Lara Izlan is Director of Insights at ITV plc, with a career spanning digital media, data and insight across a wide range of disciplines. She began in investment research covering dot-com businesses, before moving into industry roles across consumer research, strategic planning, advertising technology and data strategy. Her career has included senior positions at organisations such as Disney, AOL, the Telegraph, Auto Trader, and ITV, often during periods of significant digital and commercial transformation.
Lara’s perspective has been shaped by experiencing data-led change from multiple vantage points: as an equity analyst assessing business models, a strategist designing them, and an operator responsible for delivering them. At the Telegraph, she helped pioneer programmatic advertising for media owners. At Auto Trader, she contributed to the development of data solutions that challenged traditional automotive advertising models. At ITV, she secured board-level sponsorship for a multi-year insights and data programme that delivered measurable commercial impact within its first 18 months.
In her current role, Lara leads a team of research and data specialists, blending qualitative research and advanced data techniques to deliver critical insights that inform ITV’s strategy, content, advertising and commercial decisions. She also serves as a non-executive director on the board of a global media measurement company.
Although data has not always featured in her job title, it has been central to every role she has held. Lara brings a distinctive, multi-lens view to data leadership in media, grounded in business context, cultural change and the translation of insight into sustainable commercial value.
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?
“Business acumen is paramount. Understanding how data translates to commercial outcomes like revenue growth, cost efficiency, and competitive advantage enables you to secure investment and prove value.
“Change management and influence matter enormously. Data initiatives fail not from technical limitations but from organisational resistance. The ability to champion culture change, build stakeholder partnerships, and navigate complexity at all levels from team members to board directors, which determines success.
“Cognitive diversity in team building has been transformational at ITV. Leaders don’t need to know everything; we need talented people with varied perspectives. Creating inclusive environments where researchers collaborate with data scientists, where commercial insights inform technical solutions, unlocks innovation impossible in homogeneous teams.
“Strategic storytelling bridges the gap between technical possibility and business reality. At ITV, reframing internal teams from ‘customers’ to ‘partners’ with vested interests fundamentally changed how we collaborate and deliver value.
“Finally, intellectual humility by staying curious, acknowledging what you don’t know, and remaining open in discussions keeps you relevant in fast-moving landscapes. The best data leaders learn continuously, adapt readily, and focus relentlessly on outcomes rather than outputs.”
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?
“Learn to speak the language of the business, not just the language of data.
“I discovered early in my career that brilliant technical solutions fail without business context. The executives who reach the C-suite aren’t those who build the most sophisticated models; they’re those who translate data capability into commercial strategy that boards understand and value.
“Invest time understanding P&Ls, revenue models, competitive dynamics, and what keeps your CEO awake at night. Volunteer for cross-functional projects outside your comfort zone. Seek mentors in commercial, product, and operations roles, not just technical ones.
“My unconventional path through investment research, strategy, and operations before leading data teams has helped me to build credibility in boardrooms. It allows me to articulate how data drives profitability, not just efficiency.
“At C-suite level, you are not hired for your technical skills; you are hired for your business judgment informed by data expertise.”