S4 | Ep 38 | Data Accessibility; From Technical Solution to Business Value with Rui Machado, Vice President Data Engineering and Architecture at H&M Group

In Episode 38, of Season 4, of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is joined by Rui Machado, Vice President of Data Engineering and Architecture at H&M Group, where they discuss data modelling, accessibility and translating highly technical solutions into business value, which includes;Working for household names such as Nike and Meta Leading a team of 200 Data Engineers at H&MBecoming the author of; Analytics Engineering with SQL and Dbt: Building Meaningful Data Models at ScaleH&M’s focus on sustainability and society Why data modelling lost relevance and why it’s had a resurgence The fundamental changes in how organisations build and use data modelsWhy decentralising ownership of data has disrupted the industry Why SQL is still the core tool for data teams and why it has survived despite the explosion of the modern data stack Why there has been a refocusing on data accessibility      What sets the great engineers apart from the good engineersWhy data engineering teams need to be more aligned to their business stakeholders  Why engineers need to understand the economics of building specific applications  How organisations can ensure that their technical teams are delivering things that will help the business to create/realise value Why some technical people can elevate themselves into leadership and others struggle How to connect very technical concepts to business outcomes and strategiesUsing OKRs to understand business priorities and align your engineering goalsThe shift from data teams being a service team to being a partner Thanks to our sponsor, Data Literacy Academy.Data Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data literacy first.At Data Literacy Academy, we don't just teach data skills. We empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. We're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that we offer. We embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.We take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com.