In this episode, I’m joined by the remarkably versatile Akshay Swaminathan, a polyglot who speaks 11 languages and has carved a unique path from medicine to data science. Currently an MD-PhD candidate at Stanford, Akshay's work has taken him from building clinics in Bolivia to pushing the boundaries of healthcare through data science. Akshay's journey is not just about his professional achievements but also his personal commitment to continuous learning and making a global impact. His...

My guest in this episode is Coert du Plessis, an impressive data and analytics executive, entrepreneur and general lover of life. Coert shares his wealth of knowledge and experience gained through a career and life full of interesting twists and turns. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about: Coert’s journey from South African farmland to Australian board rooms How Coert became the CEO of MaxMine Why our ability to tackle climate change depends on the mining industry How to build...

My guest on this episode is Nikolaj van Omme, CEO and co-founder of Funartech. Funartech is a Canadian company specializing in AI-driven solutions to complex industrial optimisation problems. The company’s secret sauce is combining the two disciplines of Operations Research and Machine Learning. Operations Research is about making the best decisions and solving problems in a structured way, using maths to optimize outcomes. Machine learning on the other hand, is really good at spotting...

Sandy Iyer has been General Manager of Data Science at Sportsbet since the beginning of 2023, leading a dynamic team that leverages data in innovative ways. But what does it take to lead in such a data-driven environment? How does one balance the promotion of betting products with social responsibility? And how does data shape the strategy of a betting giant like Sportsbet? These are just a few of the questions we'll explore today. I’ve watched Sandy's career trajectory skyrocket in the...

In this digital age, data is the lifeblood of business. Just as computer literacy became a non-negotiable skill in the 21st century, data literacy is now an essential competency in our increasingly data-driven world. Yet, despite its critical importance, it's an area where many individuals and businesses stumble. Understanding, interpreting, and effectively using data can be challenging, even daunting. The lack of data literacy skills can lead to misinterpretation, misuse, and missed...

Many large organisations have the data to pull off sophisticated marketing strategies, but only if they avoid the common pitfalls that limit the potential. In this episode I interview Tejas Manohar on the huge – and typically unexploited – potential for data-driven marketing and personalisation. Tejas is co-founder and co-CEO of Hightouch. Hightouch is a reverse ETL platform that helps organisations synch their data warehouses with business facing tools and technology. Their products are...

Every day, like invisible breadcrumbs, we leave trails of personal data scattered across the digital landscape. Each click, every search, every purchase - they all tell a story about us. But do we know where these breadcrumbs lead? Who's picking them up? And most importantly, what are they doing with them? In an era where data is documenting our lives across a host of platforms, understanding these trails and their implications is no longer a luxury but rather, a necessity. It's about our...

We’re definitely in AI hype mode at the moment largely driven by the evolution in generative AI. However, it seems like this progress is not necessarily driving lots of data-related innovation inside organisations that are not AI-first tech companies. A recent survey published by Randy Bean’s company, NewVantage Partners, confirms this. Here are the main findings compared to when the survey was last run 4 years ago: 59.5% of executives say their companies use data for business innovation...

In a world where data is the new oil, being able to understand, analyse and interpret it is a vital skill. As the saying goes, "knowledge is power," and in this case, data literacy is the key to unlocking that power. I argue that data literacy is as important to individual and organisational success as computer literacy, but unfortunately that is not a consensus view. For many organisations and their leaders, low data literacy is hampering their ability to make effective, data-driven...

In a world where data is the new oil, being able to understand, analyse and interpret it is a vital skill. As the saying goes, "knowledge is power," and in this case, data literacy is the key to unlocking that power. I argue that data literacy is as important to individual and organisational success as computer literacy, but unfortunately that is not a consensus view. For many organisations and their leaders, low data literacy is hampering their ability to make effective, data-driven...

This episode of Leaders of Analytics features Dhiraj Rajaram, the Founder of global decision sciences company Mu Sigma. Mu Sigma serves more than 140 of the Fortune 500 and the company’s mission is to simplify complex problems through the science of decisions. Dhiraj shares his views on problem-solving in business, and how Mu Sigma's three core beliefs have been instrumental in the company's success. At Mu Sigma, they believe in "Learning over Knowing", "Extreme Experimentation", and "The New...

This episode of Leaders of Analytics features Dhiraj Rajaram, the Founder of global decision sciences company Mu Sigma. Mu Sigma serves more than 140 of the Fortune 500 and the company’s mission is to simplify complex problems through the science of decisions. Dhiraj shares his views on problem-solving in business, and how Mu Sigma's three core beliefs have been instrumental in the company's success. At Mu Sigma, they believe in "Learning over Knowing", "Extreme Experimentation", and "The...

In this episode of Leaders of Analytics, I am joined by Ada Guan who is one of the most innovative minds in the field of credit decisioning. Ada is CEO and co-founder of Rich Data Co, a company that helps lenders make informed and accurate credit decisions by leveraging AI and machine learning. Listen in as Ada sheds light on the role that AI and machine learning can play in transforming the lending industry and what the future may hold for credit decisioning. In this episode, we'll...

In this episode of Leaders of Analytics, I am joined by Ada Guan who is one of the most innovative minds in the field of credit decisioning. Ada is CEO and co-founder of Rich Data Co, a company that helps lenders make informed and accurate credit decisions by leveraging AI and machine learning. Listen in as Ada sheds light on the role that AI and machine learning can play in transforming the lending industry and what the future may hold for credit decisioning. In this episode, we'll...

Data is revolutionising our world, yet many companies fail to harness its value. What needs to be done for CEOs to see the value of having analytics as part of the executive inner circle? Unfortunately, many analytics teams struggle to move past the common challenges of fostering analytics literacy, getting executive buy-in for more investment in data and analytics and showcasing the value delivered into the business. How can analytics leaders make their discipline an indispensable superpower...

Data is revolutionising our world, yet many companies fail to harness its value. What needs to be done for CEOs to see the value of having analytics as part of the executive inner circle? Unfortunately, many analytics teams struggle to move past the common challenges of fostering analytics literacy, getting executive buy-in for more investment in data and analytics and showcasing the value delivered into the business. How can analytics leaders make their discipline an indispensable...

“Being an entrepreneur is basically like going from one crisis to the next”. Those are the words of Michael Kingston, co-founder and CEO of Seeda. At a point in his career when Michael was thriving, he took the daunting plunge from successful executive to entrepreneur and start-up founder. Most people would be too scared to take such an enormous risk; however, this step has been Michael's key toward work-life satisfaction. Three years later, Michael and his co-founders have built Seeda, an...

“Being an entrepreneur is basically like going from one crisis to the next”. Those are the words of Michael Kingston, co-founder and CEO of Seeda. At a point in his career when Michael was thriving, he took the daunting plunge from successful executive to entrepreneur and start-up founder. Most people would be too scared to take such an enormous risk; however, this step has been Michael's key toward work-life satisfaction. Three years later, Michael and his co-founders have built Seeda, an...

Digital transformation is rapidly changing the way we live and work, and governments should be leading the way forward, according to Victor Dominello MP. As the Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service in the State Government of New South Wales in Australia, Victor believes government should be playing a central role in fostering a digitally-enabled economy across government, private enterprise and individual consumers. Victor is a true servant leader and an inspirational figure...

Digital transformation is rapidly changing the way we live and work, and governments should be leading the way forward, according to Victor Dominello MP. As the Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service in the State Government of New South Wales in Australia, Victor believes government should be playing a central role in fostering a digitally-enabled economy across government, private enterprise and individual consumers. Victor is a true servant leader and an inspirational...

As the digital landscape evolves, privacy concerns and regulations are becoming increasingly important for advertisers. With the decline of third-party cookies and the rise of individual data usage consent, measuring advertising attention is more crucial than ever. One of the biggest challenges for advertisers in a cookie-less world is being able to accurately measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Without cookies, it's harder to track user behaviour and understand how their ads are...

As the digital landscape evolves, privacy concerns and regulations are becoming increasingly important for advertisers. With the decline of third-party cookies and the rise of individual data usage consent, measuring advertising attention is more crucial than ever. One of the biggest challenges for advertisers in a cookie-less world is being able to accurately measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. Without cookies, it's harder to track user behaviour and understand how their ads are...

Inflation is rising, interest rates are up across the globe and cash is king again. How will this impact the flow of venture investments in start-ups and emerging technologies? While traditional investments may suffer during a recession, the venture capital industry has historically been able to weather the storm and even thrive. One reason for this is that venture capital firms typically invest in early-stage companies that are not yet generating significant revenue. In fact, some of the...

Inflation is rising, interest rates are up across the globe and cash is king again. How will this impact the flow of venture investments in start-ups and emerging technologies? While traditional investments may suffer during a recession, the venture capital industry has historically been able to weather the storm and even thrive. One reason for this is that venture capital firms typically invest in early-stage companies that are not yet generating significant revenue. In fact, some of the...