Contact

New to DataIQ?

Register

Take our FREE data literacy indicator now

Unlock the power of data - take our FREE data literacy indicator now

Simon Prinn, Director of Data Science and Analytics, Walgreens Boots Alliance

Describe your career to date

I started my career in analytics at Stockport Council, my report on poverty made local news, prompting a fundamental shift in service provision. Joining Boots in 1998, I became one of the first Advantage Card Analysts and now lead 70+ Analytics specialists. I moved across analytics and IT teams, establishing a Centre of Excellence within Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), landing analytics across 17 countries. I leveraged IT experience to build strong Data Engineering, Data Science, and Business Intelligence capabilities, creating and productionising high-quality analytics products. As a founder member of the International Data Office (IDO), I was promoted to Director of Data Science and Analytics (DS&A). DS&A make substantial commercial and strategic contributions to WBA. Through CRM personalisation models, we support delivery of significant incremental sales, and generate substantial revenue selling our analytics capability to suppliers.

My remit includes responsibility for data literacy and analytics adoption across the organisation. This year, I was thrilled to become a Fellow of the British Computing Society in recognition of the developments I had been involved with.

I continue to promote analytics inside and outside WBA. DS&A continue to support DataIQ, and I returned as a judge in the Culture category, and DS&A won a joint award in the Data for Good Category.

Engagement with a range of universities continues. In 2023, I spoke at numerous conferences including CDO Exchange and Marketing Society, discussing personalisation in healthcare, and leading teams in a changing environment.

Data literacy is a key enabler of the value and impact from data. How are you approaching this within your organisation?

In 2023, to boost data literacy, I focused on building links between the new Data Office to the areas I directly or indirectly partner with – Marketing, Digital, Opticians, Properties, while also delivering Data Science capability to other areas including Logistics. This includes representation on the leadership teams of each function, leading to a significant increase in recognition of the value of data and analytics to business processes. Many opportunities have been identified far more quickly this way. All of this has been in the context of continued evolution of the Boots organisation structure as it adapts to a post-coronavirus retail landscape and becoming more independent within WBA.

Another approach has been the empowerment of analysts at all stages in their careers, hosting sixth formers and interns, and pioneering the use of apprenticeships (L4 and L7) with Cambridge Spark, initially within the Data Office, but now extending other functions. The successful Data Science Guild, Google Analytics, and 1,000 strong PowerBI Communities have been extended across the international business. Through collaboration with augmentation partners, DS&A flexes to meet increased demand, while also helping us to develop analytics capability in the business units. Senior colleagues are encouraged to build networks with DataIQ and other organisations. We now have an ethos which shares our knowledge without barriers and insists that our partners do the same.