For episode 9 of our new season, I'm joined by Dr. Simon Jury who is Vice President of Data & Analytics at ASDA (a leading retailer here in the UK). Simon has decades of experience in the industry and learned his trade at some of the leading names in the world of CRM and data analytics. During this conversation, you'll hear us explore Simon's techn…

Sometimes it helps to learn from the long view. Dr David Merrick can offer such a perspective. He is an expert in marketing analytics with decades of experience in the field, so I was delighted that he joined me for episode 8 of this second season of our podcast. Many years ago he was co-author with the later great Prof Bob Shaw of the classic text…

For episode 7 of season 2, I am very excited to welcome my new guest, Tony Saldanha. Tony is the CEO & co-founder of Inixia, a global standards and certification body for the Shared Services industry. Before that, he ran Procter & Gamble’s famed multi-billion-dollar Global Business Services (GBS) division and IT operations across every region. So, …

For episode 6 of series 2, I am joined by Tristan Mobbs who will be known to regular readers of our Customer Insight Leader blog. Tristan is Kite Packaging's Data and Analytics Manager and has over 10 years experience of working in data-related roles. He started out in energy forecasting before moving on to roles within construction, pharmaceutical…

For episode 5 of this second series, I am proud to welcome Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic as my guest. She is most famous as the globally praised author of 'Storytelling with Data' (SWD). For over a decade, Cole and her team at SWD have delivered interactive learning sessions sought after by data-minded individuals and organizations all over the world. No…

For episode 4 of our new season, Rob Winters joins me from the Netherlands. Rob has been working in data for almost 20 years (across both the USA & the Netherlands) at businesses including Miro, Naval, Travel Bird & Spil Games. He's also led data programmes for over 12 years in multiple companies across several industries. His hands-on data roles h…

For episode 3, I am joined by Brian O'Neill who is the self-styled "UX for Data Products guy". He's the founder of Designing for Analytics, an independent consultancy helping data leaders turn their data into valuable data products. Through his UX consulting, speaking and design training, he’s helped launch several enterprise software companies (Ap…

In episode 2 we explore the softer skill of being an effective translator between technical teams and the broader organisation they serve. My guest for this conversation is Dr Andrew Rogoyski whose experience spans 30 years in industry, government and academia. Originally a physicist at the Rutherford Appleton Lab, Andrew joined Logica at the heigh…

To help me kick off Season Two, I am joined by John Conway. John has worked in marketing analytics since the early 2000s. His roles have supported RSA Insurance, MoneySupermarket & Cardlytics, before his agency experience and then setting up his own businesses. He went on to work on Loyalty and Big Data before latterly becoming an independent consu…

Introducing a new season of the Customer Insight Leader podcast. In this short episode, I answer: Why a new season? What will change and what will stay the same? What can you expect to hear in the coming months? Plus, it's an opportunity to reflect on Season One & share with you the top 5 most popular episodes.…

In episode 69, I'm joined by Jesse Anderson from Lisbon. Jesse is the founder of the Managing Director of the Big Data Institute and we chat about how Data Engineering especially has developed over the years. Plus, Jesse has some challenging things to say to the training industry. Jesse explains why leaders need to be clear on the depth of data eng…

On episode 68 I chat with Aubrey HB. She is the Director of Advanced Analytics for the Nationwide Building Society in the UK. Since completing her PhD in Pure Maths, Aubrey’s career has evolved into establishing and growing centralised advanced analytics capabilities that serve entire organisations. Her experience spans roles in Telecoms, Publishin…

In episode 67, I'm joined by Darshan Mehta who is the Founder of iResearch.com – an insights platform to quickly and affordably extract insights from consumers worldwide. With both an MBA & a Masters in Marketing, Darshan has also taught at universities around the world. One of the reasons I welcomed Darshan’s offer to be my guest on this show is b…

For episode 66, I am joined by Bettina (or Betty) Schirrmeister. She leads an exceptional group of data scientists at MoneySuperMarket. She and her team work on intelligent product recommendations, personalisation, and optimised pricing investments there. One thing that makes Betty a new and different voice on our podcast is her science background.…

For episode 65, my guest is Sophie Carr who is the founder of Bays Consulting, which she apparently founded to share her enthusiasm that analysis is both fun and provides clarity. Following gaining a PhD from Cranfield University, Sophie has now led Bays Consulting for over 13 years and continues to have the admirably straightforward job title of M…

"When I'm 64...", well that episode anyway, my guest is Priyank Patwa who is CDO for sustainability data start-up Maanch. Priyank is an experienced Data and Innovation leader, working at the intersection of Finance, Sustainability and Data. Priyank is currently a Senior Strategic Advisor and Interim Chief Data Officer at Maanch. Previously, he was …

For episode 63, we return to the topic of AI ethics via my conversation with Daniel Hulme, the CEO of Satalia. That business describes itself as a different type of Artificial Intelligence company and in fact a different type of company altogether. Its stated aim is to solve industries' hardest problems by building AI solutions that utilise state-o…

For episode 62, my guest is Gabriel Straub. He is the Chief Data Officer at Ocado Technology. There he’s led their data & data science efforts for over two years, following successful data science leadership roles at the BBC & Tesco amongst others. Gabriel is also a guest lecturer at the London Business School and an Honorary Senior research associ…

In episode 61 my guest is Sanjeevan Bala, who is ITV’s Group Chief Data & AI Officer. He is responsible for transforming the broadcaster to fully leverage the value of Data and AI & to create value for all areas of their business. Prior to this he was Channel 4’s Head of Data Science where he built a multi award winning team which combined human cr…

For episode 60 I am joined by Laura Rodgers who is Head of Performance Insights for NatWest Group, one of the major banks here in the UK. She has worked within Royal Bank of Scotland (which became part of NatWest Group) for over 16 years, holding management roles responsible for data & wide range of Business Intelligence and reporting services. She…

In episode 59 I have the pleasure of being joined by Dr Maryam Ramezani-Bartsch from Munich. Maryam is currently the VP of Data at Sky and will soon be joining GoStudent (Europe’s most valuable EdTech company and one of the world’s leading online tutoring providers). Before that, Maryam has lead data & analytics teams within businesses as prestigio…

For episode 58, I am in conversation with Olivia Gambelin, who joins us from Brussels. Olivia has the exciting job title of being an AI Ethicist and is the founder & CEO of Ethical Intelligence. As you will hear in this episode she has a background across organisations including CAKE Corporation, Save the Children, Springer and being an Advisory Bo…

For episode 57, I'm in conversation with Charlie Ballard who is the Marketing Science Enablement Lead at Meta. He has been a lifelong technology and data evangelist and shares with us on the basis of his experience working in and with firms including General Motors, American Express, BT, Tripadvisor & now Meta. Our conversation is wide ranging and …

In episode 56, I'm in conversation with Aparna Bharadwaj, an MD & Partner at BCG who is also their Global Leader of the Centre for Customer Insight. During her interview, you will have the opportunity to hear why she is passionate about customer insight & the difference it can make in businesses. Prior to her very successful career in BCG, Aparna l…

For episode 55, I am joined by Rob McLaughlin the founder of the Loop Horizon agency. Rob is an experienced digital marketing professional and a proven leader in the field of data & analytics, with a track record of bringing customer data into the complex marketing and technology landscape. Prior to founding Loop Horizon, Rob has led data & decisio…

For episode 54 my guest is Peter Jones, who is Head of Data for Internal Audit at the UK insurer Legal & General. During our conversation, we explore many lessons that Peter has learnt during his career. These include how he became a data leader without even a Maths 'A' level, as well as the lessons learnt from integrating identity systems, switchi…

For episode 53 my guest is Dan Kellett, CDO at Capital One in the UK. Dan has great experience to share with us, with many years of hands-on experience in leading & developing data & analytics teams. Unlike my well travelled guests, Dan has spent the vast majority of his career with one employer, Capital One. He shares why & the benefits that he's …

For episode 52 I chat with Adam Sroka. He is Head of Machine Learning Engineering at Origami Energy, an energy trading software start-up. During our conversation we explore the benefit of starting your data career in the culture of a start-up. Adam shares what motivates him as a gamer & self-confessed nerd, including the importance of the social im…

In episode 51, I chat with Stuart Hayes who is Head of Data & Analytics for OSN in Dubai (the Sky TV equivalent for that region). He has helped many businesses over his decades of work as a consultant and a data leader, from the FT to Sky Betting and many more. During our conversation we reflect on Stuart's career and wanderlust. He shares how so m…

For the milestone of episode 50, we return to the world of Data Visualisation. This time my guest is Neil Richards. Neil is a current 3 time Tableau Zen Master & Public Ambassador who works as a Business Intelligence Lead at JLL in the UK. He is probably best known as being very active in the UK’s data visualisation community. He’s a former Knowled…

Episode 49 is back in the studio as I talk with Ben Dias who is Director of Data Science and Analytics at easyJet. Ben has previously worked at Royal Mail, Tesco and Unilever, so in total he has over 15 years’ industry experience. Having started his career as a hands-on Data Scientist, Ben’s more recently focussed on building and leading teams, app…

This is our third & last episode that was recorded live at Big Data London. Apologies for the poorer audio quality, but it is well worth persisting as my guest for episode 48 is the irrepressible Robert Maranca, Data Excellence VP for Schneider Electric. During our conversation we explore Roberto's career as a data leader, including roles across GE…

Episode 47 is our second podcast recorded live in front of an audience at Big Data London 2021. My guest for this episode is Souvik Saha. He heads up the Consumer Data & Analytics teams of Citibank in the UK. He's also a member of their UK consumer leadership and data leadership teams. Starting as a data analyst 15 years ago, Souvik has been on an …

A first for episode 46, our first-ever Customer Insight Leader podcast Live! This interview with Tom Spencer was recorded live in front of a studio audience at the Big Data London 2021 event at Olympia, London. Tom is the Head of Customer Data Science at Aviva. In our conversation, we hear his career story, including fourteen years’ front-line expe…

In episode 45, my latest guest is Peter Sueref. Peter has worked with data his whole career since graduating in Computer Science at Cardiff University. As the Data Science Director at Centrica he worked on some of the biggest problems in energy today. While at Centrica he also launched their first Blockchain project, set up the first group-wide Dat…

For episode 44, I am in conversation with Gillian Docherty OBE. She is CEO of the The Data Lab Scotland and in this conversation we explore both the work of The Data Lab and other lessons Gillian has learnt during her career. Her background includes over 20 years working within IBM, but our conversation begins with a family row on the eve of her Ma…

For episode 43, we hear from an experienced data & business leader in Asia. Avis Easteal is currently Head of Consumer at Luxasia (an omni-partner of many globally recognised luxury lifestyle & personal care brands). She joins me from Singapore. Avis explains her work as connecting people, data, marketing and customer experience, to translate busin…

For episode 42 we again venture to the USA and talk with Randy Krum the creator of the famous CoolInfographics website. Randy is a data visualisation designer with his own design agency (InfoNewt), teaches a University course and is a published author. His book is “Cool Infographics: Effective Communication with Data Visualisation and Design” and h…

In episode 41, I have a great conversation with Sarah Barr Miller who is Head of Data & Automation for British Airways. We chat over her career history & what she too learnt from working at dunnhumby. During that we explore the continued relevance of single customer views & the benefits of a clear demarcation between data & analytics teams. Sarah s…

For episode 40, I chat with James Blagg who is the Head of Data for Principality Building Society. Based in South Wales, like your host, James shares with me his journey into a data leadership role and some lessons he's learnt along the way. Our conversation explores the importance of breaking down silos to help connect business & technical teams. …

For episode 39 we cross the pond again to talk with Graham MacDonald, who is the Chief Data Officer for the Urban Institute (a US non profit dedicated to elevating the debate on social & economic policy). During our conversation we explore how Graham has successfully influenced his organisation to develop both a data visualisation and a data scienc…

In episode 38 I'm in conversation with Alison Williams, Global Head of Data at dunnhumby. This is a wonderfully intimate and yet widely relevant chat about many of the issues faced by leaders in the data industry, especially women. We explore Alison's career story and why she has chosen to build most of her career at one employer. We discuss hiring…

For episode 37, I am in conversation with Aaron Peck who is the North American President & MD of the global Market Research consultancy MetrixLab. While the majority of people I've interviewed on this podcast are leaders in data, analytics or data science, this time we ring the changes. I am delighted to focus for a change on the world of Market Re…

In episode 36 we hear from Simon Kaffel. He is Director of Data & Analytics for Sovereign Housing Association. Simon's previously held data leadership roles at Arcadia, Sky, NatWest, O2 & Zurich Global Life Assurance. He's also won numerous awards along the way and learnt a thing or two about what enables or prevents successful data transformations…

For episode 35, my guest is Richard Pugh who is Chief Data Scientist & co-founder of the data science agency Mango Solutions. Richard has decades of experience in helping businesses make better decisions through data & is also a passionate member of the R & Data Science communities in the UK. In our conversation we explore Rich's career story & the…

In episode 34, Howard Barber (Director of Data, Analytics & Insight for Golden Charter) takes up the challenge laid down by Firas Khnaisser in episode 25 (to appear on our show). Howard shares his experience of working across client & agency-side analytics roles. We also hear more about his commitment to people development & the skills he is develo…

For episode 33 we get into the kitchen, in this case the Data Kitchen, with Head Chef & Founder Chris Bergh. During our conversation we explore Chris' career & passion for DataOps (so this episode is a great companion to episode 1). We talk about the leadership skills needed to lead DataOps functions & lessons to be gleaned from Manufacturing. Chri…

In episode 32, I'm joined by James Dunlop. James is the Head of Decisioning and Digital for the Wealth division in NatWest Group. Before joining Natwest, James has worked for financial services brands including AXA and Lloyds in various data and analytics roles. Plus, like two of my previous guests (Andy Sutton & Harry Wilkes) James previously work…

For episode 31, I'm in conversation with Steve White who is the Fundraising, Data Strategy & Insight Manager for the leading UK cancer charity Marie Curie. During our time together we explore Steve's career from British Airways to agency side roles (including founding an agency) and then deciding to move into the charity sector. We also explore why…

At this milestone of episode 30, I have the pleasure of talking with Harry Powell, Director of Data & Analytics for Jaguar Land Rover. As well as hearing Harry's career journey, we explore a wide range of topics from graph databases to better thinking & team productivity to generating profit. Harry's wealth of hands-on experience shines through as …