This is a profile from the 2022 version of the DataIQ 100.
The latest list is available here.
Cornelia Schaurecker, global big data and AI director, Vodafone Group
What has been your path to power?
I am an experienced leader with long-term experience in big data and artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, as well as automotive IT. I am widely recognised in the industry, e.g. within the Data IQ 100 2020 and 2021, and by Global Top 100 Data Visionaries. I started my journey with Vodafone Group in London in June 2019, where I have been responsible for all big data and AI initiatives across the world and lead the teams on group and market level.
Before joining Vodafone, I worked for BMW Group as vice president of IT region EMEA, in charge of all IT organisations of BMW AG in all national sales companies and NFSCs (BMW financial service companies) in Europe as well as the Middle East and South Africa (equivalent to CIO EMEA).
Previously, I worked in senior IT management within Audi AG and the VW Group (12 premium car brands) for 19 years. In my last position, I founded and was the director of the Volkswagen Data Lab for all Volkswagen Group brands. Before that I studied Commercial Sciences in Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria with a focus on digitisation, IT, eCommerce and CRM and hold a Master’s degree in International Economics from the Swedish Business School in Helsinki.
What impact has the pandemic had on the role of data in your company/organisation?
Whilst the pandemic has changed our best laid plans quickly and drastically, we quickly shifted to working from home, with the result that all the team worked remotely as of early March 2020, and the majority of the time since then, and delivered significant value despite being located in approximately 20 markets.
I can proudly say that from a bigger picture, our group big data and AI team has delivered innovative and market leading use cases since March 2020 with tremendous results in terms of value generation as well as supporting the Vodafone purpose by delivering data for social good.
The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of digitalisation and the data that underpins it. As a result, the pandemic has accelerated Vodafone’s journey towards becoming a techcomms company. This is shown by our delivery of the plan to double our central data scientist team in the first half of 2020. While completely unplanned, most of the hiring and onboarding of most of the new colleagues happened fully in digital. Whilst this was unplanned and challenging, it makes me proud that the spirit of Vodafone and our great team supported by many functions such as HR, IT and finance has been able to execute this critical onboarding - from hardware and software, collaboration, training and ultimately ML tools for use case delivery - swiftly and smoothly, fully working in the “new normal”.
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