Driven by Data: The Podcast

In Episode 13 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Leanne Fitzpatrick, Director of Data Science at Financial Times, and Andy McMahon, Head of MLOps at Natwest Group, where they discuss the current MLOps maturity, which includes; The maturity of MLOps over the last 12 months Why getting ML into production is no longer the challenge Why the Ops component is now the major challengeWhat best practice actually looks like Why ML is more software than Data Science Why thinking about MLOps as products is helping the industryWhat does MLOps actually mean to business leaders The resiliency and risk elements Why design and processes are really what make or break MLOps Why we need rules of engagement Why we don’t have enough practitioner expertise The challenge of building scalable MLOps solutions The differences and similarities to software engineering Why companies will need to change their operating models to support their MLOps maturity The importance of domain expertise for successful MLOps The current tooling landscape The role of vendors play in the journeyBuild versus BuyPredictions for next 12-24 months

In Episode 12 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Greg Freeman, CEO and Founder of Data Literacy Academy, where they discuss how to build a data literacy programme at scale, which includes; The reason the Data Literacy Academy exists What the business is, who it’s for and who it’s not for How they’ve raised over half a million in funding to grow the organisation Why Data is a “taught fear” in business Why everyone doesn’t need to be a Data Scientist The importance of finding a champion in the C-SuiteThe importance of understanding what level of literacy each individual requires The three types of literacy profiles within an organisationWhy most organisations fail to realise that literacy is a Change Management initiativeThe spectrum of understanding of the data literacy problem Why organisations that treat data as a transformational change tend to do better Why the remit of a CDO goes beyond just data The importance of mapping the strengths of your stakeholder relationships Why the starting point for a Data Leader should be to ensure that people understand the value of dataYou can’t avoid data but you can certainly avoid engaging with it Why teaching hard skills is only relevant at a certain level of maturity Why data people need to improve their business literacy Why being more business literate will help data people to progress in their career The importance of saying “no”, without saying “no” and knowing what to say “no” toWhy there are only two gaps; knowledge and communicationWhy every Data Leader needs to be a Salesperson The importance of having a PR/Communication strategy

In Episode 11 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Cornelia Schaurecker, Global Group Director AI & Big Data at Vodafone, where they discuss how to create commercial impact quickly and sustainably with Data and AI, which includes; Why it's all about peopleThe benefits of reporting to a commercial leaderHow they've delivered several hundred data-driven solutions/use casesThe driver to build once and deploy to many The starting point to ensure you’re creating commercial impact Why it’s imperative not to boil the ocean and how to prioritise to pick the right betsThe importance of answering the right questions Why a good use case is one that scales The importance of time to market, speed and scale The tools and tech they’ve built to address the scale and speed challenges Why you need more than just tech/tool to create scalable solutions The role of automation in scale How to use measurements to build transparency The steps taken in building a high-performance team Why the quality of your data assets plays a role in attracting talent Why “social good” helps to attract talent How to ensure that your data team’s work is visible, valuable and impactful How they created a menu by building a use-case library with all of their data assetsTheir "AI Everywhere" StrategyTheir journey to 1:1 personalisation Creating an AI Ethics policy The 3 components of driving a data culture

In Episode 10 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Nirali Patel, Group VP of Data Strategy at Liberty Global, where they discuss how to create change at scale to drive data transformation, which includes; The similarities/differences of operating across different sectorsWhy data transformation is merely a part of business evolution What good data transformation looks like The importance of scalability with change How to make wholesale change across an organisation Why most organisations fail to link the want with their whyHow to identify the why The importance of understanding your organisations operational metrics Understanding what “brilliant” looks like for your organisationSuccessful case studies of scalable change Why having a good personal relationship with data is imperative for transformation Aligning change with business objectives Why it’s often more a change of mindset and attitude towards data The importance of getting out into the business to understand how things get done Why POC’s don’t work Why you should look at other parts of an organisation for previously successfully delivered projects to improve adoption Why you should get comfortable in accepting that many won’t adopt Why all parts of your business do not need to have the same level of literacy/fluency The 5 questions to assess your organisations data literacy/fluency The relationship between change and return on investment

In Episode 9 of Season 3, of Driven By Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Ed Child, Global Head of Consumer Data & Digital Analytics at Costa Coffee, and James Miller, Product & Strategy Director at Carruthers & Jackson, where they discuss why customers should be front and centre of your data strategy, which includes; Why businesses are doubling down on data and analytics and the relationship with your customers Why data strategies have historically been dry, architectural documents  Why your customers should be at the heart of your data strategy  Why good businesses can articulate a really strong story about their customers  The importance of recognising internal and external customers  Why it’s important to be able to tell the story of data through the lens of the customer and/or consumer  Why many organisations don’t realise what they’re getting themselves into and underestimate what it’s going to take  Why the shiny objects rule the day  Why understanding the vision for a data strategy is critical  Why "customers" are a language that the business understands  Why the data product way of thinking helps to get closer to the customer  Why business buy-in is where many data strategies go wrong  How changes in customer behaviour and expectations affect the data strategy  The role of personalisation within the data strategy  Why a data strategy should be a process not a document  Why customers are now more aware of the value exchange of their data  How 1st and 3rd party data changes impact a data strategy Why organisations are now doubling down on untapped 1st party data  Why the days of having a 3-5 year strategy are gone  Why customer-centric and data-driven are one and the same    

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