Joining AFL
Jordan initially believed that excelling in technical skills and showcasing being the best developer or data scientist was the key to reaching a leadership position. However, the AFL helped him realise that leadership goes beyond technical expertise and involves mentoring, strategy, and business impact.
“It has always been the end goal for me as a practitioner to eventually make it to the to that level,” said Jordan. “AFL allowed me to see what the CDO role actually included from a leadership standpoint, not just a technical one. It really helped me understand that it is not enough to just be technical to be a CDO; it required you to be able to apply these skills and translate them in a way that is beneficial to all areas of the organisation and adds true value.”
As the most senior data professional at Love Energy Savings, Jordan was expected to lead the team and contribute to business strategy. However, he felt he lacked experience in leadership and was unsure how to transition from a technical expert to a strategic leader, which is why AFL was seen as such a beneficial programme.
Jordan discussed his career progression with senior leaders who supported his need for specific leadership training.
“I had a conversation with our CTO – a big backer for me in the business – and I explained if I’m going to be taking on more responsibilities then, for the business and for my personal growth, I need to go and get enrolled somewhere to excel,” said Jordan. “I showed the leadership team the AFL programme and had a meeting with DataIQ who sent across a useful introductory information pack. It was a very simple process and speaking with DataIQ highlighted that AFL would be a huge benefit to me and the business.”
Learning through AFL
As the course started, Jordan expected to feel a sense of impostor syndrome, fearing he would be surrounded on the course by already established CDOs. However, he immediately found that most participants shared similar backgrounds and challenges to his own; he was among peers and people that were on the same journey.
“The people that are on the course are similar people, with a shared background, and a lot of the same obstacles. I realised I was with people are very similar to me, they’re just from different industries.”
Jordan’s key takeaways from starting the AFL course include:
- Networking with peers from different industries and getting a different understanding of challenges faced.
- Gaining insights from engaging and beneficial guest speakers.
- Take-home exercises encourage exploring business strategy and data literacy, areas that were previously overlooked.
- The course sparked more data-related discussions within Jordan’s company, increasing credibility and interest in data initiatives.
“The guest speakers really engage with the group and their insights have been super beneficial for me,” said Jordan. “The course makes you go in and learn about business aspects that you don’t seek out naturally as a technical specialist; I started spending time with chief executives asking for details surrounding strategy. AFL pushed me out of my comfort zone to understand the business from a new perspective as a data leader. It definitely added more clarity.”
Since taking part in AFL, Jordan has:
- Become a more attentive leader by improving team engagement.
- Successfully built a business case for AI transformation.
- Learned to communicate technical concepts in a business-friendly manner, improving collaboration with senior leadership.
- Grown his credibility in the company, helping drive data initiatives.
Benefits of AFL for ambitious data professionals
Since taking part in AFL, Jordan’s ambitions to become a chief data officer have been reinforced and he has found himself in a new position of confidence to achieve his goals.
Jordan explained: “There is still a lot for me to learn from the AFL sessions, such as organisational data literacy and data culture, which are things outside of what I’m used to. I have created my own little checklist of the things that I need to do before I get to the CDO role.
“Prior to AFL and involvement with DataIQ I would have been blindly hoping for the best and hoping I will eventually land the CDO role, whereas now I have more of a vision on how to get there successfully. I am now on a good trajectory thanks to the guidance and support I received; it has been great.”
The AFL programme is valuable for senior data professionals and any data practitioner looking to transition into a leadership role. The evolving data landscape requires professionals to move beyond technical skills and focus on business impact, which is what AFL delivers.
“We have been on a transformational journey here at Love Energy Savings where we have made data the fundamental bedrock of everything we do,” said Clair Scott, COO, Love Energy Savings. “We live and breathe data driven insights and automation which has allowed us to accelerate our decision-making processes, and in turn drive exceptional step changes in performance across the business.
“None of this would have been possible without the phenomenal work from our data team, headed by Jordan Dwyer. He has enabled data to be socialised and simplified in such a way that all levels of teammates across our business can self-serve data at the tip of their fingers. It truly has been game changing and we are only at the beginning. We are excited about the future of our partnership with DataIQ and the opportunities it brings. The Future Leaders programme is equipping Jordan with valuable leadership skills and fresh perspectives, helping us drive even greater impact.”
Post-AFL
Inspired by the sessions, Jordan is introducing a data academy at Love Energy Savings. The academy will help non-technical employees learn about data, coding, and Power BI, empowering them to work with data more effectively while simultaneously enhancing organisational data literacy and culture.
“I think AFL would be good for any practitioner that is looking to go to the next step,” said Jordan. “I think the skills, knowledge, and connections that are shared at AFL are invaluable for the future leaders of the data industry.”
Jordan’s team is working towards winning a DataIQ award, validating their efforts in strengthening the company’s data culture and cementing their presence in the wider industry.
Register for the next AFL cohort.
