The data age has been marked by numerous “hype cycles.” First, we heard how Big Data, Data Science, Machine Learning (ML) and Advanced Analytics would have the honor to be the technologies that would cure cancer, end world hunger and solve the world’s biggest challenges. Then came third-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and soon Quantum Computing, with each one seeking that honor.

Every professional has used Microsoft products in their work life. The ubiquity of Microsoft Office in the enterprise is one of the main reasons many analytics users are familiar with Power BI, given how the company bundles its business intelligence software with other licenses in the same way Excel and PowerPoint comes with Office.

COVID-19 has radically altered most aspects of our social worlds and the way we do business. One of the largest impacts to organizations has gone on mostly unseen to the outside world. Companies have been quickly altering the way they manage the keys to their data kingdoms to maximize their data’s value to survive and compete.

We missed it, again. But, could we have seen it, even with advancements in data analytics? Many people have referred to COVID-19 as an unexpected black swan event, after Nassim Taleb's famous book, which I’m rereadinging as I write this post. A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences.

Timely, accurate and trusted data has never been more important than it is now during this pandemic. Since late summer, many areas across the UK have had more stringent restrictions imposed to reflect the growing number of cases. Similarly, Test and Trace uses information on who we’ve been in contact with to provide guidance for when we should self-isolate, which in turn helps us personally manage the risk to those around us.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright light on the need for flexible and engaging leadership. Most of the recent leadership-themed articles focus on how to bridge the remote-only workplace relationship gap, the importance of increased engagement and empathy, and the need to provide technology that empowers and provides a more equitable work/life balance.

In recent years, organizations have been making massive investments in data analytics to transform their growing volume of data into actionable insights to inform decision-making. However, the pursuit of becoming data-driven has uncovered challenges earlier in the data pipeline that are preventing companies from reaping all the benefits from their data.

The CDO role has been rapidly evolving over the past few years – from governance leader to data science and AI expert to digital transformation guru. And, with this change, has come a shift from a back-office focus to a focus on achieving measurable results required by the C-suite.