Does data now have a seat at the table during strategic discussions? If not, what will it take to get it there?
Yes, absolutely. The choices we make are strategically informed by the opportunities to improve and develop our core data assets, services and capabilities that underpin the critical place infrastructure of one of the best mapped nations in the world!
Our data is relied upon by thousands of government and commercial customers every single day and it inspires millions of consumer customers to get outside, find new places and enjoy their leisure time – promoting physical and mental wellbeing. Part of my role in particular is to ensure that data is well represented in strategic discussions and to champion the role of data in ensuring our long term business success.
What are your key areas of focus for data and analytics in 2022?
The demand and expectations for national foundational data that is Q-FAIR – quality, findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable – is baked into the heart of our data roadmaps at Ordnance Survey. As more and more data become available, not least from “always on” space sensors, the opportunity to enhance the provision of location insight for a new generation of customer use cases is exciting, and, with the advent of AI and ML, our geospatial data scientists are able to help us work quicker and provide data-driven advantages for our customers that until now have been out of our reach.
Tell us what leadership means to you in the context of your role as a senior data leader.
There is an oft-used phrase that “what has got us here, won’t get us there” and I think it usefully plays to the unparalleled levels of opportunity that geospatial data has in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues – whether they be resilience in an economic, health, environmental or social context.
As a senior data leader, I’ll continue to act as an evangelist for geospatial data and hopefully inspire others to embrace similar levels of curiosity in the world around them and the role that geospatial data can and does play in helping to make the world a better place.
