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Pedro Cosa-Fernandez, Data General Manager, News UK

Pedro Cosa-Fernandez, Data General Manager, News UK

Describe your career to date

I started as a consultant where I learnt the tools of the analysis trade working for a large number of companies across multiple industries.

Following the dotcom revolution in the early 2000s, I realised the potential of leveraging my existing analysis skills with further specialisation in database marketing and business intelligence. Those new skills gave me the opportunity to land senior data-based roles at several telecoms companies in Europe and Africa.

I then moved into media – a sector in the middle of a digital transformation where I could transfer all my skills and experience.

During that time, I led the data teams at Channel 4 in the UK and WarnerMedia across EMEA.

My current role is at News UK, which reaches almost 40 million UK consumers via brands like The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, Virgin Radio UK, talkSPORT, Times Radio and TalkTV.

I lead the data hub, a central function that co-ordinates all data initiatives across the company. In my role, I support our brands to drive advertising and consumer revenue, enable more efficient marketing, develop customer-led products and support editorial decisions.

What stage has your organisation reached on its data maturity journey?

News UK has been successfully using data to extract business value for a number of years. We have built and cemented our data foundations on an efficient and scalable technology stack and on a great pool of data talent across the organisation.

Our next stage is to continue developing a strong data culture and help all of our colleagues to make the most of the capabilities we have developed for them.

Tell us about the data and analytics resources you are responsible for

I am responsible for the data hub at News UK. This is a central team of more than 25 analytics and insight specialists who co-ordinate all data initiatives across the company.

Our team sits within the group operations and platforms area, and I work alongside the different data teams that are embedded and fully dedicated to our brands. All of us are based in The News Building by London Bridge.

What challenges do you see for data in the year ahead that will have an impact on your organisation and on the industry as a whole?

Data will be more important than ever during these uncertain times. As a result, business expectations for data are growing, not only to unlock substantial commercial opportunities but also to help navigate through a volatile and complex environment with better and more informed decisions.

Even more than before, we need to work closer with our business partners to identify where data can bring value and also how data can drive the innovation agenda and ensure the company is in a great position when things go back to normal.

In our particular industry, the demise of the third-party cookie and the opportunities it brings to publishers is very high on our agenda.

Have you set out a vision for data? If so, what is it aiming for and does it embrace the whole organisation or just the data function?

Our vision states that data will maximise the material value generated by all of our brands and will allow us to respond in an agile, effective and sustainable way to consumer, socio-economic and market changes.

In our view, data is the conduit to achieve business goals by making sure our customer needs are also met.

Have you been able to fix the data foundations of your organisation, particularly with regard to data quality?

This is a work in progress as I think there will always be room for improvement.

Of course, we pay special attention to anything to do with compliance and regulation. But we are firm believers that governance can be a defensive (i.e. to avoid fines) or proactive (i.e. to extract maximum value of our assets) tool. We choose the latter, so we are investing heavily in people, processes and standards to be able to sweat those assets as much as we can.

Pedro Cosa-Fernandez
has been included in:

100 Brands 2022 (EMEA)
100 Brands 2023 (EMEA)

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Pedro Cosa-Fernandez, Data General Manager, News UK

Join our membership network of over 250 global senior data and AI leaders.

The trusted global collaboration and intelligence platform for data leaders.

Join our membership network of over 250
global senior data and AI leaders.