# #232: Getting buy in and investment from senior execs for your data & AI projects, with Brian Ferris, Chief Data, Analytics and Technology Officer at Loyalty New Zealand

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/data-futurology-leadership-and-strategy/232-getting-buy-in-and-investment-from-senior-execs-for-your-data-ai-projects-with-brian-ferris-chief-data-analytics-and-technology-officer-at-loyalty-new-zealand
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/data-futurology-leadership-and-strategy/232-getting-buy-in-and-investment-from-senior-execs-for-your-data-ai-projects-with-brian-ferris-chief-data-analytics-and-technology-officer-at-loyalty-new-zealand.md
Podcast: [Data Futurology - Leadership And Strategy in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science](https://stenobird.com/podcast/data-futurology-leadership-and-strategy)
Published: 2023-05-17T00:29:40+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/datafuturology/episodes/232-Getting-buy-in-and-investment-from-senior-execs-for-your-data--AI-projects--with-Brian-Ferris--Chief-Data--Analytics-and-Technology-Officer-at-Loyalty-New-Zealand-e246hs1
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/3fab060/podcast/play/70518081/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2023-4-17%2F29d91139-82a1-a13f-3231-5243fd11b6f5.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2583

## Resource

Data leaders must transition from technical experts to enterprise leaders to secure executive buy-in. Success requires aligning AI strategy with business objectives and prioritizing organizational value over technical perfection.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Shift your mindset from being a domain expert to an enterprise leader who understands business value
- Practical takeaway: Align AI initiatives with existing business strategy rather than searching for problems to solve with new tech
- Failure mode: Avoid 'pushing talent off a cliff' by gradually developing leadership and influencing skills in your team
- Practical takeaway: Use a framework of small, high-value wins to build a larger data platform vision without overwhelming the organization
- Failure mode: Do not let ego or defensive project ownership prevent you from adopting the most beneficial enterprise solutions

## Topics

AI Strategy, Executive Leadership, Data Governance, Change Management, Enterprise Architecture, Talent Development, Business Alignment

## Chapters
- 4:10 — The Challenge of Cross-Functional Alignment: Why organizations struggle to achieve unified goals across marketing, supply chain, and manufacturing.
- 7:20 — Avoiding the AI-First Trap: The danger of starting with AI solutions before identifying genuine business problems.
- 13:50 — Becoming an Enterprise Leader: How data leaders can use business language and strategic understanding to influence senior executives.
- 17:10 — Nurturing the Next Generation of Leaders: Strategies for developing technical experts into credible enterprise partners through gradual skill building.
- 23:40 — Influencing Without Manipulation: Approaching stakeholder management as a shared pursuit of company strategy rather than a sales exercise.
- 33:10 — Building Psychological Safety: Creating a culture of trust and collaboration across the enterprise to drive adoption.
- 39:40 — The Strategy of Incremental Value: Using small-scale, high-impact projects to build toward a larger, cohesive data architecture.

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## Transcript

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