The Data Chief

Everywhere you look, change is redefining the data landscape. From the rise of the analytics engineer to data leaders clamoring to make self service analytics real, it’s clear organizations are looking for new opportunities to put their data to work.But which changes matter?  In this episode, we break down some of the data and analytics trends for 2023 that will help you identify key ways to rise above your competitors. Tom Davenport is back for another episode and this time he’s here to talk about AI and the relationship that the workforce should start building with it. Tony Baer weighs in on the great data framework debate. And Sonny Rivera points out the need for better education in the analytics industry, particularly when it comes to data modeling techniques. Tune in to learn:The biggest surprise in the survey findings around the role of the CDO (03:13)Data governance or data enablement? (05:14)CDO’s making a play for CEO in 2023 and beyond (07:27)Legacy companies and AI adoption (08:30)2023 prediction from Tom (13:50)Could we have predicted that data mesh would be such a hot topic in 2022?  (23:45)Tony’s prediction for data mesh, data lakes, data warehouse, data fabric? (30:28)Tony’s prediction and hopes for CDOs in 2023 (35:00)ThoughtSpot's new evangelist, Sonny Rivera (35:55)Sonny’s work in the DBT community (41:30)Sonny’s prediction for the analytics engineer in 2023 (44:10)The need for more modeling education in analytics boot camps (45:02)What should your 2023 resolution be as an analytics engineer? (48:06)Mentions:CDO Agenda 2023: Prioritizing business value creationTom Davenport BooksZhamak Deghani on The Data Chief Tony’s reaction to an article article about the best Data Mesh9 data and analytics trends for 2023 - eBookGet even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Tom, Tony, and Sonny on The Data Chief.  Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Today’s digital economy is more competitive than ever, and making smart data decisions can be what sets the leaders apart from the rest of the field. With new technologies now democratizing data at an accelerated pace, how can companies ensure that their data strategy is helping them stay ahead of the curve? As our third season comes to a close, Cindi takes a look back at some of our most insightful conversations to lay out six essential rules that every Data Chief should follow to dominate the decade of data.Tune in to learn:Rule 1: Leverage the best-of-breed from the modern data stack (02:30)Rule 2: Empower everyone with true self-service analytics (10:58)Rule 3: Drive actions with operationalized insights (18:44)Rule 4: Build a flexible data foundation (27:26)Rule 5: Utilize third-party data to build a 360-degree view (35:07)Rule 6: Deliver engaging data-driven UX (38:47)MentionsGilead Sciences’ Murali Vridhachalam and ZS Associates’ Mahmood Majeed on the Modern Data Stack and Data MeshThe Modern Milkman’s Chief Strategy Officer, John Hughes on Using Data to Save Our Oceans from Plastic Afterpay’s Nitish Mathew on Prioritizing Customer Needs, Balancing Governance and Freedom, and Giving Your Team PurposeServiceNow’s Vijay Kotu on the Power of Micro-Decisions and Aligning Data Strategy to Business StrategyThree Must Read Data and Analytics Books with Tim Harford, Zhamak Dehghani, and Brent DykesUnilever’s Vandana Khanna and Deeksha Singh on Demystifying Data, Dreaming Bigger, and Inspiring Business Users with The Art of the PossibleOpenTable’s Grant Parsamyan on How Data and Analytics is Helping the Restaurant Industry Rebound from COVID-19Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

On this episode of The Data Chief, we look back at some of the key themes from season one, including the rise of the CDO, the intricacies of aligning your department’s goals with that of the businesses, and how you coped with accelerated timelines. While we relive these important conversations, we also discuss why culture and data fluency continue to be the biggest hurdles to becoming a truly data-driven business.Tune in to learn:The Rise of the Data Chief (02:54) Aligning with Your Business Values (08:32)Rapid Technical Innovation and the Shift to Cloud (15:52) Technology Reflects Culture (23:30)Assessing your Data Fluency (31:52)Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Each year, around 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, killing wildlife and damaging the environment for future generations. Much of this pollution originates from the wasteful packaging used for everyday grocery products. But a greener grocery alternative is making waves from across the pond. Joining us today is John Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer at The Modern Milkman, a UK-based grocery delivery company that brings locally sourced goods directly to customers without any single-use plastics. From the startup’s early days, John sought to invest heavily in data modernization. Hear how his data-driven approach has helped the company cultivate a shared mission with customers to make the world a cleaner, safer, and better place for all of its creatures.Tune in to learn:About The Modern Milkman and how John became associated with it (04:46)How data has helped lead to the company’s growth (12:17)The Modern Milkman’s data stack (28:14)The benefits of working with startups (32:40)Advice for larger companies on data stack modernization (38:00)Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like John on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Treating data as a treasure is a foundational principle for Jan Sheppard, the Chief Data and Analytics officer at New Zealand’s Crown Research Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR.) This agency leads ongoing research in public health, environmental health, and forensics for the country of New Zealand. Like many other CDAOs, her role is relatively new. But the unique values she applies to data can be traced back many hundreds of years to the indigenous Maori people of her country. Through her work, Jan recognizes the profound impact data can have on people and their environments for generations to come. Learn more about the important climate and health policy challenges that ESR is working to solve with data in this episode, plus her take on data literacy vs. business savviness, and why her data strategy is just two pages long. Tune in to learn:How do you make vastly different data work together at ESR? (07:12)Data’s role as a treasure (11:43)How do government and private companies look at data differently (13:50)How do you guard against the misuse of data? (18:39)Dangers of misinterpreting the models and need for data-savvy. (21:16)Jan’s data North Star - recognizing the value of the data (25:10)Goal to create digital twins to help address climate change (30:13)Working around the difficulty of unstandardized ESG reporting (34:05)Maori values and data at ESR - the life force of data (40:35) Mentions: The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution book by Walter IsaacsonESR’s Data StrategyGet even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jan on The Data Chief. https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-chief Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at https://mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

At French bank, Société Générale, providing the best customer experience in the modern digital world means rethinking everything about banking, including its corporate structure. Three years ago, Julien Molez, joined the bank’s leadership team to become the first Innovation Data & AI Leader. On this episode of The Data Chief, Julien addresses changes sweeping the banking industry, including higher customer expectations, tougher regulations, and the ESG revolution. He also reminds us that at the end of the day, fancy AI models and algorithms will only perform as well as the data that goes into them. Tune in to learn:Creating a value-driven data framework (06:31)How do you achieve customer personalization while adhering to GDPR? (15:29)How do you truly secure data at all touchpoints? (20:29)How is Société Générale leading in ESG reporting? (23:44)What were Société Générale’s unique challenges in scaling up AI use cases? (28:55)How do you educate business stakeholders about the best data possibilities? (35:56)What is a key data framework technique? (40:00)Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Julien on The Data Chief.  Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

It is once again that time of year when our host, Cindi Howson shares her favorite data and analytics book recommendations. In this special annual episode, we feature three of the industry’s top data writers, thinkers, and fellow podcasters. Tim Harford comes to the conversation with his new book, The Data Detective, and big-picture ideas about how traits like curiosity serve data scientists so well. Zhamak Dehghani shares her concept of The Data Mesh, especially as it relates to sharing data across business verticals. Finally, in his book, Effective Data Storytelling, Brent Dykes compels readers to think carefully about the way they craft the message or narrative around the data they’re interpreting. Tune in to learn:Making sense of the world through a data lens with Tim Harford (05:18)Tim’s favorite of the ten data commandments (07:11)Guard against using data as a control mechanism (15:14)How does curiosity create a healthier relationship with data? (19:57) Data Mesh with Zhamak Dehghani (32:31)Blending centralized and decentralized schools of thought (36:39)Data Mesh isn’t for everyone (48:11)How do you begin your data mesh transformation? (53:28)Brent Dykes and the importance of data storytelling (1:02:17)Why do data scientists need to be better communicators? (1:11:13)The Venn diagram of data storytelling (1:15:14)Mentions:The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics by Tim Harford Data Mesh: Delivering Data-Driven Value at Scale by Zhamak Dehghani Effective Data Storytelling: How to Drive Change with Data, Narrative, and Visuals by Brent Dykes Get even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Tim, Zhamak, and Brent on The Data Chief. Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Who’s hungry? Thanks to delivery apps like DoorDash, it’s never been easier for modern consumers to satisfy almost any craving in just a few taps. At the helm of DoorDash’s data organization is VP of Analytics & Data Science, Jessica Lachs. With metrics guiding every decision at the company, a key part of her decision-making comes down to properly quantifying the value of each possible tradeoff. Learn more about her decision-making framework, plus how her career in finance evolved into entrepreneurship and ultimately led her to create the data and analytics organization at DoorDash.  Tune in to learn:Using data to move levers that balance tradeoffs (09:28)Managing an unpredictable and complicated supply chain (12:26)The confluence of personalization and consumer privacy (15:08)Strategy for data architecting by the DoorDash team (21:00Cultivating a creative team that also communicates effectively (26:59)Unlikely career journey: Lehman Brothers to entrepreneurship (33:00)Cultivating a positive response to failure (35:51)Lightning Round (40:15)Mentions:DoorDash Restaurant Online Ordering TrendsBuilding a Source for Truth for a Digital Inventory with Disparate Data SourcesHow To Drive Effective Data Science Communications The Rose Code: A Novel by Kate QuinnThe Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne JeffersGet even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jessica on The Data Chief.  Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Swiss RE’s SVP of P&C R&D, Jerry Gupta is a firm believer in the revenue-generating potential and AI and machine learning. On this episode of The Data Chief, Jerry offers his view on innovative data model, frameworks for building and operationalizing these models, what makes a good data scientist, and why it will always be more challenging for data teams to maintain existing models vs. innovate new ones. Tune in to learn:The difference between ost cutting versus revenue-enhancing initiatives 03:20 More about the Data Model framework 07:50 Why the quality of your output depends on the quality of your input 11:35 How to address the shortfall of data scientists in the job market 13:48 How to set more clear value statements for models 27:56 More about informing the regulation of ethical AI and machine learning 45:33Mentions:McKinsey Global Survey: "The state of AI in 2021" "Unreasonable effectiveness of learning neural networks: From accessible states and robust ensembles to basic algorithmic schemes" Tom Davenport International Risk Governance Center - EPFLGet even more insights from data and analytics leaders like Jerry on The Data Chief.  Mission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.

Chief Data Officer at American Express, Pascale Hutz, shares insights on managing data as a product, importance of decommissioning tech, fighting imposter syndrome, and embracing diversity in tech. She discusses her career journey, staying tranquil during transformation, and the evolving data landscape at American Express.