The Key to Funding Data Initiatives: What CDOs Can Learn From Suckerfish

Remoras, or suckerfish, live in a symbiotic relationship with sharks – feeding off the remains of any prey the shark has vanquished. To survive in today’s data world, you often have to act like a remora, following closely behind each large project to get the bits and pieces that will fund your data vision. This session will take you through the journey of one data leader who learned this lesson early. Theresa Kushner, VP of Information Innovation Center at VMware, shares 3 things she has learned about getting data projects funded:

Be clear on what you want to accomplish -- other than survival
Pick your “sharks” carefully
Integrate into the “sharks” environment

Theresa Kushner is a self-confessed “data-vangelist” who comes to data through decades of experience using data in marketing, sales and business operations organizations – all in technology companies like Texas Instruments, IBM, Cisco Systems and VMware. Today she manages VMware’s Information Innovation Center – a center of excellence for Master Data Governance, Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. Her teams manage the entire supply chain of information from creation to cremation. Theresa is also the co-author of two books: Managing Your Business Data from Chaos to Confidence with Maria Villar (2008) and B2B Data-Driven Marketing: Sources, Uses, Results with Ruth Stevens (2015).