S5 | E7 | Change & Transformation: The First & Last Mile with Matt Stebbings, Petcare D&A Transformation Director at Mars

In Episode 7, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Matt Stebbings, Petcare D&A Transformation Director at Mars Petcare, where they discuss the importance of the first and last mile in change & transformation, which includes;

• Transitioning from an engineering and IT background to a growth function at Mars Petcare
• Being one of the world’s largest family-owned businesses, accounting for 60% of Mars' operations
• The history and significance of Mars' five principles and their role in shaping the company’s culture
• Why doing business with a data analytics mindset is critical for shaping the future
• Understanding the difference between transformation and change
• Leveraging growth science to foster loyalty and drive innovation
• The ecosystem strategy: using data to combat issues like feline kidney disease
• Overcoming challenges in engaging the business to embrace data-driven mindsets
• Maintaining public-facing insights through extensive behind-the-scenes data work
• Differentiating between focus and prioritisation to maximise value
• Empowering business leaders within product ownership teams
• Shifting from traditional data projects to product-oriented working in data analytics and its impact on change
• The evolving role of the CEO and the addition of "D" (data) to their responsibilities
• Establishing the need for CDO-type functions in modern organisations
• Training and transforming teams to adopt a more data-focused approach
• Embedding the D&A team within the growth function to align with business outcomes
• Balancing the importance of getting both the first and last mile right in data initiatives

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