Cengiz Ucbenli began his career as an engineer, later adding an MBA in Turkey and a PhD from Columbia University, before finding his professional footing in New York as a senior data scientist at American Express. Working with rich transaction and customer data, he cut his teeth on large-scale personalisation and early AI applications, grounding his approach firmly in commercial outcomes rather than technical novelty.
That pragmatism carried through a move back to his home country of Turkey to lead data science at BBVA during a landmark banking acquisition, and then into telecommunications at Vodafone. There, Cengiz repeatedly built data and AI capabilities from scratch, linking advanced analytics to hard operational decisions. One standout example was reframing network optimisation around customer experience and lifetime value, improving the return on network investment by around 20%. This project cemented what would become a recurring theme in his work: translating complex data signals into decisions executives are willing to back.
Mid-pandemic, Cengiz relocated to London to take on a group-wide role at Vodafone, overseeing AI strategy across 20 markets. By standardising platforms on Google Cloud and introducing a model based on the concept of build once and deploy many, he helped cut development cycles and bring consistency to analytics at scale without ignoring local nuance.
Cengiz is now Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Centrica, appointed into the role to tackle fragmented data estates and uneven capability. Two and a half years on, he leads a central team of around 100, alongside a federated network of several hundred embedded data professionals, with a focus on practical AI, improved data literacy, and measurable impact in a fiercely competitive energy market.
As a data and AI leader, which traits and skills do you think matter most, and which of those have been most influential for you in your current position?
For Cengiz, “the most important trait is strategic thinking. Data is not just data, and AI is not just AI.” What he believes matters is the ability to connect multiple disciplines into something the organisation can act on. “In any meaningful initiative there’s data, AI, visualisation, narration, storytelling, and then a clear call to action that mobilises people.”
Cengiz sees this blend as the defining skill set for modern data leaders. “Those are the skills I’ve built over the years, and they pay off. It’s not enough to build a model or surface insight, you have to shape it into a story that moves the business.”
Equally critical to Cengiz is empathy and stakeholder management. “Understanding the other side’s point of view is extremely important.” Plus, he emphasises that future leaders should be acutely aware of how data initiatives can land badly if handled poorly. “Imagine you run a call centre and someone turns up with data in front of the CEO exposing all your problems. That creates an allergic reaction.” His approach advice is deliberate: “Help me help you and explain that this is a joint story, not my credit.”
That philosophy shapes how Cengiz has worked successfully with multiple businesses. “I didn’t invent new call reasons, but I used the ones they already trusted and applied AI to classify them better.” Building trust and credibility, he argues, is inseparable from technical delivery and is an invaluable skill for the future data and AI leaders.
Above all, Cengiz emphasised that leaders should stay anchored to real business problems. “Too many data leaders chase far-fetched use cases that don’t move the P&L. If you tackle problems that really matter, people value you.”
Reflecting on your career, what is one non-traditional piece of advice (outside of technical skills) you would give to an aspiring data or AI leader aiming for the C-suite?
“My one piece of advice wouldn’t be about data or AI at all, because those are hygiene factors. You have to keep up, otherwise you’ll be obsolete in a few years,” said Cengiz.
The real differentiator, in his view, is deep business understanding. “You need to know the business better than the business itself.” Too many leaders, Cengiz feels, operate in functional silos. “I’m doing my data role, you’re doing your marketing role: everyone focuses on their own bit. But what we do is so interrelated that you can’t prove value unless it lands in business operations.”
That means sitting with the business and really understanding how work gets done. “Future leaders have to keep that scientific, interrogative mindset. Someone’s been doing a job the same way for ten years and you have data that could help them rethink it. How do you redesign or reimagine their world without alienating them?” Cengiz describes the role as a blend of consultant and business owner. “You’re advising, but you’re also accountable for the outcome.”
Emotional intelligence is the other overlooked skill. “A lot of resistance to AI comes from fear as people don’t want to be automated away or lose their teams.” Navigating that requires empathy and shared ownership. “You have to create a sense that this is their initiative, not something being done to them.”
In his experience, Cengiz thinks this is where many data leaders fall short. “Our community is very strong on IQ like maths, coding, and models. But EQ is often weaker. For me, high EQ, combined with real business fluency, is the biggest differentiator if you want to progress.”