How data skills are putting digital specialists at the centre of organisations, with Nick Merry, Kathryn Gulifa and Stuart Garland
- 16 Nov 2022
This week on the Data Futurology podcast, we have three special guests to share insights on how data works in retail settings. Nick Merry, the Head of Analytics at flybuys (Loyalty Pacific), Kathryn Gulifa, the Head of Data and Analytics at Catch, and Stuart Garland, the Director at Talent Insights Group, join us for a wide ranging and in-depth look into how analytics are changing and the impact this is having on teams.
“The really good analysts that I see are the ones that are able to crystalise their understanding of what a business is trying to solve, and solve for that problem in particular,” Gulifa said. “I always think that the technical skills can be taught if you’ve got the aptitude. With the technology landscape changing so rapidly, if you try and peg yourself to recruiting people that have experienced only particular tech, you're really limiting your options.”
As Garland then notes, those that focus purely on their technical capabilities would limit their career development opportunities, unless they’re willing to learn how to engage with the broader business anyway: “Even if you’re not leading people, you still should be learning the ability to demonstrate the value and impact that a project is going to have on the business at a more senior level,” he said.
As Merry also notes, the days where the data team would be separate from the other lines of business are largely over. Now, the digital team is integrated into everything from marketing to security and governance, and people on that team need to be able to have conversations across all of them. “Having digital analytics, not as separate functions, but more integrated with the broader view, is one of the encouraging things that I’m seeing,” he said.