The strongest data leaders know that their value goes beyond clean data and accurate reporting. They build relationships, understand how the business makes money, and help teams turn data into better decisions.
In this episode, Jess Carter sits down with Celina Wong, head of data and analytics at Pearl, to talk about what it takes to build a data function from the ground up. Celina shares lessons from becoming the first data hire multiple times, creating alignment across teams, and helping organizations connect data work to revenue, strategy, and long-term business goals.
As AI makes it easier for anyone to access and analyze data, Celina explains why strong data relationships and governance matter more than ever. She also shares how leaders can use AI to accelerate their work without losing the human judgment and verification needed to make trustworthy decisions.
In this episode, you'll learn:
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How data leaders can build trust and align teams around business priorities
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Why every data request should connect to measurable business impact
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How leaders can use AI while keeping data governance and accuracy intact
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Celina Wong
(02:33) The first thing you should do as a data hire
(09:06) Educating the team as a data leader
(14:29) Aligning teams around priorities and resource constraints
(17:53) Asking better questions to become a strategic data partner
(24:05) Preparing data for acquisitions and business decisions
(29:09) Data governance in the age of AI
Celina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinaw/
Learn more about Pearl: https://hellopearl.com/
