Data Culture: How to Succeed with Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence

Capturing the views of over 300 business leaders on the common causes of digital transformation failure, this book sets out an actionable framework to help organizations of all sizes to build successful data-driven cultures.

Alex Vail took a sabbatical from his job on the board of one of the country's leading manufacturers to conduct several research projects, including the largest ever study into the UK's corporate AI capabilities. In total, he surveyed 234 senior leaders and interviewed 92 executives from FTSE350 companies to identify why digital transformations succeed or fail; the data dependency of organizations; and their levels of data literacy at senior levels. What emerged from the research was a clear set of success factors, grounded in mindset and behavior elements, which have been used to create a framework that any company can follow, regardless of their size or complexity, that will guarantee successful data transformations.

This book captures all of the research in an easy-to-follow guide packed with relatable scenarios of real-world technology deployment and valuable opinions from people at the coal-face of digital transformation.

A certified professional career coach with a background in corporate training, events and communications, Alex Vail has spent 25 years delivering business change programs and developing high-performance cultures in commercial and not-for-profit organizations, including leadership roles in three influential trade associations, two high-growth scale-ups and a FTSE100 manufacturing firm. He co-founded the Data Strategy Alliance, a global peer-learning and research network for senior technology executives in 2023. As a leadership coach, he works with data experts, Boards and senior executives, to help them build adaptive workplace cultures, communicate more effectively, navigate conflict, manage upwards and ask the right questions.