Episode 16

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Published on:

18th Mar 2025

S5 | Ep 16 | Building a Data Confident Organisation with Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University

In Episode 16, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Helen Blaikie, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Aston University, where they discuss the comprehensive programme they've executed to help them build a truly data confident organisation, which includes;

  • The implications of covid on the higher education sector
  • How her non-data/technical background has helped her to a better CDO
  • Why you have to be a strong salesperson as a CDO
  • Why you shouldn’t be using the ‘D’ world
  • Building a data confident workforce instead of a literate or fluent one
  • Establishing 54 measures of success for the organisation
  • Developing data products to measure the measures of success
  • Ignoring conventional wisdom and thinking big but also starting big
  • The importance of tailoring the language of the data confidence programme to something the organisation would understand
  • The key components of the programme and the major benefits and challenges experienced
  • The learnings from attempting to personalise the programme
  • Creating pathways
  • Embedding data confidence requirements into the recruitment process for non-data roles
  • Tips on building advocacy and creating champions
  • Why training should be the last thing you do
  • Why timing is key when thinking about the training component of these programmes
  • Why it’s important that you have the correct foundations to deliver a data confidence programme
  • The qualitative and quantitative measures of success of a data confidence programme
  • The power of true business partnering to improve data products
  • Measuring lead indicators to quantify business outcomes

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.