of an intelligence data analyst unit.

Olga Maydanchik:

Olga Maydanchik is a data governance, data quality, and data architecture thought leader and practitioner. She is an expert in design and implementation of enterprise-wide data management programs, who has led data quality efforts at Deutsche Bank, AIG, and at Citi.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Diana Schildhouse, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer at Colgate-Palmolive, discusses driving business value through analytics, ensuring executives are data fluent, innovating with AI, and her career path through iconic brands like Mattel and Disney.

Key Moments

• Listening Tours: How 100’s of one-on-one conversations helped to narrow in on which business problems could be solved with data and quickly lead to business value (4:50)
• Working to benchmark the company against its industry helped to establish the business impact and value of data (6:41)
• Transforming from pockets of excellence to uniform excellence. Spreading data excellence as a way to increase data transformation (8:00)
• Increasing data literacy via its own data education and recognition program, Data Literacy and Analytics Academy. (9:52)
• Because product development lifecycles are so long, data plays a massive role in understanding consumer trends and what consumers will want in the future (19:46)
• Use case driven innovation drives business value fastest.  (22:46)
• Data Clean rooms and partner collaboration is the key to generating useful 1st party data (25:06)
• How a center-led hybrid enabled global teams to improve data utilization at Colgate-Palmolive (31:21)
• Co-Creation helps create both nuance for specific teams and applicability for broader teams (33:21)

Key Quotes

• The approach of let's take five years and invest in data and get it to a perfect spot and then we can start doing analytics and showing that value is just not one that any company has patience for.
• That co-creation is so important to us, because..if the business doesn’t understand what a solution is supposed to help them do, it won't be adopted.
• We try to be laser focused on what we think will move the business versus starting with the data. We're not trying to boil the ocean. It's hard to show value and progress when you're not delivering tools that can actually help the business make a decision today or tomorrow.

Mentions

• DataIQ 100
• Boston Consulting Group
• Mattel
• CDOIQ
• DataCamp
• Credly
• Revenue Growth Management
• Clean Rooms

Bio

Diana Schildhouse is Chief Analytics and Insights Officer at Colgate-Palmolive. She previously held analytics leadership roles at Mattel and The Walt Disney Company. Diana has an undergraduate degree in Business and Finance from USC and an MBA from Harvard.

Personal Details

• Favorite activities outside of work: walking her golden doodle named Bagel, spending time with family, movies, reading
• Song that pumps her up: "Who Run the World (Girls)" by Beyonce
• Grateful for close friendships with "personal board of directors" from business school
• Seen the Barbie movie 3 times and loved it

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Description

As the world’s seventh largest retailer, Carrefour is using advanced analytics to transform operations, better serve customers, and pioneer the future of retail. Chief Data & Analytics Officer Sebastien Rozanes explains how the company is leveraging data and generative AI to drive measurable business value across merchandising, supply chain, marketing and more.

Key Moments:

• How a strong data foundation and data monetization mindset accelerated data maturity at Carrefour (5:46)
• Selling data to CPGs to improve collaboration and justify data investments (20:57)
• The "data supermarket" analogy to get business leaders invested in data quality (30:39)
• Reducing friction by enabling suppliers and retailers to work from the same data facts (32:33)
• Starting with imagination not limitations to identify AI opportunities (42:08)
• Leveraging ChatGPT to transform the ecommerce shopping experience (45:10)

Key Quotes

• “It's okay to be 5% wrong, but 95% right…[with the time you free up] you will make up much more value than trying to optimize the last 5%.”
• “The role of Chief Data Analytics Officer goes way beyond the technology. It's 10 percent about technology, 20 percent about data, but actually 70 percent about transformation and adoption.”
• “Generative AI is a game changer for efficiency and helping us focus on human creativity.”

Mentions: 

• Paris
• Google Cloud
• MIT CDO Forum
• Wharton School
• Data Lakes
• Data Catalogs
• Carrefour Links
• Generative AI
• ChatGPT

Bio

Sebastien Roznes is the Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Carrefour, a top 10 global retailer serving 80 million customers across more than 40 countries, including 8 countries with direct operations. Prior to joining Carrefour, Sebastien served as a Principal and Associate Director with the Boston Consulting Group with a focus in Digital, AI, and Data-Driven Transformations for Multinational Consumer Goods and Industrial Goods businesses. His educational background focuses on both Computer Science and Business providing him with unique insights on how data can serve the business. 

Learn more from Sebastien and how data is transforming retail on The Data Chief.  

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

It’s that time of year again. On this episode of The Data Chief, Cindi dives into three of the hottest book recommendations for data and analytics leaders and sits down with Dr. Barb Wixom, author of Data is Everybody’s Business, Vin Vashishta, author of From Data to Profit, and Asha Saxena, author of The AI Factor.

Key Moments:

• Introducing Dr. Barb Wixom (2:10)
• Barb’s desire to continue helping people in the data industry (2:57) (Barb)
• The different types of organizational leaders (8:21) (Barb)
• Creating value from data (10:50) (Barb)
• The selling framework (16:42) (Barb)
• A financial services case study (21:56) (Barb)
• Introducing Vin Vashishta (27:18) (Vin)
• The importance of companies having a single playbook (28:08) (Vin)
• Benefits of a value-based approach (32:52) (Vin)
• Starting with a problem statement (34:58) (Vin)
• When a lack of data literacy becomes problematic (38:46) (Vin)
• Driving culture change (40:30) (Vin)
• Introducing Asha Saxena (46:12)
• What is Women Leaders in Data and AI? (48:27) (Asha)
• The four-quadrant framework for deploying AI (52:11) (Asha)
• Case Study: How an Animal Shelter leveraged AI (55:44) (Asha)
• How to use AI ethically and responsibly (59:32) (Asha)

Mentions:

• From Data to Profit
• Data is Everybody’s Business: The Fundamentals of Data Monetization
• The AI Factor: How to Apply Artificial Intelligence and Use Big Data to Grow Your Business Exponentially
• Rita McGrath, Professor at Columbia University
• Satya Nadal
• Google PaLM
• OpenAI
• Jack Rockart
• Capital One
• Bill Schmarzo (former guest on The Data Chief)
• Lyft
• BBVA

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like these on The Data Chief. 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Not many CDOs get to enter a new role with a clean slate. But Geraldine Wong, CDO for GXS Bank in Singapore did just that. In this episode of The Data Chief, she explains how the bank has built a foundation of data literacy by providing employees the right tools, access, and knowledge to put data at the forefront of their workflow. This culture of education and understanding establishes trust, empowers departments to “self-serve” data for better productivity, and ultimately leads to stronger understanding of data for customers and employees alike.

Tune in to learn:

• Starting from a “clean slate” as a CDO (1:32)
• GXS’s role and purpose as a new bank (3:49)
• Data security and consumer privacy (9:47)
• The GXS Bank data strategy (14:46)
• Using generative AI to improve data fluency (20:27)
• Advantages and disadvantages of being fully in the cloud (26:48)
• How higher education can better prepare workers for digital transformation (29:32)
• Why Singapore is a global leader in data literacy (37:24)

Mentions:

• Data Protection Trustmark
• Syntel
• Grab
• Personal Data Protection Commission
• IMDA Certification Body
• Google PaLM 2

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Geraldine on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

In this episode of The Data Chief, hosts Cindi Howson and Sonny Rivera interview Sumathi Thiyagarajan, the VP of Business Strategy and Analytics for the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum. Sumathi discusses being a data leader in professional sports, building a data team from the ground up, and leveraging insights to continually provide the best fan experience. 

Tune in to learn:

• Making the transition to a professional sports team (2:42)
• The evolution of Sumathi’s role and team (4:58)
• The growing importance of data across the NBA (10:02)
• Unique challenges Sumathi faces in her role with the Bucks (12:01)
• Creating personalized fan experiences (14:38)
• Using data to increase the team’s visibility in the marketplace (18:12)
• Finding (and keeping) strong data team talent (22:31)
• Building a talent pool through a successful hackathon (26:20)
• Coaching and developing a diverse data team (29:07)
• Addressing the challenges of fragmented data (33:50)
• Driving innovation for the Bucks (and across the NBA) (37:35)

Mentions:

• Fiserv
• Marquette University
• Randy Bean
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Deer District
• HBR podcasts
• Rakuten

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Sumathi on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Alex Viana, VP of Data at Vercel, has had a truly unique career. Starting with a role at the Hubble Space Telescope, Alex found his way into the data space by way of data security and searching for leaked data assets. Today, he leads the data organization at Vercel, where he views building – teams, technology processes, and metrics – as his primary responsibility. In this episode Alex shares his thoughts on leading data teams at different (but fast-growing) tech companies, the importance of building scalable data platforms, delivering value through stakeholder engagement, and balancing long-term vision with short-term action as a key to success.

Tune in to learn:

• The origins of Alex’s data journey with the Hubble Space Telescope (4:29)
• Alex’s unique approach to data leadership (6:12)
• About Vercel (8:25)
• Transitioning from growth-stage to more mature companies (10:38)
• The biggest challenges Alex faces at Vercel (14:12)
• Creating synchronicity across departments (16:59)
• Having vision as a data executive (21:54)
• The role of the data team in scaling a company (24:45)
• Determining your value as an executive (27:31)
• Building a positive data culture (33:10)
• The growth of generative AI in data (39:20)

Mentions: 

• Space Telescope Science Institute
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Next.js React
• Postgres
• Anderson Horowitz
• Richard Hamming
• HealthJoy
• Camille Fournier - The Manager's Path

Bio: 

Alex Viana is the VP of Data at Vercel. Alex has over 15 years of experience in data management and analysis, and has led teams of data scientists, engineers, and analysts in their previous positions. Alex is an expert in Python and SQL, and has used these skills to develop software platforms for managing and analyzing large datasets. Alex has also created databases of astronomical observations and predicted moon positions. In their current role, they are responsible for providing accurate data and insights to the organization and promoting data-driven decision making.

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Alex on The Data Chief.  

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Each day, valuable patient data collected by healthcare systems. When used properly as part of healthcare analytics, this can help drive better outcomes for both patients and providers. However, when data management is not effectively implemented, organizations lose out on these benefits. Terry Myerson, CEO of Truveta, saw the need to unlock data’s potential while still ensuring privacy and security. In this episode, he discusses his company’s unique approach,  the urgent need for better data insights for treatment protocols, and how AI is creating both efficiencies and concerns when making sense of data.

Tune in to learn:

• The origin of Truveta [6:28]
• Pulling data from the provider, not the patient [9:47]
• Fragmentation, privacy, and unstructured data [11:58]
• Healthcare data trends [15:50]
• Population-level data [17:49]
• Bringing in data from multiple systems [23:08]
• Why transparency earns trust [26:10]
• Language models and generative AI [28:10]
• Terry’s career journey [35:29]

Mentions: 

• Providence Healthcare
• CNN
• Rogaine
• Ozempic
• Boston Scientific
• National Library of Medicine
• Bloomberg
• Microsoft
• World Health Organization
• Common Spirit
• Trinity Health
• The Emperor of All Maladies
• Macklemore

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Terry on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

It’s one thing for a company to invest in new technology. It’s another for a company to become invested in technology. In this episode, Yao Morin, CTO of JLL explains how she isn’t just adding data to the company workflow, but is instead fostering a culture of innovation and data-driven mindsets across the 240-year-old company through education, and by demonstrating data’s business value across departments. 

Key Moments: 

•  Yao’s rapid rise at JLL [4:01]
•  Energy efficiency data in commercial real estate [13:26]
•  Fostering creativity and imagination in data teams [16:29]
•  Better understanding of B2B customer pain points [21:24]
•  Yao’s approach to startup investment [23:45]
•  Generative AI and the data/analytics workflow [28:58]
•  Delegating to better manage large data teams [32:27]
•  The underrepresentation of women in data and tech leadership roles [36:02]

Mentions: 

• Intuit
• StubHub
• Jira / Confluence
• Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
• Tom Davenport
• Diablo IV (video game)
• “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Yao on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

The role of data teams continues to evolve across industries. But in mission-driven fields such as healthcare, data creates efficiencies that could potentially save lives. In this episode of The Data Chief, Cindi is joined by Jeremy Forman of Seagen to discuss the pivotal role his data team plays in driving insights-informed decision-making, and how they successfully collaborate with other departments to improve patient outcomes.  

Key Moments: 

• The key challenges for data leaders in healthcare [3:50]
• How Jeremy’s team supports company-wide initiatives [9:16]
• Fostering cross-team communication and collaboration [12:08]
• An ideal data organizational structure [14:39]
• Driving organizational change [17:09]
• Building an entrepreneurial culture [20:59]
• Setting competing priorities [29:01]
• FAIR data principles [36:34]
• Jeremy’s career path [41:19]

Mentions:

• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Geronimo Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico
• ChatGPT
• Bard
• Amazon Titan
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Oracle

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jeremy on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

When it comes to investing, it’s been said that the biggest risk of all is not taking one. But for many of us, the prospect of figuring out how and where to smartly invest our money is overwhelming if not flat-out confusing. TIFIN is a FinTech company focused on democratizing this process by matching investors to potential investments with AI. In this episode, Raja Musunuru, the Chief Product Officer of financial tech leader TIFIN, covers a wide range of topics, from the importance of understanding customer needs to promoting data fluency across an organization. 

Tune in to learn:

• About TIFIN [00:55]
• Raja’s unique perspective on technology, data, and products [12:01]
• The costs of cloud computing [16:04]
• Cloud governance and oversight [20:02]
• Views on FinOps [21:22]
• Optimizing the costs of multi-cloud operations [29:23]
• Promoting data fluency [36:19]

Mentions: 

• TIFIN
• Amicus.io
• Dr. Vinay Nair
• KPMG
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Google Cloud
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
• The Mindset

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Raja on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Key Moments:

• Leveraging data for good (2:00) 
• Every leader is responsible for data management (13:00) 
• New metrics to validate AI’s sustainability (21:00) 
• Mitigating AI’s risks to society (23:00) 
• The current shape of global AI regulation (28:00) 
• The importance of diversity in mitigating data bias (37:00) 

Key Quotes:

• “Every leader must understand that they have a responsibility for data management. It’s an underlying skill that we really have to harness in all of our college, university, and high school programs. It's fundamental. We seem to teach people how to problem solve, but this is table stakes. In order to ever get AI right, we've got to solve the data challenges.”
• “There's no question on whether business value and how to measure AI’s return on investment (ROI) is always top of mind in my discussions with executives. But what they really want to know is if their existing ROI methods are sufficient or not. What are the new metrics that they need to put in place to validate AI and its sustainability?”
• “We’re not at the high-growth stage of AI innovation. We’re in the early experimentation stage. We don’t have international guardrails. All of these systems are going to take around 20-years to put in place. It takes six years to put a new university curriculum in place. People have to take responsibility to learn. This is a fundamental shift and it's one that's happening at break lightning speed.”

Mentions:

• Mood Insights
• Gallup Research: 1 in 5 Employees Feel Lonely Worldwide 
• KFF Loneliness and Support Networks Survey 
• United States Artificial Intelligence Institute 
• Dr. Cindy Gordon’s AI Insights Newsletter
• Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and SalesChoice Whitepaper: Why Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leaders Must Lead in AI

Bio: 

Dr. Cindy Gordon ICD.D. is the CEO of SalesChoice, a SaaS AI company focused on Ending Growth Uncertainty for Human Advantage, and has been recognized by Onalytica as one of the top AI global influencers. Prior, she has held senior executive and partner roles at Accenture, Xerox, and Citicorp. She has also been a venture capitalist and angel advancing B2B technology software companies. Internationally, she is recognized for her innovative thought leadership with over 14 books in the market. Cindy is also a board advisor, thought leader in SaaS, AI and AI education, market research companies at: The AI Forum, Corent Technology, Forbes, Kaji.AI, USAII. Her AI community track record is extensive, University of Arizona – Business and Technology AI Board Advisor, Adjunct Professor, George Brown College, Applied AI. She regularly speaks at international conferences to advance AI Ethics and AI Education to board directors and C-suite executives. Academically, Dr. Gordon has an honorary Applied AI Doctorate Certification from George Brown College, an MIT AI Strategy Certification, and a doctorate in Complexity Science and Social Networks. She is also a certified Board Director with an ICD.D. designation. Under Dr. Gordon’s leadership, the company has won over twenty international awards, most recently she was recognized as the CEO of the Year Award for Women in Digital Transformation. She has also received the Governor General Award for her Innovation and Community Leadership.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Using data to gain customer insights can be difficult. Using data to gain customer insights from an ever-growing, ever-changing entertainment audience presents a much steeper challenge. In this episode, Elizabeth Stone, VP, Data & Insights at Netflix, explains how her dedicated team reflects the larger Netflix culture, balancing hard data with a mindset of learning and experimentation to make decisions that improve the Netflix experience. 

Tune in to learn:

• Elizabeth’s role as head of Netflix’s data and insights team (2:46)
• How Netflix is leveraging machine learning (11:13)
• The continued culture of innovation at Netflix (13:44)
• Using data to inform intuition and choice (18:00)
• How the data and insights team engages with other stakeholders (22:30)
• How Elizabeth obtains the resources she needs (25:37)
• The importance of cross-functional understanding and collaboration (32:13)

Mentions:

• Gartner Data and Analytics Conference
• Lyft
• Randy Bean, author of Fail Fast, Learn Faster
• ChatGPT/OpenAI
• Daft Punk / Hot Chip / LCD Soundsystem

Guest Bio: 

Elizabeth Stone leads Netflix’s Data & Insights org. Data & Insights is a centralized and globally distributed team that includes: data engineering, metrics development, analytic insights and tooling, research and development of machine learning algorithms, optimization and automation, experimentation and causal inference, and consumer research. The Data & Insights team applies this functional expertise to improve and evolve all parts of Netflix's business including the member-facing product, streaming delivery, content, studio production, games, ads, business operations, and growth. Elizabeth previously worked in finance, both as a trader and as an economic consultant, before transitioning to the tech industry, where she led teams at Nuna and Lyft. She is a graduate of MIT and Stanford University.

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Most data professionals aspire to be leaders within a single industry. It’s rare to see professionals establish and re-establish themselves as powerful influencers across multiple verticals. But this is precisely what Dr. Alexander Borek has done, helping some of the world’s most recognizable brands scale tangible value from data, analytics, and AI. In this episode, he covers a wide range of topics, including his personal career journey, creating cultures of innovation, centralized vs. decentralized data products, and the imminent impact of generative AI.  

Key Moments: 

• Background on Zalando [2:15]
• Dr. Borek’s The Ultimate Data and AI Guide [5:32]
• Becoming a data leader in multiple industries [7:02]
• Germany’s growing data culture [14:30]
• The need for a greater sense of urgency in data understanding [17:07]
• The origins of the data mesh [19:33]
• The benefits of cross-team collaboration [24:44]
• Data mash vs. data fabric [31:30]
• Using data for insight and action [37:28]
• The rapid expansion of generative technologies [40:10]

Mentions: 

• Bernard Marr
• The Ultimate Data and AI Guide
• Netflix
• Volkswagen Manufacturing
• Celonis
• Data Warehousing Institute
• The Wall Street Journal
• Kubernetes
• Gartner
• IBM Advanced Analytics Center
• ChatGPT

You can join Alex in person at the Data Masterclass Europe 2023 conference! The conference will be held in Berlin from June 21-23. Apply to join here. 

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

The role of the CDO is changing, and with these changes come new opportunities to prove business value. On this episode of The Data Chief, Ido Biger, EVP of Data and Technology for Delek US, explains how he’s breaking down data silos and turning insights to actionHe also takes listeners through several analytics use cases including creating operational efficiencies for frontline workers and reducing customer churn. 

Tune in to learn:

• Ido’s role at Delek and confronting his biggest challenge (04:23)
• How Ido breaks down data silos (11:53)
• Using data-driven insights to increase operational efficiency - Telco case study (15:15)
• Using data-driven insights to reduce customer churn - Airline case study (20:01)
• Why COVID was a huge opportunity for the airline industry (26:20)
• Turning insights to action - Oil and gas case study (29:08)
• The importance of finding a sponsor for your data project (32:19)
• How to prove value as a CDO (33:04)
• Ido’s work as a professor (35:12)
• The skills data professionals need to succeed  (37:32)

Mentions:

• Roman Empire on Netflix
• Doug Laney 
• Simon Sinek
• Mashina
• The Data Chief Guest’s Pump-Up Songs Playlist

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

What is the true value of data? Whether you’ve been collecting data for years or are just getting started, the reality is that data holds zero value on its own. In fact, it’s a huge cost. In this episode of The Data Chief, industry veteran Bill Schmarzo, currently in Customer Data Innovation at Dell Technologies, shares why modern data leaders must let go of the notion of being data-driven and focus on business outcomes. He also discusses how having more data isn’t always the right move, especially when considering larger business goals.

Tune in to learn:

• Demonstrating data’s value in an uncertain economy (7:36)
• Defining data KPIs (16:54)
• The importance of data-driven decision-making (22:43)
• Moving from “data-driven” to “value-driven” (33:24)
• Modern data culture (42:08)

Mentions:

• Data Analytics Recession Playbook
• The top 10 books every data and analytics leader must read

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Bill on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Modern data leaders know creating a data-informed culture requires cross-functional partnership and collaboration across the entire business. IT by themselves can’t do it. Nor can individual business departments. Both the IT and business strategy must be in lock step to achieve results.  On this episode of The Data Chief, Dora Boussias, Senior Director of Data Strategy and Architecture at Stryker, discusses the role of modern data executives, three keys to creating a data-informed culture, and her approach to breaking down silos based on her own 28 years of experience building effective data strategies across industries.

Tune in to learn:

• How Dora’s diverse experiences have helped her approach to data strategy (6:53)
• How data leaders should be connecting data strategies to business value (10:37)
• How technical strategy and data strategy differ (13:57)
• Dora’s investment in continued learning about business challenges (14:59)
• Why there are no “dumb questions” when working toward a goal (18:51)
• Emphasizing change management to create a bigger impact (23:36)
• The importance of a collaborative culture across all business divisions (28:25)
• Can data-fluent cultures be driven from a grassroots approach? (30:32) 
• Why data alone is not enough to make good decisions (34:00)
• The state of female leadership in the data industry (36:55)
• The lighting round (45:36) 

Mentions: 

• The Goal
• 9 Data and Analytics Trends for 2023
• Randy Bean Survey
• Avgolemono Soup Recipe (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Dora on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

The implications of employment shifts have different effects on certain subsets of the population. Understanding these implications in real time helps businesses, governments, and individuals make better decisions about what to do next. ADP serves its customers in more ways than just payroll, taxes, and employment benefits. CDO Jack Berkowitz shares more about these benefits, and the parts of ADP’s business dedicated to reporting and sharing data. 

Tune in to learn:

• Managing high data volumes and maintaining data reliability at ADP (03:05)
• Real-time employment data about equity in the workforce (05:33)
• Monetizing data and how that has changed (09:35)
• The end of FTP? (12:06)
• The role of payroll data plays to tell the truth about diversity and inclusion in the workforce. (19:45)
• Jack’s personal career shift from the vendor to end-user (27:08)
• Lightning Round (28:00)

Mentions:

• ADP National Employment Report 
• Edward Tufte https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/
• Randy Pausch https://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/story/index.html
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221514864_Storytelling_Alice_motivates_middle_school_girls_to_learn_computer_programming
• Beau Miles - Backyard Adventurer https://beaumiles.com/the-backyard-adventurer/
• the video that I watch over and over:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvT5XS7j-Dc

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jack on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Historically, computers haven’t been particularly good at determining user intent from real-world language inputs.  However, the advancement of natural language processing technologies, like ChatGPT, has led to remarkable improvements in AI systems' accuracy in responding to human queries. In this episode, Amit Prakash, Co-founder of ThoughtSpot, discusses the development of AI and the accountability required to make it ready for daily use.

Tune in to learn:

What was the problem Amit was trying to solve when he co-founded ThoughtSpot? (04:48)
When did Amit first start looking at ChatGPT and natural language processing? (08:16)
Why did ChatGPT explode in 2023? (21:00)
Is ChatGPT ready for important work and research? (31:26)
Will ChatGPT spell the end of platforms like ThoughtSpot? (32:41)

Mentions: 

• Elements of Programming Interviews: The Insiders' Guide, By Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, Amit Prakash
• Elements of Programming Interviews in Java: The Insider's Guide, By Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, Amit Prakash
• Elements of Programming Interviews in Python, By Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, Amit Prakash
• Alan Watts
• More coming soon!

Follow Amit on Substack and view his series of blogs on ChatGPT and LLMs. https://amit.thoughtspot.com/

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Amit on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Everywhere you look, change is redefining the data landscape. From the rise of the analytics engineer to data leaders clamoring to make self service analytics real, it’s clear organizations are looking for new opportunities to put their data to work.

But which changes matter?  In this episode, we break down some of the data and analytics trends for 2023 that will help you identify key ways to rise above your competitors. Tom Davenport is back for another episode and this time he’s here to talk about AI and the relationship that the workforce should start building with it. Tony Baer weighs in on the great data framework debate. And Sonny Rivera points out the need for better education in the analytics industry, particularly when it comes to data modeling techniques. 

Tune in to learn:

• The biggest surprise in the survey findings around the role of the CDO (03:13)
• Data governance or data enablement? (05:14)
• CDO’s making a play for CEO in 2023 and beyond (07:27)
• Legacy companies and AI adoption (08:30)
• 2023 prediction from Tom (13:50)
• Could we have predicted that data mesh would be such a hot topic in 2022?  (23:45)
• Tony’s prediction for data mesh, data lakes, data warehouse, data fabric? (30:28)
• Tony’s prediction and hopes for CDOs in 2023 (35:00)
• ThoughtSpot's new evangelist, Sonny Rivera (35:55)
• Sonny’s work in the DBT community (41:30)
• Sonny’s prediction for the analytics engineer in 2023 (44:10)
• The need for more modeling education in analytics boot camps (45:02)
• What should your 2023 resolution be as an analytics engineer? (48:06)

Mentions:

• CDO Agenda 2023: Prioritizing business value creation
• Tom Davenport Books
• Zhamak Deghani on The Data Chief 
• Tony’s reaction to an article article about the best Data Mesh
• 9 data and analytics trends for 2023 - eBook

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Tom, Tony, and Sonny on 

The Data Chief

. 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Today’s digital economy is more competitive than ever, and making smart data decisions can be what sets the leaders apart from the rest of the field. With new technologies now democratizing data at an accelerated pace, how can companies ensure that their data strategy is helping them stay ahead of the curve? As our third season comes to a close, Cindi takes a look back at some of our most insightful conversations to lay out six essential rules that every Data Chief should follow to dominate the decade of data.

Tune in to learn:

• Rule 1: Leverage the best-of-breed from the modern data stack (02:30)
• Rule 2: Empower everyone with true self-service analytics (10:58)
• Rule 3: Drive actions with operationalized insights (18:44)
• Rule 4: Build a flexible data foundation (27:26)
• Rule 5: Utilize third-party data to build a 360-degree view (35:07)
• Rule 6: Deliver engaging data-driven UX (38:47)

Mentions

• Gilead Sciences’ Murali Vridhachalam and ZS Associates’ Mahmood Majeed on the Modern Data Stack and Data Mesh
• The Modern Milkman’s Chief Strategy Officer, John Hughes on Using Data to Save Our Oceans from Plastic 
• Afterpay’s Nitish Mathew on Prioritizing Customer Needs, Balancing Governance and Freedom, and Giving Your Team Purpose
• ServiceNow’s Vijay Kotu on the Power of Micro-Decisions and Aligning Data Strategy to Business Strategy
• Three Must Read Data and Analytics Books with Tim Harford, Zhamak Dehghani, and Brent Dykes
• Unilever’s Vandana Khanna and Deeksha Singh on Demystifying Data, Dreaming Bigger, and Inspiring Business Users with The Art of the Possible
• OpenTable’s Grant Parsamyan on How Data and Analytics is Helping the Restaurant Industry Rebound from COVID-19

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

On this episode of The Data Chief, we look back at some of the key themes from season one, including the rise of the CDO, the intricacies of aligning your department’s goals with that of the businesses, and how you coped with accelerated timelines. While we relive these important conversations, we also discuss why culture and data fluency continue to be the biggest hurdles to becoming a truly data-driven business.

Tune in to learn:

• The Rise of the Data Chief (02:54) 
• Aligning with Your Business Values (08:32)
• Rapid Technical Innovation and the Shift to Cloud (15:52) 
• Technology Reflects Culture (23:30)
• Assessing your Data Fluency (31:52)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Key Moments: 

• A journey from intern to CEO (05:10)
• Encouraging a harmonized relationship between humans and AI (09:58)
• Why embracing stress can drive urgency and effective change (17:18)
• Generative AI’s impact on the skills landscape (30:39)
• Fostering a data-driven company culture (36:41)
• Embrace change, and quickly (40:25)

Key Quotes: 

• “AI does amazing things, like summarizations and semantic search. Humans do amazing things like curation of knowledge, making sure it's accurate, connecting the dots, and creating relationships. So bringing the power of humans-in-the loop, especially given a broader trust deficit, felt like the right thing to do at this point in time.”
• “I think ultimately what guides us is we want to be useful to our users and our customers. That's the guiding light. Because why do we exist as an organization or a community? We should all just go home. If we don't actually have a mission and purpose that adds value, then we don't have a purpose. So the question is, what is that? What is the highest purpose?”
• “When you think about the future of software development, there’s a lot of doomsdayers about job losses. I think it's going to be the opposite. I think AI reduces the barrier to entry. I think a lot of people will be “developers”, even though they may be doing very different things.”

Mentions: 

• WeAreDevelopers World Congress 2023 
• OverflowAI
• Overflow API 
• Stack Overflow for Teams
• Amp It Up Book 

Bio: 

Prashanth Chandrasekar is Chief Executive Officer of Stack Overflow and is responsible for driving Stack Overflow’s overall strategic direction and results.Prashanth is a proven technology executive with extensive experience leading and scaling high-growth global organizations. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Rackspace’s Cloud & Infrastructure Services portfolio of businesses, including the Managed Public Clouds, Private Clouds, Colocation and Managed Security businesses. Before that, Prashanth held a range of senior leadership roles at Rackspace including Senior Vice President & General Manager of Rackspace’s high growth, global business focused on the world’s leading Public Clouds including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Alibaba Cloud, which became the fastest growing business in Rackspace’s history. Prior to joining Rackspace, Prashanth was a Vice President at Barclays Investment Bank, focused on providing Strategic and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) advice for clients in the Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) industries. 

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Each year, around 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, killing wildlife and damaging the environment for future generations. Much of this pollution originates from the wasteful packaging used for everyday grocery products. But a greener grocery alternative is making waves from across the pond. Joining us today is John Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer at The Modern Milkman, a UK-based grocery delivery company that brings locally sourced goods directly to customers without any single-use plastics. From the startup’s early days, John sought to invest heavily in data modernization. Hear how his data-driven approach has helped the company cultivate a shared mission with customers to make the world a cleaner, safer, and better place for all of its creatures.

Tune in to learn:

• About The Modern Milkman and how John became associated with it (04:46)
• How data has helped lead to the company’s growth (12:17)
• The Modern Milkman’s data stack (28:14)
• The benefits of working with startups (32:40)
• Advice for larger companies on data stack modernization (38:00)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like John on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Treating data as a treasure is a foundational principle for Jan Sheppard, the Chief Data and Analytics officer at New Zealand’s Crown Research Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR.) This agency leads ongoing research in public health, environmental health, and forensics for the country of New Zealand. Like many other CDAOs, her role is relatively new. But the unique values she applies to data can be traced back many hundreds of years to the indigenous Maori people of her country. Through her work, Jan recognizes the profound impact data can have on people and their environments for generations to come. Learn more about the important climate and health policy challenges that ESR is working to solve with data in this episode, plus her take on data literacy vs. business savviness, and why her data strategy is just two pages long. 

Tune in to learn:

• How do you make vastly different data work together at ESR? (07:12)
• Data’s role as a treasure (11:43)
• How do government and private companies look at data differently (13:50)
• How do you guard against the misuse of data? (18:39)
• Dangers of misinterpreting the models and need for data-savvy. (21:16)
• Jan’s data North Star - recognizing the value of the data (25:10)
• Goal to create digital twins to help address climate change (30:13)
• Working around the difficulty of unstandardized ESG reporting (34:05)
• Maori values and data at ESR - the life force of data (40:35)

 Mentions: 

• The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution book by Walter Isaacson
• ESR’s Data Strategy

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jan on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

At French bank, Société Générale, providing the best customer experience in the modern digital world means rethinking everything about banking, including its corporate structure. Three years ago, Julien Molez, joined the bank’s leadership team to become the first Innovation Data & AI Leader. On this episode of The Data Chief, Julien addresses changes sweeping the banking industry, including higher customer expectations, tougher regulations, and the ESG revolution. He also reminds us that at the end of the day, fancy AI models and algorithms will only perform as well as the data that goes into them. 

Tune in to learn:

• Creating a value-driven data framework (06:31)
• How do you achieve customer personalization while adhering to GDPR? (15:29)
• How do you truly secure data at all touchpoints? (20:29)
• How is Société Générale leading in ESG reporting? (23:44)
• What were Société Générale’s unique challenges in scaling up AI use cases? (28:55)
• How do you educate business stakeholders about the best data possibilities? (35:56)
• What is a key data framework technique? (40:00)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Julien on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

It is once again that time of year when our host, Cindi Howson shares her favorite data and analytics book recommendations. In this special annual episode, we feature three of the industry’s top data writers, thinkers, and fellow podcasters. Tim Harford comes to the conversation with his new book, The Data Detective, and big-picture ideas about how traits like curiosity serve data scientists so well. Zhamak Dehghani shares her concept of The Data Mesh, especially as it relates to sharing data across business verticals. Finally, in his book, Effective Data Storytelling, Brent Dykes compels readers to think carefully about the way they craft the message or narrative around the data they’re interpreting. 

Tune in to learn:

• Making sense of the world through a data lens with Tim Harford (05:18)
• Tim’s favorite of the ten data commandments (07:11)
• Guard against using data as a control mechanism (15:14)
• How does curiosity create a healthier relationship with data? (19:57) 
• Data Mesh with Zhamak Dehghani (32:31)
• Blending centralized and decentralized schools of thought (36:39)
• Data Mesh isn’t for everyone (48:11)
• How do you begin your data mesh transformation? (53:28)
• Brent Dykes and the importance of data storytelling (1:02:17)
• Why do data scientists need to be better communicators? (1:11:13)
• The Venn diagram of data storytelling (1:15:14)

Mentions:

• The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics by Tim Harford 
• Data Mesh: Delivering Data-Driven Value at Scale by Zhamak Dehghani 
• Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative, and Visuals by Brent Dykes 

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Tim, Zhamak, and Brent on The Data Chief. 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Who’s hungry? Thanks to delivery apps like DoorDash, it’s never been easier for modern consumers to satisfy almost any craving in just a few taps. At the helm of DoorDash’s data organization is VP of Analytics & Data Science, Jessica Lachs. With metrics guiding every decision at the company, a key part of her decision-making comes down to properly quantifying the value of each possible tradeoff. Learn more about her decision-making framework, plus how her career in finance evolved into entrepreneurship and ultimately led her to create the data and analytics organization at DoorDash. 

 

Tune in to learn:

• Using data to move levers that balance tradeoffs (09:28)
• Managing an unpredictable and complicated supply chain (12:26)
• The confluence of personalization and consumer privacy (15:08)
• Strategy for data architecting by the DoorDash team (21:00
• Cultivating a creative team that also communicates effectively (26:59)
• Unlikely career journey: Lehman Brothers to entrepreneurship (33:00)
• Cultivating a positive response to failure (35:51)
• Lightning Round (40:15)

Mentions:

• DoorDash Restaurant Online Ordering Trends
• Building a Source for Truth for a Digital Inventory with Disparate Data Sources
• How To Drive Effective Data Science Communications 
• The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate Quinn
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jessica on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Swiss RE’s SVP of P&C R&D, Jerry Gupta is a firm believer in the revenue-generating potential and AI and machine learning. On this episode of The Data Chief, Jerry offers his view on innovative data model, frameworks for building and operationalizing these models, what makes a good data scientist, and why it will always be more challenging for data teams to maintain existing models vs. innovate new ones. 

Tune in to learn:

• The difference between ost cutting versus revenue-enhancing initiatives 03:20 
• More about the Data Model framework 07:50 
• Why the quality of your output depends on the quality of your input 11:35 
• How to address the shortfall of data scientists in the job market 13:48 
• How to set more clear value statements for models 27:56 
• More about informing the regulation of ethical AI and machine learning 45:33

Mentions:

• McKinsey Global Survey: "The state of AI in 2021" 
• "Unreasonable effectiveness of learning neural networks: From accessible states and robust ensembles to basic algorithmic schemes" 
• Tom Davenport 
• International Risk Governance Center - EPFL

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jerry on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

What keeps a data pro at one company for almost thirty years? On this episode of The Data Chief, Pascale Hutz, the Chief Data Officer and EVP of Enterprise Digital & Data Solutions at American Express, shares how her career at American Express has transformed over the years and what she’s learned along the way. Tune in to hear more about her latest cloud migration journey, why she’s on a  “mission to decommission,” and how she fights imposter syndrome even as a C-level executive in one of the largest, most impactful financial services firms in the world. 

Tune in to learn:

• About Pascale’s career journey (03:41)
• That data should be considered like a product 14:18:
• How to stay tranquil during transformation (17:02)
• The importance of decommissioning tech  (21:21)

Mentions:

• "Data Mesh: Delivering Data-Driven Value at Scale" (written by Zhamak Dehghani)
• World50
• “Enterprise Data Platforms, American Express, VP: The Data Landscape is Evolving Continuously” 
• “Not Impossible” (written by Mick Ebeling)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Pascale on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

How can data be activated to create better healthcare outcomes? Dr. Victoria Gamerman, the Global Head of Data Governance and Insights at Boehringer Ingelheim, offers that part of the answer is that data is changing to be thought of as part of the broader healthcare “ecosystem.”  Listen in for how some of the philosophical frameworks concerning data can help to improve healthcare.

Tune in to learn:

• Changes in how data is being used in healthcare (07:00)
• How a system could be set up to share health data safely and wisely (13:05)
• How design thinking can apply to healthcare (25:41)
• What data mentality needs to change (28:26)

Mentions:

• HBS Professor Linda Hill Says Leaders Must Engage with Emotions as Never Before
• Clayton Christensen - "Jobs to be Done" theory
• “Coded Bias” (movie)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Victoria on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Show Notes for YouTube:

How can data be activated to create better healthcare outcomes? Dr. Victoria Gamerman, the Global Head of Data Governance and Insights at Boehringer Ingelheim, offers that part of the answer is that data is changing to be thought of as part of the broader healthcare “ecosystem.” Listen in for more of Victoria’s takes on how data can improve healthcare.

Key Moments:

00:00 Getting to know Victoria and her career journey

04:26 What sort of work does Boehringer Ingelheim do?

07:00 What are some changes in how data is being used in healthcare?

10:24 Is sharing health data becoming easier?

13:05 Creating a system to Share health data safely and wisely

16:42 Will wellness data become more integrated?

19:47 Are regulators behind technologically?

25:41 How does design thinking apply in healthcare?

28:26 What mentality about data needs to change?

30:37: Data and academia

36:54 How can we bring people along in terms of data?

38:33 Learning from data disasters

42:11 How does Victoria continue to learn new things?

Mentions:

• HBS Professor Linda Hill Says Leaders Must Engage with Emotions as Never Before
• Clayton Christensen - "Jobs to be Done" theory
• “Coded Bias” (movie)

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Victoria on https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief. 

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

What does it take to turn a new position that never existed into one that delivers transformation for an entire organization? As the first Chief Data Officer at Prudential Financial and the initial Chief Data Analytics Officer at a prior career stop at State Farm, Kjersten Moody knows the answer. Tune in to learn how being a constant learner has consistently allowed her to see challenges as opportunities for growth.

Tune in to learn:

• How Kjersten’s role model influenced her life and career (04:08) 
• How Prudential is thinking differently about its strategy and data (32:28) 
• About the role that a good culture can play in supporting transformation (36:19)
• How Kjersten has elevated data science at Prudential (42:33)
• How to meet stakeholders in a place that’s helpful to them (47:38)

Mentions:

• “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right” by Atul Gawande

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Kjersten on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

How do you make innovation truly come alive? For Abhi Bhatt, the AVP, Technology, Data & Analytics at CarMax, innovation is about using data to change “business models.” Abhi also describes the need to train up teammates and others who use the data concerning technological advances. Additionally, he shares his career journey and how his positive experience as a CarMax customer initially activated his interest in the company.

Tune in to learn:

• How did Abhi end up working at CarMax? (13:00)
• How can companies make the most of their internal data? (17:18)
• How do you train up relevant parties concerning new technology? (23:41)
• How does Abhi find talent? (27:56)
• How does Abhi keep up with so much innovation? (37:07)

Mentions:

Top Trends for 2022

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Abhi on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Key Moments: 

• The emotional temperature for change in analytics (5:06)
• There’s no playbook for change management (7:53) 
• Why Generative AI success requires a melding of expertise (17:20) 
• Measuring the success of LLMs (18:58) 
• How do you embrace the new when you’re facing technical debt? (33:27)
• How to fine-tune your career in today’s data and AI landscape (37:30) 

Key Quotes: 

• “Business intelligence tends to have this notion of looking backwards. It's not thinking about prescriptive or predictive analytics, or live analytics, powered by the new capabilities that we're seeing. I do think we're going to evolve to a new name.” (03:42) 
• “You’ll find companies that were and are ahead of the curve will be able to take advantage of these new technologies, GenAI, LLMs, et cetera, much more quickly than other companies. So companies that have not invested the time, resources, money, attention, and prioritization into data governance, data use, and data literacy are at a serious disadvantage. And companies that have done the opposite, that have proactively invested, will be able to make significant gains.”
• “I think there's three pillars of success. One is understanding your data from end to end. What is it used for? What domain is it in? Understand it as much as possible. What is the product? What is the data product that you have in all aspects of it? Then, understand your business, right? How does data relate to your business? These people are going to be the ones that leverage the technology the most efficiently.”
• “Don't hesitate to take a lateral mobility move. I know people are always interested in going up, up, up, up, and up. However, you know, sometimes consider going sideways.” (40:46) 

Mentions: 

• Jamie Dimon Annual Shareholder Letter 
• Data Literacy 
• Data Storytelling 
• Unfrosted Film 
• Hacks TV Show
• Abraham Lincoln 

Bio: 

Scott Stevens is responsible for Intelligent Solutions, which empowers JPMorgan Chase employees through innovative data, Business Intelligence and low-code capabilities.

Scott has been with JPMorgan Chase since 2011 and has worked in Financial Services his entire 32-year career, with prior roles at MBNA, Bank of America and Sallie Mae. Scott has been in data and analytics roles since 1997.

Scott enjoys working with local universities on modernizing data science curriculum, guest lectures and coaching student teams on analytics projects.  While at work, Scott enjoys mentoring and likes to help people advance their careers and skills.  Scott serves on multiple non-profit boards, and Scott is the executive sponsor for the JPMorgan Chase Delaware Volunteer Leadership Group.

Scott lives in Delaware with his family. Scott’s personal interests include travel, wine-making, photography and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

How has the Chief Data Officer role changed? Heidi Lanford, CDO of Fitch Group, shares that “it’s gone from stewarding and protecting data to monetization of data.” She explains how CDOs can be effective by working together with other company leaders and communicating simply. Learn from Heidi why there can be great career value in being willing to be uncomfortable.

Tune in to learn:

•  How does Heidi work with the leadership team? (10:03)
•  How does Heidi suggest CDOs communicate to CEOs?(13:05)
•  How can a CDO work with the technology side to update the tech stack? (18:58)
•  How is Heidi helping her workers become more data literate?(27:50)
•  What’s the benefit of choosing to be uncomfortable in one’s career journey? (37:48)

Mentions:

• “Getting to ‘Yes And’: The Art of Business Improv”
• Building CDO Influence in the C-Suite

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Heidi on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Your data will never be clean and it will never be perfect. So how do we create meaningful models anyway? As Dr. Katia Walsh puts it, data leaders are facing a “tsunami of data.” But that tsunami shouldn’t stop you from testing, iterating, and moving quickly. Dr. Walsh is the Chief Global Strategy and AI Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. and today she shares how her team has leveraged a mindset of “think big, start small, scale fast” to create cutting-edge data models and digital capabilities quickly. 

Tune in to learn:

• (4:22) Why every business is a data business and how building out new digital and AI capabilities is about improving the 3Cs (connections, commerce, and creation.)
• (8:21) How Levi Strauss & Co. leverages data to create custom experiences no matter where a customer engages with them. As Katia says, “It’s not business; it’s personal.”
• (18:43) Why Katia’s motto is “think big, start small, scale fast.”
• (19:43) What do when you don’t have perfect data (and why you will never truly have perfect data).
• (27:55) Where to look for your organization’s next data leader - it’s not where you think.
• (30:36) How Levi Strauss & Co. is using bootcamps to increase data literacy at every level of the organization.

Mentions:

• Levis.com

Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Katia on The Data Chief.  

Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org.

Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.