S4 | Ep 31 | Data Evangelism; Selling the North Star with Justin Windle, Head of Data Oversight at First Citizens Bank

In Episode 31, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Justin Windle, Head of Data Oversight at First Citizens Bank, where they discuss the purpose of data evangelism and how to set the north-star and sell the value, which includes;Setting your north star Operating in a buzzword-heavy industry Understanding your purpose and where you’re heading Setting a North star in the absence of a data strategyWhy too many D&A journeys purely tactical  Why your D&A strategy may change but your north star shouldn’tWhy value is the “why”?Why your communication around the north-star should be different for different audiences Why you should brand your data organisation internally The progression of the Data Leader Moving from reactive to value-driven Building to deliver value quickly but also towards your visionThe disparity between average tenure and average roadmap The need for having different CDOs at different stages of the journey Tying value to your north-star Creating advocates across your organisation How 99% of organisations are not sold on the value of dataWhy the primary role of the CDO is to be evangelist The importance of learning to craft the D&A message to the different business functions Why you have to sell the benefits and get people excited Why the last thing you should do is talk about data Why you should give people bragging rights Why you should never build your North Star on a business case Why value and valuable are 2 different things The relationship between culture and evangelism Why you may be struggling to build a data culture Getting the business stakeholders to help define the north-starWhy people are the major roadblock to reaching a north-starWhy it’s easier to sell D&A to executivesEvangelism will help change the incorrect perception of the industry Why most companies don’t understand what the role of the Data Leader isThanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.