Gavin Goodland is Chief Data Officer at National Grid, where he leads the organisation’s data strategy and capability to support decision-making, performance and long-term transformation.
His career has consistently operated at boundaries between business and technology, disciplines, geographies, and operating models. Gavin began his professional journey in geoscience, working with diverse data types that required integration, analysis, and judgement to inform real-world decisions. That experience shaped a lasting perspective: data only creates value when it is clearly linked to the problem being solved and trusted by those expected to act on it.
Over more than two decades, Gavin has built a global track record as a digital and data leader, driving large-scale transformation across energy, government, and service sectors. He has led major programmes involving real-time and safety-critical data, designed enterprise technology and data strategies, and established governance models that balance pace, control, and accountability. His work is characterised by a focus on performance improvement, sustainable outcomes and practical value from data and technology.
Gavin’s expertise spans data engineering, analytics, governance, enterprise architecture, and business model innovation. Internationally, he has worked across the US, Russia, Venezuela, the UK, and Europe, bringing a strong commercial lens alongside a commitment to long-term resilience.
At National Grid, Gavin’s focus is on ensuring colleagues have the confidence, capability, and trusted data they need to make decisions at pace, grounding advanced data and AI opportunities in clarity of purpose and real operational impact.
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?
“Strategy, simplification, engagement, motivation, commercial acumen, and the ability to keep calm in raging seas.”
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?
“Understand how the business makes money and how that flows around the organisation. Understand who are the customers and what do they think about your business.”