DATA SECRETS Podcast

Data Secrets Episode 12 with Anthony Gondick from Kawasaki Engines

In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, we chat with Tony Gondick, technology leader at Kawasaki Engines, about how data centralization and agentic AI are reshaping the future of manufacturing.

Tony Gondick explains how his small (but mighty) IT team moved beyond “good enough” thinking, tackled legacy silos, and enabled business users to become empowered data storytellers. We cover:

• The challenges and rewards of consolidating data from legacy systems into a central platform
• Practical steps for cleaning, governing, and making sense of decades of operational data
• How Power BI and Salesforce Manufacturing Cloud empower non-technical users across the business
• Real-world examples of AI-driven automation for customer service and early quality warnings
• Why the hardest part of adopting new technology is shifting mindsets, not just systems

From enabling analytics on the shop floor to building early warning systems with AI, Tony Gondick shares insights any business can use to unlock the secrets in their own data.

Connect with Tony Gondick:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-gondick-05719417/

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📬 Episode recaps & insights: https://www.allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Nathan Settembrini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/njsettembrini/

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Noelle Butler, Vice President of Product Management at JPMorgan Chase, to uncover how mastering business fundamentals and relationship management can drive massive impact in analytics and data product development.

Noelle shares her journey from home health care accounting to leading enterprise data product teams at one of the world’s largest banks. We discuss:

• The “secret sauce” to career growth in analytics: learning the business and building strong relationships
• Real-world stories from Noelle’s time in home health, automating nurse-patient matching with early Tableau, wrestling with legacy tech, and optimizing onboarding to reduce costly nurse turnover
• How data-driven insights move the needle, from day-to-day operations to high-level decision making
• The evolution (and challenges) of data product management inside Fortune 500 organizations
• What makes a true “data product”? The difference between dashboards that deliver value and those that gather dust
• The importance of organizing analytics teams for impact and staying connected across complex organizations
• Noelle’s philosophy on change and innovation, plus her take on how AI is reshaping the data landscape

Whether you work in healthcare, finance, or any data-rich industry, Noelle’s stories and strategies offer practical advice for anyone looking to turn insight into action and make data products that actually get used.

🔗 Connect with Noelle on LinkedIn

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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Peter Coffee—legendary technology researcher, prolific writer, and longtime Salesforce evangelist—to unpack five decades of digital transformation, the dawn of AI, and the future of intelligent business.

Peter shares hard-won lessons from the days of slide rules and room-sized mainframes through the PC revolution, cloud-first innovation, and today’s AI-powered landscape. We explore:

• Why using AI just to do old tasks “better, faster, cheaper” leaves a ton of value on the table
• The difference between incremental improvement and breakthrough, unimagined possibilities with data
• What the “AOL dial-up phase of AI” means for businesses and how AI soon becomes like the air we breathe
• How Salesforce’s strategy (via acquisitions, platforms, and partnerships) reflects the relentless march toward seamless intelligence
• Why the tools of tech should “disappear into their function” and what it takes for leaders to build truly adaptive organizations
• The new world of AI agents, what Minsky got right about “minds,” and how complex digital systems will soon self-orchestrate
• Practical pitfalls and mindset shifts for execs competing in a world where your real rival is the “best digital experience” a customer has... anywhere!

Peter also shares what’s next for him: his work with the Foundation for Intelligent Life on Earth and his urgent call for data-driven action on climate change.

From AI’s hidden potential to the cultural (and personal!) changes driving decades of innovation, this episode is packed with stories, strategies, and provocations for anyone building the future of business.

If you’re ready to move beyond the “easy wins” in AI and data, and want to unlock transformational opportunities, this conversation with Peter Coffee is a must-listen.

Connect with Peter:
🔗 Foundation for Intelligent Life on Earth: http://intelligentlifeonearth.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercoffee/

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🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, we sit down with Nadiem von Heydebrand, CEO and co-founder of Mindfuel, to uncover the real secrets behind creating business impact with data and analytics.

Nadiem shares why data teams struggle to demonstrate their value, drawing on stories from consulting and startup life... including why 1,900 out of 2,000 dashboards at one client were simply unnecessary. We discuss:

• The difference between “output” and true business “outcome” in analytics
• How data product management transforms tech output into customer-centric results
• Why most organizations don’t generate (or properly use) their own data early on
• The hidden dangers in data processes, like the paint shop model ruined by overlooked temperature data
• How to build and structure a data team for maximum business value, whether centralized or distributed
• What makes customer satisfaction the most universal KPI, and why click rates are losing relevance
• How AI and data governance are reshaping enterprise priorities

From startup pivots to insurance risk modeling to KPI horror stories, Nadiem’s insights reveal how leaders must link every data asset to a real business impact... or risk getting lost in a forest of unused dashboards.

If you want to know how data teams, product managers, and business leaders can finally crack the value code, this conversation is a must-listen.

Connect with Nadiem:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiemvh/
🌐 Mindfuel: https://www.mindfuel.ai/

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
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In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Brian Benn, CIO of Clark Atlanta University and former CIO at the Atlanta Housing Authority, to explore how business process mastery unlocks the true potential of organizational data.

Brian Benn pulls back the curtain on his journey from NASA software engineer to IT leadership in public sector and higher ed, sharing how confidence, continual learning, and a focus on people shaped his rise to the CIO seat. We discuss:

• Why understanding business processes is foundational to data strategy and digital transformation
• The art of mapping handoffs, avoiding silos, and fostering interdepartmental trust
• Key advice for technology practitioners looking to move into executive roles (including the difference between a mentor and a sponsor)
• Challenges of managing “small-town sized” data at Clark Atlanta, from police departments to museums, sports arenas, and beyond
• How to wrangle mountains of diverse data into a single source of truth for actionable insights
• Real stories of using data to drive investment, improve graduation rates, and support community success
• The critical role of governance, retention policy, and identifying the “right amount” of data for decision-makers
• Vanity metrics, weird KPIs, and the North Star numbers that matter most in higher education

Whether you’re leading data strategy in higher ed, government, or the private sector, Brian Benn offers practical wisdom on connecting technology, process, and people for powerful, enduring impact. If you’ve ever wondered how a CIO views the secret life of data across an entire ecosystem, this episode is packed with insights.

Drop your questions in the comments—we read and respond to every one!

Connect with Brian: 
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bwbenn/
📸 Instagram: @brianwbenn

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📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this live episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, host Nathan Settembrini sits down with Chris Williams – Tableau Ambassador and keynote speaker at Dreamforce 2025 – for a candid, on-the-ground conversation about the evolution of Tableau, its integration into the Salesforce ecosystem, and the game-changing potential of Tableau Next.

Chris shares behind-the-scenes insights from his Dreamforce keynote, breaking down how the new Tableau semantic model is providing a unified foundation for analytics, AI, and actionable insights across Tableau and Salesforce, plus how it’s all connecting with Slack and Teams for deeper collaboration. We dig into:

• Why semantic models are the “puzzle piece” connecting raw data to real business meaning
• How self-service analytics is becoming accessible to all personas, not just data pros
• Tableau horror stories, real-world wins, and what happens when sensor data goes silent
• The secrets of uncovering hidden insights that actually drive business decisions and save serious money
• The importance of community, mentorship, and the #DataFam in the next generation of data careers
• Practical tips for breaking into analytics, and why business context is your secret superpower

Whether you missed Dreamforce or just want to hear what’s next in the world of data, this episode is packed with stories, advice, and actionable takeaways for anyone looking to level up with Salesforce and Tableau.

🔗 Connect with Chris Williams on LinkedIn

If you’re ready to make smarter decisions and unlock the secrets hiding in your data, this is your backstage pass. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and keep sleuthing!

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Sairam Sundaresan, Engineering Leader and AI expert, formerly at Qualcomm and Intel. We dig into the real-world data challenges and surprising insights behind building safe, scalable AI systems for autonomous cars and how those lessons translate to any business using data to unlock value.

Sai pulls back the curtain on:

• How teams structure and collaborate to create reliable perception for vehicles
• The complexity of collecting, cleaning, and curating diverse, real-world data (e.g., snowstorms in Colorado vs. perfect San Francisco weather)
• What happens when the data tells you something completely counterintuitive, and how unexpected “secrets” hide in machine learning models
• A real business case where fixing tiny data details meant huge leaps in product success
• The horror story of a “data leak” between training and validation sets and what it teaches about trusting your models in production
• Why accuracy is an overrated metric, and what KPIs actually drive value and curiosity on high-performing teams
• How AI is changing the role (but not the importance) of data analysts in business
• Practical advice for anyone looking to upskill and leverage AI in their data workflows, starting with hands-on projects and tool experimentation

Whether you’re an engineer, data analyst, or business leader, Sai’s stories and advice reveal what it really takes to turn messy, real-world data into business impact. Plus, get a sneak peek at his upcoming book, AI for the Rest of Us, designed to bridge the gap between technical teams and business strategy.

Connect with Sairam: 
🔗 Gradient Ascent Newsletter: https://newsletter.artofsaience.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairam-sundaresan/
📖 Preorder AI for the Rest of Us (Releases Oct 30, 2025): https://www.amazon.com/AI-Rest-Us-Illustrated-Introduction/dp/B0F29THNLT/

If you want a ringside seat on how business leaders crack the code, uncover the truth in their data, and translate insights into action, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this episode of The DATA SECRETS Podcast, I sit down with Sairam Sundaresan, Engineering Leader and AI expert, formerly at Qualcomm and Intel. We dig into the real-world data challenges and surprising insights behind building safe, scalable AI systems for autonomous cars and how those lessons translate to any business using data to unlock value.

Sai pulls back the curtain on:

• How teams structure and collaborate to create reliable perception for vehicles
• The complexity of collecting, cleaning, and curating diverse, real-world data (e.g., snowstorms in Colorado vs. perfect San Francisco weather)
• What happens when the data tells you something completely counterintuitive, and how unexpected “secrets” hide in machine learning models
• A real business case where fixing tiny data details meant huge leaps in product success
• The horror story of a “data leak” between training and validation sets and what it teaches about trusting your models in production
• Why accuracy is an overrated metric, and what KPIs actually drive value and curiosity on high-performing teams
• How AI is changing the role (but not the importance) of data analysts in business
• Practical advice for anyone looking to upskill and leverage AI in their data workflows, starting with hands-on projects and tool experimentation

Whether you’re an engineer, data analyst, or business leader, Sai’s stories and advice reveal what it really takes to turn messy, real-world data into business impact. Plus, get a sneak peek at his upcoming book, AI for the Rest of Us, designed to bridge the gap between technical teams and business strategy.

Chapters:
00:00 Understanding Machines and Humans
03:16 Autonomous Driving Software Development
09:13 From Toy Data to Real Insights
10:50 Unexpected Model Bias Lying in the Shadows
14:16 Early Depth Camera Scanning Challenges
17:18 Data Leak Derails Model Performance
20:56 AI Explained for Non-Experts
25:08 Vanity Metrics in Accuracy
27:26 User Behavior Insights
31:12 Evolving Role of Data Analysts
33:08 Master AI Through Practice
36:12 Using AI to Solve Problems

Connect with Sairam:
🔗 Gradient Ascent Newsletter: https://newsletter.artofsaience.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairam-sundaresan/
📖 Order Sai's Book: 'AI for the Rest of Us'

If you want a ringside seat on how business leaders crack the code, uncover the truth in their data, and translate insights into action, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, we crack open a manufacturing data “case file” with none other than Frank Borovsky – Mr. Manufacturing Cloud. If you think every Fortune 500 factory has their act together, think again! Frank spills the beans on busted systems, mysterious KPIs, and the questionable "data alibis" companies use to dodge hard truths.

Get ready for:

• The tale of Project Titan at Honeywell – a data sleuthing operation that uncovered double-dealing, cross-division chaos, and “customers” playing both sides
• The showdown between real KPIs and “vanity metrics” (hint: NPS is in the lineup for questioning)
• A behind-the-scenes look at how Frank survived complete system shutdowns, corrupted floppy disks, and more hair-raising data horror stories
• How private equity firms are shaking things up with their relentless chase for EBITDA, and why Frank loves solving their cases
• The secret ingredient to every successful manufacturing operation: on-time to first promise (a.k.a. your statistical “say-do ratio”)
• Frank’s “weirdest KPI”? Customer Expected Lead Time (CELT), and how it can make or break your operational alibi

Frank also reveals why most leaders would rather believe a “pretty dashboard” than interrogate the real data, and why every exec needs to get ready for AI to reveal inconvenient truths.

If you’re itching for the data drama beneath the surface of manufacturing, this episode is packed with shocking reveals, hilariously nerdy moments, and actionable forensics for your next analytics initiative.

Connect with Frank:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankborovsky/
🌐 B2Beyond: https://b2beyond.com/ 
📧 Email: [email protected]

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel

In this episode of the DATA SECRETS Podcast, Nathan Settembrini and Melanie Manning kick off a new series called “Data Confessions” – an inside look at the messy, thrilling, and sometimes hilarious adventures in real-world analytics consulting.

Nathan and Melanie pull back the curtain on their most intriguing current investigations, including:

• How to optimize business processes with tricky handoffs and unreliable data across multiple teams
• What it’s like to lead transformative analytics initiatives (and juggle both IT and business expectations on the ground)
• The surprising challenges in analyzing corporate real estate data: meeting room wars, “forks” as a KPI, and the reality of hybrid work
• Data horror stories, from multi-month cleanups (“Stop the Bleeding” and “Clean Up the Blood”) to “scream tests” on unused reports
• Moments when one metric changed everything (including the time a simple “cost per ton” dashboard blew the lid off a mining company’s profitability)

PLUS: The Lightning Round! Find out which vanity metrics, weird KPIs, and North Star measurements these pros love, hate, and use to drive results.

Nathan and Melanie also tackle big questions about operational process, the surprising accessibility of modern analytics, and what AI means for the future of dashboards and data transformations. If you’re a leader, analyst, or just data-curious, this episode is packed with practical lessons—and a few laughs—straight from the analytics trenches.

Chapters:
00:00 Opening Statement
01:30 Case File #1: Active Investigations
08:54 Case File #2: Evidence Gone Wrong
17:12 Case File #3: Breaking the Case
22:02 Lightning Round: Numbers on Trial
26:16 Closing Arguments

Comment with your own data confessions or questions—and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Follow the DATA SECRETS Podcast

📬 Get episode recaps & bonus insights at allegroanalytics.com/podcast
🕺🏻 Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn
📺 Watch every episode on our YouTube Channel