(US & Canada) VIDEO | I Ensure Inclusive and Unbiased Data Practices — Team One CDO

(US and Canada) Prachi Priya, Chief Data Officer at Team One, speaks with Kellie de Leon, Senior Director of Marketing at Treasure Data, in a video interview, about her role, promoting diversity in data and analytics, empowering women in data, and strategies for success in data and analytics.

Priya begins by stating that as a data evangelist, she empowers businesses and clients by providing thought leadership on the importance and power of data and using data to drive and accelerate business outcomes. She acts as a glue between the business and data teams, ensuring that data is of premium quality, the team has enough of it, and that tools are available.

Adding on, she uses a kitchen analogy where data is the raw ingredient in a recipe. If it is not of premium quality or the necessary tools are unavailable, it can slow down product development and can result in dissatisfied customers.

As Chief Data Officer and a woman of color, Priya believes it is her responsibility to ensure data practices are both inclusive and unbiased. She is dedicated to using data to produce positive social impacts and has implemented various programs to help promote diversity in analytics and data science. This includes supporting underrepresented groups with scholarships and providing mentorship and training programs. She affirms working with Women in Data to support mentorship and training programs.

Moving forward, Priya refers to a Maya Angelou quote that underscores that when one woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women. She proudly declares being a part of an organization that values diversity and points out that Team One and Publicis Group have implemented programs to support and promote women in leadership positions.

Delving further, Priya asserts making a conscious effort to ensure that the hiring and promotion practices are unbiased and inclusive of gender or demographic. Despite this, she still believes there is a long way to go to achieve true gender equality in leadership. Statistics show that women cover only 25% of jobs in data and AI, and less than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Priya maintains that there is still much to be improved before achieving equity.

Furthermore, she affirms that data and analytics are an ever-evolving and exciting field. She suggests that the first step for those starting in the data field is gaining clarity on the type of role they want, like a data scientist or analyst.

In conclusion, Priya mentions that connecting data objectives to business objectives creates magic. She advises people to focus on the objectives rather than getting caught up with the tools. She adds that having a clear understanding of the field and its objectives will help one become successful in data and analytics.

CDO magazine appreciates Prachi Priya for sharing valuable insights and data success stories with our global community.