Daniela Marx began her career as a developer before progressing into roles as a Database Administrator and later a Data Warehouse specialist. Her technical foundation and strategic vision eventually led to her appointment as an executive.
In 2016, Daniela developed a data strategy that guided the organisation’s transition to cloud technology, transforming legacy data warehouses onto the Google Cloud Platform. Under her leadership, the data and analytics community has grown to encompass approximately 140 professionals.
Today, she oversees a hybrid data and analytics operating model, with data engineering centralised within IT and analytics capabilities decentralised across Pepkor’s operating companies and support units, enabling both consistency and agility across the group.
DataIQ asked: “How do you see the role of the data leader evolving over the next 12-24 months?”
“Over the next 12 to 18 months, the role of a data leader will transform from a technical overseer to a strategic business leader. The rapid adoption of AI and generative AI is a key driver of this change. Data leaders will no longer just focus on managing data infrastructure and quality; they will be responsible for leveraging data as a strategic asset to drive innovation, revenue, and customer experience.”