In this episode, Markus Zirn and Steve Brodrick explore the power of data democratization and its role in driving transformation. Steve shares his journey from CFO to CTO and now CEO of Horizon Five, where he is dedicated to making data accessible and empowering teams to thrive. They discuss the importance of integrating IT and business, the challenges of scaling data-driven insights, and the potential of emerging technologies like generative AI. Steve offers practical strategies for fostering collaboration, building a data-driven culture, and driving innovation across organizations.

Timestamps

00:00 Episode Start

02:55 Steve's career journey and passion for data

07:40 Importance of The New Automation Mindset

12:00 Exploring data-driven challenges in RPA

17:05 Bridging business and IT with integration

20:00 Maturity in data across organizations

24:45 Overcoming resistance to process democratization

34:00 Impact of GenAI on data democratization

38:00 Advice for aspiring IT and business leaders

Episode Key Takeaways

• Bring teams together: Break down silos by creating cross-functional teams that include IT, finance, marketing, HR, and more. Collaboration like this helps combine different perspectives, leading to smarter decisions and more innovative solutions.
• Empower everyone with the right tools: Equip your team with easy-to-use tools like Workato. These self-service platforms make it easier for non-technical users to work with data, automate tasks, and find valuable insights, boosting both productivity and confidence.
• Make learning part of your culture: Encourage curiosity and experimentation with new tools and technologies. Highlight wins, offer training, and celebrate a culture of continuous learning to spark innovation and creative problem-solving.
• Focus on clean, connected data: Great decisions start with great data. Invest in systems that ensure your data is clean, well-integrated, and accessible. This sets the stage for advanced tools like GenAI to deliver accurate, actionable insights.

Top Quotes

“Data professionals are not just in IT, they're certainly there, but also, others across every function. Data really knows no function. It sits in your marketing organization, your HR organization, it sits everywhere. So, you have to develop a strategy when you're transforming, where you have an integrated way to welcome everybody to the data dance.”

“You have to make a bet that if you empower people and democratize these tools, there will be great outcomes.”