Data becomes truly powerful when it starts with people, not platforms. In this episode, Peter Laflin, Director of Data and Analytics at Morrisons, joins us to explore how one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains turns customer insights into smarter business decisions. Peter shares how empathy drives Morrisons’ data strategy, from understanding shoppers’ in-store needs to building AI-driven solutions that make everyday experiences smoother. He also discusses how his team measures success by business impact, fosters neurodiverse collaboration and ensures data remains trustworthy in an AI-first world.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.

02:45 Starting with customers helps solve problems, like finding cranberry sauce at Christmastime.

05:50 Data team members work in stores to build empathy and improve the shopping experience.

10:11 Success is measured by business impact, not tickets or code.

14:39 High-performing teams win or lose together, driving customer satisfaction and growth.

22:20 The right environment helps people thrive and do their best work.

25:05 Different thinking styles spark better ideas and stronger solutions.

30:41 Centralize for speed, then decentralize once data foundations are strong.

38:10 The age of data governance demands trust so AI can enhance human judgment.

Resources Mentioned:

Peter Laflin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-laflin-3a92092/?originalSubdomain=uk

Morrisons | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/morrisonsjobs/

Morrisons | Website

https://www.morrisons.jobs/

Google

https://www.google.com/

Gemini

https://gemini.google.com/

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