S5 | Ep 19 | The Power of Instinct; Why We Could Be Less Data-Driven with Simon Jury, Chief Data Officer at Kingfisher

In Episode 19, of Season 5 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Simon Jury, Chief Data Officer at Kingfisher, where they discuss the power of instinct and why you shouldn't always ignore it, which includes;

• Insights from decoupling ASDA from Walmart as VP of Data.
• Why building the right operating model for a group structure is critical.
• Balancing centralised vs. decentralised delivery across group and brand levels.
• The nuanced realities of a “single source of truth” across brands.
• Aligning all data decisions with value creation from the outset.
• When to trust your instinct over data—and why that’s okay.
• Why the biggest challenges in D&A are ultimately people issues.
• The disparity in investment between technology and people.
• Why the skills that make a great data practitioner don’t always make a great data leader.
• Why most of a Data Leader’s time should be spent focused on their team.
• Building a high-performing D&A culture in a federated model.
• Creating frameworks for role exploration and skill development within D&A teams.
• The evolving role of analysts in a more data-literate future.
• The investment needed to truly unlock value from D&A at scale.
• Why it’s no longer acceptable for senior leaders to lack data fluency.
• Helping business leaders articulate what they really want from AI.
• Why living overseas sharpened the guest’s ability to translate data insights.
• Combining the science of data with the art of experience for better outcomes.
• Why being financially savvy is a key skill for any Data Leader.
• Why the most successful data products are popular first, and smart second.
• The potential of conversational interfaces to reshape how we interact with data.

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