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Hywel Benbow, Senior Vice President, Global Data and Analytics, GEMS Education

What has been your path to power?

Despite not directly looking for roles in data at the start of my career, I have always worked in analytics and research. I’m an analyst at heart and have spent my career utilising those skills in a variety of different roles in both public and private sectors. I’ve been lucky to have worked with and for some excellent people who have given me the opportunities to progress into different roles.

 

I have an inquisitive mind and I enjoy problem-solving and delving into “why” things happen. That’s probably the reason I was drawn to and have stayed in the sector. I’ve enjoyed working in different organisations with different challenges and requirements, every day is a learning experience and from this I’ve been able to translate and utilise those skills in different scenarios to make an impact.

What impact has the pandemic had on the role of data in your company/organisation?

 

There’s certainly been an increase in focus on how data and analytics can help people understand the impact the pandemic is having on different parts of the organisation, be it student learning outcomes or student numbers.

 

Data teams need to be agile, which has only intensified throughout the pandemic. This agility has been critical in delivering in a changing environment. With an increased demand on the team we have taken on more transformation projects alongside our BAU, but the over-arching goal hasn’t changed: to deliver actionable insights across the organisation.

Does data now have a seat at the table during strategic discussions? If not, what will it take to get it there?

 

There’s an ever-growing demand for data and insights across the business, which is testament to the work the team have undertaken and delivered in the last few years. The value of data and analytics is seen as a key component in helping drive education and organisation performance.

 

The data transformation we are undertaking has the backing and support of the key stakeholders, which is vital in moving the needle and enabling the team to create and deliver value. As a team, we want to build systems and products that give our colleagues, no matter where they sit in the organisation, the ability to make timely, informed decisions whenever they need to.

 

What are your key areas of focus for data and analytics in 2022?

 

A continued focus on our fundamentals, improving our data literacy and data governance across the organisation. The growing maturity in these areas and our evolving data culture will enhance and speed up the delivery and capability of our data products on the technical front. Together these will further help the organisation understand and mitigate challenges, identify new revenue streams and ensure our customers’ needs are met.

 

There is always a need for balance, and over the next year (and beyond) we will be focusing on making sure our data culture, from a people perspective, grows, and our technology supports the digital and data transformation we are undertaking.

 

Tell us what leadership means to you in the context of your role as a senior data leader.

 

Leadership in any context is about providing the right environment for your team to evolve and develop. Providing the big picture direction and being open and adaptable around the path to get there. If you can build that environment, you are setting your team up to flourish by giving them a platform where they can carry out their work in a way that suits them while delivering the wider results the organisation requires.

What key skills or attributes do you consider have contributed to your success in this role?

 

I think collaboration is the most important attribute for any leader, especially within data and analytics, where there is considerable demand to understand context, translate business and technical elements back and forth to different stakeholders and manage analytic expectations.

 

There are many moving parts and different areas that we as data leaders need to understand. Without having skills in communication and collaboration, understanding the context of the business becomes challenging, if this element is missing there is a distinct challenge in aligning business outcomes to analytics which is a common blocker in being successful.

 

How did you develop – and continue to develop – these skills or attributes?

 

I like to think that I am an open and engaging person – this has helped me over the years to initiate conversations with different parts of the business. Once these conversations start there is a need to be able to listen and learn from different people in different areas who are the experts.

 

I constantly remind myself that while I bring certain skills to the table, I need to learn from, and lean on, the experts to be able to deliver full value. I don’t have all the answers, and having that mindset has helped me to continue to develop different skills, be it from a member of my team who has great technical skills, taking a course, or learning from someone in the business who provides a new perspective. There are always opportunities to learn and develop.

Is the data tech you have keeping pace with your goals and requirements? Are your providers leading or lagging behind your demands?

 

I think there is a great link between the evolution of technology from the vendor side and the demands from the customer side, with each pushing the other to improve.

 

Developments in tech continue to create new growth opportunities and enable improved outcomes from a business perspective. On the flip side, this allows innovative companies to push the boundaries and demand new solutions to meet those growing demands. The pace of development doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon, which is positive – the opportunities are only going to increase.

 

From my perspective, in an organisation that is growing its data capabilities, the demands are being met in a positive manner, pushing us to improve and innovate further to ensure we are a leader in our sector.

 

Hywel Benbow
has been included in:
  • 100 Brands 2021 (EMEA)
  • 100 Brands 2022 (EMEA)

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