Talent Retention Isn’t About the Dollars — Northwestern Mutual AI VP

Anju Gupta, VP of Artificial Intelligence at Northwestern Mutual, speaks with Marty Poniatowski, Director at AMD, in a video interview about talent retention and the role of AI leaders in transforming organizations with AI.

Northwestern Mutual is an American financial services mutual organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Shedding light on talent, Gupta mentions that hiring talent has been relatively easier at Northwestern Mutual because of its brand value. However, retaining talent is a different ballgame that demands hard work from the employer.

Talent retention is not about the dollars, says Gupta, and while promotion plays a role in it, retention ultimately boils down to creating a culture of innovation and learning. She notes that it becomes critical to create a culture where people listen, and as a leader, she focuses on transparency and the creation of learning opportunities.

Sharing an example, Gupta mentions giving out LLM certification to over 50 professionals within the larger organization. This created a culture of constant learning, enabling them to give their insights on the technical rigor of the products launched into production.

Gupta further mentions having an analytical review team consisting of senior data scientists who supervise the projects that go into production or R&D. The concerned team then works upon the feedback received, which adds to the technical rigor.

As Gupta was trained in this space, she understands the crucial role played by culture. She maintains that Northwestern has had analysts who transitioned into the data science roles after getting in-house data science training.

Also, analytical engineers are getting trained in data science to become data scientists, says Gupta. She feels fortunate to have a solid set of leaders who believe in fostering that culture and collaborate with the rest of the company.

As closing remarks, Gupta reiterates that continuous learning and partnership are critical. She states that the success of an AI leader is measured in their ability to transform the company using technological innovation, and that requires cross-functional partnerships. AI leaders must bring together product, engineering, and business leaders to ensure that AI is not just a sliver in the equation, but rather it enables strategic business transformation.

Last but not least, Gupta urges technologists to hone the art of storytelling. In the current global scenario, technologists must be able to be vocal about AI’s capabilities and vice versa and tell that story constantly, concludes Gupta.

CDO Magazine appreciates Anju Gupta for sharing her insights with our global data community.

*Note: This interview was originally recorded on June 27, 2024