In this episode of The Data Storytellers Podcast, we reconnect with Juan Gorricho—former Chief Data Officer at Disney Credit Union and senior data leader at Visa and TD Bank. Juan shares what he’s learned across two decades leading data strategy in some of the world’s most recognized organizations.

We discuss the rise of AI-washing, how to lead with impact amid transformation, and the leadership principles that matter most—like stakeholder trust, organizational readiness, and building a culture that attracts top talent.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome back Juan Gorricho: From Visa to TD and beyond
01:57 – What’s exciting about AI right now? Cutting through the noise
04:28 – Why is everything labeled “AI”? Understanding AI-washing
08:57 – Capital deployment, FOMO, and false promises in the AI boom
10:52 – The real readiness challenge: People, processes, and data
14:29 – Balancing urgency with realism: Data leaders in the AI age
17:13 – How talent expectations are evolving in data teams
21:13 – Early lessons from working with the UN and city government
26:47 – From tech to operations: Building trust and data solutions at Disney
32:11 – Forecasting Frozen: Data stories from retail at scale
35:00 – MagicBands, privacy, and doing data right at Disney
38:05 – Lessons in stakeholder engagement and change management
43:11 – Building the data experience at Visa
50:58 – Leading TD’s U.S. data transformation and cloud migration
56:23 – What’s next: Using GenAI to accelerate real business value
1:00:23 – Juan’s career playbook: Trust, empathy, and continuous learning
1:08:53 – Final thoughts and what’s ahead