Steve Janoo
Chief Data Analytics and Digital Technology Strategy Officer
Diageo
Steve Janoo is the Chief Data Analytics and Digital Technology Strategy Officer at Diageo. In this role, Steve leverages over 20 years of experience in the field to deliver measurable business results enabled by technology and data across the end-to-end value chain. This ranges from product development and engineering to marketing, sales, and customer service.
Learn more about the UK & Ireland CDAO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
The main focus throughout my career has been driving business growth and delivering business transformation through technology and data. I've had the privilege to work for some incredible companies with rapid growth backed up by great products. I've worked across business transformation, technology and now data analytics and strategy, but shaping the future through data has always been where my passion lies.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
The top principle or value that I live by is authenticity. The second is ownership.
With disruption being a key theme of the past year, where do you see your role as a CDAO going in the next 1-2 years?
I think the focus for most CDAOs going forward will be on how to unlock opportunities for growth for organisations. Here, the focus will expand beyond technology and core data management processes to supporting organisations to shape the next frontier of digital transformation – through new ways of working and new business models enabled by data and AI.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the role as a CDAO?
Spend as much time as possible with the leadership within your organisation. This will enable you to understand their key business challenges. Focus on the opportunities that analytics, insights and AI can drive, as well as the various roles that everyone must play to enable them. Find allies in the organisation that you can work with as a coalition to drive momentum across the organisation.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
- I'm a global citizen with a mixture of Irish, English, Indian and African heritage, as well as having visited 48 countries and lived in 3 throughout my lifetime, so far. I am now based in Wales (but working in London).
- I was part of the team that developed and launched Dyson's first connected product and robot vacuum cleaner.
- I have a newfound appreciation for all things whiskey – my favourite is Oban.
What is the value of participating in a professional community through Evanta?
Learning from others about the common challenges we have in our roles – specifically, how others have addressed them.
Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
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