Hub & Spoken: Data | Analytics | Chief Data Officer | CDO | Data Strategy

In this episode of the podcast host Jason Foster outlines the importance of having an adaptable data platform. A data platform should be built in a way that we can learn, develop, grow and enhance what we do.

In this episode, Jason talks to Lillian Pierson, CEO of Data Mania, an educational enterprise that helps emerging data scientists and leaders. In the world of data science, skills are constantly changing and evolving. Lillian shares insight into how mentorship can help you to develop and hone your skills while you expand your knowledge. The conversation also covers the need for a data leader to have a strong understanding of the company's goals and objectives, as well as an idea about where their company should be going in order to stay competitive in today's digital world.

In this episode host, Jason Foster talks to Sivan Metzger, the Managing Director of MPOps and Governance at DataRobot, about the approach needed to create robust machine learning solutions. They discuss the need for streamlining and governing machine learning to ensure success and the four components that deliver a strong MLOps operating model including deployment, monitoring, lifecycle management, and model governance.

 In this episode host, Jason Foster explores the role of the modern Chief Data  Officer (CDO) and the kind of environment that is required to breed success. He talks through the role and what it’s about, the characteristics of those entering the role, the route people take to become a CDO, and where they go next.

In this episode, Jason talks to Pye Nyunt, Head of Innovation at London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is a local authority that services about 213,000 people in the East London region. For local governments that work closely with so many different people on a daily basis, data is often part of the solution. They discuss how data is used in council areas to improve the outcomes governed by current legislation and policies.

In this episode host, Jason Foster, argues that the metaphor ‘data is the new oil’ shouldn’t be used as it comes with such negative connotations and is ineffective at explaining the value of data in organisations. He uses a balanced argument to explain the reasons the metaphor does work and the longer list of reasons it doesn’t work as an analogy. He also puts right how The Economist is misrepresented in an article it wrote in 2017 where it's said that this phrase was created and spawned.

In this episode, host Jason Foster, talks to Rob Barham, Director of Data at Gousto, about how they embed data into everything they do. They discuss what a data native business looks like, how data plays a part in Gousto’s growth ambitions and culturally how this manifests itself across the organisation. They explore how they are set up and work cross-functionally to ensure effort is focussed on business outcomes and that data acts as a value-creating capability.

In this episode, host Jason Foster, considers whether art or science plays the most important part in creating a data-guided organisation. He talks about the influence art has on the success and failure of data science strategies and the right blend to achieve positive outcomes. What's more important art or science in your data strategy?

In this episode Jason talks to Viktor Kazinec, Head of Analytics at Close Brothers, to discuss the value of working closely with external stakeholders on data science solutions. They discuss how to choose data projects that can prove and add value, the success drivers of a team, managing and gaining buy-in from internal and external stakeholders, and creating high-performing data science teams.