Data Science Leaders

Latest Episodes:

Decoding Human Behavior and Well-Being through Data Science (Takuya Kitagawa, Chief Data Officer & Managing Executive Officer, Rakuten Group Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

The coding, models, and experiments inherent in data science work may have more to do with understanding human well-being than you think.
Machine learning and AI can be applied in ways big and small to further our understanding of human behavior—and influence our well-being.
Takuya Kitagawa, Chief Data Officer & Managing Executive Officer at Rakuten Group, believes there must be a shift toward focusing on well-being when it comes to how brands relate to customers. He joins the show to share his perspective on the future of data science, plus he details his approach to managing a large team spanning many products, cultures, and geographies.
In this episode, we discuss:
The role of ML in unifying the customer experience across multiple products
Managing globally distributed data science teams
Understanding human intention and well-being with technology
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Motivating Teams and Combating Bias in Healthcare Data Science (Vikram Bandugula, Senior Director of Data Science, Anthem) Feb 01, 2022

Show notes

Bias is an ever-present enemy of sound data science in healthcare.
Without proactive measures to mitigate bias in the data used to build and train models, real people can bear the brunt of potentially life-altering negative consequences.
Vikram Bandugula, Senior Director of Data Science at Anthem, knows this issue intimately from his extensive experience in healthcare. He joins the show to share his perspective on bias, plus he details his approach to fostering employee motivation and positive team morale.
In this episode, we discuss:
Problem-solving in data science and healthcare
Managing bias in healthcare data sets and models
Motivating high-performing employees and teams
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Data in the DNA: Breaking Down the Autonomous Enterprise (Janet George, Enterprise AI Leader & Author) Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

Is your team mining all available data to inform your business strategy and grow revenue? Is your company prepared to compete against others who are?
If you’re like most, the answer is probably no.
How can you future-proof your organization and take steps toward an autonomous enterprise?
Janet George is an enterprise AI leader and author with experience across companies including Oracle, Apple, Accenture, Yahoo!, eBay, and more. She joins the show to discuss the meaning of autonomous enterprise and the process required for true transformation.
We discuss:
What is an autonomous enterprise?
Where are companies falling short in their data transformation?
The investment and first steps required on the transformation journey
How to prioritize data projects for a larger impact on revenue
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Embedding Responsible AI in Your Models and Your Team (Anand Rao, Global Artificial Intelligence Lead, PwC) Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Who uses the models that we create and how do they use them? Those key questions underpin the notion of responsible AI.
Since algorithms can have a significant societal impact, it’s vital that data scientists are aware of the broader context in which they may be applied.
In this episode, Anand Rao, Global Artificial Intelligence Lead at PwC, breaks down why responsible AI should be an important consideration for every data science team. Plus, he explains what you need to be successful in AI consulting, and why a portfolio approach to ROI is the best way to demonstrate value to the business.
We discuss:
The difference between AI in the 1980s and today
Why data science leaders should care about responsible AI
The ingredients for an effective data science consulting practice
ROI analysis in data science
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Supply Chain Solutions & the Role of the ML Engineer (Karin Chu, VP Data Science & Digital Analytics, Peapod Digital Labs) Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

When highly disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic occur, data science teams may have to throw historical data out the window. Models trained on what happened in the past simply don’t work in a radically different present.
In this episode, Karin Chu, VP Data Science and Digital Analytics at Peapod Digital Labs, discusses how her team is tackling that challenge head on, particularly as the global supply chain crisis impacts sectors from grocery to apparel.
Plus, she explains why two things are so vital to the success of a data science team: ML engineers and a culture of communication.
We discuss:
How data science teams are navigating the supply chain crisis
The vital role of an ML engineer
Tips for communicating about data science in business
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Legal Analytics: Winning Business, Winning Cases, and Winning Over Your General Counsel (Peter Geovanes, Head of Data Strategy, AI & Analyti Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Legal work may not be an obvious application of data science to many advanced analytics leaders. But that should change.
In this episode, Peter Geovanes, Head of Data Strategy, AI & Analytics at Winston & Strawn, breaks down the nuts and bolts of legal analytics and how it’s revolutionizing the way law firms win new business—and cases. Plus, he shares insight on the types of legal challenges data science can help address inside any organization.
We discuss:
The role of advanced analytics in the legal sphere
Use cases on both the business and practice sides of law
How analytics leaders and general counsels can work together
What’s next in the world of legal analytics
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Empowering Big Teams to Take on Even Bigger ML Challenges (Jan Neumann, Executive Director, Machine Learning, Comcast) Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

Managing a large enterprise team of data scientists can be a complicated undertaking. There are so many opportunities, big and small, to serve the business with AI and machine learning. How do you ensure your teams are focused on the big picture without getting bogged down in the minutiae of the day to day?
Jan Neumann, Executive Director, Machine Learning at Comcast, leads a team of about 300 data scientists, divided into eight different focus areas. If anyone knows how to manage a large data science team, it’s him.
In this episode, he shares his strategies for effectively managing a team of this scale in the enterprise. Plus, he explains why he prioritizes continued learning, and shares tips for building out a feature store.
We discuss:
- Managing large data science teams at scale
- Making time to gain knowledge from the ML community
- What a feature store is and why data scientists should care
Mentioned during the podcast:
- The Idealcast with Gene Kim
- Mik + One with Mik Kersten
- a16z Podcast
- Yannic Kilcher on YouTube
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

Change Management: Winning Over AI Skeptics in Banking & Beyond (Chun Schiros, SVP, Head of Enterprise Data Science Group, Regions Bank) Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

As compute capability continues to expand, the banking industry is turning more and more to data science to enable better customer experiences.
Use cases have proliferated, from product recommendation engines to predictive customer retention alerts. These innovations can drive real business value, but managing the rollout of process and technology changes always presents interesting challenges.
In this episode, Chun Schiros, SVP, Head of Enterprise Data Science Group at Regions Bank, reveals how her team is leveraging AI solutions to optimize the banking experience. And with insight applicable to data science leaders in any industry, she shares her change management tips for driving adoption of machine learning among data skeptics.
We discuss:
- How data science use cases have evolved in the banking industry
- AI solutions in banking that optimize the customer experience
- Change management tips for winning over data science skeptics
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

To Patent or Not to Patent? How to Weigh the Options for Your Team (Kli Pappas, Associate Director of Global Analytics, Colgate-Palmolive) Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

Should your team patent its data science work? With open source such an important part of the data science community, patents almost seem antithetical to the ethos of the field itself.
But it turns out, there are some very good reasons to pursue data science patents in business.
In this episode, Kli Pappas, Associate Director of Global Analytics at Colgate-Palmolive, shares his team's process for deciding whether to patent an algorithmic process—and what benefits it can bring. Plus, he talks about why a statistical background is so important for teams that generate data.
We discuss:
- The transition from getting a PhD in chemistry to the analytics world
- Finding the balance between statistical and computer science backgrounds
- Why you should patent your data science work and how to do it
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

How a Centralized Data Science “Nerve Center” Can Power Global Impact (Tim Suhling, VP Global Business Intelligence, Ingram Micro) Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

There are many ways to structure a data science function in a global enterprise. But what’s been the winning strategy for global technology distributor Ingram Micro? Creating a data science “nerve center.”
Centralizing data science talent has helped elevate analytics at Ingram Micro to better solve complex business problems using machine learning and AI.
In this episode, Tim Suhling, VP Global Business Intelligence at Ingram Micro, explains how it all happened, and what data science leaders everywhere can learn from the transformation. Plus, he shares his perspective on how data science can impact “Customer 360” programs and different approaches to measuring the success of models.
We discuss:
- The relationship between data science and business intelligence
- Embarking on a customer 360 initiative
- Measuring the effectiveness of data science
Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Can’t see the links above? Just visit domino.buzz/podcast for helpful links from each episode.

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