In Episode 8 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Vijay Yadav, Director, Quantitative Sciences; Data, Digital & Analytics, at Merck, where they discuss what modern-day data leadership should consist of, which includes; The reality of why most data initiatives don’t start from the business objective, despite everyone knowing that should be the starting point  Why many Data Leaders don’t really understand what the business wants  Why ‘the business' should be in the driver’s seat, at least in the passenger seat, but not in the trunk/boot (where it often is)  Why Data Leaders are often guilty of mystifying data for business leaders/consumers  How he learnt the hard way by delivering many technical projects that failed  Why your success as a Data Leader is directly linked to the ability of the people you can attract and retain  Why ‘People’ trumps both ‘Process’ and ‘Technology’  The tangible benefits of putting people first  The fundamentals of retaining great people  What Data Culture really means  Why culture can’t be “changed” The relationship between culture and literacy  The role of internal data communities in building a great data culture  Practical tips on how to build one effectively   

In Episode 7 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Vlad Jiman, Director of Data at NBrown Group, where they discuss formulating a winning data strategy to secure investment for phase 1 data transformation, which includes;Being involved in the largest IPO on London Stock Exchange The overinvestment in Data Science The award-winning Data Transformation at Pets at Home In charge of one of the 5 key strategic pillars of a UK Top 10 online retail organisationThe heritage of NBrown Group and how they were the first organisation to send products direct to consumer via post How they moved Data from an enabler to a key strategic pillar within the PLCWhy you have to have a holistic approach, not a tactical one The three pillars of the data strategy that he has put togetherThe importance of speed Building a cloud native, end to end data platform Why most organisations are still paying lip-service to Data Culture Why everything has to start with “Why?”How data immaturity can mean investment in data has better returns than investment in other parts of a business Why most CEO’s no longer need to be convinced of dataWhy you can move a lot quicker than people thinkWhy the organisation will drive the transformation if done properlyWhy a breaking point in a transformation with new people can be a good thing Why the operating model should be the first priority to get right Why tech is one of the things that can help you outpace the competition if you know what you’re doing Why Data Governance is now done in a more sophisticated wayIdentifying Data Champions in the boardroomWhy there are so many issues with “Data Literacy” Data Culture = The trifecta of; curiosity, access, and knowledge The reasons why most Data Strategies fall down the hole The skillset/experience that Data Leaders require to succeed with Data Strategy and Transformation Faith, Fear and Finance; the 3 pillars of a business caseWhy data is likely to cost 10-15% across every transformational project

In Episode 6 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Randy Bean, Founder of NewVantage Partners (A Wavestone Company), where they discuss the struggles of the Chief Data Officer, which includes;The average tenure of the CDO TenureThe increase in organisations that believe the CDO role is established and successful over the last 2 years The future of the CDO role A shift from reporting into Technology Stats behind the challenges that organisations face in becoming data-drivenWhy businesses shouldn’t be making investments in data without being able to quantify the business value What CDO’s need to do to be effective What the most successful CDAO’s do The gap that most organisations have between the data capabilities and the ability to use them How the language you use demonstrates your credibility Navigating the risks of an economic downturn The role of lip-service in Data & Analytics Finding the balance between innovation and ethics Why data isn’t a substitute for human judgement Whether it's possible to quantify value that isn’t related to financial returns The skills businesses should look for in a CDAOWhy Data Leadership is an art, not a science The importance of organizational readiness Navigating reporting lines and organizational structures Advice for aspiring CDAO’sWhy operating in the C-Suite is an additional set of skills beyond Data & Analytics

Malcolm Hawker, Head of Data Strategy at Profisee, discusses why data literacy isn't the key to success. Topics covered include the challenges of data analytics initiatives, implementing recommended data practices, rethinking data literacy and data-driven culture, exploring decentralization vs. centralization in data adoption, and the importance and benefits of data sharing.

In Episode 4 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Kelly Hume, Lead Partner of Data Analytics & AI at Baringa Partners, where they discuss the resurgence of data modelling, which includes;How she was persuaded not to study astrophysics but went on to work at NASA Why she suffered from Imposter Syndrome by being surrounded by Nobel Prize winnersWhy Baringa have one P&L to drive better levels of collaboration How their strategic focus is on sustainability & climate change How Baringa built the world’s leading climate change scenario model The resurgence of data modelling Why we’re back at 1st principlesWhy data platforms are here to stay and aren’t another hype cycle The challenge with modern-day data architectures Where Data Platforms are currently failing The importance of understanding the specific use cases How to design with the end in mind The importance of cross-functional teams lead by the business The challenge of adopting new and rapidly evolving technologies The importance of rationalising your genuine master data Where data duplication and storage sit on the carbon footprint agenda

In Episode 3 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast our CEO Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Liz Henderson, Executive Advisor (and NED) at Capgemini, where they discuss how data is ultimately a people sport, which includes; How a bad experience shaped her appreciation of change management Why the resistance to change occursWhy you’ve got to get the key influencers in a business to drive the change How to identify and engage those key influencersThe ‘top down’ and ‘bottom-up’ questions to ask Why you shouldn’t highlight top down business objectives Why most data strategies are too high-level and don’t include people or actionsWhy there’s minimal investment into change managementThe trend of siloed data strategies and the associated risks How to make data relatable to people on an individual level Why data is just a hype train How to deliver value without support from senior leadership Why you shouldn’t jump in feet first The 5 “Why’s” of Data How to benchmark an organisations data-driven status Why the non-exec table needs to be convinced of dataWhy being challenged demonstrates a data-literate organisation The term “data” switches people off How 90% of organisations are investing in data, but 90% claim their biggest challenge is a people/cultural one Why data will be a P&L asset in the future

In Episode 2 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast our CEO Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Niresh Rajah, Managing Director; Data, RegTech & Digital Advisory, where they discuss how to obtain the balance between Offence, Defence and ESG, which includes;The role of CDO in tomorrow’s world How to obtain a balance between Offence and Defence Why defence is more than regulation Why no one is “buying” Data Management Why many data operating models aren’t fit for transformation Why building a balanced team is so important to win in both offence and defense Why any business leader worth their salt understands that they need data to run, grow and control their business Data Leaders don’t communicate in the language of the business; benefits and outcomes Where ESG sits within the conversation of Offence and Defence Why ESG is on the agenda of every boardroom and why Data is at the heart of itThe legal, regulatory and perception challenges of ESG that make it more complex The challenges of acquiring accurate ESG dataThe 4 differences between ESG regulation and “traditional” regulation How ESG will drive consumer behaviour and play a role in market share How this impacts who your organisation partners with Why you need to have a separate ESG data strategy & ESG data teams How to tackle the 34-38 sub-components of E, S & GThe 7 steps to consider to become ESG ready

In this podcast episode, Davin Crowley-Sweet, Chief Data Officer at National Highways, discusses the importance of valuing data as an asset. He highlights the need for data literacy and business literacy, the role of a CDO in creating value, and the impact of valuing data on strategy and investments. The speakers also reflect on past experiences and lessons learned, and emphasize the successful execution of a data strategy that generated £60 million in benefits.

In Episode 50 of Season 2, of Driven By Data: The Podcast our CEO Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Joe Bradley, Chief Scientist SVP Data Science & ML at LivePerson, where they discuss Conversational AI, which includes;What the business benefits are of Conversational AIHype V Reality of Conversational AI Who is doing it versus who isn't and why How organisations know when they are ready to implement thisThe Pros and Cons of Conversational AI & Personalization The relationship between Conversational AI & Personalization How it differs from building a general DS/ML capabilityThe learnings of working at mammoth brands such as Nike and AmazonThe future of Artificial IntelligenceTop 3 tips for anyone looking at either entering into, or improving their Conversational AI journey

In Episode 49 of Season 2, of Driven By Data: The Podcast our CEO Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Zoher Karu, Vice President Chief Data & Analytics Officer for Blue Shield of California, where they discuss the framework of change & transformation, which includes; How to spot evidence of transformationThe key ingredients of transforming organisations through Data & AnalyticsWhy most organisations very rarely make a start with change The playbook to getting the change management piece right The role of the Data Leader in Change/TransformationHow we know to start with a business challenge/opportunity and work backwards but why that doesn't happen The role of reporting lines and team structures in the ability to drive change The relationship between change/transformation and innovation