Leading Analytics Podcast

When you need tires for your car, you will more than likely find a Discount Tire location ready to serve you. Like most retailers, analytics plays an important role across the Discount Tire business. Keith Moody joins us for this episode just a few months into his new leadership role at Discount Tire. Like many of our Season 1 guests, Keith has had a long career in analytics at a variety of manufacturers.

The McDonald's brand is synonymous with innovation across all of its global operations. Data and analytics fuel that innovation across the myriad ways McDonald's maintains its competitive position, but many would say the best is yet to come. In this episode, I sit down with Craig Brabec who recently took the helm of the analytics team after stints at Caterpillar, McKesson and Ford Motor. A highlight of the episode is Craig's list of leader qualities that he's developed over his career leading analytics teams.

Advance analytics isn't necessarily something that comes to mind when you think of big steel. But, Worthington Industries is an exception. Steve Bartos helped start the analytics effort at Worthington, adding more and more use cases across the enterprise every step of the way. IIA has been a steady partner of Steve and his team's efforts since their inception, and the results have been impressive.

Walt Disney initially made his mark on the world through imagination and creativity, not deep science. But, don't be fooled. Since its founding in 1923, The Walt Disney Company has grown into arguably the most dominant global entertainment brand, while also setting a high bar for operations. Mark Shafer, who manages decision science at Disney, discusses how data science-based thinking and operations has grown so important internally that it even has its own brand within the company.

Throughout the Northeast of the United States and around the world, the Mass General Hospital brand stands for high-quality healthcare delivery and outcomes and world-class research. Formerly Partners Healthcare, Mass General Brigham consists of 12 world-class healthcare facilities. John Phytila joins me in this episode to share how AI and advanced analytics is reshaping how Mass General Brigham both operates efficiently, often hard in healthcare delivery, and provides world-class care to patients.

Staying healthy has never been more important than right now. Affordable, high-quality healthcare has been the foundation of CIGNA's since its founding. The sheer size and reach of this global brand means that data and analytics is an essential fuel that drives decision-making. Gina Papush is setting CIGNA's vision for the future when it comes to capturing all the opportunities hidden within data, both for CIGNA and the entire healthcare industry.

Canadian culture revolves around a healthy lifestyle and few national brands deliver on those values the way Loblaw does. Food, health and wellness, fashion and beauty, and financial security are all at the heart of Loblaw's brand and values. Lurking just beneath the surface is a highly sophisticated data and analytics capability and community that is making Loblaw into a world-class analytical competitor. Industry veteran Paul Ballew, who leads the effort, will share how he is helping Loblaw apply science to a venerable and dominant brand.

When you think of America's oldest heavy industry manufacturing brands, the big green machines from John Deere come to mind. What you may not know is how the company is pivoting to be at the center of intelligent agriculture, backed by an impressive data and analytics team spread across the company. Kira Barclay leads analytics for Deere's finance arm, but has a front row seat on the efforts underway to make Deere the leader when it comes to data and analytics flowing the tractors and agricultural equipment they build.

When you're in the business of saving lives, particularly during the pandemic, you better know what you're doing, both medically and operationally. Albert Marinez recently took over Intermountain Medical Center's highly developed data and analytics capability, and faced his first real test this year during the pandemic. He'll share how one of the country's leading hospitals is also a standout high-performer when it comes to analytics.

When you think of Campbell's Soup, the idea of a grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup pops to mind. What about Chicken Noodle? When it comes to analytics at Campbell's, ingredients don't matter, people do. Maria Macuare came on board three years ago to lead analytics at Campbell's and never looked back. What are her secrets to being a high-performing analytics leader? She shares her best tactics that will change the way you think about analytics at your company.