Intelligent CXO Issue 12 | Page 64

GET TO KNOW need to do your job . Our vision is all about ease of use and simplifying and streamlining data .
What kind of clients and markets do you serve ?
We initially found our product-market fit in financial services , but today we have customers in every industry including retail , manufacturing , healthcare , telecommunications , transportation , public sector and more . The complexity around managing data is only increasing and every organisation needs data intelligence .
What has your career looked like so far ?
As a founder , I ’ ve worn a lot of hats at Collibra from the very beginning , including product , sales , partnerships and research . As the company has grown , systems and processes become important and we identified a need to prioritise it . This is something many of our customers have experienced as they scale as well . Over time my role has evolved to leading Collibra ’ s own data office and that ’ s where my title as Collibra ’ s Chief Data Citizens comes in .
We help our customers build out their own data offices and we are also building our own using our technology . We ’ re very hands-on and we learn in this process just like our customers do .
I ’ m focused on Collibra ’ s overall data strategy , our data products and data infrastructure , and translating our internal learnings into value for our customers and partners . I call the strategy ‘ Data Office 2025 ’ or planning for what the data office of the future will look like .
How do you equip your staff with skills and knowledge ?
Every business wants to be a digital business today . But to make that happen , you must start with building a strong data culture . When you think about how every organisation manages their money , it ’ s important that it ’ s not just the CFO or the finance team that cares about the budget .
It should be the same for the data asset . It can ’ t just be the data team that understands your data tools and data processes ; it ’ s everyone ’ s job to ensure that your data is accessible , trusted , properly governed and compliant . At Collibra , we ’ ve invested in both building data literacy within our organisation and supporting our customers as they build data literacy efforts within their teams .
It ’ s a win-win to invest in your data culture . Businesses with a strong data culture are ahead of everyone else . A strong data culture means that teams can move fast , quickly make important decisions based on data and trust that the data is accurate . Data culture , ultimately , impacts every aspect of the business , from everyday decisions to your ability to innovate with technology like AI and Machine Learning , which is what everyone needs to be able to do to stay ahead .
How do you work with other executives within the C-suite to make sure your voice is heard ?
We ’ re a data-driven company at our core and our leadership team understands firsthand how data impacts every part of the business . Like every company , the past few years compelled us to be even more digitally minded and that is an important cross-functional effort . Over the past year we ’ ve spent a lot of resources in getting our business to be even more digital-first . That means updated business processes , as well as servicing our customers with data products .
Each executive has their own use cases where data is crucial : some are more focused on building value , others on efficiency and still others on compliance ( e . g ., privacy ). The key is to identify those use cases , their associated data requirements and then to collaborate with the executives and their teams to drive progress .
How do you ensure different teams in your organisation work together ?
Like so many other businesses , we shifted our teams to remote work over the last two years and have learned on the job how to build collaboration and strong ties in a remote environment . Another one of our core values is to be ‘ open , direct , and kind ’. It ’ s something we strive for always , but it is even more important during this time . x
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