This is a profile from the 2022 version of the DataIQ 100.
The latest list is available here.
Di Mayze, global head of data and AI, WPP
What has been your path to power?
My journey has been less about a path to power and more a skip to the perfect role! After nine years in digital roles at Hearst UK, I enrolled at Cranfield School of Management to do an MBA. It was here that I was introduced to the marvel that is dunnhumby and following a project as part of my course, I joined dunnhumby in 2007 as senior solutions director. Over the next few years, I worked on some really interesting projects for fascinating clients. These included an econometric modelling price and promotion project for Nestle, exploring the impact of below the line activity for P&G and Unilever, and finally running the Northern category team optimising retail sales for Warburtons & Kellogg’s. In 2011 I moved to Boots to head up their commercial insights business and consulted for suppliers of Boots such as Estee Lauder, L’Oréal and J&J.
I joined WPP in 2014 to run marketing technology consultancy, Acceleration, working for clients such as Mazda and SABMiller leaving three years later to become a freelance Data Strategy Consultant. I had missed getting really close to the data although didn’t go very far and having consulted for numerous WPP agencies became WPP’s first ever global head of data and AI in 2020.
What impact has the pandemic had on demand from your clients?
It is more important than ever for brands to be able to understand and empathise with their customers, to be relevant and trustworthy and our approach to creative transformation has been a key part of this. From a data point of view, it won’t surprise you that I’d say our breadth of data skills and insight capability have been very much in demand as well as a keenness to partner with our new AI acquisition, Satalia and our data company, Choreograph. Clients recognise that by partnering with WPP they will have a marketing operation fit for the future, whatever that throws at us!
Do you get a seat at your clients’ strategic discussions? If not, what will it take to get you there?
Our clients are feeling data and technology tensions about whether or not to centralise, where to collaborate and where to keep data siloed, how much to own versus buy etc. It’s fair to say there are a lot of decisions that need to be made! One thing I love about my role and my team is that effectively we are WPP’s own client zero on how a modern central data team can operate. Clients love hearing about what we are doing to optimise the skills and data available for our agencies and subsequently clients. My mantra of “you don’t have all the data you need but you don’t use all the data you have” is still something I say at least weekly – my team must be so bored of me!
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