Customer Insight Leader podcast

For episode 42 we again venture to the USA and talk with Randy Krum the creator of the famous CoolInfographics website. Randy is a data visualisation designer with his own design agency (InfoNewt), teaches a University course and is a published author. His book is “Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualisation and Design” and he's also active in organising Data Viz Meet-up groups. So, we had plenty to chat about.

In this conversation we explore Randy's career story, including the role for blogs to visually share others' content & showcase your work. We also discuss the continued role for infographics, as well as solely effective data visualisations. Randy shares what has helped him through his career & we consider when firms might choose to bring in an external design agency. Well worth a listen, especially for those interested in the role of visual communication beyond just charts.

In episode 41, I have a great conversation with Sarah Barr Miller who is Head of Data & Automation for British Airways. We chat over her career history & what she too learnt from working at dunnhumby. During that we explore the continued relevance of single customer views & the benefits of a clear demarcation between data & analytics teams.

Sarah shares what she learnt from working internationally & the challenges she overcame as a woman in a male-dominated data world. Lots to consider and a great opportunity to reflect on the skills both leaders and more junior analysts need to succeed today. What could you learn?

For episode 40, I chat with James Blagg who is the Head of Data for Principality Building Society. Based in South Wales, like your host, James shares with me his journey into a data leadership role and some lessons he's learnt along the way.

Our conversation explores the importance of breaking down silos to help connect business & technical teams. We reflect on what James has learnt from his roles in risk & change leadership. He also shares how he has persuaded risk adverse leadership teams to invest in their data capabilities. Plus, James openly shares his own leadership challenges. Another opportunity to hear the reality, behind the spin, of data leadership in today's businesses.

For episode 39 we cross the pond again to talk with Graham MacDonald, who is the Chief Data Officer for the Urban Institute (a US non profit dedicated to elevating the debate on social & economic policy). During our conversation we explore how Graham has successfully influenced his organisation to develop both a data visualisation and a data science capability.

I quiz Graham on how he achieved those decisions and other lessons from his career story. We explore hiring decisions, the importance of developing domain knowledge and caring about your organisation's purpose. Graham also brings a fresh perspective to both how he is developing as a leader and tips for those earlier in their career. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed Graham's warm friendly company. Data with a purpose brought to life.

In episode 38 I'm in conversation with Alison Williams, Global Head of Data at dunnhumby. This is a wonderfully intimate and yet widely relevant chat about many of the issues faced by leaders in the data industry, especially women. We explore Alison's career story and why she has chosen to build most of her career at one employer. We discuss hiring decisions & the benefits of looking wider than data graduates. Alison also shares what she learnt from her time in Data Engineering and the benefits of gaining broad experience as a foundation. We also explore the use of account manager/translator roles.

Alison shares her passions for both charitable work and achieving diversity, plus options to consider. We even learn how she achieved promotion when returning from maternity leave, with valuable lessons to consider. Finally we discuss the benefits & lessons to be learnt when working internationally and Alison's tips for those earlier in their careers. Many thanks to Alison for sharing so generously, her real life experience and practical wisdom is well worth hearing.

For episode 37, I am in conversation with Aaron Peck who is the North American President & MD of the global Market Research consultancy MetrixLab. While the majority of people I've interviewed on this podcast are leaders in data, analytics or data science, this time we ring the changes. I am delighted to focus for a change on the world of Market Research and Customer Insight, including the sales side of that world.

During our chat, Aaron and I explore his career journey and the continued need for Market Research in today's data obsessed world. We consider how an in-house research team can best work with their agency partners. Plus, Aaron has recently been promoted to President so we also explore his experience of that key leadership transition.

As normal, we finish by hearing how Aaron is still developing as a leader, plus his tips for those who are starting out. We close with what Aaron has recently changed his mind about. I hope you find our chat insightful.

In episode 36 we hear from Simon Kaffel. He is Director of Data & Analytics for Sovereign Housing Association. Simon's previously held data leadership roles at Arcadia, Sky, NatWest, O2 & Zurich Global Life Assurance. He's also won numerous awards along the way and learnt a thing or two about what enables or prevents successful data transformations.

During our conversation we explore Simon's career journey, including digging into the reason for his numerous successes at Sky. We consider his experience of what leaders need to do to succeed with data transformation. We also get honest about when & why it doesn't always work. This includes the need to get real about the roles really needed in data today. Lots to chew on for those tasked with leading data transformation in their own organisation. We close off with advice for analysts and other leaders. Thanks Simon.

For episode 35, my guest is Richard Pugh who is Chief Data Scientist & co-founder of the data science agency Mango Solutions. Richard has decades of experience in helping businesses make better decisions through data & is also a passionate member of the R & Data Science communities in the UK.

In our conversation we explore Rich's career story & the reality of what Data Science offers over and above traditional Statistics & advanced Analytics. We also chat about what it takes for organisations to be ready to adopt Data Science, how Mango's 'Radar' helps them hire & the continued benefits of R as a language even as others grow in popularity. Finally he shares both his own development focus & tips for those starting off in the Data Science careers. A must listen for those wanting to learn from a man who has proven the value he can add to business through applying Data Science.

In episode 34, Howard Barber (Director of Data, Analytics & Insight for Golden Charter) takes up the challenge laid down by Firas Khnaisser in episode 25 (to appear on our show). Howard shares his experience of working across client & agency-side analytics roles. We also hear more about his commitment to people development & the skills he is developing in his team. 

Like James Dunlop in episode 32, Howard shares why he has found Financial Services a great sector for applying data & analytics to marketing. We close our conversation by hearing Howard's personal development focus, tips for those earlier in their career & what he has changed his mind on. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as we did.

For episode 33 we get into the kitchen, in this case the Data Kitchen, with Head Chef & Founder Chris Bergh. During our conversation we explore Chris' career & passion for DataOps (so this episode is a great companion to episode 1). We talk about the leadership skills needed to lead DataOps functions & lessons to be gleaned from Manufacturing.

Chris has published a couple of very accessible books on DataOps, so we chat about those & compare them to 'Practical DataOps' which I reviewed with Harvinder in episode 1. We also explore how DataOps teams can measure their success & the skills that analysts should develop in order to succeed in a career with DataOps. I hope you find that a tasty sounding recipe (just like Rob provided in episode 29) & tuck in for a listen. Enjoy & let me know what helps you.