Speaker and writer on data, AI, and leadership
For more than 25 years I have led data and analytics at Fortune 500 organizations including TD Bank, Visa, TSYS, and Disney. On stage, on podcasts, and in writing I share what that work has taught me about building data-driven cultures, moving past the AI hype, and why data is a team sport.
Leadership experience at
Data is a team sport. The technology is rarely the bottleneck. Clarity, trust, and the willingness to change how the work gets done usually are. These are the ideas I keep coming back to.
Leadership
The projects where I failed did not fail because the models were wrong. They failed because I had not earned enough trust with the business. Empathy is not a soft skill. It is the hardest skill in data leadership.
The CDO role
You cannot fight politics head-on. What works is a clear vision of what the platform is for, walking that vision one-on-one before the big meeting, and a backlog transparent enough that teams make their case with data instead of lobbying.
Business value
Data-driven describes how a team likes to operate. Customer-driven is a commitment to the people the team serves, and they are the ones who decide whether the work mattered.
Business value
What decisions will change? How must the processes change? What measurable business outcome will improve, and by how much? If the answers are vague, the project is already at risk.
AI
If you cannot describe what AI will change in your business over the next six months without naming a vendor, you do not have an AI strategy yet. Write the vision in plain language, and make it describe a process, not a step.
AI
Launching a massive cleanup before a single use case is defined is boiling the ocean. Start with the use case and "ready" defines itself. And readiness is not only about clean data. It is about whether you are allowed to use it.
Talks, panels, and podcast conversations on data, AI, and leadership
IA, datos y negocio: el rol clave del CDO
Keynote, CDO LATAM 2025, Bogota · ES
La data no crea valores si no mejora el negocio
Tech for Business Podcast, 2026 · ES
Stop Chasing AI Hype. Start Counting Dollars
Catalog & Cocktails podcast, 2026 · EN
How to build AI solutions that work: with strategy, governance, and measurable results, where AI is an enabler and not an end in itself.
What separates enterprise implementations that last from expensive failures, and the foundations most organizations skip.
The technology is the easy part. The hard part is the human side of the organization.
Why technical excellence alone fails without business alignment, integrated teams, and measurable outcomes.
With 25+ years leading data transformation at Fortune 500 organizations including TD Bank, Visa, TSYS, and Disney, I bring a unique perspective that bridges technical excellence and business impact.
My philosophy is simple: Data is a Team Sport. The best data strategies fail without business alignment, integrated teams, and measurable ROI. Analytics should be a natural part of how decisions get made.
I believe in servant leadership - developing people who can take your job. The measure of a data leader isn't the dashboards they build, but the culture they create.
A speaking invitation, a panel, a podcast, or a question about something I wrote or said. Tell me what you have in mind and I will reply personally.