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Technology

The Data & AI Chief

ThoughtSpot

Meet the world’s top data and AI leaders transforming how we do business. Hear case studies, industry insights, and personal lessons from the executives leading the data and AI revolution.

Join host Cindi Howson, Chief Data & AI Strategy Officer at ThoughtSpot, every other Wednesday to meet the leaders and teams at the cutting edge.

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  • 142 episodes
  • Updated July 22

Episodes142

Newest first
  • Nov 2, 2022 · 37 min

    ThoughtSpot’s Cindi Howson on Best Practices for Driving Impact from Data & Analytics (Ep. 26 Refresh)

    On this episode of The Data Chief, we look back at some of the key themes from season one, including the rise of the CDO, the intricacies of aligning your department’s goals with that of the businesses, and how you coped with accelerated timelines. While we relive these important conversations, we also discuss why culture and data fluency continue to be the biggest hurdles to becoming a truly data-driven business.

  • Oct 19, 2022 · 48 min

    The Modern Milkman’s Chief Strategy Officer, John Hughes on Using Data to Save Our Oceans from Plastic

    Each year, around 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, killing wildlife and damaging the environment for future generations. Much of this pollution originates from the wasteful packaging used for everyday grocery products. But a greener grocery alternative is making waves from across the pond. Joining us today is John Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer at The Modern Milkman, a UK-based grocery delivery company that brings locally sourced goods directly to customers without any single-use

  • Oct 5, 2022 · 48 min

    New Zealand's Crown Research Institute CDAO, Jan Sheppard on Treating Data as a Treasure

    Treating data as a treasure is a foundational principle for Jan Sheppard, the Chief Data and Analytics officer at New Zealand’s Crown Research Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR.) This agency leads ongoing research in public health, environmental health, and forensics for the country of New Zealand. Like many other CDAOs, her role is relatively new. But the unique values she applies to data can be traced back many hundreds of years to the indigenous Maori people of her country.

  • Sep 21, 2022 · 45 min

    Société Générale’s Innovation Data & AI Leader Julien Molez on Creating a Value-Driven Data Framework

    At French bank, Société Générale, providing the best customer experience in the modern digital world means rethinking everything about banking, including its corporate structure. Three years ago, Julien Molez, joined the bank’s leadership team to become the first Innovation Data & AI Leader. On this episode of The Data Chief, Julien addresses changes sweeping the banking industry, including higher customer expectations, tougher regulations, and the ESG revolution. He also reminds us that at the

  • Sep 7, 2022 · 1 hr 28 min

    Three Must Read Data and Analytics Books with Tim Harford, Zhamak Dehghani, and Brent Dykes

    It is once again that time of year when our host, Cindi Howson shares her favorite data and analytics book recommendations. In this special annual episode, we feature three of the industry’s top data writers, thinkers, and fellow podcasters. Tim Harford comes to the conversation with his new book, The Data Detective, and big-picture ideas about how traits like curiosity serve data scientists so well. Zhamak Dehghani shares her concept of The Data Mesh, especially as it relates to sharing data ac

  • Aug 17, 2022 · 45 min

    DoorDash’s VP of Analytics & Data Science, Jessica Lachs on Leveraging Data to Delight Customers Despite a Challenging Supply Chain

    Who’s hungry? Thanks to delivery apps like DoorDash, it’s never been easier for modern consumers to satisfy almost any craving in just a few taps. At the helm of DoorDash’s data organization is VP of Analytics & Data Science, Jessica Lachs. With metrics guiding every decision at the company, a key part of her decision-making comes down to properly quantifying the value of each possible tradeoff. Learn more about her decision-making framework, plus how her career in finance evolved into entrepren

  • Jul 27, 2022 · 50 min

    Swiss RE’s SVP of P&C R&D, Jerry Gupta on AI Innovation and Building Revenue-Enhacing Data Models

    Swiss RE’s SVP of P&C R&D, Jerry Gupta is a firm believer in the revenue-generating potential and AI and machine learning. On this episode of The Data Chief, Jerry offers his view on innovative data model, frameworks for building and operationalizing these models, what makes a good data scientist, and why it will always be more challenging for data teams to maintain existing models vs. innovate new ones.

  • Jul 13, 2022 · 39 min

    American Express CDO and EVP Enterprise Digital & Data Solutions, Pascale Hutz on Managing Data as a Product and Rewarding Creative Destruction

    What keeps a data pro at one company for almost thirty years? On this episode of The Data Chief, Pascale Hutz, the Chief Data Officer and EVP of Enterprise Digital & Data Solutions at American Express, shares how her career at American Express has transformed over the years and what she’s learned along the way. Tune in to hear more about her latest cloud migration journey, why she’s on a  “mission to decommission,” and how she fights imposter syndrome even as a C-level executive in one of the la

  • Jun 29, 2022 · 46 min

    Boehringer Ingelheim’s Dr. Victoria Gamerman on Design Thinking in Healthcare and Creating a Data-Sharing Ecosystem

    How can data be activated to create better healthcare outcomes? Dr. Victoria Gamerman, the Global Head of Data Governance and Insights at Boehringer Ingelheim, offers that part of the answer is that data is changing to be thought of as part of the broader healthcare “ecosystem.”  Listen in for how some of the philosophical frameworks concerning data can help to improve healthcare.

  • Jun 15, 2022 · 55 min

    Prudential Financial’s CDO Kjersten Moody on Continuous Learning & Collaboration to Drive Impact with Data

    What does it take to turn a new position that never existed into one that delivers transformation for an entire organization? As the first Chief Data Officer at Prudential Financial and the initial Chief Data Analytics Officer at a prior career stop at State Farm, Kjersten Moody knows the answer. Tune in to learn how being a constant learner has consistently allowed her to see challenges as opportunities for growth.

  • Jun 1, 2022 · 26 min

    CarMax AVP of Technology, Data & Analytics, Abhi Bhatt on Upskilling Talent and Using Third Party Data to Build Better Customer Experiences

    How do you make innovation truly come alive at your organization? For Abhi Bhatt, the AVP, Technology, Data & Analytics at CarMax, innovation is about taking risks, seizing opportunities, and challenging yourself to get a little better each day . Abhi also describes his approach to upskilling teammates across the business, the role of third-party data in delivering better customer experiences, and how culture is helping companies win the war on talent.

  • May 18, 2022 · 49 min

    Fitch Group’s Heidi Lanford on Finding a Voice in the C-Suite and Improving Data Literacy

    Since the business relationship to data has changed, it definitely makes sense that the role of a Chief Data Officer has developed too. Our guest today, Heidi Lanford, CDO of Fitch Group, is seeing that evolution firsthand. She shares with us how CDOs can work effectively with other company leaders; in part, by communicating in simple, clear terms. Tune in to learn from Heidi why there can be considerable career value in choosing to be uncomfortable.

  • Apr 20, 2022 · 40 min

    Levi Strauss & Co.’s Dr. Katia Walsh on Using AI and Analytics to Create Cutting-Edge Customer Experiences

    Your data will never be clean and it will never be perfect. So how do we create meaningful models anyway? As Dr. Katia Walsh puts it, data leaders are facing a “tsunami of data.” But that tsunami shouldn’t stop you from testing, iterating, and moving quickly. Dr. Walsh is the Chief Global Strategy and AI Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. and today she shares how her team has leveraged a mindset of “think big, start small, scale fast” to create cutting-edge data models and digital capabilities quickl

  • Apr 6, 2022 · 37 min

    LPL Financial's Cara Dailey on Data Enablement and Balancing Data Defense with Offense

    It takes a multi-pronged approach to be a Chief Data Officer in the modern day, and its trailblazers like Cara Dailey who have helped mold the position into what it is today. Cara is the EVP and CDO for LPL Financial with previous roles at companies like Nike, Bank of the West, and Silicon Valley Bank. A veteran in the world of data, she joins The Data Chief to discuss data governance vs. data enablement, how to balance data defense with offense, the role of technology in data-driven decision-m

  • Mar 23, 2022 · 48 min

    Unilever’s Vandana Khanna and Deeksha Singh on Demystifying Data, Dreaming Bigger, and Inspiring Business Users with The Art of the Possible

    Data is a key asset for any organization undergoing transformation. Together, Vandana Khanna, Deeksha Singh and their teams work across continents, brands, and cultures to infuse data into every decision at Unilever. But like any major business initiative, digital transformation is a journey. The challenges and opportunities that exist are vast, varied, and endless. Tune in to hear how this dynamic duo are improving data literacy at every level, eliminating manual reporting and data visualizatio

  • Mar 9, 2022 · 43 min

    Afterpay’s Nitish Mathew on Prioritizing Customer Needs, Balancing Governance and Freedom, and Giving Your Team Purpose

    Over the last two years, Afterpay has more than doubled its consumer base from 7 million to 19 million by giving consumers more opportunities to make big-ticket purchases using its simple, pay-over-time platform. Their ever-growing success in the crowded payments market is what led the company to be acquired by Block, the parent company for such brands as Cash App, Square, and TIDAL. Now, as part of the Block family, Afterpay Senior Director of Data Engineering & Governance, Nitish Mathew has ma

  • Feb 16, 2022 · 47 min

    Rakuten’s Takuya Kitagawa on Digital Twins, Getting a CEO to Love Data, and Moonshots

    As the Managing Executive Officer & CDO at Rakuten, Takuya Kitagawa’s charter is both varied and complex. For the past four years, he has guided the digital native through accelerated expansion into multiple industries, including online banking, shopping, mobile communications, and travel, in order to deliver customers a more integrated and affordable service experience. Takuya dives into the concept of ‘digital twins’ and how the company is using tight data integrations to enhance customer expe

  • Feb 2, 2022 · 43 min

    Etsy’s Chu-Cheng Hsieh on Using Data to Develop a Thriving Marketplace

    As the first CDO at Etsy, Chu-Cheng Hsieh offers a unique perspective on helping build a data-driven organization from the ground up. Chu-Cheng shares how he’s fostered a culture of experimentation that has led to rapid growth and transformation within the company. He also dives into trends such as machine learning and data observability, and explains some of the most helpful mental frameworks he’s learned in his life and career.

  • Jan 19, 2022 · 50 min

    Using Data to Transform the Fan Experience in Football and Basketball: Insights from the Indianapolis Colts and Orlando Magic

    Jay Riola, SVP of Strategy and Innovation for the Orlando Magic, and Charlie Shin, VP of Data Strategy and Analytics for the Indianapolis Colts share how they’re using data and analytics to enhance fan experiences. With perspectives from both the NBA and the NFL, Jay and Charlie explore the evolution of mobile ticketing, challenges with identity management, the importance of building fan trust, and the most surprising insights they’ve ever discovered within their data.