Over my fifteen-year career, I have combined strategic planning and operations management with deep technical skills to solve the most challenging business problems across domains and industries. I believe that data has the power to positively transform an organization when valued as a strategic asset and resourced with the right combination of technology, people, and processes. With the proliferation of data analysis tools, people and processes have become the limiting factors of the three-legged digital transformation stool. During the past nine years that I've been leading Data and Analytics teams, I've learned a few critical lessons about culture;1) You have to win the hearts and minds of stakeholders by meeting them where they are, actively listening to their voices, and nurturing relationships2) Relevancy and accuracy are more valuable than precision in a fast-paced data-driven world where market windows are narrow3) Data interpretation is personal, so you have to provide comprehensive training and resources to extract the total value from digital productsThese lessons are the pillars upon which I've built product and service delivery platforms and my relationships with executive leadership. During my first year as manager of Western Carolina University's Data and Analytics program, I developed a multi-year strategic plan and inaugural product roadmap driven by our vision to "improve business outcomes by creating a culture of data-informed decision-making." I formed partnerships across business lines to establish a core team with specialized skill sets along the business intelligence value chain, from data warehouse architecture and dashboard development to data visualization and predictive modeling. Over the past two years, we've made tangible progress and effected a cultural shift away from folk wisdom and anecdotal evidence toward data-informed decision-making. Stakeholders are adopting common terminology and sharing Key Performance Indicators to move the needle on business outcomes across the organization. Our digital products and services improve students' educational experience, balance workforce resources, and identify diversity, equity, and inclusion opportunities.