I’m proud to have been appointed as Telstra’s inaugural Chief Data and AI Officer, having been recognized for my skillset and track record of accelerating operational transformation in highly complex technology environments typically experienced with pioneering challenges, such as those posed by data and analytics, AI and machine learning.
Some of the major achievement highlights I would list within this role so far include:
Data and analytics and AI maturity in Telstra has evolved, from its strong focus on establishing robust enterprise-wide data governance and management foundations to extending these strategy and policy learnings to the development of AI models. This has facilitated new opportunities to realize value from our data assets by making improved data-driven decisions that enhance customer experiences.
With AI moving to scale and heightened awareness internally along with a greater interest in the community generally, it is a challenge to manage the expectations of all stakeholders. While some of our stakeholders require a more iterative, evolutionary process, others are driving more revolutionary outcomes and timeframes.
To help address these challenges, we have:
I have worked with successful data and AI leaders with diverse qualifications, experience, knowledge and skillsets.
Truly successful data and analytics leaders all have an unwavering passion for digital technology and extracting the power and value of data and analytics to improve outcomes for their customers, staff, business and the community. This passion was certainly evident due to the enthusiasm that our people demonstrate by volunteering to support non-profit organizations by sharing their expertise to help them solve business problems.
Success in data and analytics also needs personal skills and qualities, such as active listening, intellectual agility, persistence, determination and advanced negotiation ability to influence stakeholders to stay the course in ensuring that data and AI foundations are robust, and to also enlist the commitment of these stakeholders to stay the course and join the data and AI journey.
Successful CDAOs also understand how important it is to develop and retain this critical talent pool of data and AI professionals.
We plan to design and build the next phase of Telstra’s data and AI blueprint to deliver its T25 strategy. Additionally, we expect to realize the benefits of applying AI to Telstra’s rich data assets to derive value and opportunities for our customers, processes and business operations.
We will also continue to monitor and influence global innovation, regulation and trends in responsible AI, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), data sovereignty and consumer data rights (CDR) for both their direct impact on Telstra and partner countries’ law and practices when hosting and accessing data.
The profile of the CDAO has certainly been elevated within most organizations, with the CDAO now increasingly acknowledged for their critical value-add to organizational success, along with other C-Suite roles.
There is also an increasingly heightened awareness and understanding at the board level of publicly listed, privately owned and not-for-profit businesses of the value-add opportunities that investing in data and AI infrastructure and talent can deliver.
As business becomes increasingly competitive, organizations are realizing the inherent value in their data to achieve greater personalization of products, improve business processes and improve organizational capabilities.
The CDAO is in the unique position to lead this transformation and enable businesses to respond and rapidly pivot due to the unprecedented dynamic and highly complex social, economic and geo-political operating environments.