What key skills or attributes do you consider have contributed to your success in this role?
The most important skill for all my leadership roles has been attracting, hiring, developing and retaining great people – while giving them real clarity on the vision for the business and what role they play in building a great company. I’ve been very lucky in my career to have been able to learn from some great leaders and inspiring customers that I’ve had the privilege to serve.
What level of data maturity do you typically encounter across your client base and what tends to hold this back?
Data maturity ranges wildly across the diverse client base that we serve. I’ve worked with mature financial services companies who have been forced by regulators to know precisely where their data comes from, what it means and what it’s used for, as well as with retail and consumer packaged goods organisations that have long understood the competitive advantage of behavioural customer data. I’ve also worked with those on the other end of the scale, such as traditional manufacturers who are being compelled to use more data for their survival during the recent pandemic, supply chain and economic challenges.
Building a thriving data culture requires investment in people, process, and technology. If the key stakeholders of any organisation don’t see the necessity or value in building a data culture then it rarely takes off without the necessary investment and support, despite the enthusiasm and efforts of a few enlightened data champions. Stakeholder support and engagement is key to success in building a strong data culture.