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

Dec 2, 2025

Guest

Sam Hancock

Guest

Guests Johanna Hutchinson, Chief Data Officer at BAE Systems, Paul Hollands, Chief Data & AI Officer at AXA, Nick Blewden, Director of Data at Co-op, and Sam Hancock, Global Head of Data Science at Octopus Energy share insights on leading with impact. They discuss the importance of making long-lasting decisions in data strategy and the need for a cultural shift towards empowering teams. The panel emphasizes trust over mere numeric value, the boldness required of CDOs, and personal stories highlighting data's real-world impact, illustrating how data can transform lives.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Create A Shared Global Data Foundation

Build a global federated network so local teams share the same data foundations and metrics.
Standardize the semantic layer to avoid duplicated effort and speed decision-making across countries.

ADVICE

Ship Reusable Data Products Fast

Adopt an iterative product and agile mentality to make data teams more efficient and deliver usable products quickly.
Build reusable data products like Store Insights so frontline managers can trust live metrics and act faster.

INSIGHT

Relationships Trump One-Off Transactions

Shifting culture from selling to relationship-building creates lasting customer trust and deeper engagement.
Small personal actions, like meaningful greetings, can have outsized human impact and signal cultural change.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

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.

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.