{"id":40471,"date":"2026-01-28T10:25:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/?post_type=100-alumni&p=40471"},"modified":"2026-02-09T14:33:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:33:06","slug":"steven-blunden-head-of-data-analytics-iag-cargo","status":"publish","type":"100-alumni","link":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/dataiq100\/steven-blunden-head-of-data-analytics-iag-cargo\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Blunden, Head of Data & Analytics, IAG Cargo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven Blunden is Head of Data and Analytics at IAG Cargo, where he leads the organisation\u2019s data capability and the ongoing modernisation of its analytics platform to support evolving commercial and operational needs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He began his career as an aerodynamics engineer in the defence sector, spending six years analysing complex data sets, interpreting test\u00a0results\u00a0and translating technical insight into narratives that informed design decisions. That experience\u00a0established\u00a0a strong foundation\u00a0in analytical rigour and the practical application of data to influence outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Around a decade ago, Steven transitioned into the aviation and\u00a0logistics\u00a0sector, joining IAG Cargo to lead a team of commercial performance analysts. While the move from engineering to commercial analytics\u00a0represented\u00a0a significant shift, the underlying disciplines of data analysis and storytelling remained central to his work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past decade at IAG Cargo, Steven has held a wide range of roles across the business, many of them outside a traditional data function. He began in commercial reporting, working closely with the Chief Commercial Officer, before moving into roles spanning alliances,\u00a0operations\u00a0and network planning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked closely with colleagues at British Airways and Iberia to plan and adapt the flying network in an unprecedented operating environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last five years, Steven has returned to a dedicated data leadership role as Head of Data and Analytics. In this position, he has focused on building a modern, scalable data platform and strengthening analytics capability to enable better decision-making across the business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cEffective data and AI leadership requires a combination of stakeholder fluency, technical judgment, governance, and trust-building. While advocating for scalable architecture and strong governance is essential, businesses\u00a0ultimately value\u00a0outcomes and not just elegant technology. This creates a dual responsibility: championing robust foundations while enabling delivery of high-impact solutions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEqually critical is building trust and shared accountability for data quality. Great insights start with great data, and that means working collaboratively across functions to surface issues, improve visibility, and\u00a0establish\u00a0confidence that problems can be resolved. By embedding analytics leads within business units,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0established\u00a0joint ownership of data quality, ensuring teams understand the importance of stewardship and the role they play in creating trusted datasets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn practice, this approach has underpinned initiatives where near real-time insights were only possible because operational teams partnered with us to\u00a0validate\u00a0and improve data flows. This transparency and shared responsibility\u00a0have\u00a0delivered trusted datasets that enable impactful decisions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, the\u00a0most influential traits in our organisation have been technical judgment balanced with business pragmatism, and a relentless focus on trust. Without trust in data, even the most advanced analytics cannot deliver meaningful outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cChoose a path you genuinely enjoy. Technical skills matter, but energy and resilience come from passion. Leading in data, analytics,\u00a0and AI is demanding.\u00a0You\u2019ll\u00a0face complex problems and shifting priorities. If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0working on something that excites you,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0so much easier to stay motivated, build relationships, and bring creativity to the table.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you enjoy the work, you naturally invest more in understanding the business, connecting with stakeholders, and finding innovative solutions. That enthusiasm is\u00a0contagious,\u00a0and it inspires your team and earns trust from senior leaders.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the turning point was realising that data is more than numbers,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a story that can transform decisions. I love shaping the narrative, and that enjoyment fuels the energy to tackle the toughest challenges. So, my advice: find the intersection of what you love and what creates impact, because passion is a great differentiator at the C-suite level.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Click\u00a0here to read the full profile<\/a>\u00a0and learnings, exclusively for DataIQ subscribers.\u00a0Get in touch<\/a>\u00a0to become a subscriber and access unique events, insights, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Steven Blunden is Head of Data and Analytics at IAG Cargo, where he leads the organisation\u2019s data capability and the ongoing modernisation of its analytics platform to support evolving commercial and operational needs.\u00a0 He began his career as an aerodynamics engineer in the defence sector, spending six years analysing complex data sets, interpreting test\u00a0results\u00a0and translating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":31480,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"100-designation":[1454],"100-search-term":[1456],"class_list":["post-40471","100-alumni","type-100-alumni","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","100-designation-100-brands-2026-europe","100-search-term-2026-europe-brands"],"acf":{"sort":"","rank":"","forename":"Steven","surname":"Blunden","fullname":"Steven Blunden","jobtitle":"Head of Data & Analytics ","organisation":"IAG Cargo ","introduction":"","content_2":"","content_3":"","content_4":"","100_thumbnail_image":31480,"affinoid":""},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-27 07:37:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"100-designation","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-alumni\/40471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-alumni"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/100-alumni"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40471"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-alumni\/40471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41003,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-alumni\/40471\/revisions\/41003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"100-designation","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-designation?post=40471"},{"taxonomy":"100-search-term","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dataiq.global\/devstage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/100-search-term?post=40471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}