Russell Barton is EMEA Data Governance and Projects Manager at Starbucks, where he leads data governance and supports data-led projects and process improvement.
He joined Starbucks to take on a newly created Data Governance role, which has since expanded to include responsibility for data-related initiatives that enable more consistent, confident decision-making. Working within an open and collaborative culture, Russell has focused on building a strong foundation for data use while fostering a growing community of data-literate partners across the organisation.
Prior to Starbucks, Russell spent more than 30 years at Barclays in a career that evolved through several distinct phases. He began in retail and business banking, gaining a strong grounding in how large financial services organisations operate. He then moved into project and programme management, delivering a wide range of initiatives spanning organisational restructures, HR programmes, technology platform implementations and regulatory reporting.
Over time, his work became increasingly focused on data. He led data-centred projects including large-scale audit remediation, where improved visibility into data quality revealed significant opportunities for better data use. This led to roles examining how customer data could be used responsibly for commercial purposes, alongside the development of customer communications and consent management during the introduction of GDPR.
Russell’s work culminated in the design and implementation of an award-winning data ethics framework, created to guide new analytics and insight use cases by considering not only what could be done with data, but what should be done in the interests of customers and society.
Across his career, Russell has brought a pragmatic, values-led approach to data governance, combining operational experience with a strong focus on trust and responsible use.
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?
“I think that it’s essential for data and AI leaders to have a wider interest in more than just the ‘nuts and bolts’ of data within their business. It helps to have knowledge of the end-to-end processes that create and use data, and to develop an understanding of where the key problem areas are.
“It’s also useful to have good stakeholder management skills and to identify the key stakeholders in the business that will support your vision for data use and governance. Data is a resource for the whole business, which means that there can often be competing demands for its ownership and use. Balancing those demands is easier if you have good working relationships with the stakeholders and can bring them together in a joint vision for the future.”
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?
“Don’t be afraid to try something different; move horizontally within your business to get a greater understanding of how it works, rather than always looking to move vertically, or take a leap into a different industry where your skills and knowledge might bring a totally new perspective to their business. Careers are built over a number of years, and you have time to spend a year or two trying something fresh and broadening your knowledge.”
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