The Power of Data

Richard Wyn Griffith, Managing Director at Softcat explores how data has played an important role in Softcat’s organic growth. Richard also discusses adjusting to remote working and the importance of instilling a culture that champions employee wellbeing and maintains great customer service.

James Harrison, Head of Insurance UKI and Sam Tidswell-Norrish, International CMO at Dun & Bradstreet speak to industry heavyweights Stephen Catlin, Founder and CEO of Convex; Silvi Wompa Sinclair, Group Head of Portfolio Underwriting at Swiss Re; and James Kent, Global CEO at Willis Re on some of the most pressing issues currently facing the insurance sector including key trends impacting the industry. They explore how enhanced data capabilities are playing a key role in the central corporate strategy of leading insurers from the way they understand their customers to product innovation and why looking at talent and diversity differently is needed to support the next paradigm for insurance.

Katherine Baicker, Dean at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy discusses a data-driven approach to policy making and the value that merging datasets across silos can bring to people’s healthcare. Katherine also details her hopes for the future of research and policymaking and rethinking the modes of education to keep people safe.

Nicholas Kwan, Director of Research at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council discusses the Belt and Road Initiative and its mission to facilitate globalisation that brings the world together and works for everyone’s benefit. Speaking ahead of the Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, Nicholas also discusses the Digital Silk Road program and the value that technology and digitalisation can bring to developing countries.

Bruce Dorris, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners discusses how data and analytics can help in the fight against fraud. He also talks about the increased threat of fraud as organisations moved to working from home as a result of COVID-19 and the tools that can help to mitigate and reduce the risk of fraudulent activity.

Dimitrios Dosis, President of Mastercard Advisors, shares how his team are working to democratize the economy through better data practices and why data-driven decision making needs to become more intuitive. He also discusses why it’s important to put the consumer in charge and how Mastercard have been supporting businesses with COVID-19 recovery.

Gary Kotovets, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Dun & Bradstreet explains how the company uses its data on 400 million businesses to help clients around the world deliver a competitive edge. He discusses the depth of insight provided via Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud and how the firm is using alternative data to drive increased value for global businesses to support growth.

We are joined in this episode by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Founder and Executive Chair at Snoop. Jayne-Anne talks to us about building a career and continuing to innovate in the face of uncertainty, from Norwich Union to Virgin Money and their eventual acquisition of Northern Rock after the financial crisis. Jayne-Anne also talks about how Snoop, and open banking more generally, are responding to customer apathy with traditional banking and delivering meaningful and actionable insight to customers, while offering some reflections on what diversity in business should mean today.

Alice Hu Wagner, Managing Director of Strategy, Economics and Business Development at the British Business Bank explores why data and measurement is so important when enacting change in business and the role businesses, institutions and governments can play in increasing transparency. Alice also discusses the British Business Bank’s work to support COVID recovery and their role within the financial services sector to help highlight and address race and ethnic disparities around access to finance

England Cricketer and Captain of Kent Cricket Club, Sam Billings, explores the power of data in sport and the correlation with superior performance, how the best lessons for growth come  from failure and what he hopes is the next stage for cricket as a global sport.