1. Alex Sidgreaves, Chief Data Officer, Zurich Insurance
Describe your career to date
As Chief Data Officer for Zurich Insurance, I have a strong background in data management, analytics, and a deep commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. I am responsible for leading the data management, automation, and analytics efforts within my organisation, ensuring that data is effectively utilised to drive innovation, strategic decision-making, and business growth.
I also serve as the Cultural Awareness Network Co-Chair, where I actively promote diversity and inclusion within the workplace. I firmly believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce fosters innovation, creativity, and better decision-making. This commitment to diversity extends beyond my organisation to the broader data industry, where I advocate for diverse representation and the recognition of the value that diverse perspectives bring to the field.
Throughout my career, I have gained extensive experience in various roles, including Lead Domain Architect, DataOps Lead, and Head of Data. These positions have equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of the data ecosystem, data architecture, and data operations. I have successfully led award winning teams, run large data and organisational transformations, implemented innovative solutions that have improved data management practices, streamlined operations, and optimised data-driven decision-making.
I am an active member of industry boards, such as Evanta (Co-Chair) and DataIQ (Data Literacy), where I collaborate with industry experts to advance initiatives in the data industry.
Through my roles and experiences, I have demonstrated the value of diverse teams and have successfully led data management and analytics efforts that drive strategic decision-making and business growth.
Data literacy is a key enabler of the value and impact from data. How are you approaching this within your organisation?
Within our organisation, we recognise the crucial role of data literacy in unlocking the value and impact from data. Data fluency is one of the four pillars of our data strategy, highlighting its continued importance in our organisation over the next strategic cycle. We have taken significant steps to approach data literacy within our organisation.
Firstly, we have appointed an individual specifically in charge of data fluency and data culture. This emphasises the importance of data literacy and ensures it is a key priority rather than a side-of-the-desk activity.
To support the development of foundational knowledge and demystify the fear around data, we have established an in-house data academy. This academy provides training and education to employees across the organisation, laying the foundation of governance and promoting good data practices. We have piloted this programme with 75 individuals, receiving positive feedback and engagement.
In addition, we have partnered with an external organisation to build a comprehensive data literacy programme that will be launched next year. This programme will focus on gaining senior stakeholder buy-in and conducting a UK-wide data maturity assessment to identify key areas for focus in 2024.
To ensure widespread data literacy, we have undertaken key stakeholder mapping across our UK business. This has allowed us to understand the landscape of federated data teams and partner with various teams in key functions to provide enablement on data basics and technical knowledge. Approximately 250 individuals in these functions have benefited from these initiatives.
We also drafted an internal data obligation policy aimed at increasing the focus on the importance of data and fostering a sense of responsibility for ethical data practices across the organisation.
Lastly, we have developed a new data apprenticeship programme, targeting individuals who heavily utilise data in their roles or those who can benefit from basic data training for career growth. This programme aims to enhance data literacy and support individuals in utilising data effectively.
Overall, our approach to data literacy includes the establishment of a dedicated role, the development of internal training programmes, partnerships with external organisations, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and apprenticeship programmes. These efforts collectively contribute to fostering a data-literate culture within our organisation, enabling us to harness the value and impact from data effectively.
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