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Episode 33

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Published on:

15th Jul 2025

S5 | Ep 33 | People, Skills and Culture: The Keys to Data & AI Success with Cali Wood, Head of Data & AI Strategy & Culture at AXA UK & Ireland

In Episode 33, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom was joined by Cali Wood, Head of Data & AI Strategy and Culture at AXA UK and Ireland, where they discuss the evolution of data culture within AXA, the importance of balancing innovation with governance in AI, and the strategies for promoting data literacy across the organisation.

Cali shares insights on building a Data and AI Academy, measuring data literacy success, building skills matrices and competency frameworks for Data & AI teams, and the future of roles in the era of AI.

Takeaways

  • Overcoming cultural challenges to ensure successful AI adoption.
  • Balancing innovation with governance.
  • Promoting data literacy across the organisation.
  • Creating engagement strategies for Data and AI initiatives.
  • Measuring data literacy effectiveness.
  • Translating engagement metrics to business value.
  • Creating skills matrices and competency frameworks to build capability.
  • Creating blended learning journeys.
  • The future of roles in data will evolve with AI.
  • The importance of communication strategies.
  • Aligning training and L&D to business needs.
  • Why AI transformation requires a focus on the human element.

Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.

Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.

At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.

From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.

We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.

Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.

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About the Podcast

Driven by Data: The Podcast
Designed for Data Enthusiasts to hear from the Data & Analytics industry's thought leaders
Orbition Group is delighted to bring you this podcast series, which is designed for Data Enthusiasts, to hear from some of the most high-profile Data, Analytics and AI thought leaders from around the globe.

Each episode will detail the guests journey to the top while bringing unique insights, drawn from first-hand experience on the industry’s most trending topics.

This podcast was created as a way for our industry's most respected leadership figures from across the world to give back to the Data & Analytics community, by sharing; knowledge, experiences and ideas, to inspire, innovate and provide real-life use cases on the industries most pressing topics/challenges.

About your host

Profile picture for Kyle Winterbottom

Kyle Winterbottom

Founder of Orbition Group, a Search and Talent Solutions business that operates exclusively within the world of Data, Analytics & AI.

I am hugely passionate about enabling organisations to drive decisions and obtain value from the use of Data, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence.

As such, I believe it is imperative that as a community, we share; knowledge, ideas, real-life use cases and inspiration to collectively give back to our industry.

Given my fortunate position of speaking with hundreds, if not thousands of leadership figures within the global Data & Analytics community each year , I feel it is my duty to share the successes, failures, challenges and opportunities.

Therefore, I have positioned Orbition Group to be a facilitator of that knowledge sharing, through these podcasts, events we host and public speaking.