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

In this episode, Jason Foster talks about data literacy, the misconceptions around the term and which role it plays across the whole data value chain. Data literacy doesn't merely refer to the ability to read, write, and interpret data, and it is swiftly becoming a must-have skill across an organisation to solve business problems, identify trends, optimise processes, and make better decisions in day-to-day operations.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks about building teams and companies that put people first, what a people-first business looks like and why this is a win-win approach that benefits employees and companies by boosting engagement, productivity, trust, well-being, creativity and retention. Jason also shares his hands-on experience leading teams and reveals the three main components of building a people-first culture and practical examples of how to implement it.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks about how to align your data strategy around the goals of a business through a top-down pyramid approach. Data is an incredibly valuable asset, but sometimes data experts get carried away implementing systems and models that are not necessarily the best fit. Jason guides us step by step through the top-down pyramid approach and explains how to identify business goals, benefits, use cases and business questions to ensure that the data strategy you put in place is aligned with the larger business objectives.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks to George McCrea, Chief of Staff at Royal Engineers Geographic. They explore the fascinating role of geospatial data soldiers in the military, how the military's experience with data collection and analysis has developed over centuries and how it's used to improve the lives of civilians in a variety of ways and to support government bodies to make strategic decisions.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks to David Bader, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Data Science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. They talk about building massive scale analytics, how to use a large amount of data to gain insights, the complexity of the data set and how to bridge the gap between architecture and algorithms. David also shares his notable experience, talks about capabilities and skills data departments require to run large-scale data projects and explores some use cases in diverse industries.

In this episode, Jason talks to Natalia Connolly, the Vice President of Data Science at Infinite Acres, about Agricultural Tech (AgTech) and how it is helping the agriculture industry keep up with increasing demand. With the assistance of technology and data, the agricultural industry's not just been improved but completely overhauled over time with more sustainable methods and tech.

In this episode, Jason talks to Dr. Tiffany Perkins-Munn, the Head of Marketing, Data, and Analytics for JP Morgan Chase. They discuss the role of critical thinking in data and analytics, how to use critical thinking to move from vision to outcome and if critical thinking is a skill that can be learned. Tiffany shares her brilliant experience and Ph.D. expertise, the importance of finding a balance between critical thinking and quick progression, and why being willing to question everything through critical thinking can open up to great new ideas and possibilities.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks to Stephen Galsworthy, Head of Data at TomTom, a leading provider of mapping and location technology. They discuss the gradual integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into data products to create a better user experience, how TomTom navigated the shift from hardware to software and AI, and the challenges associated with integrating AI with data. Stephen also shares his brilliant journey in data & analytics, his extensive experience leading data science teams since 2011 and how to align a data team depending on the maturity of the business.

In this episode, Jason Foster, considers the challenging economic environment we are all living through, with inflation increasing, looming recession, and ongoing conflict in Europe and how data leaders can best prepare and get ahead. Using, BIRTH, a set of measures that will help you not only survive but thrive through these times, Jason lays out what you can be doing now to recession-proof your work and the value you add.

In this episode, Jason Foster talks to Sid Shah, the Executive Director for Data and Analytics at Condé Nast, a global media company home to iconic brands including Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ and Vanity Fair. They discuss building data products at Condé Nast and how data is utilised to drive efficiency and optimise advertising campaigns and conversions at scale across multiple brands and data teams. Sid shares his long-lasting journey in data & analytics, how his role has developed over the years, the challenges of creating specific data products for different stakeholders and how to build and manage multiple data teams.