Set up the area of Technology, Big Data, Business Analytics and AI

Impact generated: #DataAreaSetup #DataDrivenOrganization #AgileDataTransformation #TeamTopologies #CulturalChangeManagement #DataDemocratization #StrategicDataLeadership #MultinationalDataStrategy

I was tasked with consolidating disparate departments previously reporting to the CTO and CFO, and integrating AI functions from the Company’s Innovation Lab. This involved creating a unified data area, addressing significant cultural and operational challenges. Not only did the company operate across 20+ countries but also my newly formed area had multiple development centers across Europe. The first order of business was aligning head-level leadership teams which had competing agendas, resolving discrepancies in career paths, compensation, and tackling disparate work processes.

Adopting the  Goldman Sachs framework of Goals, Strategy and Tactics, I began by clarifying the C-level executives' vision for a data-driven organization, understanding expectations, and aligning priorities at the highest level. Then working closely with the CTO and my peers in the Technology area, I developed a strategy centered on leveraging unique customer data to enhance product development. This led to an 18-month action plan to address critical gaps in the existing data infrastructure, immediate actions to improve data governance, ensure regulatory compliance, and establish the level of support that the central data function would provide for other departments like product development and customer experience. 

It was then, and it still is now, my firm belief that a central data function must be as ubiquitous, invisible and important as electricity in our daily lives. Data democratization then is the north star, empowering the whole organization to become self-sufficient and develop their own data products, reports, experiments. This shift aimed to move the area beyond the legacy role of a basic report provider function towards the breeding ground of a core competency which links customer, product, and platform data in order to create a true strategic business advantage. 

Finally at the tactical level, I assessed team composition, capabilities, and roadmaps, and conducted workshops to introduce team topologies tailored to various stakeholders. I also collaborated with the People department to rectify compensation discrepancies, standardize roles, and restructure teams.

I also unified budgets and the management of strategic partnerships. This approach rounded up implementation issues, streamlined problem solving and built up trust between the parties, allowing continuous training programs, more effective knowledge transfer and close collaborations that down the line resulted in many more focused MVPs addressing company’s needs. 

To foster agility and break down silos, I implemented agile methodologies and diverse team topologies, ensuring teams were aligned with the overall area goals and started using internal KPIs themselves. The existence of clear metrics and the resulting transparency led to a more collaborative attitude. 

This very early work resulted in the creation of a cohesive and strategically aligned data area, poised to support future growth and innovation.