Susan Laine is Field Chief Technology Officer at Quest Software, where she advises organizations on data management strategy and best practices. With over 26 years of experience in the field, Susan has built her career helping enterprises navigate the complexities of data governance, architecture and enablement.
Susan began her career at Wells Fargo, where she spent seven years implementing an enterprise metadata repository, gaining expertise in data management foundations within a large, regulated environment. This early experience shaped her practical understanding of how organizations can structure and govern data at scale.
She later moved into vendor-side roles, working closely with clients across industries to develop and implement best practices in data management. Susan has supported organizations in areas including data catalogues, enterprise governance, data lineage, data modelling, data marketplaces and, more recently, data readiness for modern analytics and AI use cases.
Susan’s work is grounded in helping organizations translate data management principles into practical, scalable solutions that support both operational needs and strategic objectives.
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?
“Collaborative, openness and agility. Every aspect of delivering data is changing, and the ground is rapidly shifting under our feet. We need to trust the experiences of our past to craft our way through the changes iteratively.
“Create interoperability needed to align with our AI Strategy. It’s so important not to be rigid, to be creative, and manage change effectively while keeping people and customers first.”
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?
“It’s all about communication and ensuring what is received is what was said. It’s about starting on the same page and quickly resetting when you have a communication breakdown. Communication and arguments are not about winning; they are about unraveling.”