S4 | Ep 11 | From Zero to Hero; The Role of Education in Data & Analytics Success with Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma, Executive Chairman at Cambridge Spark

Driven by Data: The Podcast

In Episode 11, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Dr Raoul-Gabriel Urma, Executive Chairman of Cambridge Spark, where they discuss the role of education in Data & Analytics success, which includes;

• Creating a business out of a passion for education and technology
• Gaining a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Cambridge
• Becoming a published author
• The pace of technological change and transformation is becoming bigger and faster
• How CDOs/CIOs are constantly battling to adopt and embrace that change
• Creating a business out of a passion for education and technology
• Why there’s too much hype in the industry and the impact that has on expectations
• Why there needs to be more education around commercial use cases for business leaders
• What it will take for Data and AI to be a profit centre
• Why it’s always about people (staff and customers)
• The importance of being able to see the impact of your work
• The retention challenge; why Data and AI skills are in high demand
• Why you have to invest in people to keep pace with technological advances
• How education supports retention
• Why CDO tenure often disincentivises education and people investments
• How the role of the CDO is expected to deliver ROI like any other exec role
• The power of a strong HR business partner
• Getting the balance of delivering quick wins while also building for and investing in the future
• Educational use cases from some big brand names
• How apprenticeship programmes can create several £m in top-line
• How graduate boot camps are reducing time to ROI
• Why educated leaders understand how talent delivers profit
• Why people are the first to go when costs need to be cut
• Why most UK organisations don’t realise the apprenticeship levy is readily available for training existing staff
• How a lack of value realisation may become a blocker for investment in education
• How business leaders don’t view data and AI as something that will support revenue growth
• Why training is needed for business leaders to understand how a data strategy delivers value
• Why that is the job of the CDO and the importance of selling
• Why CDOs need to take more credit for what they do
• Understanding which educational avenue is best for your organisation
• The benefits of career changers and reskilling