In 2021, Coventry Building Society had a completed and approved Data Governance Framework. The challenge was uptake: business stewards and owners were in place, but adoption lagged. As the team put it, the framework lacked “teeth.”
By 2023, the Society set out to change that. With executive-level backing and external expertise, it elevated Data to a Principal Risk category – a landmark step that gave governance visibility and accountability at the highest levels. By 2024, this was underpinned by a suite of sub-policies covering architecture, quality, protection, access, usage, and deletion, each setting out a clear standard of what “good” looks like.
“I love the content and ambition here, and the outcomes are impressive.” – Judges’ comments
Building the Foundations
Embedding governance required more than policy – it demanded roles, responsibilities, and accountability. Data Owners and Stewards were redefined, trained through the Data Literacy Academy, and equipped to evidence compliance. Governance was hardwired into the Society’s structures, with a new Data Risk Committee reporting directly to the board and the Data Council reconstituted as a subcommittee for Data Risk.
Technology played its part. The rollout of Informatica aligned responsibilities to system workflows, ensuring that governance was consistently applied and auditable.
Engaging Stakeholders at Scale
The breakthrough came through relentless engagement. Over 2023–24, the team met with:
- 100+ process leads, SMEs, and risk champions
- 42 business teams in briefing sessions
- 69 process owners
- 18 risk champions
Together, they assessed all 422 critical business processes, capturing 135 in Informatica and building prioritisation for 2024/25. This effort created the coverage needed to measure and manage risk effectively.
The results were tangible: 1,458 business terms defined, 525 data quality rules created, and 680 critical data elements captured with automated lineage, producing a 98% Data Quality score. A Power BI dashboard provided real-time oversight, giving executives and stewards unprecedented clarity.
Embedding Governance by Design
In 2025, the Society went further by integrating governance into its Delivery Framework. Over 800 stakeholders, from portfolio managers to scrum masters, were engaged through townhalls and training. To build understanding, creative communications brought governance to life, most memorably through “DataPlace Sweep”, a gameshow likening the data lifecycle to the lifecycle of a banana, run 24 times in a single day for over 700 colleagues. Follow-up e-learning and intranet resources reinforced the message.
The impact has been cultural as much as technical. Where once governance was met with hesitation, process owners are now asking proactively: “Can you also govern this process?”
Stakeholder Success
The judges praised Coventry Building Society’s ability to win over stakeholders at every level, from board to business unit. By embedding accountability, fostering understanding, and creating a shared sense of ownership, the Society has made governance a lived practice rather than a compliance exercise.
For turning engagement into transformation, and for showing that governance can be both rigorous and relatable, Coventry Building Society is the 2025 winner of Most Effective Stakeholder Engagement.
