206: Reviving Old-School Customer Experiences Through Modern Data Strategies, Featuring Edward Chenard, Seasoned Data Leader and Analytics Officer

This week on The Data Stack Show, Eric and John welcome Edward Chenard, a seasoned data leader with experience in both large enterprises and startups. During the conversation, the group discusses Edward's career in data analytics, emphasizing the importance of P&L ownership for data leaders. The conversation explores the complexities of building effective data teams, the distinctions between data analytics and software engineering, and the transformative impact of AI. Edward also shares insights on personalization in business, drawing from his experiences at companies like Best Buy, and highlights the need for deep thinking and customer engagement in data initiatives. Don’t miss this great conversation!

Highlights from this week’s conversation include:

• Edward's Background and Journey in Data (0:44)

• P&L Ownership Discussion (1:15)

• Challenges in Profit Ownership (3:38)

• Data Team Dynamics (5:52)

• Role Clarity Between CFO and CDO (7:31)

• Nuances of Data Leadership (11:24)

• Focus on Relevance in Data Work (14:05)

• Best Buy's Personalization Project (18:39)

• Building a Data Stack (21:00)

• Crowd-Driven Algorithms (25:26)

• Event-Based Personalization (28:12)

• Corporate Politics and Implementation (31:00)

• In-Store Experience Innovations (33:16)

• Impact of Data Science at Best Buy (37:14)

• The Importance of Data Teams in AI Implementation (39:19)

• Using AI Conversationally (42:09)

• Book Recommendations for Data Leaders (44:24)

• Final Thoughts and Takeaways (47:05)

The Data Stack Show is a weekly podcast powered by RudderStack, the CDP for developers. Each week we’ll talk to data engineers, analysts, and data scientists about their experience around building and maintaining data infrastructure, delivering data and data products, and driving better outcomes across their businesses with data.

RudderStack helps businesses make the most out of their customer data while ensuring data privacy and security. To learn more about RudderStack visit rudderstack.com.