Discover the lean startup approach to Data & Analytics with Ben Dias from easyJet, including neurodiversity in data science, recommendation algorithms, CEO sponsorship in driving data agenda, challenges in building foundations during Covid, and practical guide to implementing Lean Startup for business value.

Niresh Rajah, Group Chief Data Officer at Danske Banke discusses creating a data-driven environment for a large financial services digital transformation in Europe. Topics include building a Chief Data Office, demonstrating value from investment, aligning strategy, battling defence and offence, measuring success, driving change in a legacy organization, and prioritizing use cases.

In Episode 14, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Sarah Barr Miller, Director of Data & Automation at British Airways, where they discuss the reality of trying to influence change in a large, traditional organisation, which includes;Working in data straight out of University in the 90’sWhy data hasn’t historically been the focus of the organisationHow the digital experience of the business has left a lot to be desired at timesWhy the presence of safety extends culturally across the organisationHow they’ve had people working in data for over 35 years at the organisation Having deep ‘on-prem’ routesBeing the cheerleader of the team to drive change The challenges that having minimal to no attrition can bringHow they’ve upskilled and trained a large data teamBeing impatient in a world where change is slow Why they’re still using old-school tech and toolsBattling to increase the organisational expectations of the Data teamWhy the organisation doesn’t often see that data can be a solution to their issuesKicking off a big engagement and communications workstream to cater for 3 audiences Why this year will be more about bringing the work of the data team out into the daylight Being brutal in prioritising work Being open, transparent, and approachable as a leader The importance of framing ‘The Why’Generating interest from a business that had historically been trained to not make requests The polo mint analogy The transformation from governing data from a security perspective to being a value-generator The role operating model and team structure play in large-scale transformation The people puzzle; combining the why and the how Why data is at the heart of all BA transformation programmesThanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first. At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve. Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

In Episode 13, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Zachery Anderson, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Natwest Group, where they discuss the value that is being driven from productionising GenAI, which includes;Why GenAI feels different to any other D&A hype that’s come before itHow the scale and interest is off the chartsHaving an outpost in Silicon Valley to scout new tech partners How they were working with OpenAI 18 months before ChatGPT launchedWorking with LLM’s 6-8 months before ChatGPT Having 2 LLM use cases in production and another 10 in development How there will be more direct interaction between LLM’s and customers Educating the business on the security risks Why regulation matters but customer expectation matters even moreWhy it’s important to just get started Prioritising the correct use cases  The 5 design patterns for GenAI use cases Running the central D&A function like a PE firm; it has to generate a return or it doesn’t happen The importance of killing projects that won’t deliver a return as fast as possible Having an annual target of how much the D&A organisation will generate as a multiple of the cost structure The importance of having your finance team calculate and audit target Why Analytics Leaders should, but don’t do analytics on themselvesWhy GenAI will change D&A team structures and operating modelWhy executive support and interest is more important than who you report toAdvice on productionising GenAI Why it really matters where your GPU’s are hosted Why you need to hold your current plans very lightly The importance of app development for LLM usage Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy. Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity. If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first. At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve. Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.Thanks to our sponsor, Cambridge Spark;Cambridge Spark is an education technology company that educates the workforce with critical digital transformation skills to succeed in the AI era.They offer a range of flexible learning solutions to meet business needs, from fast deployment of new skills with bespoke programmes through to longer-term investment in the workforce with apprenticeships.Their unique patented online learning platform EDUKATE.AI simulates real-world industry scenarios, providing learners with instantaneous feedback on their code. This hands-on, practical approach ensures that students are learning how to apply new skills to real datasets, which accelerates the business impact they can make.Get in touch to learn more - Cambridge Spark

In Episode 12, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Alexandra Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer at Zurich Insurance, where they discuss the practicality of building an award-winning diverse and inclusive, Data & Analytics team, which includes;Being in an organisation for 19 years Transforming from a traditional MI function to an end-to-end Data & Analytics function Moving everything back in-house Spending a lot of time externally to learn from others Having the job description of “deliver value through data”Why they’ve launched their 3rd data strategy Having internally focused and externally focused strategies 25% tech, 25% value and 50% people Putting a pound amount value to what they deliver Why the business doesn’t want to talk about risk or technology, they want to talk about value The link between D&A success and diversity Building an award-winning D&A team Why you need to destroy groupthink and promote positive challenge Doing 175 interviews and realising they were getting a lot of the same type of applicants What they changed to attract more diverse individuals and getting 170% more applicants Why this isn’t about ticking boxes How a diverse team is simply a by-product of doing the right things Why organisations mistake Representation and Diversity The power of apprenticeships and the two ways they’ve used them The benefits of growing your own talent Tackling skills shortagesChallenging yourself when identifying the essential versus desirable skills The misconception that technical data people aren’t able to communicate Why you don’t need a data translator The link between diversity and inclusion, and Data and AI ethics The AI ethics framework and ethical committee they’ve implemented The key trends predicted from being a governing body member for DataIQ and EvantaThanks to our sponsor, Cambridge Spark;Cambridge Spark is an education technology company that educates the workforce with critical digital transformation skills to succeed in the AI era.They offer a range of flexible learning solutions to meet business needs, from fast deployment of new skills with bespoke programmes through to longer-term investment in the workforce with apprenticeships.Their unique patented online learning platform EDUKATE.AI simulates real-world industry scenarios, providing learners with instantaneous feedback on their code. This hands-on, practical approach ensures that students are learning how to apply new skills to real datasets, which accelerates the business impact they can make.Get in touch to learn more - Cambridge Spark

Dr. Raoul-Gabriel Urma discusses the role of education in Data & Analytics success, tackling industry hype, the need for commercial use cases, and investing in people for technological advancements. They explore the challenges of CDO tenure, balancing quick wins with long-term investments, and the impact of early education in data science programs. The podcast also covers comprehensive training solutions for organizations and career transitions integrating domain expertise with data analytics.

In Episode 10, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by David Castro-Gavino, Global VP of Data at HelloFresh, where they discuss, unboxing data maturity and insights from the HelloFresh growth journey, fuelled by data, which includes;Their focus on renewable and sustainable value to the customer Being recruited directly by the Co-Founder Removing complexity by having a unified data platformThe evidence that data has played a pivotal role in the huge growth trajectory of the organisation Why being “data-driven” is a company value Going beyond the what and understanding the why behind the data Tackling different levels of maturity across regions and breaking those silosThe symptoms of growth pains in a hyper-growth organisationDismantling certain capabilities that weren’t designed for scale Accelerating time to actionable insight The framework of 4 key pillars; People, Technology, Governance and Enablement Designing the data strategy so it was practical and linked to the business Implementing the four-pillar approach as a 6-Step recipe Talking in the language of food which the business would understand Building for the immediate requirements that needed tackling but also for the long-term visionThe importance of having the right structure, the right talent and the correct career frameworks Deciding the speed you hire at and how you’ll lose productivity The importance of data education and the HelloFresh Data UniversityBalancing build versus buy and its relation to maturity The four core dimensions of data enablement Monetising the work that has been done Walking through the 6-Step Data Recipe to get to relish feast Helping the business to adopt the technology Prioritising based on core business metrics Ensuring you’re delivering a return on investment  The importance of stakeholder application, not just usage, in realising value  Why you have to ensure you agree of the definition of a business metric The 4 key takeawaysMoving from data-driven to data-enabled The lessons learnt from the journey they’ve been on with implementing data-mesh Thanks to our sponsor, Cambridge Spark;Cambridge Spark is an education technology company that educates the workforce with critical digital transformation skills to succeed in the AI era.They offer a range of flexible learning solutions to meet business needs, from fast deployment of new skills with bespoke programmes through to longer-term investment in the workforce with apprenticeships.Their unique patented online learning platform EDUKATE.AI simulates real-world industry scenarios, providing learners with instantaneous feedback on their code. This hands-on, practical approach ensures that students are learning how to apply new skills to real datasets, which accelerates the business impact they can make.Get in touch to learn more - Cambridge Spark

In Episode 9, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Aimee Smith, Director of Data at Metropolitan Police (probably known as Scotland Yard by most outside of the UK), where they discuss the opportunities that Data & Analytics presents to revolutionise policing and moving to prediction for prevention, which includes;Tackling Organised Crime GroupsChairing the national police data board bringing together 43 organisations Being one of the most complained about organisations to the ICOThe importance of executive sponsorship How investment is linked to your highest leadership level The biggest challenges Met Police/Scotland Yard have with data Why their people are genuinely their biggest asset and the challenge that creates for D&A investment Peelian principles; why data has always been used in policing What they have done to prove their value Using credible stakeholders within the organisations to tell the data story The different levels of data-led decision-makingThe opportunity to revolutionise policing through data and analytics The challenges of being judged based on media headlines Why the obsession with catching offenders could be the wrong approach Prioritising workload in potential life and death situationsHow the public help set the organisation's business strategy Why most people don’t connect data to their core role and missionWhy their data can be valuable to UK PLC but the challenges in articulating howHow the expectations of how data is used are different within the same organisation Fixing broken relationships with the black community while also trying to deploy DS/ML with biased data Tackling bias and ethics as an organisation that people love to scrutinise Using their own DS team to test for bias Choosing not to deploy certain solutions due to bias and ethical concerns Needing to build trust with the public before they can execute on predictive analytics A shout-out to Davin Crowley SweetThanks to our sponsor, Cambridge Spark;Cambridge Spark is an education technology company that educates the workforce with critical digital transformation skills to succeed in the AI era.They offer a range of flexible learning solutions to meet business needs, from fast deployment of new skills with bespoke programmes through to longer-term investment in the workforce with apprenticeships.Their unique patented online learning platform EDUKATE.AI simulates real-world industry scenarios, providing learners with instantaneous feedback on their code. This hands-on, practical approach ensures that students are learning how to apply new skills to real datasets, which accelerates the business impact they can make.Get in touch to learn more - Cambridge Spark

In Episode 8, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by James Morgan, Chief Data Officer at The Crown Estate, where they discuss all of the facets involved in building a Data & Analytics capability for strategic transformation while managing the hype cycles, which includes;The importance of having the right information strategy Why D&A needs to be involved in strategic planning Why you have to identify which stakeholders deliver value for the organisation How too many data teams are focusing on solutions instead of objectives Choosing objectives that will deliver the best ROI  Why diverse teams are critical for success with D&A Balancing the immediate needs and the strategic visionDefining what your core capability needs to be Ensuring you enable the business so they don’t do it themselves Why all hype cycles only exist to help deliver an outcome  Why choosing the right tools can be critical Why some hype cycles have been hugely advantageous The importance of identifying where the nuggets of real change lie within any hype cycle Why the fundamentals of good data practice are still applicable today Why prototyping is beneficial but it can’t be your main approach Why AI isn’t the answer to everything Why not all hype cycles are created equally How people confuse operating model and team structure Trying to hire unicorns and writing 35 different job descriptions to build a team Why your data team should represent the population Why you have to truly believe in building a diverse team Why being obliged to fill a diversity quota or target is the wrong approach Why you’ll only ever gain credibility by delivering something that people want and use Needing to get your organisation to the place of believing that data is intrinsic to its success Attributing the value of your work before you deliver anything

Tim Carmichael, Chief Data Officer at Chaloub Group, discusses servant leadership in Data & Analytics success. Topics include: first CDO in the British Army, enabling evidence-based decision-making, shifting mindset for servant leadership, playing to people's strengths, context of decisions, trusting partnerships, moving away from 'them and us', the difference between leadership and line management, Gen AI and data literacy, ruling through fear stifles innovation.