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Webinars
Past Webinar

Leading with Data: Strategies for Engaging Business Matter Experts

Date and Time

Tue, Jul 23, 2024
Read the 3-minute summary

Details

Join our expert speakers as we explore the T.E.A.M. approach to leading with data. Delve into the essential strategies for engaging business matter experts, emphasizing trust-building and collaboration to advance a data-driven culture. Gain invaluable insights from Barbara's extensive career journey and learn actionable steps to build a strong, sustainable and adaptable data foundation in today’s data driven era amidst the ever-increasing pace of technological innovation. Key takeaways include:
  • Creating a strong data culture
  • Fostering the relationship between business and data
  • Data is everyone’s responsibility - we are all data users
  • How to effectively engage business leaders in the data conversation

Speakers

Barbara Cohn
Chief Data Officer, Senior Consultant, Xentity Corporation
Anu Maradapu
Manager, Data Engineer. & Analytics, Data Governance, American Airlines
Kaitlyn Ellsweig
Deputy Data Director, DNC - Nevada Coordinated Campaign

Post-event summary

The webinar titled “Leading with Data: Strategies for Engaging Business Matter Experts,” hosted by EDM Council’s Women Data Professionals (WDP) Forum, focused on a TEAM approach to data leadership and emphasized the importance of trust-building and collaboration to foster a data-driven culture, led by experts in the industry:

  • Barbara Cohn, Chief Data Officer, Senior Consultant, Xentity Corporation
  • Anu Maradapu, Manager, Data Engineer. & Analytics, Data Governance, American Airlines
  • Kaitlyn Ellsweig, Deputy Data Director, DNC – Nevada Coordinated Campaign

Barbara shared her journey from a background in law and public policy to becoming a Chief Data Officer (CDO). She highlighted the importance of trust and executive support in driving data initiatives. Barbara explained how engaging business stakeholders and building relationships through transparent processes and continuous feedback loops is crucial for success.

She elaborated on the TEAM approach (Trust, Engagement, Action, and Measurement) as a framework for effectively leading data initiatives. Trust is foundational, built through relationships and transparency. Engagement involves collaborating with diverse stakeholders and listening to their needs. Action focuses on implementing initiatives that address real-world problems, and Measurement ensures continuous improvement and success tracking.

Cohn emphasized the role of data visualizations in making data comprehensible and engaging for business users. She cited the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard as a powerful example of how data visualizations can drive understanding and decision-making. She also discussed the importance of starting with high-value, low-effort initiatives to demonstrate quick wins and build momentum.

Barbara stated, “You need to lead with business, not tech first. More often than not, when tech leads, they falter.” which underscores the importance of prioritizing business needs in data initiatives, a recurring theme in this week’s webinar.

In summary, the webinar provided valuable insights into fostering a data-driven culture through trust, engagement, and effective data management practices. It highlighted the importance of collaboration and continuous improvement in driving successful data initiatives. Barbara’s practical advice and emphasis on relationship-building were key takeaways for attendees seeking to enhance their data leadership strategies.

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