
Be sure you have confidence in both your prepared remarks and your ability to answer questions. Run through the presentation alone test it on select groups for feedback. Letcher, for instance, is keenly attuned to the overlap between her role and upcoming climate regulation.įinally - it almost goes without saying - “practice, practice, practice,” Letcher said.

She suggested finding this person and getting as much information as you can - it’s good to know what’s on the mind of the board members as you go in to talk.ĬDOs must also stay abreast of salient issues beyond the company’s borders: How does data management fit with potential changes on the horizon? Letcher noted that board members, who tend to be active news consumers, often inquire about how CDOs are using their role to respond to industry shifts. “Typically, there are certain people who are preparing the content on the agenda, and they know very well what’s going on that day,” Nielsen said. Who is scheduled to present before and after? What might be the general mood of the meeting based on the topics under discussion? Her boss provides “invaluable feedback” on the high-level topics her managers review the content the communications team helps her create a strong executive-level presentation.īeyond the specific content of one’s own presentation, Nielsen pointed out the value of knowing where she fits during the meeting. She also works closely with other teams to refine different dimensions of the presentation. “I want to make sure I carry those forward.” “I have themes that I know the board likes to hear about,” she said. She begins by reviewing past presentations Letcher has been PNC’s chief data officer for nearly seven years. Start early, said Letcher, who begins work on her annual business updates two months in advance.

While the discussion focused on communication with boards, the key takeaways pertain to any set of important stakeholders. The panelists stressed preparing early, catering data presentations to reach different audiences, and the importance of connecting to key business goals and telling compelling stories. “Having an effective data strategy and then communicating it to important constituents, like your executive board, is a key to success,” Villar said.Īt the recent MIT Chief Data Officer and Information Quality symposium, Villar moderated a panel featuring Ellen Nielsen, CDO at Chevron, and Denise Letcher, executive vice president and CDO at PNC Bank, discussing ways to craft a presentation about data strategy.

Given the rapidly growing strategic importance of data, it is critical that CDOs not only do their job well but communicate effectively about their work.
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“Data is increasingly an asset that has both value and risk,” said Maria Villar, head of enterprise data strategy and transformation at German software company SAP.
