CDO Matters Podcast

When it comes to leading a successful business, it is crucial to remain data-driven. But being overly technical in your approach can often take away from the social needs of your enterprise.Malcolm and Dr. Juan Sequeda focus primarily on four key topics: data as a product, the data mesh phenomenon, why data leaders are incorrectly focused on technology and how taking a more ‘social’ approach — as advocated by the data mesh — will deliver superior results.Dr. Sequeda breaks down data-related technologies into three core principles that he argues have changed little over the last several decades. CDOs with more of a business or non-technical background will appreciate how Dr. Sequeda is able to distill the complexities of the modern data estate into a simplified model — and warns how various data management vendors continue to complicate by focusing too much on software tools and features. While exploring ways for data leaders to extricate themselves from technology-first approaches, the two explore the growing trend towards data as a product and how CDOs can benefit from it. Dr. Sequeda shares his ‘ABC’ framework for approaching data as a product that CDOs from all backgrounds can quickly use within their data organizations. Dr. Sequeda both challenges and acknowledges the benefits of data centralization during a discussion focused on how master data management (MDM) is still needed by all organizations despite the decentralized approach advocated by the data mesh. Ultimately, it should be no surprise that a noted scholar on knowledge graphs believes that context and semantics should drive more modern approaches to governance and MDM — where the context or use case of data ultimately determines what rules/policies should be defined rather than the data itself. This episode of CDO Matters will help less technical CDOs understand the underlying data semantics and why the data mesh — most especially the ‘data as a product’ phenomenon — is worthy of consideration. Prioritizing efforts to integrate product management disciplines in data management — at both centralized and decentralized levels — will ultimately help data leaders to drive superior results by being more driven socially. Key Moments[4:24] Bridging Tech and Business[6:06] Defining Data Mesh for Your Organization[8:20] A Social-first Approach to the Data Mesh[10:52] What Comes After Data Decentralization?[15:10] The 3 Principles of the Data Stack[16:01] Modern Data Developments and How Data Software Categories Drive the Conversation[17:05] Social vs. Cultural Business Approaches[20:15] Metadata Serving as the Glue Behind Data[23:12] Operational Focus of the Data Mesh[25:20] The Relevance of Master Data Management (MDM) Today[28:30] Powering a Data Fabric with a Semantic Layer[33:20] Data Centralization through Governance Key TakeawaysBridging Technology and Business for CDOs [5:05 — 6:03]“I would say you need to have people on your team who can be those bridges…who will be able to fill that gap [between technology and business]. As a leader, you want to understand the overview of things, but you also want to feel empowered by having the best people around you.” — Dr. Juan SequedaIs Data Mesh a Software Category? [7:16 — 8:14]“Data mesh is a social-technical paradigm shift, it is not something you buy… if somebody is selling you a data mesh, please run far away as fast as you can from that vendor because they are selling you B.S.” — Dr. Juan SequedaThe 3 Principles of the Data Stack [15:06— 16:49]“We talk about the modern data stack…look at the principles…here is this box and it has inputs and outputs. It is the three main boxes. One is the box that moves data. Data comes in, data comes out. Then you have another box where data comes in, questions come in and answers come out. That is your storage and compute…then you have another box where different questions come out. That is your analytics.” — Dr. Juan SequedaThe Problem with Being Overly Tech-Focused [17:05 — 17:42]“The issue here is that we have been defining success from a technical perspective, which is ‘my data is now in one place,’ but that was not the goal…define success from the social perspective about the needs of the business.” — Dr. Juan SequedaAbout Dr. Juan SequedaDr. Juan Sequeda is the Principal Scientist at Data.World and the co-host of the Catalogs & Cocktails podcast. Juan holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin and is a noted scholar and researcher in the fields of semantic technologies, including knowledge graphs. He is a frequent public speaker at data and analytics conferences across the globe and is passionate about helping data leaders implement more modern and innovative approaches to both data strategy and data management. EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:Connect with Juan on LinkedInVisit Data.World Check out the Catalog & Cocktails podcast

Successful companies don’t just withstand disruption, they find ways to innovate throughout technological change.In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm interviews Dr. Cheryl Flink, an author and noted researcher in the field of human-centered design and social psychology. Dr. Flink shares insights from her upcoming book, “Doing Well and Doing Good — Human Center Digital Transformation Leadership,” set to release in March 2023. She makes the case that digital transformation represents a fundamentally different way of operating, one that represents an optimal intersection of business, social and employee success.She proposes that a successful digital transformation is one that prepares organizations to withstand — and even prosper from — the constant disruption of technology, where the delivery of human value is as important to financial value.In addition to making a strong case for a human-centered focus within digital transformations, Dr. Flink also shares some of the keys to digital transformation success — most notably the need for a strong mandate from senior leadership — something many companies still struggle with. Having broad awareness and consensus around the ‘why’ of a digital transformation is the foundational level of a ‘scaffold’ approach to a framework for digital transformation that Malcolm discusses with Dr. Flink — outlined in more detail in her book.Dr. Flink also makes the case for creating the corporate culture needed to allow for employees to feel safe to highlight imbalances between any of the various tensions that naturally exist within organizations — for example — between speed/agility and governance. The more balanced these forces are — and the more employee or stakeholder needs play an equal role to financial needs — the more human centered the approach will be. This is exactly what Dr. Flink sees as the optimal approach for long-term social and business success.This episode of CDO Matters is perfect for those CDOs who have been tasked to execute a digital transformation strategy and who are looking for alternatives to more traditional program management approaches to these large-scale business initiatives. This episode explores how using more human-centered design approaches could optimize not only shareholder value, but also employee and social value. Dr. Flink makes a compelling case that ‘doing good and doing well’ is not only preferred, but increasingly required during a time of constant disruption and social scrutiny of business practices. Key Moments[3:55] What is Human-centered (HC) Leadership?[7:10] Who Should Reap the Profits of AI/Digital Technology?[10:45] Human-centered Leadership’s Role in Environmental, Social Governance (ESG)[13:20] Leadership Benefits of HC Leadership[14:15] HC Leadership in Digital Transformation[16:00] A New Way to Work[19:40] Applying HC Leadership to Data Strategy[24:25] Differences in Approaching a Digital Transformation[28:50] The Decision-Making Process[31:35] HC Leadership InvestmentsKey TakeawaysThe Significance of Human -Centered Leadership [5:40 — 6:50]“Are we really thinking about how we create human value? Not just financial value...I think that in this human centered leadership world, it is about the ability to think through that calculus...We think about that human value as including two major components: one is the value we are creating for individuals and the corporations we work with and the other is for society at large.” — Dr. Cheryl FlinkDigital Transformation Defined [14:45 — 15:35]“The ongoing process of strategic renewal that uses advances in digital technologies to build capabilities that refresh or replace an organization's business model, collaborative approach or culture. In other words, you are preparing the organization for the constant disruption of technology.” — Dr. Cheryl FlinkTransitioning to a Human Centered Data Organization [21:25 — 22:04]“You cannot move forward with digital transformation unless there is a transformational mandate. Why are we doing this? If that ‘why’ is not clear…the organization is going to flounder. They have to know why in order to create directional alignment and commitment. Alignment is we know how we are going to get there and commitment is we are all going to band together to make this happen.” — Dr. Cheryl FlinkThe Tension Between Business Innovation and Governance [26:00 — 27:25]“When you think about these teams that are innovating, they are rewarded for taking risks...fast release of products. The seamless integration team is rewarded for protecting data...for making sure that what is produced integrates into the current platforms. I have to innovate and I have to have business continuity. So, one of the things that a leader, to create human value, has to do is really create psychological safety...and balance that tension. ” — Dr. Cheryl FlinkAbout Dr. Cheryl FlinkDr. Cheryl Flink is the former Global Vice President for the Center for Creative Leadership. She helped organizations around the globe find new market opportunities, improve revenue and cost drivers and create exceptional customer experiences by linking data, technology and analytics to strategy, product development and business execution. Dr. Flink is currently applying her lengthy career in data, leadership, and research to the area of human centered business transformation.EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:Follow Dr. Flink on LinkedInThe Center for Creative Leadership’s websiteMore on Human Centered Design

It is one thing to adopt a data function for your organization, but it is another to build an entire culture around it! Data governance is an efficient way to standardize your critical data, but what if it enabled you to further grow your business?In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm interviews John Moran, the Director of Enterprise Data Governance with Thermo Fisher Scientific — a $40BB publicly traded manufacturing and services company providing innovative products and solutions to research scientists around the globe. In his role, John is responsible for establishing and maintaining enterprise-wide data policies, standards and processes across domains, supporting customers and products in some of the most complex and regulated industries on the globe. Throughout their conversation, Malcolm digs into how John’s team has helped create a culture of data governance at Thermo Fisher, turning a potential obstacle into a value-add for their business. Through the efforts of the data governance team, Thermo Fisher has developed a culture of data governance as a business enabler and not just a regulatory requirement. Even with a complex and fragmented environment of over 100 ERPs and other core business systems, John’s team delivers data governance value through a focus on three key pillars: Listening to customer needs and speaking the language of the business Focusing only on data that matters and prioritizing governance efforts only on that data that will move the needle for the business. Engaging in business process analysis, where those responsible and accountable for data governance policies have an intimate understanding of how end consumers (not just internal customers/stakeholders) use data, and how policy changes have downstream impacts. In other words, Thermo Fisher takes a “data as a product” approach to data governance to differentiate themselves from the competing product management companies. This is most certainly a valuable lesson for CDOs who are considering more product-centric approaches to managing their data — regardless of if they plan on monetizing data or not. Another key takeaway for CDOs is the benefits Thermo Fisher has realized through effective prioritization of data governance efforts — which are a function of better listening, a deep understanding of how data drives business value and a focus on process analysis. In our near 30-minute conversation, John never uses the word “domain” to describe how they prioritize their understanding of business value — a key lesson for any CDO wanting to more closely align with their business instead of their data. Key Moments [3:41] Keys to Data Governance Success [5:40] Highlighting Customer Needs with Product Management [10:00] Data Governance Prioritization [12:18] Unlocking the Value of Data [13:52] Taking a Business-centric Approach to Data Governance [15:16] The Relation Between ERP Consolidation and Governance [18:05] The Role of Thermo Fisher’s Data Governance Team [19:10] Turning Back the Clock: Data Governance Takeaways [21:10] Creating a Compelling Governance Message to Drive Value [22:05] Business Literacy and Understanding Potential Value [22:59] Shifts in Leadership Key Takeaways Data Governance Obstacles [4:09 — 5:31] “What I would say in terms of driving success...is that data governance can mean many things to folks. Sometimes they don’t conjure up the best images of things. You sort of have to get past that barrier...try to figure out where they are and meet them where they’re at. Get past the terminology and try to develop some common understanding of what data they are working with and what their challenges are.” — John Moran Assembling a Strong Governance Team [13:52 — 14:44] “What I really wanted were people who were ready, willing and able to learn… who have demonstrated the ability to grasp complex topics… because with data, especially product data, we are collecting and managing hundreds of data attributes and there is logic all over the place… People who were the most successful really understood the supply chain and what happened downstream and were able to explain that to other people…. We encourage our team to understand all of the downstream impacts [of data].” — John MoranBenefitting from Governed Data [17:07 — 20:18] “With so much data, if you treat everything with equal importance, you sort of lose your way...[You need to consider] what are the decisions we plan on making with governed data that we can't make today...and then connecting that and quantifying that…Then you are not talking about data governance for data governance’s sake, you are talking about enabling whatever that financial benefit is.” — John MoranCommunicating with Executive Leadership [21:25 — 22:04] “[Process analysts] need to be able to speak the language that our executives speak: making money, saving money, reducing risk. If you can't connect [data efforts] to one of those three things, it's going to be hard to change behaviors.” — John Moran About John Moran John Moran is the Director of Enterprise Data Governance for Thermo Fisher Scientific. He previously worked with Intuit before transitioning to his current position of 16 years. John is Six Sigma Black Belt certified in techniques and tools for process improvement. EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow John on LinkedIn Listen to John Moran’s appearance on The Data Standard podcastLearn more about Thermo Fisher at their official website

Your critical enterprise data should serve as a foundation for your business providing significant business value. So why not leverage this data for EVERYTHING it is worth?In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm sits down with West Monroe’s Data & Analytics Strategy Innovation Fellow, former Gartner analyst and best-selling author Doug Laney to discuss the business value that can come from data. Doug’s book, Infonomics: How to Monetize, Manage, and Measure Information for Competitive Advantage, was selected by CIO Magazine as the “Must-Read Book of the Year,” a “Top 5 Books for Business Leaders and Tech Innovators,” and by the Wall Street Journal as one of its “5 Summer Reads for CIOs.”  His latest book, Data Juice: 101 Real-World Stories of How Organizations Are Squeezing Value From Available Data Assets has received accolades from business, data, analytics and IT executives and practitioners around the world.  During their discussion, they touch on key data value topics including how to measure data as an asset within your organization, the overall state of data management, evaluating data context and reporting on the actual value that critical data brings. They go on to talk about alternative forms of data value (e.g., tokenized data, cryptocurrencies) and how the principles of his latest book apply to real-world business use cases. The conversation closes with the two weighing in on what they believe the future will be like for enterprise data strategies before concluding on the importance of sharing data governance within your business. **Stick around to the end of the podcast as Doug makes you a valuable offer you don’t want to miss** Key Moments [4:53] The Importance of Info-nomics [9:00] Measuring Data as an Asset [12:23] The State of Data Management [15:03] Evaluating Data Context [19:33] Reporting on the Value of Data [23:53] Alternative Data Values – Tokenizing Data & Crypto [25:43] Applying ‘Data Juice’ to Real-World Use Cases [31:03] The Future of Enterprise Data Strategy [35:23] Sharing Data Governance Key TakeawaysThe 3 Ms of Info-nomics: Measure, Manage and Monetize [6:51 – 8:55] “With [CDOs], the role is still kind of being defined…it’s really about how to manage and leverage data as an actual asset. That’s really what’s at the core of what [CDOs] need to be doing to drive and prove value from data.” – Doug LaneyHow to Measure the Monetary Impact of Your Data [8:57 – 9:55] “The state of data management...I would give it about a five or maybe a solid six [out of 10] ...Getting back to the notion of measuring, what I would hear all the time from all the CDOs and CIOs…is that the impacts here from a data perspective are indirect.” – Malcolm Hawker Improving the Data Process for Better Performance [10:24 – 11:20] “We developed an entire metrics framework…that can be used to empirically track how improvements in various quality metrics and data governance indicators drive improvements in business process performance leading to revenue improvements, profit improvements, market share, risk reduction, etc.” – Doug Laney Why Value Your Data? [17:06 – 19:10] “Depending on why you want to value the data, whether you are trying to get investments or whether you are trying to justify the benefits of an analytic use case …there are a variety of reasons that you would want to value your data...the standards methods of evaluating any asset are the cost approach, the market approach and the income approach.” – Doug LaneyReporting on Data Value [20:00 – 22:07] “If data was a balance sheet asset, I think it would help some organizations and hurt others...there are certain things that you want to keep proprietary and out of the prying eyes of investors and competitors...If you could report on the value of your data, it might augment the evaluation of your company…Data is not a balance sheet asset according to accounting standards.” – Doug LaneyAbout Doug Laney Doug Laney is a best-selling author and recognized authority on data and analytics strategy. He advises senior IT, business and data leaders on data monetization and valuation, data management and governance, external data strategies, analytics best practices and establishing data and analytics organizations. EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Follow Doug on LinkedInDoug’s Published Works:Infonomics: How to Monetize, Manage, and Measure Information for Competitive AdvantageData Juice: 101 Real-World Stories of How Organizations Are Squeezing Value From Available Data Assets

Sanjeev Mohan, founder of SanjMo, discusses key takeaways from the 2022 CDOIQ Conference, including trends in the CDO role, applying product management principles in data management, and the importance of networking and expanding knowledge. The speakers also emphasize the challenge of demystifying data management issues, promoting data literacy, and focusing on the practical applications of data.

The first step to overcoming an obstacle or barrier is admitting the problem and building a base from which to grow. For women in data and technology, it is understanding the potential for change in which the gender gap continues to close.In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm interviews the President and COO of BlueConic, Cory Munchbach. Cory is a fellow recovering analyst and runs one of the top Customer Data Platform, or CDP, solutions available in the market today. In her role, Cory is at the forefront of some of the biggest customer experience and digital transformation initiatives of many of the best-known brands on the planet. During their discussion, the two focus on the role of women in technology and how we can improve on the many gender imbalances that continue to persist both in their companies, and society at large. They also discuss the role of CDPs in the digital transformation landscape, and how those solutions differ from other customer-data management solutions – such as MDM or analytics platforms. If you are one of the 25% of CDOs tasked with executing your organization’s digital transformation initiative, this episode of CDO Matters will help bring you to a higher-level understanding of how CDPs ‘fit’ into a broader MarTech and IT technology stack, and the value they bring to the organization. The conversation closes with a dialog around the possibility of a coming recession, and what CDOs and other senior leaders can do to best prepare for some form of economic slowdown. Cory shares her experience in working with major consumer-facing brands over the last recession, and how many ‘doubled down’ digital transformation investments as a means to improve customer relationships and drive competitive advantage. Key Moments 01:56-4:43 The current market of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) 04:56-6:30 Activating customer data throughout the organization with CDPs 6:35-7:35 How do Chief Data Officers (CDOs) benefit from CDPs? 8:00-11:31 How CDPs can co-exist with master data management (MDM) 11:42-14:22 Thoughts on the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in tech 15:04-18:05 Pay transparency as a catalyst for equality in the workplace 18:15-18:58 Being the only woman on the leadership team 19:06-21:58 The impact of tech companies on expanding access to benefits 22:10-24:33 How CDOs can respond to economic uncertainty 24:35-26:22 Building a data strategy around a clear business objective 26:24-31:43 How GDPR, CDPA and other regulations will continue past 2022 Key Takeaways The Coexistence of CDPs and MDM (9:15-9:37)“I would have conversations…with IT leaders...about this false perception that it was either CDP or MDM. My answer always was both.” - Malcolm Hawker The Underrepresentation of Women in Technology (12:06-14:04) “...this is much less of a tech problem and more of a social problem...we’ve always had an underrepresentation of women in technology, so there haven’t been enough people to go to battle for the kind of things that will make more women come.” - Cory Munchbach Pay Transparency in the Workplace (15:38-17:08) “If you have a certain role...then everyone in that role should be within that pay band...over time, your value for the organization grows and we don’t make a lot of adjustments for that internal expertise...” - Cory Munchbach Responding to Economic Uncertainty (23:19-25:24) “I am a big believer that you should plan for the worst and hope for the best...this should be transformational because it changes how you work...the thing that you need to have is the relationship with your customer.” - Cory MunchbachAbout Cory Munchbach Cory is the current President and COO of BlueConic. She previously worked as an analyst for Forrester supporting marketing technology and the former author of the Forrester ‘Wave.’ While being an early-stage startup investor and advisor, Cory also serves as a member of Chief – a private network designed for the most powerful women in executive leadership. EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Visit BlueConic’s official company website Follow Cory Munchbach on LinkedIn

When considering MDM and governance architectures for your organization, it is important to know each of the dynamics in which they relate to your most critical data when growing your business.In this episode of CDO Matters, Malcolm is a guest on the Data Engineering Podcast with Tobias Macey. This episode is a great fit for any non-technical data leader who is looking to gain a deeper understanding of some of the technical dependencies and concepts required for successful master data management (MDM) and data governance — but without getting too deep into jargon or software engineering concepts.If you’re a business-centric CDO with limited technical experience or background, this podcast will help you to build your data literacy and allow you to have deeper and more compelling conversations with your technical staff — and it will help you make more informed technology-centric decisions. Malcolm and Tobias cover some of the technical concepts involved in MDM and governance programs — in both relatable and understandable terms — including:MDM systems architecture and typical implementation patternsThe connection between MDM, data engineering and systems architectureData modeling for MDM and data governance The processes used in MDM platforms to support data quality requirements Entity resolution, i.e., matching or deduplication MDM team dynamics and roles, the role of data stewardship. After listening to this podcast, any data leaders who may be new to the concepts of MDM or data governance will why their organizations need these foundational elements and better understand how they can be used to drive business benefit. Key Moments3:14-6:50: Identifying ‘who is a customer’ to model and govern data 7:11-9:27: What is MDM and how does it add value? 10:27-14:57: Who needs MDM and how does new technology solve for data quality? 15:11-17:53: Limitations and considerations when searching for a “single source of truth” 18:15-21:45: Who is responsible for MDM within an organization and who comprises it? 22:16-26:59: What are the differences between analytical and operational MDM? 29:15-31:50: Top 4 reasons that so many MDM implementations fail 32:45-36:40: Using a business perspective to identify the right outcomes 37:40-42:25: How MDM is evolving to use graph functionality in addition to relational databases 42:32-43:15: Why Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) fall short for enterprise-level management 43:36-49:51: Insights on novel MDM use cases: data sharing, graph databases, data fabrics 50:08-53:53: 3 ‘Watch-outs’ learned from years in the data management space 54:36-57:26: How small companies can implement MDM principles 57:38-1:00:14 The gap between data software and real business outcomes Key TakeawaysWhen is MDM relevant for an organization? (10:22-11:34)“The bigger and more complex you are and the more decentralized you are...where organizations are struggling to have a single view of the customer...the larger the company, the more they tend to have a need for MDM.” - Malcolm HawkerCloud-native data warehouses vs. MDM software (15:11-16:33)“There are many cloud-based data warehouse technologies that are saying we can enable a single version of the truth, and they absolutely can...but does it have all the flexibility and reconfigurability to allow for all the things that MDM software can do? Typically, they don’t.” - Malcolm HawkerWhat are the differences between analytics and operational MDM?? (23:51-26:22)“An analytical style of MDM is where the flow [of data] is one-way...[operational MDM] can actually turn around and syndicate that data back down into consuming systems.” - Malcolm Hawker4 MDM pitfalls to avoid during your implementation (29:15-31:01)“If you’ve got a need for MDM and if you have been given a mandate by your management to come up with a single version of the truth...avoid the key pitfalls that often send so many MDM programs sideways.” - Malcolm HawkerCompanies of all sizes can benefit from MDM principles (57:05-57:26)“I would argue that most companies need MDM as a discipline...But chances are, you still have some use cases that need that consistent approach to the data management side...” - Malcolm HawkerAbout the GuestTobias Macey is a dedicated engineer with experience spanning many years and even more domains. He currently manages and leads the Technical Operations team at MIT Open Learning where he designs and builds cloud infrastructure to power online access to education for the global MIT community. He also owns and operates Boundless Notions, LLC where he offers design, review, and implementation advice on data infrastructure and cloud automation.In addition to the Data Engineering Podcast, he hosts Podcast.__init__ where he explores the universe of ways that the Python language is being used. By applying his experience in building and scaling data infrastructure and processing workflows, he helps the audience explore and understand the challenges inherent to data management.EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:Connect with Tobias Macey on LinkedInSubscribe to The Data Engineering Podcast

There's always a story behind everything. At the end of the day, leadership wants to know the overall narrative that goes with your data. CDOs need to add storytelling to their resume!In the inaugural episode of the CDO Matters Podcast, Profisee Head of Data Strategy and former Malcolm Hawker speaks to his former colleague, “The Data Whisperer” Scott Taylor, on the art and science of data storytelling — and how to frame the critical importance of trusted data in a way that resonates with business leaders.In his years of consulting, speaking and writing on all things master data and data management, Scott has developed a unique storytelling approach to make sense of complex ideas in ways that prompt business leaders to action and get funding for enterprise data projects.Malcolm and Scott discuss why business leaders don’t care about the technical or dogmatic approach to data management and CDOs can hone their storytelling abilities to deliver a pitch with passion, clarity and effectiveness. They push past the buzzwords, trends and stodgy approaches to data management and stress the importance of starting any data initiative pitch with “why.”And despite the reality that most business leaders will never care about data for its own sake, they close the conversation with a sense of optimism and hope about the future of high-quality, trusted data in the marketplace.Key Moments01:30 CDO Matters: A new approach to data storytelling05:20 Creating a compelling narrative for business leaders05:52 What to avoid starting with — and leading with ‘why’08:30 The 3 Vs of Data Storytelling10:15 Honing data storytelling abilities13:50 Leading your pitch with Passion16:03 Should you try changing the data culture?17:52 Forget the dogmatic approach to data management21:14 Data is fuel, not the exhaust12:16 Showing vulnerability as a data leader22:52 The importance of a consistent data philosophy23:36 Why businesses don’t care about data quality24:42 Optimism about the future of data managementKey TakeawaysCreating a Compelling Narrative around Data Initiatives (4:43-5:32)“There’s this idea you have to create a compelling narrative that the business would understand so they can really support and literally fund the work that was so important in the data management space…” - Scott TaylorHoning Your Storytelling Abilities (10:21-11:05)“I think everybody is a born storyteller...they’ve got to be human and to be successful in business...you’ve got to be able to convince someone of the benefits of the offer or articulate some kind of need.” - Scott TaylorVulnerability as a Data Leader (12:16-12:54)“These are lessons for CDOs as well, and one of them is vulnerability...if you are in front of a large group, particularly technology folks, you say, ‘Here are the things that I can’t do’...” - Malcolm Hawker The Unique Impact of Data Professionals (17:00-17:49)“There’s not another group [data professionals] in an organization that can bring value to every other part of the company…financing, sales, operations…” – Scott TaylorForget the Dogmatic Approach to Data Management (17:52-18:40)“If I’m being told I need to change the [data] culture…and what don’t you understand about how important data is, if I am managing a supply chain or selling something, that doesn’t really resonate with me…” – Malcolm HawkerAbout the GuestScott Taylor, also known as The Data Whisperer, has helped countless companies by enlightening business executives to the strategic value of master data and proper data management. He focuses on business alignment and the “strategic WHY” rather than system implementation and the “technical HOW.” At MetaMeta Consulting he works with Enterprise Data Leadership teams and Innovative Tech Brands to tell their data story.EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES:Follow Scott on LinkedInScott’s 2020 book, “Telling Your Data Story”Scott’s ‘Data Whisperer’ explainer videos