Driven by Data: The Podcast

Driven by Data, the Podcast is designed for data enthusiasts to hear from the data & analytics industry’s thought leaders! Each week you will hear from high-profile Data, Analytics, and AI thought leaders from around the globe speaking on a range of current issues.

Each episode will detail the guest’s journey to the top while bringing unique insights, drawn from first-hand experience on the industry’s most trending topics.

The Driven by Data podcast is hosted by Kyle Winterbottom, Founder of Orbition Group.

Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favourite Podcast platform!

This Week’s Driven by Data Podcast Episode…

Chris Pearce, Chief Data & AI Officer, Ageas

S7 | Ep 22 | Getting AI out the Sandbox and into Production

In Episode 22 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Chris Pearce, Chief Data and AI Officer at Ageas, where they discuss why so few organisations manage to get AI out of proof-of-concept and into live production. Chris makes the case that this is a structural and operating model problem rather than a technical one, and that the businesses which crack it are the ones that understand their own commercial engine intimately enough to know exactly which decision they are trying to change.
Drawing on a 250-person function spanning data engineering, data science, AI engineering, infrastructure and governance, Chris walks through real deployments into Ageas's contact centres, how the value of those deployments is measured and attributed to the P&L, and why the risk conversation with a board is far more winnable than most data leaders assume.
They also discuss:
- Why rolling out Copilot licences bears no resemblance to putting LLMs into front-end production systems touching customers in real time.
- What the full cross-functional cast actually looks like, from SRE and infrastructure to UX, middleware developers, AI engineers, business SMEs, risk, legal and compliance.
- Why AI delivery is fundamentally a structural problem, with the necessary skill sets scattered across different leaders, agendas and backlogs.
- How building AI capability in isolated pockets of the ecosystem guarantees you never leave POC land.
- Why the first question on any piece of data science work should be how you intend to measure it, and why nothing starts until that's answered.
- How Ageas used LLM summarisation at the chatbot-to-agent handover to remove friction for customers already losing patience.
- Why after-call work was worth attacking, and what shaving minutes off every call does to backlogs, concurrency and demand.
- How A/B testing capability across 50 agents against another 50, de-biased for tenure and experience, produces evidence a board can't argue with.
- What it takes to build a genuine culture of experimentation in an environment as dynamic as a contact centre.
- Why "my job is to help people" is where most value conversations begin, and how to move past it.
- How to trace the decision chain that follows once the phone goes down, and why that's where the financial link is found.
- Why brilliant technical analytics is squandered without the work of presenting it visually and narratively.
- What has to be true for a change in decision-making to be logged, monitored and made someone's accountability.
- Why any organisation asking for an AI strategy should be asked about its business strategy first.
- How to uncover a business strategy that isn't written on a wall or neatly captured in a PDF anywhere.
- Why starting with low-hanging fruit builds the patterns, the track record and the appetite for bigger bets later.
- What the doom loop of perpetual proof-of-concept does to credibility, investment and the perception of ROI.
- Why perfect temples of data platforms get built over four or five years and then fail to land.
- How the risk conversation changes when you demonstrate the operational, technical and information security controls that already exist.
- Why hallucination rates deserve to be compared with how often humans under pressure get things slightly wrong.
- What is missing from every AI maturity framework Chris has encountered, and why counting models in production is activity rather than maturity.
- Why software development skills are becoming essential for data scientists, and how AI engineering mirrors the data science unicorn boom of fifteen years ago.
- Why the technical barrier to entry has never been lower, and why adaptability is now the trait Chris values most.
- Why every practitioner needs a degree of commercial nous, and what happens to retention when people can't see the impact of their work.

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Season 7, Driven by Data The Podcast

Joanne Riseborough, Group Data Management and Culture Director at Lloyds Banking Group

S7 | Ep 17 | Data Management: The AI Boom's Biggest Winner

In Episode 17 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Joanne Riseborough, Group Data Management and Culture Director at Lloyds Banking Group, where they discuss why the AI boom has quietly made data management one of the most strategically important disciplines in the boardroom.
They explore why AI is shining a spotlight on data quality, governance and culture, how large enterprises balance modernisation with legacy technology, and why organisations that invest in strong data foundations will be best positioned to realise meaningful value from AI.
They also discuss:
- Why AI has made data management more important than ever.
- Why data quality has moved back onto the boardroom agenda.
- How organisations should define what "good enough" actually means.
- What data quality should actually be measured against.
- How large enterprises balance modernisation whilst continuing to operate critical legacy platforms.
- The unique data management challenges created by hybrid cloud and on-premise environments.
- How data culture influences the success or failure of AI adoption.
- Why data and AI literacy is becoming a strategic capability rather than a technical nice-to-have.
- How Lloyds Banking Group is building capability through education, practitioner communities and leadership development.
- Why executive sponsorship remains one of the strongest predictors of successful AI transformation.
- How organisations should balance fixing today's problems whilst investing in tomorrow's capabilities.
- Why continuous monitoring and data observability will become fundamental components of modern data management.
- How reusable data products can accelerate both governance and AI adoption.
- Why organisations should think about both data for AI and AI for data.
- Why responsible AI starts with trusted data, lineage and governance rather than model oversight alone.
- How central strategy and standards can successfully coexist with federated ownership and delivery.
- Why organisations should assess their data maturity before accelerating AI ambitions.
- Why the strongest AI strategies are built on strong data foundations rather than stronger AI models.

Marion Shaw, Senior Director, Data Analytics and Data Management at Cencora

S7 | Ep 19 | Technology Is Easy, People Are Hard

In Episode 19 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is rejoined by Marion Shaw, Senior Director, Data Analytics and Data Management at Cencora, where they discuss why building a genuine data culture is a people and process problem rather than a technology one, and what it actually takes to embed trust, curiosity and business value into how an organisation works with data.
The conversation centres on Marion's new book, Why Data Culture Matters, and digs into why trust is the single attribute with the biggest ripple effect on a data culture, plus the "AI paradox" — why people distrust their own data yet blindly trust the same data when an AI hands it back to them.
They also discuss:
- Why so many organisations pour money into technology yet still fail to see the returns.
- What Why Data Culture Matters covers, and who Marion wrote it for.
- How data culture should reflect and be built around a company's existing business culture.
- Why there is no universal blueprint for data culture — every organisation's version looks different.
- How giving people access to data without teaching them to interpret it undermines self-serve initiatives.
- How trust is built through recognisability, explainability, transparency and repeatability.
- Why CDOs should never promise something they can't actually deliver.
- What the "AI paradox" means for organisations rolling out generative AI tools.
- How younger generations risk losing critical thinking skills by taking AI output at face value.
- Why healthy scepticism should be a core attribute of every data culture, regardless of industry.
- How to measure progress in building a data culture beyond simple adoption metrics.
- Why dashboard adoption is a flawed proxy for a genuinely data-driven culture.
- Why data teams need to shift from being "order takers" to acting as business partners.
- What the biggest mistakes are that organisations make when trying to mandate a data culture from the top down.
- Why flexibility, not rigid planning, is the mindset shift data leaders need most.
- Why influence and communication skills are essential to embedding a data culture successfully.

Nick Zervoudis, Founder at Value from Data & AI

S7 | Ep 20 | Your Data & AI Investment Portfolio: How to Decide What Gets Funded

In Episode 20 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Nick Zervoudis, Founder at Value from Data & AI, where they discuss why so many data and AI teams struggle to demonstrate measurable business value — and why the real failure almost always happens upstream, long before anyone tries to articulate it.
Nick makes the case that "we can't prove our value" is usually a symptom, not the disease: teams solve the wrong problem, skip the value case, or hand off value realisation to no one. Along the way they get into his five-point diagnostic framework, how to build a credible back-of-the-envelope ROI estimate before a line of code is written, how to prioritise a portfolio of opportunities, and where AI productivity savings are real versus imaginary.
They also discuss:
- Why the inability to demonstrate value is usually an upstream failure, not a communication problem.
- What Nick's five-point framework reveals: wrong problem, wrong solution, poor execution, no measurement, weak communication.
- Why data teams keep solving the wrong problem by starting from technology instead of the problem itself.
- How to separate the "problem space" from the "solution space" before reaching for a tool.
- Why 70–80% of data teams operate as order takers rather than true collaborators.
- Why being ROI-positive is only the entry ticket, not a reason to do a project.
- What criteria actually decide prioritisation: return, payback speed, implementation readiness, and strategic relevance.
- Why nothing a data team builds has inherent value without an owner on the business side to realise it.
- How to build a credible back-of-the-envelope value case before anything gets built.
- Why estimating value is far easier to learn than the technical craft most data people already have.
- How to get stakeholders to correct a rough estimate rather than hand them a blank sheet.
- Why "how will we measure success?" is the most useful question you can ask when scoping work.
- What the bystander effect has to do with data teams quietly failing to create value.
- How framing work around outcomes turns engineers from code-writers into problem-solvers.
- Why hours saved rarely become money on the balance sheet.
- What the five-to-six buckets of productivity value are, and why you must never double-count them.
- Why some AI investment should deliberately have no business case at all.
- How Monday.com turned a five-week experimentation window into a $100M ARR product.
- Why blanket self-serve analytics or company-wide AI licences often set you up for failure.
- What first steps a CDO should take to re-prioritise a roadmap around measurable value.

Michael Ross, Data Agitator & NED

S7 | Ep 21 | What being Advisor to a FTSE 100 UK CEO for 10 yrs Taught me about Data Insights

In Episode 21 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Michael Ross, Data Agitator & Non-Executive Director at Domestic & General and Policy Expert. They discuss why so many consumer and retail businesses fail to turn data into commercial value, because they run on averages and siloed metrics that hide where money is actually being won and lost.
Drawing on a career spanning McKinsey, Figleaves, eCommera and DynamicAction, and years advising CEOs across the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's portfolio, Michael makes the case for de-averaging: measuring distributions rather than averages, tracking failure modes rather than outcomes, and using driver trees to connect financial results back to the controllable inputs that leaders can actually change.
They also discuss:
- Why Michael's "viewed availability" epiphany at Figleaves exposed a 93% in-stock figure that was really 70%.
- How siloed teams create a hidden "coordination tax" that quietly erodes commercial performance.
- Why nobody owning the end-to-end customer journey is still the single biggest issue in most businesses.
- What separates the CEOs who thrive in a data world: strategic vision paired with "30,000 feet and two inches" of detail.
- Why "that's where the money is" is the real reason CEOs must get into the commercial engine.
- How the finance function quietly failed to become the owner of integrated, decision-driving data.
- Why averages are the enemy of commercial performance, and what to measure instead.
- How de-averaging an LTV:CAC ratio of 12 revealed that 70% of spend was acquiring customers above their lifetime value.
- Why bidding on your own brand terms on Google is often just a "navigation tax."
- What "spill and spoil" are, and how the airline and hotel industries measure their two failure modes.
- How Premier Inn's headline 80% occupancy hid hotels that were either 60% or 100% full.
- Why measuring failure metrics drives a far higher-quality conversation than chasing an average upwards.
- What driver trees are, and how a 1920s DuPont technique connects outcomes to controllable inputs.
- Why Amazon deliberately spends little time on financial outcomes and focuses on controllable inputs.
- Why conversion rate is "the CEO's metric" and a recipe for disaster when handed two levels down.
- How dashboards full of averages and filters create the "illusion of insight" rather than action.
- Why the best dashboards are the ones that "create a compulsion to act."
- How de-averaging package utilisation turns one meaningless number into clear churn risks and upsell opportunities.
- Why data teams so rarely get to this work, and how the "build the foundations" mandate traps them.
- Why so many data transformations end with "nothing's changed" and an eighteen-month reset

Diana Comsa, Global Director of Customer Data Products at Conde Nast

S7 | Ep 13 | Why Customer Data Is the Foundation of Business Growth

In Episode 13 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Diana Comsa, Global Director of Customer Data Products at Conde Nast, where they discuss why customer data should be treated as a commercial growth engine rather than simply a marketing asset, and how solving the right customer problems unlocks long-term business value, which includes;
- Why the thread running through an unconventional career from strategy consulting to customer data has always been creating commercial value.
- Why understanding existing customers often creates more sustainable growth than simply acquiring new ones.
- How building a single customer view enables organisations to create deeper customer relationships and unlock new revenue opportunities.
- Why global organisations need consistency in customer identity, consent and architecture whilst empowering local teams to serve customers differently.
- Why defining business outcomes and success metrics before any work begins dramatically improves the chances of delivering value.
- Why customer data platforms should be designed around future business models rather than today's products and revenue streams.
- Why technology platforms and AI models are enablers, not the source of competitive advantage.
- Why AI strategy should always be an extension of business strategy and underpinned by strong data governance and quality.
- How AI is already helping organisations generate customer insight faster, improve reporting and increase engineering productivity.
- Why data monetisation isn't about selling data, but about increasing customer lifetime value through stronger customer relationships.
- Why the most successful customer data initiatives remain relentlessly focused on solving meaningful business problems rather than delivering technical outputs.

Pete Crouch, Group Innovation Director at Lloyds Banking Group

S7 | Ep 14 | Why Innovation Is Built on Capability, Not Ideas

In Episode 14 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Peter Crouch, Group Innovation Director at Lloyds Banking Group, where they discuss why the organisations that thrive in the AI era won't necessarily be those with the best ideas, but those that build the strongest innovation capability, and how large enterprises can adopt startup thinking without compromising governance, risk or customer trust, which includes:
• Why innovation capability matters more than individual ideas.
• How solving the right problem is more important than solving the problem right.
• Why large organisations should adopt startup principles to innovate faster and reduce risk.
• How staged funding and rapid experimentation prevent costly investment in the wrong ideas.
• Why innovation requires a completely different operating model from traditional delivery.
• How regulated organisations can create space for experimentation without compromising governance or customer trust.
• Why embedding innovation into the business creates greater impact than isolated innovation teams.
• How portfolio thinking stops organisations falling in love with ideas too early.
• Why modern engineering platforms are essential for accelerating innovation.
• Why AI should always be driven by business outcomes rather than technology hype.
• How agentic AI is more likely to augment high-value work than replace skilled professionals.
• Why the biggest opportunity for AI in software engineering is removing friction rather than writing code.
• How replacing certainty with a learning-first mindset transforms innovation culture.
• Why treating failure as learning is essential to building innovative organisations.
• How creating intrapreneurs unlocks innovation at enterprise scale.
• Why proving value early is the key to scaling innovation successfully.
• How embedded, personalised financial services could redefine the future of banking.

Vin Vashista, CEO/Founder of VSquared

S7 | Ep 15 | What the Organisations Turning AI Into Revenue Do That Others Don't

In Episode 15 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined for the third time by Vin Vashishta, CEO and Founder of V-Squared, where they discuss why the organisations getting the most value from AI are focused less on models and use cases, and more on outcomes, information architecture and business transformation, which includes;

-Why AI strategy has become a revenue growth strategy rather than a technology strategy.
-Why AI is an information product that depends on context, information architecture and data.
-Why information flywheels will become the defining capability that separates AI leaders from everyone else.
-Why organisations are moving from buying AI products to forming outcome-based partnerships with technology and consulting providers.
-Why CEOs and CFOs are now demanding clear links between AI investment, business outcomes and shareholder value.
-Why meaningful AI ROI requires organisations to transform operating models rather than simply automate existing processes.
-Why the fastest-growing organisations are extracting the greatest value from AI by creating entirely new forms of value.
-Why organisations such as JPMorgan Chase and Eli Lilly are turning AI into sustainable competitive advantage.
-How organisations can begin building information flywheels.
-Why technical strategy is becoming a core capability for both executive leaders and technical practitioners as traditional management layers disappear.
-Why ownership of commercial outcomes matters far more than whether AI sits with the CIO, CDO or a Chief AI Officer.
-Why robotics, autonomous systems and edge AI could soon eclipse today's generative AI conversation.
-Why LLMs will become just one small component within far more sophisticated agentic systems.
-Why we'll see LLMs diminish in importance.

Priya Enefer, Chief Information Officer at Hakluyt & Company

S7 | Ep 16 | The CIO vs CDO: Where the Tension Really Comes From

In Episode 16 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Priya Enefer, Chief Information Officer at Hakluyt & Company, where they discuss why the tension between CIOs and CDOs isn't a people problem, but an organisational design problem.

They explore how operating models, accountability, product thinking and executive alignment determine whether technology, data and AI become genuine competitive advantages or simply create duplication, politics and confusion.

They also discuss:

-Why the tension between CIOs and CDOs is usually created by organisational design rather than the people themselves.
-Why every CIO role looks different and how organisational context should define the mandate.
-Why organisations should define accountabilities before they hire executives or choose job titles.
-Whether every organisation actually needs a Chief Data Officer.
-Why technology, data and product leadership must operate as one team if transformation is going to succeed.
-The lessons learned moving from Chief Product Officer to CIO and why she still thinks like a product leader.
-How separate technology, product and data strategies create duplication, confusion and competing priorities.
-Why product operating models fundamentally outperform traditional project delivery.
-Who should own AI and why there is no universal answer.
-Why many organisations are measuring AI activity instead of AI value and repeating mistakes made during previous technology -waves.
-How AI risks becoming another executive land grab unless organisations are crystal clear on ownership and accountability.
-Why centralised data teams can become ivory towers.
-What the private sector can learn from government about delivering successful transformation.
-Why dashboards and insights in isolation is not leadership.
-Whether technology, product and data leadership roles will ultimately converge or simply become much more interconnected.
-Why organisational design, incentives and culture will ultimately matter far more than whichever AI model an organisation chooses.

Keith Moody, VP of Analytics & AI

S7 | Ep 9 | The Mandate Gap: Why Data Teams Keep Failing to Deliver Commercial Impact

In Episode 9 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Keith Moody, a renowned Data & AI Executive, where they discuss the relationship between the mandate of the CDAO and the results that data and analytics teams continue to deliver, which includes;
- How the absence of a clear value delivery mandate is the root cause of data being treated as a cost centre rather than a business asset.
- Why most CDO mandates are designed based on what organisations think the job is, not what it actually needs to be to generate commercial impact.
- How Keith built four analytics organisations across two companies and delivered over $500 million in incremental annual value.
- Why the data function's reporting line is rarely neutral, and how a once-thriving value-delivery team was reduced to an order-taking service desk.
- How convincing leadership that "no analytics could happen until data was perfect" brought an entire organisation to a standstill.
- Why CDOs who push for commercial accountability in interview processes face a catch-22.
- Why most interview processes focus on capability over delivery expectations leaving the value mandate undefined from day one.
- Why you should actively push for commercial targets.
- Why and how to routinely reframe the mandate once inside an organisation.
- Why the CFO should be the ultimate validator of any value numbers attributed to analytics.
- How reporting directly to the CEO removes prioritisation deadlock entirely.
- Why governance committees are a poor substitute for having a single accountable decision-maker at the top.
- How change management done at the end of a project is the single biggest reason analytics initiatives fail.
- Why blanket data literacy programmes are largely an admission of failure.
- How automating decision-making away from VPs was successfully sold internally.
- Why the AI investment cycle is repeating the exact same hype and collapse pattern seen with data science.
- How FOMO, shareholder pressure, and competitive optics drive organisations to invest in AI capabilities they haven't defined a use case for.
- How the first practical step for any CDO stuck in cost-centre mode is to audit their existing portfolio and how to do so

Sarah Emerson, Group Director of Insight & Business Partnering at Howden

S7 | Ep 10 | Commercial Thinking Meets Business Partnering: How to Make Data Actually Matter

In Episode 10 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Sarah Emerson, Group Director of Insight & Business Partnering at Howden, where they discuss why commercial thinking and business partnering are the keys to uncovering business strategy and making data genuinely matter, which includes;
- Why having a non-technical background can give you a competitive edge as a data leader.
- How to infer business strategy when corporate goals are unclear or poorly defined.
- Why Sarah believes commercial KPIs should always take priority over internal data metrics.
- How finding out what a stakeholder is bonused on is the fastest route to their engagement.
- Why federated operating models consistently deliver more commercial value — and why they're expensive.
- Why self-serve analytics will never truly scale, particularly in relationship-driven industries like insurance.
- How conversational AI is poised to succeed where a decade of self-serve dashboards has failed.
- Why inconsistent data definitions across divisions remain the biggest hidden barrier to AI adoption.
- The importance of executive sponsorship in driving data culture — and what to do when you don't have it.
- How financially incentivising sales teams based on data adoption could become the industry's next big shift.
- Why embedded business partners bridge the gap between analytical output and real commercial impact.
- How to uncover business strategy when no one will give you the time or the meeting.
- Why defaulting to technical language is one of the fastest ways a data leader can lose the room.
- Why the business, not just the data team, needs to take accountability for driving data product adoption.
- How embedding analysts within business teams is what drives genuine commercial impact.

David Krauza, VP Enterprise Data Strategy, Products & Governance at Comcast

S7 | Ep 11 | Bus Riders, Bus Drivers and the Strategy Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

In Episode 11 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by David Krauza, VP of Enterprise Data Strategy, Products & Governance at Comcast, where they discuss why strategic clarity and proactive stakeholder engagement are the keys to unlocking genuine business value from data and AI, which includes;
- Why the root cause of failed AI and data programmes is almost never the technology and almost always the absence of a clear business -outcome.
- How to tell the difference between an organisation that has genuine strategic clarity and one that just has a compelling PowerPoint.
- Why a strategy without explicit trade-offs, knowing what you are not going to do, is no strategy at all.
- How "arts and crafts" projects quietly drain data programmes of focus, credibility, and commercial impact.
- Why retrofitting goals around work already underway creates a circular dependency that pulls organisations further from real value.
- Why the "bus riders and bus drivers" framework reframes what it means to be an effective data leader.
- Why waiting for perfect conditions before driving impact is one of the most common and costly habits of data leaders.
- How proactively building relationships with CFOs, COOs, and business unit heads before you need them is what separates influence from -scrambling.
- Why the trust deficit most data leaders face is a sequencing problem, not a communication problem.
- How starting within your own team or with a single friendly stakeholder is the most practical way to begin building the bus driver muscle.
- Why most CDO mandates are structurally designed to deliver outputs rather than value and how that shapes the type of leader organisations -end up hiring.
- How to navigate a broken mandate in practice and why challenging it in the interview room is riskier than it sounds.
- Why the incentive structures within data leadership roles have historically rewarded technical delivery over commercial impact.
- Why the data industry's technical origins created an archetype that is now working against the commercial value organisations actually need.
- How company size and culture determine whether data is treated as a strategic asset or an internal IT service and why that changes everything.
- Why organisations that started their data journey for the wrong reasons often find the perception too deeply embedded to shift from within.

Justin Borgman, Co-Founder & CEO at Starburst

S7 | Ep 12 | The Real Bottlenecks Holding Back Enterprise AI

In Episode 12 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Justin Borgman, Co-Founder and CEO of Starburst, where they discuss why the biggest barrier to AI success is no longer about models.
The conversation explores why traditional approaches to data architecture are struggling in the AI era, how enterprises can overcome fragmented data estates, the importance of context and semantics, why many organisations remain stuck in pilot mode, rising AI costs, build versus buy decisions, agentic AI, and what the next three to five years of enterprise AI adoption are likely to look like, which includes;
- Why the vision of centralising all enterprise data into a single platform has never truly reflected reality.
- Why the AI industry's obsession with model selection is increasingly distracting organisations from the real challenges.
- How advances in foundation models are rapidly commoditising model performance and shifting attention elsewhere.
- What the true bottlenecks to AI adoption actually are.
- Where the clearest examples of AI delivering measurable value are today.
- Why many organisations remain trapped in POCs despite significant investment and executive attention.
- How the lack of context and semantic understanding continues to limit the effectiveness of AI in enterprise environments.
- Why trust, meaning and business context matter as much as access to data itself.
- Why AI success depends on; data foundations, analytics performance, enterprise context and trusted agentic interfaces.
- Why rising AI costs are becoming one of the biggest concerns for enterprise leaders and CFOs.
- Why data products are emerging as a practical solution for creating AI-ready context across the enterprise.
- Why separating context from physical data location creates more flexible and scalable architectures.
- Why executives are increasingly expecting answers rather than reports and dashboards.
- Why organisations should be building differentiated business capabilities rather than core platform infrastructure.
- How businesses that feel behind are often closer to the market than they realise.
- What the next three to five years could look like as AI becomes embedded into every major business function.

Richard Masters, VP Data & AI at Virgin Atlantic

S7 | Ep 5 | Signal Over Noise: The North Star of Decision Support

In Episode 5, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Richard Masters, Vice President of Data & AI at Virgin Atlantic where they discuss how a "signal over noise” mindset helps cut through complexity, and enables better decision-making and real business impact, which includes;

- How an astrophysics background shaped a “signal over noise” mindset for data and decision-making.
- How reducing data noise and surfacing the right signal drives meaningful business action.
- Why decision support should be the North Star for every data team.
- How aligning data work to business strategy requires constant iteration, challenge, and course correction.
- Why iterative improvement wins the day.
- How data context and metadata are critical to trust, usability, and adoption.
- Why data lineage, governance and trust are foundational to scaling AI successfully.
- How prioritisation should be driven by impact vs feasibility, not technical curiosity.
- Why a product mindset enables reuse, scalability, and faster value realisation.
- How platforms act as the governed foundation for reusable data, AI and decision-making capabilities.
- Why simplifying to fewer platforms improves trust and speed of delivery.
- How observability and adoption tracking link data products to real decision-making and P&L impact.
- Why AI success depends on evaluation frameworks (“is it right?”) and human-in-the-loop validation.
- How AI is shifting roles from coders to builders using and diversifying D&A talent beyond traditional STEM backgrounds.

Dru Patel, Data Lead at The Football Association

S7 | Ep 6 | Embracing Failure: The Human Side of Data Leadership

In Episode 6, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Dru Patel, Data Lead at The Football Association, where they discuss how embracing failure fuels a human-centred approach to data leadership that unlocks adoption, trust, and real organisational change, which includes;
- How an unconventional background spanning Kenya, the Cabinet Office, and a life coaching qualification shaped a distinctly human approach to data leadership.
- Why hard work alone has a ceiling, and how the first ten years of Dru's career proved that technical output without soft skills will only take you so far.
- Why starting with the "why" is the most powerful tool a data leader has for driving engagement, adoption, and business buy-in.
- How asking "why" five times gets you to the real root of what a stakeholder actually needs, and why most data teams stop at the first answer.
- How the gap between data teams and the business is normal, and why failing to challenge it with the right questions is the real problem.
- Why data teams need to push back on the brief rather than just building what's requested.
- How a dashboard that stops being used isn't always a failure, and why it often signals that the business is ready to ask bigger questions of the -data.
- Why data literacy and data culture are not the same thing, and what it actually takes to move from one to the other.
- How the six blind men and the elephant illustrates what happens when everyone is right in their own context and nobody is looking at the whole picture.
- Why treating data like the organisation's own money, rather than a technical function, is the mindset shift that drives real literacy.
- Why data leaders take failure far harder than anyone else in the room, and what a 1980 psychology study reveals about the stories we tell themselves.
- How building a PPE supplier system in six days during COVID taught Dru that perfection is the enemy of progress.
- Why owning failure openly builds more trust than silence, and how to reframe the conversation from blame to improvement.
- How imposter syndrome shows up in data leadership, why it never fully goes away, and what mentors and trusted voices can do to help reframe it.
- Why nerves and excitement are the same feeling, and how the most effective leaders choose which one to act on.
- Why listening, really listening, before jumping to solutions is the soft skill most data professionals underestimate.
- How a human-centred lens, not a technical one, is what ultimately bridges the gap between data teams and the decisions that matter.

Edward Chenard, Fractional CDAO

S7 | Ep 7 | From Cost Centre to Revenue Engine: How to Make Data Pay for Itself (and Then Some)

In Episode 7, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Edward Chenard, Fractional Chief Data and Analytics Officer, where they discuss how data leaders can break free from the cost centre trap and drive measurable, quantifiable business value, having personally delivered over $2.5 billion in revenue across Fortune 500s and start-ups alike, which includes;
- How a career in product management at GE laid the foundation for an outcome-first approach to data leadership.
- Why not having a seat at the table is not an excuse and why the biggest commercial wins came from several levels below the C-suite.
- How to read the type of organisation you are in and choose your influence strategy accordingly.
- Why the shift from AI-as-tool to AI-as-strategy matters for how data leaders position themselves now.
- Why data teams are correctly perceived as overheads.
- Building a personalisation platform at Best Buy that generated over $1 billion in revenue.
- Why identifying the metrics the C-suite actually obsess over is the only way to get and keep their attention.
- Why delivering what the job description says is the riskiest career move a data leader can make.
- How a predictive shipping tool built in four months turned a century-old logistics company into a recognised innovator.
- Why agreeing attribution with business stakeholders before the work starts is the only way to get the credit you deserve.
- Why the individual contributor mindset of doing what you are told actively works against data leaders when they step into leadership roles.
- Why data leaders need to think like intrapreneurs, owning a P&L and speaking the language of finance, VCs, and private equity rather than just tech.
- Why a background in international business and theology turned out to be better preparation for data leadership than a technical degree.
- Why philosophy and physics majors often outperform computer science graduates in data roles because thinking through problems without solid facts is the real differentiator.
- Why IT cultures that lead with process are structurally incapable of delivering transformation.
- Why training your team on AI regardless of what the C-suite thinks is a leadership obligation, not insubordination.
-How Edwards frameworks for moving data teams from dashboard builders to decision-makers are publicly available.
- Why it is human as the loop, not human in the loop, and why AI will quickly expose those who have been faking it.

JoAnn Stonier, EX-CDO Mastercard, Lara Izlan, Director of Data, ITV & Abbi Agana, CEO, Leathermarket JMB

S7 | Ep 8 | How to become a NED?

This is a special episode of the Driven by Data Podcast, where we publish our recent NED webinar!
Featuring JoAnn Stonier, Ex-CDO Mastercard, Lara Izlan, Director of Data, ITV and Abbi Agana, CEO, Leathermarket JMB
Our speakers shared career trajectories into NED roles, emphasising diverse backgrounds (data, media, housing, finance, privacy) and recurring themes: continuous change, giving back, mentorship, and strategic coaching mindset.
- How to break into NED roles: build a board CV, clarify your 'why' and value proposition, leverage networks, observe boards, speak to chairs and current board members, and use targeted communities and programs.
- Differences between nonprofit and for-profit board experience: governance skills transfer but scale and profile matter; large/high-profile nonprofits can be gateways to commercial boards while small trustee roles mainly develop governance experience.
- What boards look for: subject-matter expertise gets you noticed, but financial literacy, generalist judgement, governance and fiduciary responsibility are baseline requirements; c-suite title is not strictly necessary.
- Practical expectations of NED work: time commitment varies (frequently ~20–25 hours/month for active boards), includes prep, board meetings, committee work, possible ad-hoc meetings and retreats, and requires doubling stated prep time as a rule of thumb.
- Common pitfalls and mindset shifts: NEDs must adopt 'noses in, hands out' approach, avoid being a hands-on operator, focus on strategic advisory and support rather than doing the work for exec teams.

Kevin Cassar, Chief Data Officer at TalkTalk

S7 | Ep 1 |Accelerating the Speed of Value Delivery

In Episode 1, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Kevin Cassar, Chief Data Officer at TalkTalk, where they discuss how to accelerate the speed of value delivery, which includes;
- Why speed to value is becoming as important as ROI itself
- The macroeconomic and GenAI forces increasing pressure on delivery timelines
- How TalkTalk’s data strategy is focused on profitability, trust, and customer satisfaction
- The “triangle of value”: data, business action, and financial outcomes
- Why federated data operating models can accelerate adoption and execution
- The balance between experimentation and implementation at scale
- How governance should act as an enabler, not a blocker, to faster delivery
- The pyramid framework linking ExCo priorities to data products and models
- Why culture, psychological safety, and upskilling are critical to speed
- The five pillars of organisational readiness for faster value creation
- Real examples of reducing delivery from 12 months to under 8 weeks
- Kevin’s three practical leadership principles: vision, collaboration, and investing in people
- Why ExCo maturity and sponsorship are the hidden drivers of speed to value
- How direct CEO access materially reduces time from idea to production
- Why poor data foundations still kill speed, regardless of AI ambition
- Why adoption velocity, not just build velocity, determines realised value

Barry Panayi, Group Chief Data Officer at Howden

S7 | Ep 2 | Are we Splitting the CDAO Role in Two

In Episode 2, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was re-joined (over 2.5 years on) by Barry Panayi, Group Chief Data Officer at Howden, where they discuss, how the CDAO role continues to evolve and whether accountability is being diluted, which includes;
- Why the CDAO role is splitting between commercial outcomes and BAU leadership
- Why the biggest trade-off today is speed vs sustainable value
- A pragmatic view on AI ownership: enterprise enablement vs bespoke build
- The risk of over-indexing on ROI and neglecting foundational data capability
- The danger of the CDAO role being watered down
- Why many organisations still hire CDAOs for the wrong mandate
- How culture and incentives shape whether data leaders can succeed
- How AI is making value measurement easier than traditional data work
- Why proving quick wins can sometimes slow long-term progress
- Why CDAO–CTO chemistry now matters more than job titles
- The leadership lesson: make the least bad decision with conviction
- Why Barry wrote The AI of the Beholder as a leadership decision simulator
- The reality that there is rarely one “right” leadership choice
- Why future board opportunities for CDAOs require broader leadership breadth
- What boards actually value from ex-CDAO leaders in NED roles

Daragh Kelly, Chief Data Officer at The Economist

S7 | Ep 3 | The AI Speed Trap: Why Activity Isn’t Progress

In Episode 3, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Daragh Kelly, Chief Data Officer at The Economist, where they discuss why most AI initiatives are still failing, why there's not much measurable progress and how insight functions have become toolmakers and decision intelligence partners, which includes;
- Why most AI initiatives fail because they as a solution looking for problems.
- The importance of aligning AI use cases to strategic goals, KPIs and measurable outcomes.
- Why speed rather than velocity leads to very little measurable progress.
- Why compelling POCs create false confidence before the real production challenges begin.
- The deployment gap: why robust, scalable and commercially viable AI is still hard.
- Why disconnected tools and poor workflow integration stall AI value realisation.
- The simple test for prioritisation: is this problem big enough to matter?
- Why the best AI use cases act as building blocks for future capability.
- How AI and UX together are driving true self-service insight generation.
- Why insight teams are evolving from answer providers to toolmakers.
- The growing importance of data governance, quality and observability in an AI-first world.
- How distributed insight creation can weaken corporate memory and knowledge curation.
- The skills shift toward UX, enablement, storytelling and decision intelligence.
- Practical build vs buy criteria in fast-moving and rapidly commoditising AI markets.
- Why operating models matters less than discipline, purpose and capability building.

Peter Everill, Head of Data Product at IAG Loyalty

S7 | Ep 4 | Why Data & AI Transformation Fails Without Decision Transformation

In Episode 4, of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Peter Everill, Head of Data Product at IAG, where they discuss why most organisations still invest heavily in data, analytics and AI capabilities without ever connecting that work to the handful of decisions that truly move business performance. They break down why the future of data transformation is really decision transformation, sharing a practical five-layer framework that links performance visibility, root cause, budget trade-offs, automated decisioning and enterprise optimisation directly to P&L impact, which includes;
- Why the real purpose of data and AI is not building outputs, but improving the decisions that materially change business performance.
- How Peter’s career shifted from historical reporting into transforming decisions and workflows that directly influence operating models.
- Why the biggest capability gap in most organisations is linking technical capability to strategy, commercial priorities and P&L outcomes.
- How starting with business decisions instead of tools helps avoid the common trap of capability-first transformation.
- Why stakeholder requests that cannot be tied to action or performance change should rarely make the roadmap.
- How bottom-up demand creates sprawl, fragmented priorities and lots of activity that never ladders up to enterprise -value.
- What the five decision layers are that connect data transformation directly to P&L impact.
- Why performance visibility is the first step to stop leadership teams debating numbers instead of making decisions.
- How root cause analysis becomes the turning point where prioritisation, ownership and commercial focus become clear.
- Why smarter budget trade-offs matter more than simply asking for more investment.
- How AI creates the most value when it improves decision quality before automating workflows at scale.
- Why automating workflows without improving the decision just helps organisations get to the wrong answer faster.
- How enterprise optimisation exposes where one team’s success is unintentionally creating cost or lost sales elsewhere.
- Why local optimisation inside siloed teams often damages enterprise performance without leaders realising it.
- How making performance problems visible requires executive sponsorship because transparency can create -organisational tension.
Why root cause is usually the point where leaders realise they still lack clarity on what really drives performance.
How both business leaders and data leaders should start by focusing on one decision that matters most.

Spin-Off Show, Driven by Data Dilemmas

Steve Janoo, Chief Data Analytics Officer, Diageo

S6, E9: Driven by Data Dilemmas, Data Leadership Sinkers or Swimmers!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Steve Janoo, Chief Data Analytics Officer & Global Digital Technology SVP for Diageo! Together, they talk about Data Leadership Sink or Swim!
In a special IRL recording, Steve talks through his thoughts on what allows a data leader to swim freely towards success, and what causes them to sink. There's politics, exec buy-in and the evolution from player to coach.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast, released every Thursday. Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Alex Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer, Zurich Insurance

S6, E10: Driven by Data Dilemmas, Transformation the Right Way!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Alexandra Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer for Zurich Insurance
Today's theme is all about 'Transformation the right way' - together, Alex & Catherine talk about the errors of forgetting people in great big transformations, how AI is shaking up the entire world, not just data teams and importantly, how to avoid getting someone fired on your first day!
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast, released every Thursday. Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Irina Mihai, Director Data Foundations, Decision & Data Science function, adidas

S6, E5: Driven by Data Dilemmas. AI Adoption or Anarchy?

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Irina Mihai, Director of Data Foundations, Decision & Data Science function, adidas. In this episode, they discuss three key stories surrounding an AI Adoption or Anarchy. They discuss the how behind adoption, the wins organisations are seeing in real-time, and the final story offers an alternative perspective on the mass layoff fears.
Irina offers her candid views on how to tame anarchy and lays out some of her plans for adidas' AI adoption.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Tim Lum, Global Chief Intelligence Officer, WPP | Ford | VML

S6, E6: Driven by Data Dilemmas. When it all goes wrong!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Tim Lum, Global Chief Intelligence Officer, WPP | Ford | VML In this episode, they discuss three key stories surrounding when it all goes wrong. From deleting 11 years' worth of data, to a business unit causing the data servers to screech.
Tim walks us through how to manage data teams when it's all gone a bit pear-shaped.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Ines Ashton, Digital & AI Strategy Director (CIO), The Compleat Food Group

S6, E7: Driven by Data Dilemmas. Don't fall for FOMO

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Ines Ashton, Digital & AI Strategy Director (CIO), The Compleat Food Group. Together, they talk about how to avoid falling for FOMO!
Ines walks through her experience of staying laser-focused on her strategy, her role, and her priorities, avoiding falling for FOMO. They also discuss how to avoid falling for the "shiny object syndrome" in an AI-Powered world.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast, released every Thursday. Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Dan Kellet, Chief Data Officer, Carmoola

S6, E8: Driven by Data Dilemmas, Leadership Legends vs Leadership Lows

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Dan Kellett, Chief Data Officer for Carmoola! Together they talk about Leadership Legends vs Leadership Lows!
Dan walks through his thoughts on what makes a leader a legend, vs a loser! They discuss stories about candidates crying during interviews and team members making rookie errors.
Dan shares some candid experiences of when it all went wrong, and he needed to walk away from his desk.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast, released every Thursday. Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Lyndsay Weir, CAIO, Barilla Group

S6, E1: Driven by Data Dilemmas. Working Smarter? Or Working Harder?

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Lyndsay Weir, CDAO, Barilla Group. In this episode, they discuss the highs and lows of people management and how dramatically a culture can impact your work life, data team, and overall business value. They talk about 100% attendance at school, Lyndsay's 5 core values and why she's always going to ask "so what?"
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Nick Blewden, Director of Data @ Co-op

S6, E2: Driven by Data Dilemmas! Data is a MESS!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Nick Blewden, Director of Data for Co-op. In today's show, they discuss all things data MESS! From sticky situations where someone goes and deletes things in prod, to the woes of a student in their first 3 months of "real-life" data work.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com and Catherine will put them to our expert guests to answer.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Zachery Anderson, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, JPMC Global Banking & Payments

S6, E3: DbD Dilemmas, Data is great, but people suck!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Zachery Anderson, Former CDAO for NatWest Group and now Chief Data & Analytics Officer at JPMC Global Banking & Payments. In this episode, they discuss how, for many people, the data work is great, but it's the people that suck. From nightmare managers who make you want to scream into a pillow, to everything now being branded AI. Zachery gives his takes on our dilemmas and shares some of his personal experiences of where people have sucked!
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Lisa Allen, Director of Data, The Pensions Regulator

S6, E4: Driven by Data Dilemmas. Career Crisis!

Today on the Driven by Data Dilemmas Show, host Catherine Dowden-King is joined by Lisa Allen, Director of Data, The Pensions Regulator. In this episode, they discuss three key stories surrounding a career crisis. They discuss how someone can come into the data world as entry-level talent, someone re-adjusting their role in the data space, and the challenges being seen in the data engineer market.
Lisa offers her advice on entering the market and how to be a competitive candidate, and words of caution to her fellow leaders.
Remember, you can send your own dilemmas to community@orbitiongroup.com, and Catherine will gladly read them to our expert guests to answer and provide their own insight on.
Driven by Data Dilemmas is the spin-off show from the Driven by Data Podcast! Catherine Dowden-King is joined by some of our best-loved senior leaders in the data, analytics and AI space to ask them to share their experiences, advice and thoughts on data dilemmas.

Bonus Season!

Davin Crowley-Sweet, Chief Data Officer at National Highways, Kelly Hume, Lead Partner at Baringa, Kinnari Ladha, Chief Data Officer at Merlin Entertainments, Daniel Hulme, Chief Data & AI Officer at WPP

BONUS EPIOSDE: Driven by Data LIVE; Panel Discussion 1: The Biggest Challenges in Data, Analytics & AI and How They're Being Tackled!

In October 2025, Orbition Group hosted Driven by Data LIVE, where they welcomed 120 CDOs/Data Leaders to Tobacco Dock in London for a half-day event, which included 3 panel discussions and some roundtable conversations.

The first panel discussion saw Kyle Winterbottom joined by;
Davin Crowley-Sweet, Chief Data Officer at National Highways
Kelly Hume, Lead Partner at Baringa
Kinnari Ladha, Chief Data Officer at Merlin Entertainments
Daniel Hulme, Chief Data & AI Officer at WPP
Where they debated; The Biggest Challenges in Data, Analytics & AI and How They're Being Tackled, which includes;

- Why perceived data quality challenges are actually data confidence and communication issues.
- Why business leaders need a stronger data vocabulary to drive better outcomes.
- How shifting from projects to products improves data ownership and accountability.
- Why lack of trust in data stems from unclear standards and outdated systems.
- Why hype has led to organisations chasing use cases without defining problems.
- Why Low-hanging fruit often yields superficial success.
- Why true business value from AI comes from addressing complex, strategic problems.
- Why organisations must rethink processes not just adopt new tools.
- How brave leadership unlocks better digital decisions.
- Why data leaders must simplify the AI conversation for executives.
- How a dual AI strategy balances innovation and control.
- Why AI regulation is necessary but only when thoughtfully designed.
- Why ethical AI depends on explainability, not intentions.
- Why traditional company values don’t guide AI ethics.
- Why building trust in data starts with being trusted as a data leader.
- Why orchestration, not capability, is often the barrier to delivery.
- How reframing data roles helps escape the ‘service desk’ trap.
- Why tension in organisations can lead to better outcomes.
- Why upskilling execs in data requires empathy, not just education.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. - click the link below to find out more about DLA.

Ranil Boteju, Chief Data Officer, Lloyds Banking, Group Loretta Franks, Global Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Kellanova, Steve Pimblett, Chief Data Officer, Rightmove, Aimee Smith, Director of Data, Metropolitan Police, Jane Smith, Field CDAO, ThoughtSpot,

BONUS EPIOSDE: Driven by Data LIVE; Panel Discussion 2: Making Data Count by Providing Tangible Value the Business Can Touch!

The second panel discussion saw Kyle Winterbottom joined by;
Ranil Boteju, Chief Data Officer, Lloyds Banking Group
Loretta Franks, Global Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Kellanova
Steve Pimblett, Chief Data Officer, Rightmove
Aimee Smith, Director of Data, Metropolitan Police
Jane Smith, Field CDAO, ThoughtSpot

Where they debated; Making Data Count by Providing Tangible Value the Business Can Touch, which includes;

- How you transform from a technological-centred data function, into a business value centred function?
- How to decide which data projects get resourced, and what hard evidence do you use to show they are delivering business value?
- Which projects you’ve killed because they couldn’t scale, and what did you learn from them?
- Which action from; Building a brand identity, aligning capabilities to value levers, designing a fluid operating model and broadcasting data wins, moves the needle most?
- Where Agentic AI fits into the business value discussion?

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. - click the link below to find out more about DLA.

Paul Hollands, Chief Data & AI Officer, AXA | Johanna Hutchinson, Chief Data Officer, BAE Systems | Nick Blewden, Director of Data, Co-op | Sam Hancock, Global Head of Data Science, Octopus Energy

BONUS EPIOSDE: Driven by Data LIVE; Panel Discussion 3: Leading with a Legacy of Impact, How Data Can Change the World

In October 2025, Orbition Group hosted Driven by Data LIVE, where they welcomed 120 CDOs/Data Leaders to Tobacco Dock in London for a half day event, which included 3 panel discussions and some roundtable conversations.

The third panel discussion saw Catherine King joined by;

-Paul Hollands, Chief Data & AI Officer, AXA,
-Johanna Hutchinson, Chief Data Officer, BAE Systems
-Nick Blewden, Director of Data, Coop
-Sam Hancock, Global Head of Data Science, Octopus Energy

Where they discussed, Leading with a Legacy of Impact, How Data can Change the World, which includes;

- How to distinguish between short-term value creation and long-term impact when shaping your data strategy.
- The decisions made that will outlive tenure and define data leadership legacy.
- The boldest thing a CDO should be doing today, but most aren’t.
- The people-first principles that anchor leadership when making high-stakes data decisions.
- Experiencing the “this is why we do it” moment and the times when data work had a direct, unforgettable human impact.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. - click the link below to find out more about DLA.

Season Five

Mike Leverington, Senior Director of Data & Analytics at SkyScanner

S5 | Ep 47 | AI Readiness: What Comes Next for Data Teams and Their Careers

In Episode 47, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Mike Leverington, Senior Director of Data & Analytics at Skyscanner, where they discuss the evolving landscape of data analytics in the era of AI, which includes;

- How AI and GenAI are transforming not only the way we work but the way we think, impacting creativity and originality across the workforce.
- Why the decline of junior and entry-level data roles is reshaping the traditional career ladder in data.
- The societal and ethical implications of AI-driven workforce changes.
- How the automation of foundational work could affect how the next generation of data professionals learn and develop.
- How leaders can strike the right balance between “future-fitting” now and managing the risks of waiting.
- The implications of AI becoming a key trainer of the workforce, and what that means for learning, upskilling, and talent development.
- The potential risks smaller businesses face in the AI race against well-funded competitors.
- Whether the industry is over-talking “data value” and what that means for real business impact.
- Why a persistent gap remains between how data teams define value and what executives actually care about.
- The lessons from the “bold claims” era when inflated ROI promises were needed to secure investment.
- How organisations can hedge their bets in a rapidly shifting AI landscape.
- What an “AI-ready culture” truly looks like and why it matters for long-term success.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Susan Laine, Chief Technology Officer (Data) at Quest Software

S5 | Ep 48 | Building AI for AI: How Trust Models and Data Marketplaces Are Changing the Game

In Episode 48, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Susan Laine, Chief Technology Officer (Data) at Quest Software, where they discuss the concept of building 'AI for AI', which includes;

-The state of data in the AI era and why garbage in equals disaster out
-How ‘AI for AI’ is helping organisations manage data at scale and speed
-Where AI is being used to optimise AI and why that matters
-Why most AI POCs still don’t make it out of production and what to do about it
-Balancing the race for speed with the realities of trust, governance, and risk
-Building a modern data trust model looks like and why it’s critical for AI success
-The key metrics that matter most when measuring trust in data
-The rise of the data marketplace and what it means for data sharing and adoption
-How data management convergence is changing the game for modelling and intelligence
-How user feedback loops are helping to mature data products over time
-Why context and semantic layers are essential for AI you can trust
-How data management convergence is streamlining modelling, quality, and intelligence
-How GenAI is reshaping how we build and scale data products
-The structural and cultural shifts AI is triggering across data teams
-The changing roles and skillsets needed to succeed in AI-led data teams
-Why building your own capability is slowing you down and what to do instead
-Three smart steps to build trusted, scalable AI and data capabilities today

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Adrian Estala, Field Chief Data & AI Officer at Starburst

S5 | Ep 49 | AI Innovation; Succeed by Letting the Business Lead

In Episode 49, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Adrian Estala, Field Chief Data & AI Officer at Starburst, where they discuss how to deliver successful AI innovation and transformation by letting 'the business' lead, which includes;

- Why we need to let business teams to lead AI innovation for meaningful transformation.
- How business-led approaches to AI translate into practical, real-world examples.
- The major differences that set AI apart from previous waves of technological business transformation like ERP, Cyber and Cloud.
- Why AI demands a fundamentally different approach compared to traditional IT-led transformations.
- How organisations are adapting to the rapid pace of change driven by AI advancements.
- Balancing the need for AI experimentation with the discipline of effective governance and control.
- Identifying high-impact AI use cases that deliver competitive advantage through targeted experimentation.
- Adapting delivery models and governance structures to meet accelerated AI project timelines.
- Why organisations need a (business) semantic layer in enabling faster and more responsible AI innovation.
- Why the era of migration is over and what that shift means for digital strategy.
- Rethinking data foundations to support AI-driven decision-making across the business.
- The concept of “big data, small agents” and its implications for the future of work.
- What will distinguish successful AI adopters from those who remain stuck in experimentation over the next 12 months.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Starburst - Follow the link for more information.

James Benford, Director General for Economic, Social and Environmental Statistics at Office for National Statistics

S5 | Ep 50 | Rebuilding Trust: How the ONS Is Turning Data Lessons into Lasting Change

In Episode 50, the season finale of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by James Benford, Director General of Surveys, Economic and Social Statistics at Office for National Statistics, where they have a candid discussion regarding the turnaround job at hand after recent public scrutiny and high-profile errors.

They dig into what went wrong, the impact on trust, and how new leadership is refocusing priorities, rebuilding quality, and resetting culture, plus more, which includes;

- How a turnaround mandate is reshaping ONS culture, leadership, and structure after the June review.
- Why transparent acknowledgment and correction of high-profile errors is central to rebuilding trust.
- How grand tech ambitions drift without clear use cases and why that must change.
- Why building a single data platform without a clear use case became a costly lesson in purpose-led design.
- How ruthless focus and prioritisation are creating space for excellence in core statistics.
- Why survey response rates are falling globally and how ONS is adapting to the new reality.
- How digital-first, user-centred survey design can lift completion and reduce bias.
- How alternative data sources add power and why third-party data quality and governance matter.
- Why multidisciplinary teams are non-negotiable.
- How recognising data and AI as economic assets will reshape national accounting.
- Why GenAI and ML can raise quality while saving time.
- How “Stats GPT” style access can make official statistics easier to find, query, and use.
- Find more information on the general reset underway at the ONS, and the detail on the statistics and the surveys discussed in this episode.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. - click the link below to find out more about DLA.
If you wish to provide feedback on what ONS is currently doing, please use this mailbox: econstatsplan@ons.gov.uk

Sarah Hardison, Product Director, Analytics Enablement at GSK.

S5 | Ep 43 | Measuring for Success

In Episode 43, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Sarah Hardison. Product Director, Analytics Enablement at GSK where they discuss the results from a research project on the investment and value in Data and AI that was conducted to support an MBA Thesis in partnership with University of Cambridge, which includes;

- Why aligning data and AI initiatives with overarching business strategy is the most critical factor for success, with 80% of respondents citing it as essential to delivering value.
- How failing to measure value directly correlates with an inability to demonstrate impact. All organisations that had not shown value also reported not tracking any metrics.
- Why only 50% of surveyed organisations reported actively measuring the value of their data and AI initiatives, despite it being foundational to demonstrating return.
- How 65% of participants believed they had successfully demonstrated value. The remaining 35% had not, and all of those lacked measurement frameworks.
- Why cost reduction and revenue generation were reported as the primary ways value is defined, yet only a few sectors could clearly demonstrate revenue impact.
- Why metrics such as customer satisfaction and innovation are harder to quantify but still considered essential soft indicators of value.
- How the perceived value of data as an asset varies depending on business context and use case, making standard valuation challenging.
- Why telling success stories and communicating achievements across the business was identified as a critical enabler for cultural adoption and stakeholder engagement.
- How incremental delivery through proofs of concept helps secure long-term value and supports agile execution.
- Why business cases are more compelling when they include both financial metrics and alignment with strategic objectives.
- How the cultural orientation of a company, whether strategy-driven or metrics-driven, should guide how data leaders approach value articulation.
- How networking internally and understanding business pain points leads to more relevant and supported data solutions.
- Why data’s value is similar to that of brand equity, being intangible, influential, and entirely context specific.

For more information on our upcoming Driven by Data LIVE event; https://orbitiongroup.com/driven-by-data-live/
Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Nick Blewden, Director of Data at Co-Op

S5 | Ep 44 | From Loyalty to Literacy: Using Data for Good

In Episode 38, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Nick Blewden, Director of Data at Co-Op where they explore how one of the UK’s most recognised brands is harnessing data not just to improve performance, but to deliver meaningful social impact.

Nick shares how the Co-op’s member-owned model shapes its approach to loyalty, personalisation and ethics, why balancing commercial success with social good is central to its strategy, and how initiatives in data culture, literacy and governance are helping to build trust at every level of the business. The episode explores;

- Why consulting experience equips many data leaders for senior roles in industry.
- How the Co-op’s unique member-owned model drives its approach to data and decision-making.
- The importance of aligning commercial success with social good.
- How partnerships with universities have unlocked new insights into health, nutrition and deprivation.
- Why ethical guardrails and clear consent are critical to building trust in personalisation.
- How loyalty and membership schemes powered by data science deepen customer engagement.
- Growing membership from 4 million to nearly 7 million and he role that data played.
- How personalisation is used to encourage healthier lifestyle choices.
- Why balancing valuable personalisation with privacy concerns is one of retail’s biggest challenges.
- How the Co-op uses its member councils, youth councils and surveys to shape data-driven initiatives.
- The role of rapid delivery and quick commerce data in reshaping retail behaviour.
- How they equipped front-line staff with data products to transform decision-making.
- Why building data literacy depends on addressing both “will” and “skill” across teams.
- How embedding ethics and governance early safeguards impact and reputation.
- Why leadership engagement strengthens confidence and trust in data.
- How evolving operating models keep data teams aligned with fast-changing business needs.

Pete Williams, Director of Data at Penguin Random House and Greg Freeman, CEO at Data Literacy Academy

S5 | Ep 45 | Climbing the Data & AI Literacy Ladder

In Episode 45, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Catherine King takes the hot-seat as she hosts a live panel discussion alongside, Pete Williams, Director of Data at Penguin Random House and Greg Freeman, CEO & Founder at Data Literacy Academy, where they discuss how to allow your organisation to climb the data & AI literacy ladder, which includes;

- Why Data & AI literacy isn't about technical skills or tools.
- How practical implementation and belief in the value of literacy are still recent developments.
- How there are no decisions in modern business that are free of data.
- Why people don’t use what they don’t trust and they don’t trust what they don’t understand.
- Why literacy must address taught fears and cultural resistance.
- Why companies are still falling into the trap of thinking tools and tech will drive transformation.
- Why Generative AI is proving to be a Trojan Horse and the opportunity it provides for enterprise impact.
- Why literacy efforts need to go beyond 'tick-box' training to personalised, job-relevant learning that connects directly to business outcomes.
- Why you should track productivity improvements, promotion rates, and qualitative feedback from learners.
- How to use behavioural metrics and ROI-linked business initiatives to measure literacy impact.
- How you can create effective feedback loops from the frontline that are essential for iteration and broader transformation.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Ming Tang, Chief Data & Analytics Officer & Chief Digital & Information Officer at NHS England

S5 | Ep 46 | Data & Digital and the Future of Healthcare

In Episode 46, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Ming Tang, Chief Data & Analytics Officer & Chief Digital & Information Officer at NHS England where they discuss the the governments 10-year strategy for the future of healthcare and the role that data and digital will play, which includes;

- From pharmacist to Chief Data and Analytics Officer at NHS England.
- The reason for trialling a dual role of CDAO and CDIO leading both digital and data strategies across the NHS.
- How the government’s ten-year plan is driving a major shift in how digital and data support healthcare delivery.
- Why a single patient record is a cornerstone of the NHS’s strategy.
- What the future of healthcare may look like in ten years.
- How digital transformation is already improving patient outcomes.
- How patients engage with the NHS will change dramatically.
- The impact the strategy will have on Staff of the NHS.
- The data challenges associated with building a single patient record.
- Why AI is delivering real impact in areas like diagnostics, software development, and operational efficiency.
- Why Digital inclusion remains a key focus, with efforts to support both patients and staff across varying levels of digital confidence.
- The challenges of building digital and data literacy at scale across different audiences.
- Why patient-centred design, multidisciplinary collaboration, and reimagining workflows are critical to success.
- Moving from treatment to prevention is a top priority.
- Moving from siloed data to real-time, person-centred, interoperable data flows.
- How AI is supporting clinicians by tools such as ambient voice technology.
- How proposed legislation could support seamless data sharing across NHS, suppliers, and public services.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Alex Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer at Zurich Insurance | Indhira Mani, Chief Data Officer at RSA | Greg Freeman, CEO at Data Literacy Academy

S5 | Ep 39 | Successful AI Adoption

In Episode 39, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Alex Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer at Zurich Insurance, Indhira Mani, Chief Data Officer at RSA and Greg Freeman, CEO at Data Literacy Academy where they discuss how to successfully adopt AI inside organisations, which includes;

- Why AI adoption is a business transformation journey, not just a technical implementation.
- How aligning AI with core business priorities drives meaningful outcomes and stakeholder engagement.
- The importance of clearly defined use cases to avoid over-engineering and misaligned efforts.
- Why cross-functional collaboration between business, data, and IT is crucial for scalable success.
- How solid data foundations and governance underpin responsible and effective AI deployment.
- The importance of developing AI literacy across all levels to support confident and informed decision-making.
- Why focusing on business value and outcomes, not algorithms, helps demystify AI and gain broader support.
- How adjusting the language used around AI can make it more accessible and reduce resistance.
- The importance of embedding ethics and transparency from the outset of AI initiatives.
- Why mindset, culture, and change management are the true enablers, or blockers, of successful AI adoption.
- How leadership curiosity and openness accelerates cultural readiness for AI.
- The importance of managing expectations to prevent fatigue and maintain organisational trust in AI efforts.
- How continuous storytelling and iteration help build momentum and credibility throughout the AI journey.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Carlos Soares, SVP Data, Analytics & AI at Brenntag

S5 | Ep 40 | Two Streams of Transformation; Accelerating Value While Building for Scale

In Episode 40, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Carlos Soares, SVP Data, Analytics & AI at Brenntag, where they discuss how Brenntag is reshaping global operations by applying data, analytics, and AI to drive measurable business value.

From tackling transformation through dual streams to building a data culture rooted in EBITDA impact, this conversation uncovers the practical realities and hidden complexities of delivering scalable value with data, which includes;

- Why defining the true problem statement is the most important part of successful transformation.
- Why many confuse the problem statement and pain points.
- The importance of hiring ‘purple’ people and building ‘purple teams for transformation.
- Why data and analytics work should deliver EBITDA impact and why that’s an issue for our industry.
- Building models and controls groups to measure value creation but more importantly drive it internally.
- The two streams of successful D&A transformation.
- How quick wins can deliver commercial returns to drive credibility and further investment.
- Why low-hanging fruit often gets overlooked.
- Why cross-collaboration and working in partnership with business stakeholders is the only way to succeed.
- The phenomenal success of their ‘Customer Growth Engine’ that’s delivered insane results.
- Why AI will augment human-decision making not automate it.
- Why the association to IT limits strategic potential and value creation.
- Why we need to reskill for relevance in an AI enabled world.
Plus, much more.

Joyce Myers, Chief Data Officer at MTSI

S5 | Ep 41 | Effective Change Leadership

In Episode 41, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Joyce Myers, Chief Data Officer at MTSI where they discuss the critical facets of effective change leadership, which includes;

- Why we should aspire for 'Change Leadership' not 'Change Management'
- Joyce's journey from the military to Data Leadership.
- The use of data in the defence industry.
- The core facets of Change Leadership in Data.
- The cultural impact on data adoption.
- The role of building relationships for success with data.
- How culture and buy-in is different in an employee-owned organisation.
- The interplay between change and culture.
- Influencing people to act without relying on authority or mandates.
- Why we should maintain a positive mindset.
- Why Goodness In, Goodness Out is better than Garbage In, Garbage Out
- How to celebrate celebrate success and build trust.
- Communication strategies that 'sell the vision' of data transformation.
- Experiencing momentum in the journey of change leadership.
- Strategies used to keep teams engaged and motivated when change is slow.

Carl Smith, Group Data Officer at JCB

S5 | Ep 42 | The Leadership Shift; Running Data Like a Business Function

In Episode 42, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Carl Smith, Group Data Officer at JCB, where they discuss why everyone hates data governance, the motivation behind his 3-part book series, and why organisations face in implementing effective data strategies, which includes;

- Why everyone hates governance (until they need it).
- How most organisations are stuck in “governance theatre”
- Repositioning governance as a business enabler, not a compliance exercise.
- Using governance to support faster, safer decision-making.
- Concrete tools and templates that make it stick.
- Unmasking the theatre of strategy to avoid PowerPoint-fuelled nonsense that never lands.
- Framing strategy as a vehicle for change, not documentation.
- Fixing the disconnect between strategy and execution.
- Aligning with business outcomes, not buzzwords.
- Designing for agility, relevance, and real-world political constraints.
- Running Data like a business function.
- Moving from delivery to accountability.
- how to own outcomes, not just projects.
- Building the operating model for a modern data function.
- Budgeting, staffing, and positioning the function for credibility.
- Designing services, not just capabilities.
- Navigating exec influence and organisational politics.

Dan Taffler, Group Director of Data & Analytics at Reach Plc

S5 | Ep 35 | Data Products: The Key to Value Delivery

In Episode 35, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Dan Taffler, Group Director of Data & Analytics at Reach Plc, where they discuss Dan's journey in data leadership, and managing Data & Analytics for a group of 120 brands.

They also delve into the impact of AI on journalism, and the importance of a product mindset in data initiatives.

Dan shares insights on engaging stakeholders, using a 9 box framework for prioritising and measuring value delivery, and navigating the AI hype cycle.

He emphasizes the need for cultural shifts within data teams and the role of an MBA in enhancing leadership skills.

Takeaways:
- Data and AI should focus on delivering business value.
- A product mindset is essential for effective data strategies.
- Engagement with business stakeholders is critical for success.
- Quantifying value delivery helps justify data initiatives.
- AI is a tool to enhance business processes, not an end goal.
- Data quality is crucial for effective AI implementation.
- Prioritisation of projects should align with business goals.
- Emergence in AI requires flexibility and adaptability.
- Cultural change is necessary for a data-driven organization.
- Communication of value delivery is key to gaining executive support.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer at WPP / CEO at Satalia and Conscium

S5 | Ep 36 | Why Most Businesses are Placing the Wrong AI Bets

In Episode 36, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom i re-joined by Daniel Hulme, a leading authority in the world of AI and Chief AI Officer at WPP (as well as being CEO at Satalia and Conscium)

Kyle and Daniel discuss the rapid evolution of AI and its implications for various sectors.

They explore the concept of agentic AI, its real-world applications, and the importance of verification in AI deployment.

The conversation also delves into the impact of AI on jobs, the future of work, and the role of education in preparing graduates for an AI-driven world.

Ethical considerations and the need for aligned AI are emphasised, along with the challenges organisations face in building and adopting these technologies, and placing the right bets with their investments.

Takeaways:

The evolution of Ai in the last 12 months.
How AI has graduated from an 'intoxicated graduate' to masters level intelligence and beyond.
Why Leaders don't have time to place the wrong bets but many are.
Why companies are wasting time and money on building the wrong agents.
How to prioritise the correct AI bets to invest in.
How AI can free society from economic constraints meaning people won't have to work.
The future of the education system and the impact on graduate jobs.
Why verification of AI will be imperative to success and also accounts for 80% of deployment cost.
The five levels of AI verification you need to know about.
The importance of testing for skills and expertise instead of knowledge.
When AI may become conscious and we could be at AGI by 2030.
The disruption we're going to see in the job market.
The relationship between software and AI and why most firms can't attract the talent they need to build AI.
Why we should be building AI with values as opposed to implementing guardrails after the fact.
The three questions to ask when deploying AI.
The real safety and security issues that companies are going to face.
Why there will be an explosion of innovation in AI safety.
The risks of building zombie superintelligence.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Ash Dhupar, Chief Data & AI Officer at Analog Devices

S5 | Ep 37 | $100m+ in EBIT Impact

In Episode 37, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Ash Dhupar, Chief Data & AI Officer at Analog Devices (Fortune 500) where we explore how data leaders can link their work directly to measurable EBIT and revenue gains, and how the Chief Data Officer role has shifted from “data quality” to “profitability driver.”

Ash shares a real life example of unlocking $50M in yield improvements by connecting siloed manufacturing data, and why predictive AI is key to stopping costly waste before it happens.

We unpack the importance of the three-legged stool; balancing technology, business alignment, and process change, and why CDOs must own delivery end-to-end to shift the outdated perception that data is “just reporting.”

You’ll hear why scaling AI demands new skills, how too many “chiefs” has slowed progress can slow progress. We also discuss why agentic AI at scale is still 18–24 months away, and how AI-first strategies can multiply EBIT impact by 2–10x to create lasting competitive advantage.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Julia Westland, Executive Career Coach

S5 | Ep 38 | The Evolving Data Leadership Landscape; What It Means for Your Next Career Move

In Episode 38, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Executive Career Coach, Julia Westland. Julia spent many years as a Data & Analytics professional working in management consulting before transitioning into headhunting where she led Spencer Stuarts Digital, Data & AI practice, before becoming a career coach.

Together they unpick the current Data & Analytics job market, the trends they're seeing, forecast what is to come and give a whole host of advice around job searching in the current market, which includes;

Why the demand for data leaders remains strong despite ongoing economic uncertainty and market shifts.
Why organisations are prioritising specificity in defining and sourcing data leadership roles.
The importance of understanding company context when navigating data leadership opportunities.
Why the CDO role varies widely in scope and the consequences that has on career progression.
The skills required for data leaders aiming to influence at the top table.
How some CDAOs have transitioned into broader business roles and why.
Aligning your background with a company’s data maturity level to increase your fit and success.
How GenAI is reviving focus on foundational capabilities like data governance, quality, and data management.
Why leadership, change management, and stakeholder influence now outweigh technical depth alone in senior data roles.
How the evolving data landscape is opening up new career paths across operations, product analytics, and AI strategy.
How to position your CV and LinkedIn profile as strategic assets in your job search.
Why tailoring your CV with exact job description keywords boosts visibility in AI-powered hiring tools.
The importance of clean, simple formatting to ensure your CV is readable by applicant tracking systems.
How to craft a strong headline and summary that align with the role you’re targeting.
Creating a compelling, results-driven CV by quantifying your achievements.
How LinkedIn and CV alignment improves discoverability and impact when being headhunted.
Why developing a concise personal pitch helps you stand out and stay memorable to recruiters.
The importance of testing your CV’s narrative using tools like NotebookLM to ensure it communicates your value.
How intentional communication and storytelling can elevate your positioning and lead to more interviews.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Catarina Miranda, Global AI Director at Pandora

S5 | Ep 31 | The AI Disconnect Between Technology and it's Promises

In Episode 31, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Catarina Miranda, Global AI Director at Pandora, where she shares her unique journey from biomedical engineering to AI and machine learning.

She discusses the importance of AI literacy and governance within organisations, the recent breakthroughs in AI technology, and common misconceptions surrounding its capabilities.

Catarina emphasises the need for businesses to focus on outcomes rather than the technology itself and provides insights into how organisations can effectively adopt AI while preparing for the future of work.

00:00 Introduction to Katerina Miranda and Her Journey
03:07 Pandora: The World's Largest Jewellery Brand
06:11 The Role of AI in Personalisation at Pandora
08:45 AI Literacy and Governance in Organizations
11:49 Recent Breakthroughs in AI Technology
14:52 Common Misconceptions About AI
18:12 The Importance of AI Literacy in Business
20:57 Facilitating AI Literacy and Training
27:24 Empowering AI Teams through Decentralisation
28:34 The Importance of Testing in AI Systems
32:07 Prioritising AI Use Cases for Business
36:49 Evaluating the Business Impact of AI
40:32 Understanding AI's Role in Job Transformation
48:40 Lessons from Virtual Reality for AI Adoption
52:08 Key Takeaways for Organisations Embracing AI

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Arun Nandi, Chief Data & AI Officer at Carrier

S5 | Ep 32 | The Success Factor for Enterprise Leaders to Adopt and Scale AI

In Episode 32, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Arun Nandi, Chief Data and AI Officer at Carrier, where they discuss the transformative role of AI in business and its potential impact on climate change.

They explore the importance of a value-first mindset in AI initiatives, the need for cultural alignment and stakeholder engagement, and the significance of reskilling the workforce in the AI era.

Arun shares insights on building an AI accelerator programme and the challenges of measuring value in AI projects, emphasising the need for discipline and consistency in tracking outcomes.

Takeaways:

AI is a powerful enabler for business transformation.
The importance of a value-first mindset in AI initiatives.
AI's impact on climate change and sustainability is significant.
Building an AI accelerator can drive innovation and speed.
Cultural alignment is crucial for successful AI adoption.
Measuring value in AI requires discipline and consistency.
Stakeholder engagement is key to successful AI projects.
Reskilling the workforce is essential in the AI era.
AI should be viewed as a horizontal capability across organizations.
The future of work will involve collaboration between humans and AI.
Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to AI and Data Leadership
03:03 Carrier's Evolution and Purpose
05:50 The Current AI Landscape and Its Future
12:13 Navigating the AI Hype Cycle
17:59 Keys to Success for AI Leaders
27:31 The Shift to AI-First Mindset
29:06 Prioritizing Value in AI Use Cases
34:42 Fostering a Value-First Mindset
39:43 Problem-Solving with AI as an Enabler
46:16 Accelerating AI Implementation
50:26 Cultural Alignment and Co-Ownership in AI
53:25 AI's Role in Climate Change and Sustainability
Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Cali Wood, Head of Data & AI Strategy & Culture at AXA

S5 | Ep 33 | People, Skills and Culture: The Keys to Data & AI Success

In Episode 33, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Cali Wood, Head of Data & AI Strategy and Culture at AXA UK and Ireland, where they discuss the evolution of data culture within AXA, the importance of balancing innovation with governance in AI, and the strategies for promoting data literacy across the organisation.

Cali shares insights on building a Data and AI Academy, measuring data literacy success, building skills matrices and competency frameworks for Data & AI teams, and the future of roles in the era of AI.

Takeaways:

Overcoming cultural challenges to ensure successful AI adoption.
Balancing innovation with governance.
Promoting data literacy across the organisation.
Creating engagement strategies for Data and AI initiatives.
Measuring data literacy effectiveness.
Translating engagement metrics to business value.
Creating skills matrices and competency frameworks to build capability.
Creating blended learning journeys.
The future of roles in data will evolve with AI.
The importance of communication strategies.
Aligning training and L&D to business needs.
Why AI transformation requires a focus on the human element.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Malcolm Hawker, Chief Data Officer at Profisee

S5 | Ep 34 | Limiting Beliefs; The Chasm Between Value Potential and Value Realisation

In Episode 34, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was re-joined by Malcolm Hawker, Chief Data Officer at Profisee, fresh off the publication of his new book 'The Data Hero Playbook'

They discuss what prompted him to write the book and the insights from within it, how he kept witnessing the same issues and challenges while working at Gartner and the real reason he decided to leave!

Malcolm dives into the challenges faced by data leaders, the importance of shifting from a mindset of limiting beliefs to one of growth and development, and the need for Data Leaders to take accountability.

They discuss why concepts such as Data Culture, Data Literacy and 'Garbage In, Garbage Out' have become excuses and how delivering value solves all of those problems.

Malcolm talks about how external forces often influence the perceptions and actions of data leaders and why accepting them has disempowered us.

Takeaways:

- Writing the book was both challenging and rewarding for Malcolm, who found joy in structuring his thoughts.
- Many data leaders exhibit limiting mindsets that hinder their effectiveness and the value of data initiatives.
- A growth mindset is essential for data leaders to overcome challenges and drive success.
- Delivering value should be the primary focus of data leaders, not just establishing a data culture.
- External forces often validate limiting beliefs in data leadership, making accountability difficult.
- Data professionals must put customers at the centre of their strategies to drive value.
- The job of a CDO is to deliver tangible results, not just implement technology.
- Accountability and ownership are crucial for data leaders to succeed in their roles.
- The industry needs brave leaders who are willing to take responsibility for delivering value.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Indhira Mani, Chief Data Officer at RSA

S5 | Ep 27 | The Execution Disconnect: Closing the Distance Between Strategy and Delivery

In Episode 27, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Indhira Mani, Chief Data Officer at RSA, where they discuss the disconnect that often exists between strategy and execution, and what it takes to actually deliver, which includes;

- Transforming from legacy to modernisation and then innovation.
- Shaping data as a transformation to move data to the point of decision.
- Designing a strategy that works in reality to create impact.
- Failing fast is the best way to execute a strategy.
- Why building trust through execution will make or break your strategy.
- Understanding what you can deliver versus what your business wants.
- Why you should treat your data activity as a 2-way product framework.
- Why ‘why comes first’.
- Making practical decisions around organisational readiness.
- Measuring organisational readiness.
- The importance of flexibility, practicality and pragmatism.
- Why you need Executive Commitment and why sponsorship isn’t enough.
- Testing for that commitment.
- Why you need clarity of tangible outcomes against goals and objectives.
- Why we’re not in the business of building lakes and warehouses.
- Building reusable and scalable products.
- Identifying what capabilities and skills you need to deliver.
- Inheriting a team of 20 and growing it to 120.
- The relationship between operating model and successful transformation.
- The importance of incorporating change iteratively.
- Why you shouldn’t aim to change but to win hearts and minds.
- Why it’s never about ‘what’ but always about ‘why’ and ‘how’.
- The importance of building curiosity.
- The 4 transition states of transformation.
- Trebling the return on investment in the short term and aiming for 10x over the long-term.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

McKinley Hyden, Director of Data Value & Strategy at Financial Times

S5 | Ep 28 | AI Upskilling: Rethinking Readiness, Responsibility, and Real Impact

In Episode 28, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by McKinley Hyden, Director of Data Value & Strategy at Financial Times, where they discuss McKinley's journey from a background in literature to a career in data, the role of the Financial Times in providing quality journalism, and the importance of data in driving strategic decisions.

McKinley shares insights on the challenges of valuing data, the need for cultural change in organisations to embrace data as an asset, and the significance of upskilling in AI. The conversation also touches on the importance of effective communication and knowledge management in data analytics, as well as the future of AI in business.

In this conversation, McKinley Hyden and Kyle Winterbottom explore the profound impact of technology, particularly AI, on society, education, and the workforce. They discuss the moral implications of AI, the need for responsible use, and the importance of upskilling to navigate the changing landscape. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of creating effective AI policies to ensure ethical practices and the potential for job transformation in the face of technological advancements.

00:00 Introduction to Data and Storytelling
02:14 Understanding the Financial Times
04:19 The Role of Data Value and Strategy
09:33 Upskilling in Data and AI
10:44 Valuing Data as an Asset
14:12 Overcoming Resistance to Change
19:25 Defining Value in Data
22:20 Communications and Knowledge Management
27:31 The Future of AI in Business
28:44 The Impact of Technology on Society
30:53 Navigating the Moral Hazards of AI
32:44 The Future of Education in an AI World
35:19 Job Transformation and the Role of AI
41:47 Upskilling for the AI Era
44:42 Creating an AI Policy for Responsible Use

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Sam Hancock, Global Head of Data Science at Octopus Energy

S5 | Ep 29 | Green Intelligence: The Role of AI and Data in Sustainable Energy

In Episode 29, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Sam Hancock, Global Head of Data Science at Octopus Energy. Sam shares his unconventional career journey from Capital One to Google and Waymo and ultimately to Octopus Energy, where he focuses on leveraging data to drive the company's mission of accelerating the energy transition.

The conversation explores the balance between data-driven decision-making and instinct, the unique culture at Octopus Energy, and the company's innovative approach to sustainability and customer service.

Sam and Kyle explore the critical role of data and AI in driving sustainability within the energy sector and they discuss the challenges of integrating data into business practices, the importance of fostering relationships across teams, and the innovations in energy management that can help achieve sustainability targets.

The conversation also delves into the complexities of carbon emissions, the electrification of industries, and the potential of smart tariffs to optimize energy usage.

Overall, the discussion highlights the need for collaboration and innovative solutions to address the pressing challenges of climate change.

Takeaways:

• Sam Hancock's journey includes roles at Capital One, Waymo, and Octopus Energy.
• He emphasizes the importance of diverse experiences in shaping his current role.
• Octopus Energy is focused on accelerating the energy transition.
• The company is customer-obsessed and aims to disrupt the energy sector.
• Sam's role allows for entrepreneurial freedom in data strategy.
• Balancing data-driven decisions with instinct is crucial for innovation.
• Octopus Energy's culture encourages entrepreneurship and high standards.
• The company has ambitious targets for customer growth and sustainability.
• Data is a strategic asset at Octopus, with significant data ingestion capabilities.
• The tech platform developed by Octopus is designed for the energy sector. Understanding the data challenge is crucial for effective pricing.
• Data integration should start at the beginning of business processes.
• Building relationships within teams enhances data-driven decision-making.
• Electrification is key to achieving net-zero emissions.
• Smart tariffs can optimize energy usage based on grid demands.
• AI systems are essential for managing the energy transition.
• Data centres can be a force for good in sustainability efforts.
• Zonal pricing could incentivize greener energy usage.
• Companies need to be transparent about their carbon emissions.
• Nature-based solutions and carbon capture are vital for sustainability.

Chapters:
• 00:00 Introduction to Sam Hancock and His Journey
• 01:00 Career Path: From Capital One to Waymo
• 04:30 Transition to Climate Tech and Octopus Energy
• 07:20 Overview of Octopus Energy's Mission and Operations
• 09:48 Sam's Role and Data Strategy at Octopus Energy
• 13:16 Balancing Data and Instinct in Decision Making
• 18:28 The Unique Culture and Vision of Octopus Energy
• 22:12 Leveraging Data as a Strategic Asset
• 25:17 Understanding the Data Challenge
• 28:10 The Role of Data in Sustainability
• 31:31 Innovations in Energy Management
• 37:39 Navigating Carbon Emissions and Sustainability Targets
• 42:15 The Intersection of Data and Energy Solutions

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Vin Vashishta, CEO/Founder at V Squared

S5 | Ep 30 | From Data to Profit; Navigating the AI Transformation Journey

In Episode 30, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Vin Vashishta, CEO & Founder of V Squared and author of best-selling book 'From Data to Profit' where they discuss the evolution of AI and data strategy in businesses.

Vin shares insights from his book 'Data to Profit', discussing the importance of data in achieving ROI from AI initiatives, emphasising the need for businesses to transform their strategies and workflows to integrate AI effectively.

The conversation also touches on the changing roles of CEOs, the challenges faced by Chief Data and AI Officers, and the impact of AI on job roles and skills in the workforce.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Background of V Squared AI
02:42 The Journey of Writing 'Data to Profit'
05:54 Key Factors for AI Success in Businesses
08:38 Transformational Strategies for Competitive Advantage
11:14 The Importance of Incremental Change
14:28 Navigating the AI Landscape: Use Cases and Business Strategy
17:22 The Role of C-Level Executives in AI Transformation
20:13 Cultural and Strategic Challenges in AI Implementation
22:58 The Shift Towards Information Architecture in AI
25:56 The Future of AI: Agents and Information Management
29:13 The Evolution of Information Architecture
30:36 AI's Impact on Data Roles
35:20 Shifting Responsibilities in Data Teams
36:58 The Value of Customer-Facing Products
41:02 The Future of Data Roles and Job Market
45:06 The Need for Continuous Reskilling
52:46 Navigating Rapid Changes in the Job Market

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Angela Le Mathon, Vice President; People Data & Analytics at GSK

S5 | Ep 23 | Rethinking Work: People, Agents & the Future of HR

In Episode 23, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Angela Le Mathon, Vice President; People Data & Analytics at GSK, where they discuss the role of HR in an Agentic AI enabled world and it's implications on the workforce, which includes;

- Differences between applying analytics in HR versus other domains.
- Why people analytics is usually an afterthought.
- Why other business areas get more funding for analytics work.
- How large companies are using data and analytics to manage their workforce.
- Why people and skills can’t be measured equally.
- The key metrics that organisations expect from people analytics.
- Why the sophistication of GenAI has helped HR and people analytics.
- The impact that AI is likely to have on the workforce.
- The rise of the digital workforce.
- How humans and agents will co-exist.
- Why execs will have to change the way they manage their organisation.
- Why HR has the opportunity to reinvent itself.
- Why workforce planning and org design will be critical to success in an Agentic AI world.
- How the roles undertaken by humans will change.
- Why skills will become less important.
- Why L&D budgets will reduce as a by-product of agents.
- Why humans will be forced to step up their game.
- The two waves of Agentic Ai implications on the workforce.
- Figuring out what humans do with the extra time that they’ll have.
- What organisations need to do to be Agentic AI ready.
- Why the relationship between HR and Technology will need to transform.
- Why People Analytics will become part of the core Data Leadership team.
- Figuring out how ‘at risk’ you’ll be.
- Navigating DEI though the lens of people/HR data and analytics.
- The future of HR in an AI world.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Angela Pearce, Chief Data Officer at Pension Insurance Corporation Plc

S5 | Ep 24 | Benefit Realisation: A Business Focused Approach to Data & Analytics Leadership

In Episode 24, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Angela Pearce, Chief Data Officer at Pension Insurance Corporation Plc, where they discuss how a varied career background and business focused approach allowed her to deliver multi-million pound benefits, which includes;

- Why working in hospitality early in her life shaped her approach.
- Coming from an unconventional background.
- Moving out of Data & Analytics to broaden her skillset.
- Being the first CDO in an entrepreneurial organisation.
- The differences of working in large versus smaller organisations.
- The importance of selling what your team can do for stakeholders.
- Differences in managing expectations and stakeholders in different environments.
- Why you need more buy-in, in smaller organisations.
- Being the top data person in an organisation three times and whether having the title matters.
- Knowing when you’re ready for a CDO role.
- Why sales skills are absolutely essential for success as a CDO.
- Why commercial understanding of business processes is imperative.
- Building strategy and foundations in a greenfield environment.
- Why tackling people and culture should be your first port of call.
- Why imagination and creativity is a super power for data teams.
- Balancing short-term value added wins with long term strategy.
- Why you have to promote the small stuff.
- The signals that you’re reaching a point of data maturity.
- Navigating resistance challenges to a data strategy.
- Why a good data strategy will be controversial.
- Planting seeds that you grow into addressing difficult conversations.
- Why the ‘lack of value’ narrative is still so prevalent.
- Having a business focused approach to realise benefits.
- Why the CDO shouldn’t be measuring and articulating value.
- Why business readiness is key to substantiating value.
- Building a data culture that aligns to an organisational culture.
- Why data literacy should be about removing obstacles for people to do what you need them to do.
- Why you need 99% carrot and 1% stick.
- Being a female CDO from outside of London.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Matt Lovell, Group Director of Data & AI at JD Sports (Group)

S5 | Ep 25 Creating Synergy: The Benefits of Centralisation

In Episode 25, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Matt Lovell, Group Director of Data & AI at JD Sports Group, where they discuss the benefits of centralising data & AI leadership, which includes;

- The importance of building centralised data leadership in complex, multi-brand organisations.
- Why federated models require a hybrid approach to data strategy and technology governance.
- Aligning use-case driven transformation to quick wins and long-term data goals.
- The need for internal audits to uncover hidden technology and data assets.
- Why data maturity varies across business units and how to turn that into a strength.
- The evolution of customer behaviour post-COVID and how omnichannel strategies are adapting.
- How predictive insights help ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time.
- The value of analysing local trends and geolocation data to inform valuable business decisions.
- Why strategic data sharing can strengthen partnerships without directly monetising data.
- How AI is being used to augment human capability and improve operational efficiency.
- The emergence of agentic AI to proactively detect and resolve issues before escalation.
- Why teaching prompt literacy is key to unlocking AI’s full potential.
- How BI and AI are converging to deliver next best action intelligence.
- The evolving role of data professionals as AI handles more technical execution
- Why clean, well-governed data remains essential for enabling effective AI solutions.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Steven Pimblett, Chief Data Officer at Rightmove

S5 | Ep 26 | Creating the Pull Factor for Value Creation

In Episode 26, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Steven Pimblett, Chief Data Officer at Rightmove, where they discuss how to create the pull factor and aligning capabilities, operating model and value levers, which includes;

- Being the 1st CDO at Rightmove.
- Both a B2B and B2C business model and an expanding service offering.
- Using data to deliver growth, value and innovation.
- The relationship between ambassadorship and data & AI being viewed as a value creator.
- Reporting to the CEO for the 3rd different time.
- Why reporting line matters but other things matter more.
- The proximity advantage of having a seat in the boardroom.
- The relationship between strategic storytelling and attributable value creation.
- The importance of creating a D&A brand identity.
- Building capabilities that you can align to value levers.
- How data, insight, action is the flow of value creation.
- The importance of creating partnerships and earning trust.
- How value is defined, varies from company to company.
- The reason why misalignment between capability, operating model and value levers occur.
- The importance of creating a fluid operating model and team structure.
- Creating unit economics to build a value creation framework.
- Why complexity and engagement are also considerations beyond value.
- The importance of creating the ‘pull factor’ in partnership.
- Failure comes from failure to address the people component of the role.
- Broadcasting wins to the organisation and why you have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
- The similarities and differences between digital and non-digital organisations.
- Why CDOs will get more opportunity to enter the boardroom due to Agentic AI.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Follow the link for more information.

Simon Jury, Chief Data Officer at Kingfisher

S5 | Ep 19 | The Power of Instinct; Why We Could Be Less Data-Driven

In Episode 19, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Simon Jury, Chief Data Officer at Kingfisher, where they discuss the power of instinct and why you shouldn't always ignore it, which includes;

- Insights from decoupling ASDA from Walmart as VP of Data.
- Why building the right operating model for a group structure is critical.
- Balancing centralised vs. decentralised delivery across group and brand levels.
- The nuanced realities of a “single source of truth” across brands.
- Aligning all data decisions with value creation from the outset.
- When to trust your instinct over data—and why that’s okay.
- Why the biggest challenges in D&A are ultimately people issues.
- The disparity in investment between technology and people.
- Why the skills that make a great data practitioner don’t always make a great data leader.
- Why most of a Data Leader’s time should be spent focused on their team.
- Building a high-performing D&A culture in a federated model.
- Creating frameworks for role exploration and skill development within D&A teams.
- The evolving role of analysts in a more data-literate future.
- The investment needed to truly unlock value from D&A at scale.
- Why it’s no longer acceptable for senior leaders to lack data fluency.
- Helping business leaders articulate what they really want from AI.
- Why living overseas sharpened the guest’s ability to translate data insights.
- Combining the science of data with the art of experience for better outcomes.
- Why being financially savvy is a key skill for any Data Leader.
- Why the most successful data products are popular first, and smart second.
- The potential of conversational interfaces to reshape how we interact with data.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - Check them out in the link below.

Gabriel Straub, Chief Data Officer at Ocado Technology

S5 | Ep 20 | The Ocado Transformation Story: Redefining Grocery Through Data, AI & Automation

In Episode 20, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Gabriel Straub, Chief Data Officer at Ocado Group, where they discuss how data, AI and automation transformed Ocado and redefined the grocery sector, which includes;

- Utilising 3rd party technology and the realisation that it wasn’t good enough.
- Evolving from a grocery retailer into a global technology solutions provider.
- Building proprietary tech to solve challenges traditional systems couldn’t handle.
- Becoming market leaders for great customer experience.
- The journey to building and selling technology solutions to retailers all over the world.
- Why ML solutions became a necessity to provide a distinct customer proposition.
- The differences between operating an in-store versus online grocery retail business.
- Combining internal, external and P&L factors in prioritising use cases.
- Competing with an established model and changing the way people shop.
- The impressive fulfilment operations and the multiple iterations.
- Calculating the ROI of product optimisations.
- The relationship between innovation and company culture.
- The three main GenAI use cases.
- Having 150 ML use cases to enhance forecasting, reduce waste, and improve availability.
- The role of simulation in testing 500 years of operations in just one year.
- Why embedding data teams in product and engineering drives better outcomes.
- The importance of culture and long-term thinking in driving innovation.
- Leveraging GenAI to enhance workforce productivity and knowledge access.
- The potential for agent-based systems to transform internal operations and customer interactions.
- The benefits for retailers to partner with Ocado and leverage their technology.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy - check them out via the link below!

Dan Robertson, Chief Data Officer at Bupa UK

S5 | Ep 21 | The Intersection of Organisational Culture, Operating Models and Transformation

In Episode 20, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Dan Robertson, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Bupa, where they discuss the relationship between organisational culture, operating models, change and transformation and delivering value, which includes;

- How doing a business degree fuelled an interest in using data to support decision-making.
- Why starting his career as a programmer made him realise that he wanted a different path.
- Being the inaugural CDO for multiple, large, complex organisations.
- Why your operating model holds more weight than any solution in changing an organisation.
- Why tuning in to organisational culture is the key to success for a transformational CDO.
- Getting an understand of company culture in the interview process.
- Why the amount of change required to embed that operating model defines the rockiness of the data strategy journey.
- Anchoring the implementation of change to the vision and purpose of the organisation.
- The importance of understanding ‘how things get done’.
- Why alignment on company purpose and vision impacts the ability to affect change.
- Tying incentives and objectives to that vision and purpose.
- Why your boss needs to ‘get it’ or be prepared to get it, so you don’t come unstuck when things get tough.
- Why the middle of the organisation will likely be the biggest cultural roadblock.
- Why federation is usually better for large organisations.
- The impact that maturity has on deciding on a centralised or federated model.
- Offering a service model to balance the pros and cons of operating models.
- Why the vision, purpose and north-star of the organisation is so important.
- The role of architecture of breaking down silos to unlock value.
- The common symptoms of what blockers to value creation are.
- The importance of Data Literacy both internally in D&A teams and in business teams.
- Why your team need to be able to explain the investment case to the exec that aligns to your purpose.
- The link between expectations and the average tenure of the CDO.
- The 3 key inflection points as a transformational CDO.
- Why you need to be careful about choosing which value-based use case you start with.
- Presenting different data strategy options to the exec.
- Deciding whether you’re aiming to be more data-driven or want competitive advantage.
- Understanding the size of the possible prizes.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. Check them out via the link below.

Kyle Winterbottom, CEO/Founder of Orbition Group

S5 | Ep 22 | Everything You Need to Know About Data Leadership Hiring

In Episode 22, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom shifts from host to guest as we're joined by a 'special guest host' where Kyle is quizzed on all things related to the data and analytics talent landscape, which includes;

- Spending almost 15 years in D&A Talent.
- Starting Orbition in lockdown in 2020.
- Having bold, controversial opinions.
- The relationship between Data Leadership hiring and the lack of value narrative.
- Why the purpose and expectations of the CDO role are misunderstood.
- How misalignment in expectations leads to hiring failures.
- The morale dilemma of putting people into roles they can’t succeed in.
- The role of use cases and KPIs in Data Leadership hiring.
- Why you’re likely to be fired for delivering what your business asks for.
- The Discover, Identify, Engage and Assess Framework for Hiring.
- Why the lack of standardisation impedes hiring for most businesses.
- How organisations can position themselves effectively to engage top talent.
- Considerations to become a Data & Analytics Employer of Choice.
- Why most JDs are terrible.
- The importance of storytelling in D&A recruitment.
- Conducting skills assessments and its relationship with retention.
- How data and analytics recruitment is often void of data.

Thanks to our episode sponsor, Data Literacy Academy, find out more about them in the Link below!

Season Five Sponsor, Driven by Data Podcast

Data Literacy Academy

Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.

At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.

From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.

We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.

Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University

S5 | Ep 16 | Building a Data Confident Organisation

In Episode 16, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University, where they discuss the comprehensive programme they've executed to help them build a truly data confident organisation, which includes;

- The implications of covid on the higher education sector
- How her non-data/technical background has helped her to a better CDO
- Why you have to be a strong salesperson as a CDO
- Why you shouldn’t be using the ‘D’ world
- Building a data confident workforce instead of a literate or fluent one
- Establishing 54 measures of success for the organisation
- Developing data products to measure the measures of success
- Ignoring conventional wisdom and thinking big but also starting big
- The importance of tailoring the language of the data confidence programme to something the organisation would understand
- The key components of the programme and the major benefits and challenges experienced
- The learnings from attempting to personalise the programme
- Creating pathways
- Embedding data confidence requirements into the recruitment process for non-data roles
- Tips on building advocacy and creating champions
- Why training should be the last thing you do
- Why timing is key when thinking about the training component of these programmes
- Why it’s important that you have the correct foundations to deliver a data confidence programme
- The qualitative and quantitative measures of success of a data confidence programme
- The power of true business partnering to improve data products
- Measuring lead indicators to quantify business outcomes

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy- .

Steve Green, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

S5 | Ep 17 | Behind The Curtain: The Self-Inflicted Barriers to CDO Success

In Episode 17, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Steve Green, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) where they discuss the self-inflicted barriers to CDO success, which includes:

- Transitioning from being a true technologist into a change agent.
- Setting up a chief data office from scratch.
- The 6 pillars of the data office.
- Why he built an advisory team and how it delivers value daily.
- The benefit of having a holistic view of the D&A industry from his time at the FCA.
- The struggle to meet operational needs as well as the needs of the regulator.
- Why data offices create problems by building point solutions.
- Thinking 5 years ahead to balance long-term strategy with immediate needs.
- Building to answer questions that you don’t yet exist.
- To deliver value on strategic outcomes, you have to be in the strategy conversations.
- How data teams are constantly delivering what businesses ask for but not what they need.
- The lesson that most data offices are still learning, the hard way.
- Navigating your way into the right conversations if you’re not already in them.
- Setting the correct expectations with your business.
- Why how you run the data office is more likely to dictate success than where it sits.
- Why it can’t only be the CDO who’s capable of engaging with the business.
- How the interview process should tell you what type of expectations the firm has.
- The importance of building relationships with people before you need to engage with them.
- Why learning how to make stuff happen beats generic data or leadership skills.
- The importance of effective and intentional hiring.
- Why data offices need to be better at blowing their own trumpet.
- Pushing the boundaries of why data offices exist.
- Transitioning from defensive to value generating.
- Why many data offices create barriers for themselves and end up behind the curtain.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Rob Kent, Data & AI Leader at Greggs

S5 | Ep 18 | The Learnings of Being a CDO on the Board of a PLC

In Episode 18, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Rob Kent, Data & AI Leader at Greggs, where they discuss the learnings from reporting to a CEO and being on the board of a UK Plc, which includes;

- Starting a career in IT over 30 years ago.
- Building D&A functions from scratch on multiple occasions.
- How the common thread has been executive sponsorship at the highest level.
- Anchoring data strategies to business strategies.
- Being part of a small group of CDOs that have reported to a CEO.
- Sitting on the board of a UK PLC that publicly declared data as core to its strategy.
- The business drivers that allowed data to have a seat at a board table.
- The learnings and experience of reporting to a CEO.
- Growing an appreciation of competing with priorities of other functions.
- The importance of empathy when sitting on the board.
- Balancing wearing a corporate hat and a data hat.
- Still needing to justify the existence of the data analytics function.
- A simple three-tier model to calculate value-creation.
- Accepting that there is a cost of doing business.
- Delivering tangible benefit in a cost-effective way without a large budget.
- Whether reporting lines and titles actually matter.
- The things that the CEO will be thinking about and asking.
- The things that can influence the position of the data executive in an organisation.
- The two key questions to ask your CEO that dictate proximity to them.
- Why CDOs have the power to choose which organisation is right for them.
- Why the data industry should be pushing on open doors.
- Why there is often a gap in expectations.
- The contributing factors to being seen as a cost centre.
- Why attributing value is easier for B2C businesses than B2B businesses.
- Why you’re doing something wrong if you can’t attribute value to data initiatives.
- Why translation will take you further than most other things.
- Why business people don’t care about our data analytics world.
- The material differences between having a seat at the table versus being a layer removed.
- Why any decision is made based on facts, fear, or faith.
- Where the future of data analytics teams lies.
- Why we’re not being picked on and other functions have it worse than us.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Murtz Daud, Director of Data & AI at British Gas Business

S5 | E12 | Executive Leadership: The Barriers to Innovation

In Episode 12, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Murtz Daud, Director of Data & AI Director of Data & AI at British Gas Business, to discuss the barriers to data innovation, which includes:

- The different views on what a Data & Analytics function is – starting with the fundamental question: why do we need this department?
- Why Data & Analytics should be decision-makers, not ticket-takers
- Enabling the business to create value through data-driven solutions
- The rise of Data & Analytics structures is driven by the fear of being left behind
- Embedding data-driven decision-making across the organisation
- Demonstrating the value of Data & Analytics as an investment, not a cost
- The importance of leading indicators – measuring the actions that influence key outcomes
- How an MBA can help transition from a technical leader to a business leader
- The concept of 'purple people' – bridging technical and business skills to create high-performing teams
- Leveraging individual strengths to enhance team performance
- Why great leadership is about building the right team, not knowing everything
- Creating the right conditions for innovation and psychological safety
- Innovation doesn’t have to be complex – it just needs to solve real-world problems
- The role of the client/sponsor in championing data products internally
- Positioning Data & Analytics as a strategic consulting partner within the business
- The ongoing challenge of shifting perceptions of Data & Analytics from a support function to a value driver
- The critical role of emotional intelligence in leadership
- Why cultural change is essential for fostering innovation
- Recognising and rewarding contributions to maintain motivation within data teams
- Ensuring time is allocated for innovation to thrive within organisations
- The best ideas often come from those closest to the problem – creating space for grassroots innovation

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy, follow the link to learn more

Tamara Castelli, Chief Operating Officer at UNiDAYS

S5 | Ep 13 | Leading with Data: The CDO’s Path to COO

In Episode 13, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Tamara Castelli, Chief Operating Officer at UNiDAYS where they discuss her transition from leading a data and insights team to becoming the Chief Operating Officer, which includes:

- Falling out of love with the theory of academia
- Being driven by seeing application result in outcomes
- Moving from consultancy to an end user organisation
- How a merger provided a career changing opportunity to lead
- A great analogy about a restaurant, a kitchen, china sets and menu font to describe how businesses can focus on the wrong things
- The transition from VP of Data & Insight to Chief Operating Officer
- The many parallels between the CDO and COO roles
- Why data has to drive change and understanding it’s role within that objective
- Why AI will bring the role of Data Leadership and business leadership to a point of overlap
- Why business leaders will face challenges in the future that Data Leaders have faced forever
- What may be seen as performance problems may actually be process problems
- Grabbing the opportunity with both hands by taking accountability for things outside of her remit
- Why operations is a great home for Data and Analytics teams
- The differences between the CDO and COO communities
- Why there’s less commonality between the COO community
- Success stories as a COO
- The power of having more influence as the COO
- Spotting data gaps more easily from a higher vantage point
- Launching OKRs around transformation and growth goals
- Navigating perceptions of the current perception your business has of you
- Things to think about if you’re considering a move into an operational role

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy, follow the link to learn more

Bhagya Reddy, Executive Director of Empowerment and Collaboration at Virgin Media O2

S5 | Ep 14 | The Secret to Data Democratisation

In Episode 14, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Bhagya Reddy, Executive Director of Empowerment and Collaboration at Virgin Media O2, where they discuss how having a role focused on empowerment and collaboration is the secret to data democratisation, which includes:

- Having a passion of making data accessible
- Coming from a deep technical background and moving into a business facing role
- How you know when you're doing data democratisation correctly
- The importance of trust and confidence in data democratisation
- The key KPIs of data democratisation
- The role of data literacy within data democratisation
- The benefits of building the Data University at VMO2 entailed
- Using engagement as a measure the effectiveness of democratisation
- Driving Innovation by turning insight into action
- Why empowerment and collaboration are the key's to success
- The importance of decommissioning data products
- The three factors to consider when decommissioning
- Prioritising speed to value
- Overcoming cultural barriers and addressing resistance to change
- Tackling DEI challenges in the Data & Analytics industry
- The need for skills-based hiring, structured returnship programmes, and fostering an inclusive data culture.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy, follow the link to learn more

Heather Wade, Data Transformation Director at Johnson Matthey

S5 | Ep 15 | Research on the Dark Side of Data; When Risks Outweigh Benefits

In Episode 15, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Heather Wade, Data Transformation Director at Johnson Matthey, where they discuss research findings that attempt to understand what happens when risks outweigh benefits, which includes;

- Learnings from taking all the best bits from consumer data into a different industry
- The reason for undertaking a DBA
- Why there’s so much research written about the benefits of data but very little about the risks
- Understanding the different types of risks your organisation faces
- Delivering a piece of research about how firms tackle data related risks
- Why there’s much more risk than the traditional cyber or privacy risks
- Focusing on qualitative research as opposed to quantitative
- How the research uncovered the differences in the CDO/Data Leader role
- Whether the CDO tenure forces us to focus on value and benefits as opposed to risk
- Discussing the risks of inaction as opposed to selling benefits
- How the people and culture element of teams pose a large threat
- The lack of difference between regulated versus unregulated industries
- How firms should approach the balance between benefits and risk
- Measuring potential risks
- Why the biggest risks could be the lack of clarity around what a data function exists to do
- Managing grey areas of risk (like sustainability)

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy, follow the link to learn more!

S5 | Ep 13 | Leading with Data: The CDO’s Path to COO with Tamara Castelli, COO…

S5 | E12 | Executive Leadership: The Barriers to Innovation with Murtz Daud, Director of Data & AI..

S5 | E11 | Speed to Value: The Benefits of Data Product Management with Darren Wood..

S5 | E10 | Quantifying Your Value: The framework used to realise £100m profit with Peter Everill

S5 | E9 | Value as the North Star with Paul Hollands, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at AXA

S5 | E8 | A Seat at the Table: Earning the License To Operate with Rosh Awatar, Managing Director…

S5 | E7 | Change & Transformation: The First & Last Mile with Matt Stebbings, Petcare D&A…

S5 | E6 | Business Process; Data Management’s Moment to Shine with Aldwin Tito…

S5 | Ep 5 | Why ‘The War for Talent’ is now ‘The War for Talent Intelligence’ with Matthew…

S5 | E4 | Bigger Data, Better Possibilities with Loretta Franks, Chief Data & Analytics Officer…

S5 | Ep 3 | From COO to CDO with Perry Philipp, Chief Data Officer at Entain

S5 | Ep 2 | People & Culture: Influencing Change with Johanna Hutchinson, Group Chief…

S5 | Ep 1 | Beyond the Hype with Orlando Machado, Chief Data Officer at the LEGO Group

S4 | Ep 50 | Visibility & Curiosity: Why Data is a Marketing Exercise with Marion Shaw, Head of Data…

S4 | Ep 49 | Building Data Products That “Sell” with Maddie Armitage, Director of Data & AI Solutions at BT

S4 | Ep 48 | The Unintentional Challenges of a Data Hungry Organisation with Rachel Purchase…

S4 | Ep 47 | Bridging the AI Skills Gap with Anna Wang, Head of AI at Multiverse

S4 | Ep 46 | Data & AI Literacy: Are Your People Ready for AI? with Katy Gooblar, Director…

S4 | Ep 45 | Translating the Language of Data with Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer…

S4 | Ep 44 | Your True Guide to AI – 3 Years On with Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer…

S4 | Ep 43 | Creating Financial Value Through Data with Stijn (Stan) Christiaens, Co-Founder and Chief Data Citizen at Collibra

S4 | Ep 42 | Two Years On – What Happens After Putting a Valuation on Your Data Assets with Davin Crowley-Sweet, Chief…

S4 | Ep 41 | Building a Data Governance Function From the Ground Up with Dom Holden, Data Governance…

S4 | Ep 40 | LIVE PANEL: Enterprise Data Literacy: From Planning to Impact with Greg Freeman (Data Literacy Academy), Hannah…

S4 | Ep 39 | Data Storytelling: Influencing Your Way to Business Impact with Stefania Gvillo, Chief Data & Analytics…

S4 | Ep 38 | Data Accessibility; From Technical Solution to Business Value with Rui Machado, Vice President Data Engineering…

S4 | Ep 37 | Influencing Boards and Transforming Organisations with Claire Thompson, Group Chief Data & Analytics…

S4 | Ep 36 | The Delineation Between Business and Technology with Chris Daniels, Chief Data Officer…

S4 | Ep 35 | Turning Sponsorship into Data Management Success with Rupal Sumaria, Head of Data Management at ASOS

S4 | Ep 34 | Building a High-Performance D&A Culture with Peter Laflin, (CDO) Director of Data & Analytics at Morrisons

S4 | Ep 33 | The CIO & CDO Debate; The View From the Other Side with Steve Janoo, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Diageo

S4 | Ep 32 | PANEL DISCUSSION: Transforming A Data Culture, with AXA, Lloyds Banking Group, Admiral Plc and Heineken

S4 | Ep 31 | Data Evangelism; Selling the North Star with Justin Windle, Head of Data Oversight…

S4 | Ep 30 | Managing Perceptions; from Real World Experiences with Sol Rashidi…

S4 | Ep 29 | Balancing Commercial Value with Responsible and Ethical…

S4 | Ep 28 | Designing and Implementing the Correct Data Operating Model with Pete…

S4 | Ep 27 | Building a Group Data Function to Support Multiple Operating Brands with Tom…

S4 | Ep 26 | Why One of the World’s Biggest Brands has a Commitment to Change…

S4 | Ep 25 | Creating a Platform to Ensure Your Team is Visible with Irina Mihai, Director of Data…

S4 | Ep 24 | GenAI: From Use Case to Production in 8 weeks with Chris Bannocks…

S4 | Ep 23 | Increasing Enterprise Value; How Private Equity is Leveraging Data & AI to Fuel Growth with Caroline…

S4 | Ep 22 | Why Would You Value Your Data like a Balance-Sheet Asset? with Simon Ferriter, CEO at Anmut

S4 | Ep 21 | Putting Analytics Practitioners at the Heart of Value Creation with Ranil Boteju, Group Chief Data…

S4 | Ep 20 | Data Sharing: Improving the Data Consumer Experience with Anthony Cosgrove, Co-Founder at Harbr

Caroline Zimmerman, Director of Data Product & Strategy, Profusion

S4 | Ep 23 | Increasing Enterprise Value; How Private Equity is Leveraging Data & AI to Fuel Growth

In Episode 23, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Caroline Zimmerman, Director of Data Product & Strategy at Profusion, where they discuss the research study she helped to conduct into how private equity companies are leveraging Data & AI to fuel growth and enterprise value, which includes;

- The catalyst for conducting the research study
- Why private equity has a very specific definition of value and how to measure it
- Why PE has a lot to teach the corporate Data & Analytics landscape
- The major differences between PE-backed firms and the rest when it comes to D&A
- Focusing on enterprise value
- Why time horizons are important and can create urgency with long-term thinking
- The differences between PE Data Leaders and others
- Why PE does ‘BI’ but not in the traditional sense
- The power of growth modelling and the relationship with investment/capital allocation
- The role of Data & Digital in value creation teams
- The career opportunities for Data Leaders in PE
- The two key ways that PE firms are using Data & Analytics across their portfolio
- Obsessing over understanding your most valuable customers
- Culture is still the main challenge to overcome
- The differences between PE firms who specialise versus those with diversified portfolios
- Why data monetisation affects multiple and not just profit
- Why horizontal investments into data infrastructure don’t exist in PE
- Why the D&A community should care about this research
- Why it still should be all about making better decisions
- Roles, titles and remuneration benchmarks of Data Leaders within PE
- Where you can find/access the research study
-

A joint INSEAD research project by:
Theodoros Evgeniou, INSEAD Business School
Caroline Zimmerman, Profusion
Olly Blaydon, Armstong International
Shahbaz Alam, AWS

S4 | Ep 22 | Why Would You Value Your Data like a Balance-Sheet Asset? with Simon Ferriter, CEO at Anmut

S4 | Ep 21 | Putting Analytics Practitioners at the Heart of Value Creation with Ranil Boteju, Group Chief Data…

S4 | Ep 20 | Data Sharing: Improving the Data Consumer Experience with Anthony Cosgrove, Co-Founder at Harbr

Brands who have been featured

Other Podcasts Kyle has featured on

S4 | Ep 19 | Data Governance by Design: Building for the Future with Phillip Dale, Head of Data Governance at Marks & Spencer

S4 | Ep 18 | Connecting Data to Create Unforgettable Customer Experiences with Susanna Moan, Chief Data Officer at Currys Plc

S4 | Ep 17 | Finding Your Purpose as a Data Leader with Antje Bustamante, VP Data at Funding Circle

S4 | Ep 16 | The Lean StartUp Approach to Data & Analytics with Ben Dias, Director of Data Science and Analytics at easyJet

S4 | Ep 15 | Large Scale Transformation and The Measurement of Success with Niresh Rajah, Group CDO

S4 | Ep 14 | Effecting Change in a Large, Traditional Organisation with Sarah Barr Miller, Director of Data & Automation…

S4 | Ep 13 | Productionising GenAI to Drive Value with Zachery Anderson, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Natwest Group

S4 | Ep 12 | Practical Tips on Building an Award Winning Diverse & Inclusive Team with Alex Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer

S4 | Ep 11 | From Zero to Hero; The Role of Education in Data & Analytics Success with Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma…

S4 | Ep 10 | Unboxing Data Maturity: Insights from HelloFresh’s Growth Journey with David Castro-Gavino

S4 | Ep 9 | Building Trust; The Power of Prediction with Aimee Smith, Director of Data at Metropolitan Police

S4 | Ep 8 | Building for Strategic Transformation Amidst the Hype Cycles with James Morgan, Chief Data Officer at The Crown Estate

S4 | Ep 7 | Servant Leadership; The Key to Value Creation with Tim Carmichael, Chief Data Officer at Chaloub Group

S4 | Ep 6 | Selling Your Data Story; The Customer Obsession with Ciara Moore, Chief Data & Digital Officer at Bank of Ireland

S4 | Ep 5 | Getting Data & Analytics into the Boardroom with Kate Sargent, Chief Data Officer at The Financial Times

S4 | Ep 4 | The Transition; From ‘Data Leader’ to CDO with Kinnari Ladha, Chief Customer Data Officer …

S4 | Ep 3 | The Future of the Board; The Future of the CDO with Sanjeevan Bala, Group CDAO

S4 | Ep 2 | From Data to Insight….So What? with Lyndsay Weir, Chief Analytics & Insight…

S4 | Ep 1 | Busting Myths About the CDO role with Barry Panayi, Chief Data and Insight Officer

BONUS EPISODE TWO: A Compilation of Three of the Most Listened-to Episodes EVER!

BONUS EPISODE ONE: A Compilation of Three of the Most Listened-to Episodes EVER!

S3 | Ep 50 | The Seven Sins of Data Transformation with Joseph George, CEO, Dufrain

S3 | Ep 49 | How User Acceptance and Adoption Drive Data and Analytics: Unpacking the…

S3 | Ep 48 | Building to Execute with Andy Moore, Chief Data Officer at Bentley Motors

S3 | Ep 47 | Connecting Industry and Education; Raising the Profile of Data Earlier

S3 | Ep 46 | Engaging Business Leadership; The Perfect Conditions for a Data Executive

S3 | Ep 45 | The Data Strategy Canvass; Aligning Data Strategy with Business Objectives

S3 | Ep 44 | Balancing Innovation and Delivery with Dan Kellet, Chief Data Officer at Capital One

S3 | Ep 43 | Diversity in Data: The Evolving Landscape of Data & Analytics Talent as part of the DAMA UK

S3 | Ep 42 | Data Mesh in a Gen AI World with Scott Hirleman, CEO and Founder of Data Mesh Understanding

S3 | Ep 41 | The 4 Key Dimensions to Deliver Innovation and Value at Scale, with Beth Bauer, Founder and CEO at PosiROI

S3 | Ep 40 | Value-First Mindset; Breaking Organisational Silos with Deepak Jose, Global Senior Director….

S3 | Ep 39 | What is the CDAIO and Why They are Set-Up to Fail with Allison Sagraves, Founding…

S3 | Ep 38 | Building Value with MLOps with Sami Rahman, Head of Data Engineering…

S3 | Ep 37 | Developing your Generative AI Strategy with Lena Mass Cresnik…

S3 | Ep 36 | The Role of Data Visualisation in Driving Change and Realising Value with Andy…

S3 | Ep 35 | The Art of Data & Analytics Communication with Asheeka Hyde, Head of…

S3 | Ep 34 | Successfully Moving the Data Function from a Cost Centre to a Value…

S3 | Ep 33 | Design Thinking: Creating Value-Driven Data Products & Solutions…

S3 | Ep 32 | From Strategy to Execution with Diane Berry, Chief Data…

S3 | Ep 31 | How to Deliver Measurable Value With Your Data Strategy with Taylor Culver…

S3 | Ep 30 | What Even is a Data Product…with Bethany Lyons, Chief Product Officer at Kawa…

S3 | Ep 29 | Data for a Sustainable Future: Exploring the ESG Connection with Sally…

S3 | Ep 28 | Generative AI for Business Success with Jim Sterne, Board Chair Emeritus

S3 | Ep 27 | How Data is Fuelling the EV World with Ben Boutcher-West, Chief Digital Officer at…

S3 | Ep 26 | Harnessing Data and Analytics to Help People Live a More Intelligent Financial Life™…

S3 | Ep 25 | The Power of Social Intelligence with Danny Gardner, Social Intelligence Lead at Haleon

S3 | Ep 24 | The First 100 Days as a CDO with Denholm Hesse, Chief Data Officer at BDO UK LLP

S3 | Ep 23 | Football Intelligence: Maximising Data Investments in Football with Mathieu Lacome…

S3 | Ep 22 | From Data to Profit; Leverage Data To Grow Your Top & Bottom Line with Vin Vashista…

S3 | Ep 21 | Building a Successful Data Academy with Hannah Davies, Head of Data Academy…

S3 | Ep 20 | Making Data More Fun – Drive Results Through Creativity with Tiankai Feng…

S3 | Ep 19 | Bottom-Up Data Governance with CJ Anderson, Director at Iron Carrot

S3 | Ep 18 | How Not To Do Machine Learning and Why Organisations Are Getting…

S3 | Ep 17 | Building a Data Function From Scratch – The Differences Between Big…

S3 | Ep 16 | Delivering £500m in Value with Benny (Clive) Benford, Chief Data Officer, Formerly of JLR

S3 | Ep 15 | Using Data & Analytics to Drive Innovation with Paul Evangelista, Chief Data…

S3 | Ep 14| The Role of Responsible AI in Organizational Transformation with Chun…

S3 | Ep 13 | MLOps Maturity: ML V Ops with Leanne Fitzpatrick, Director of Data Science…

S3 | Ep 12 | Building a Data Literacy Programme at Scale with Greg Freeman, CEO & Founder at Data Literacy Academy

S3 | Ep 11 | The Steps to Fast and Sustainable Commercial Impact with Data & AI with Cornelia Schaurecker, Global Group…

S3 | Ep 10 | Data Transformation; Creating Scalable Change with Nirali Patel, Group VP of Data Strategy at Liberty Global

S3 | Ep 9 | Data Strategy; Why Customers Should be Front and Centre with Ed Child, Global Head of Consumer Data & Digital…

S3 | Ep 8 | Modern Day Data Leadership; Business, People & Culture with Vijay Yadav, Director, Quantitative Sciences; Data…

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