Leading Analytics Podcast

In the 30th episode of IIA’s Leading Analytics podcast, IIA CEO Jack Phillips chats with Inderpal Bhandari, Global Chief Data Officer for IBM, a company deeply rooted in the data, analytics, and technology world. When Bhandari started at IBM six years ago, the role of AI from an enterprise standpoint was not clear to many B2B companies. IBM set out to infuse AI into its own business processes and then use what they learned to showcase to customers, be a voice of experience, and help customers avoid pitfalls. Bhandari observes that to infuse AI into an enterprise, it requires a holistic transformation that involves technology, data, IT, and business processes.

What could be at all analytical about an elegant kitchen or bathroom faucet?  Actually lots.  As the name suggests, the Delta Faucet Company is synonymous with products for showering, bathing, sinks, toilets, and steam showers.  In this episode I visit with Liz Kershner who recently joined the company as Senior Director for Strategy, Insights and Advanced Analytics.  We cover the hybrid organizing model that Liz has implemented, and the various roles that analytics plays including market forecasting and monitoring of consumer behavior and trends.  We finish up with a few book recommendations that you won’t want to miss.

The power of a healthy smile defines Colgate’s global mission.  In this episode, you’ll hear about the central role that data, insights and analytics play in driving that mission forward.  Diana Schildhouse joins the Leading Analytics Podcast for an episode filled with wisdom based on her experience leading analytics and insights efforts at Colgate.  You’ll hear a clear and consistent description of how value is generated through the use of data and advanced analytics at Colgate, and some timely advice for what makes an analytics professional successful these days.  And if you listen carefully, you’ll be the proud owner of a new book from the IIA library.

In this episode, I sit down with Sammi Li who leads analytics for the Community Bank side of Flagstar Bank.  We talk about a range of banking application areas including hyper-personalization—how the bank can bring stronger and better digital and AI capabilities to deliver personalization to Flagstar customers through their bankers in the branches.  Sammi’s great advice for aspiring analytics professionals include, be curious, keep learning, have a growth mindset, and figure out how to become a more helpful person.  This simple, but universal behaviors, have all played a big role in her success in the analytics field, and financial services.

Cara Dailey joins Season 3 of the Leading Analytics Podcast to share some of her early experiences as Chief Data Officer at LPL Financial.  In this far-ranging conversation, you’ll hear about the areas the data and analytics team at LPL Financial is having the most impact.  Hint, it’s all about the customer.  We dive into talent retention, data governance, AI and team culture.  Cara also shares a few of her top influencers and advice for folks just joining the analytics movement as professionals!

To kick off Season 3 of the Leading Analytics Podcast, I sit down with Callum Staff who leads food analytics at the global retail brand Marks & Spencer based in London.  Sitting beneath the in-store customer experience and the rich product offerings, sits a growing analytics capability crucial to growing the enterprise in the future.  Callum also mentions a few must read book titles that you won’t want to miss.

We close out Season 2 with a conversion with Helena Yin Koeppl of Bayer.  Like many of our guests over the first two seasons, Helena has held analytics leadership roles at some of the world’s most recognized consumer and healthcare brands.  Helena now oversees building the strategic vision as well as the analytics portfolio and roadmap for a brand-new function in Bayer’s Pharmaceutical division. She has designed a growing organization that enables advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to drive business outcomes across therapeutic areas and markets at Bayer.

How about an inspiring conversation with John Kahan of the technology giant, Microsoft.  Of course, data and analytics are at the center of Microsoft’s business, but John acts as Chief Data Analytics Officer, and the global lead of “AI for Health” for the company. In this episode, John shares his (and Microsoft’s) world view of the possibilities for AI, ML and data science to help meet the global challenges such as sustainability, health and human rights, and disaster response. For one, I came away from the episode with renewed hope for how technology and analytics can help change the world.

Danone is among the most iconic food manufacturing companies in the world with brands like Evian and Volvic waters, and Aktiva and Silk soymilk in the dairy area. And, it’s hard to find a more diverse guest than the company’s analytics leader Elena Alikhachkina. Elena started her career in the news and information industry, and has since held senior analytics roles in healthcare and biotech, and now food and nutrition.  If you’re looking for some universal truths drawn from years of cross-industry experience, this is your episode.

 Coca-cola is among the world’s most iconic brands.  In this episode, I sit down with Saurabh Parikh who leads data and innovation at CONA Services, which supports the largest Coke bottlers in North America. Saurabh describes how the firm delivers analytics solutions against today’s opportunities, while also keeping a sharp eye on all of the areas to improve and innovate for the future. He shares a well-tested organizational model that balances the needs of both data management and analytics, and keeps new ideas flowing through the organization.