Headline Partner

Bruce Philp, Partner, Global Head of Data Engineering, QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey

Describe your career to date

After getting my master’s in information systems, I worked in a range of technical roles before moving into consulting. I’ve now spent over ten years working at QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey. Since joining, I’ve built an industry leading data and analytics team of over 100 people from the ground up. This award-winning team and I serve and advise Fortune 500 clients to architect and implement large complex data and analytics programs at scale.

My technical skills have helped clients to realize over $1bn of impact from data and AI and the innovations I have driven has led to the development of cutting-edge tools and tech that are changing how businesses approach data and analytics.

What stage has your organization reached on its data maturity journey?

McKinsey has been developing its data team and thanks in part to my expertise, is now at the forefront of AI and machine learning, winning multiple awards for its projects and innovations. To stay at this level, the team invests heavily in its capabilities, both through an industry leading global program of skills-sharing and developing cutting-edge tools and products.

Tell us about the data and analytics resources you are responsible for

I jointly lead a diverse community of over 790 data engineers across 32 countries and I have created clear archetypes of data engineers across the community. This ensures that each individual’s development is tailored to focus on developing their deep technical skills in a specific area.

I am focused on guiding the learning and development of our data team at QuantumBlack, architecting, developing, productionizing and scaling AI solutions using MLOPs and discovering new capabilities for our clients through innovation. Together with the exceptional colleagues around me, I help our clients unlock, scale and sustain impact.

What challenges do you see for data in the year ahead that will have an impact on your organization and on the industry as a whole?

Set to be the next generation of architecture to manage data in a decentralized way, data mesh is a hot topic now. Clients are flocking to data mesh as it is empowering businesses to own their data while observing enterprise standards.

The critical challenge we see clients facing is how to implement data mesh and identify the best operating model to truly embrace it at scale. We have invested heavily to help our clients through this journey, developing both our team’s deep expertise and innovating through our tools and best practices to make the transition simple and effective.

Have you set out a vision for data? If so, what is it aiming for and does it embrace the whole organization or just the data function?

Our mission as a firm is to help our clients make distinctive and lasting improvements in their performance and to build an organization that develops, excites and retains exceptional people.

The data engineering guild provides strong global and regional structure supporting apprenticeship, development, R&R, innovation as well as codifying learnings and best practices. And through this, we live and breathe our mission, creating the best diverse and inclusive environment to develop expertise internally. This in turn helps our clients improve their performance through data and analytics and helps us to build a home for exceptional data engineering talent.

Have you been able to fix the data foundations of your organization, particularly with regard to data quality?

At QuantumBlack we developed AI for Data Quality (AI4DQ) which is now used across industries to identify anomalies and recommend steps to repair them. The core components stem from our extensive efforts with R&D and AI4DQ has been used with many industry clients to analyze processes, shortening this process to just weeks.

Bruce Philp
has been included in:

100 Enablers 2023 (USA)

Enabling data and AI leaders to drive impact

Enabling the success of Data and AI leaders and their teams.

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