As someone who’s worn glasses his whole life, I’m all too aware that the phrase “20/20” means that you have perfect vision. For many, the year 2020 also provides a new opportunity for clarity in your professional career. This time of year, there are countless posts online about how to best take advantage of the... more
In the past 30 years, my family and I have moved to a new home four times. And between each move—like most families—we accumulated lots of bits and pieces. While many of these items were used every day, we found that we had ended up keeping many items because we thought they might be useful... more
Building the case for a business data governance toll gate If data is a strategic asset, then data governance needs to be a business discipline. Regardless of the industry, it’s probably only a matter of time before every business will be measured based on their ability—or inability—to govern data appropriately. In this digital-first age, we’re... more
How today’s businesses are gaining new customer insights through analytics while meeting the growing challenge of modern privacy mandates A global footwear manufacturer was recently in the news over a shoe design controversy that polarized consumers between patriotism and social justice activism. When jumping into the debate, a common conclusion is often, “Hey, they KNOW... more
Data quality is not a new problem. Then again, for the past few decades, the quality of data was mainly considered in the context of data warehousing and operational systems. However, with the ever-increasing volume and variety of data, data lakes to store structured and unstructured data at scale, and the resurgence of machine learning,... more
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)—which begins enforcement on January 1, 2020—now stands ready to reform how data is handled. The goal: to improve protections for personal data and to grant consumers new, expanded rights over appropriate use of their data. The regulation will impact California businesses and others doing business with California citizens, while... more
I was at the MIT CDO Symposium in Boston at the end of July, where there was a lot of discussion around the business value of data, and the challenges of cultural and behavioral change. I agree that business leaders need more data literacy. And I also think the corollary is true: data leaders need... more