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George Firican

Principal at LightsOnData Consulting & Training

Vancouver, Canada

Award winning Data Governance & Business Intelligence leader, practitioner, and public speaker

Available For: Advising, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Speaking Topics: data governance, big data, data quality, dark data, metadata management, data strategy

George Firican Points
Academic 15
Author 802
Influencer 597
Speaker 167
Entrepreneur 200
Total 1781

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Individual
Business Unit: Data
Minimum Project Size: N/A
Average Hourly Rate: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed

Areas of Expertise

AI 30.18
Analytics 56.96
Big Data 46.08
Blockchain 30.14
Business Strategy
Change Management 30.27
Culture
Customer Experience
Cybersecurity 30.07
Data Center
Design Thinking
Digital Disruption 77.32
Digital Transformation 33.22
Emerging Technology 30.27
GovTech
Innovation 37.50
IoT 30.02
Leadership 30.58
Management 30.04
Marketing
Predictive Analytics 30.04
Privacy
Risk Management
Social 30.21
SportsTech 30.65
Sustainability

Industry Experience

Federal & Public Sector
Financial Services & Banking
High Tech & Electronics
Higher Education & Research
Other
Professional Services
Travel & Transportation

Publications & Experience

1 Analyst Advisory
MARKETING, TECHNOLOGY & PRIVACY: Forecast for 2022
PiwikPro
December 16, 2021
Get the information that will help you chart your marketing strategy and select the optimal technology stack for 2022 and beyond
Align your future plans with existing and upcoming privacy regulations
Learn the predictions for 2022 from over 30 top experts in marketing, technology and privacy
Discover why privacy compliance isn’t just an item to be ticked off a list, but rather a business advantage

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

43 Article/Blogs
Implementing the Data Governance Maturity Model
Import from medium.com
January 05, 2024
Embarking on the journey to improve your organization’s data governance is akin to embarking on a quest for continuous improvement. Here’s…Continue reading on Medium »

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Marketing Analytics and Product Analytics: Understanding User Journeys and Getting Into the…
Import from medium.com
June 26, 2023
Marketing analytics and product analytics are crucial aspects of understanding user behavior, optimizing conversions, and driving business…Continue reading on Medium »

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

3 Data Strategy Pitfalls
Import from medium.com
June 19, 2023
Let’s explore the three pitfalls she highlights and learn how to navigate them successfully.Continue reading on Medium »

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Best Free Resources for Data Science
Import from medium.com
April 03, 2023
Learning and acquiring the skills required to be a data scientist can be hard and sometimes cost-prohibitive. Some courses and some tools are definitely expensive. But you shouldn’t let this deter you from achieving your goal of becoming a data scientist or improving your existing skill set. There

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

What is Master Data Management: A Complete Guide
Import from medium.com
March 27, 2023
IntroductionMaster Data Management (MDM) is a critical aspect of modern data management practices. MDM is the process of creating, maintaining and governing the master data, which is the core data that is used to support an organization’s business processes and operations. Master data is typically

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

How To Best Implement a Data Catalog
Import from medium.com
March 20, 2023
Data catalogs are here to stay and a great asset to data-driven organizations. But how do you best implement a data catalog?In this episode, Rupal Sumaria joins us to explore how to implement a data catalog. Rupal is the Head of Data Governance at Penguin Random House in the UK, which successfully

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

How to Become a Data-Driven Organization
Import from medium.com
March 13, 2023
A data-driven organization recognizes the importance of collecting raw data and understands that it shouldn’t make business decisions using raw data alone. Instead, they collect, analyze and derive insights from data to address business problems, identify new growth opportunities, and drive profit

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

How to Think as a Business Data Scientist
Import from medium.com
March 06, 2023
Our guest today is Ashish Patel, Chief Data Scientist at IBM. He’ll share his story, how to get into the field and best practices to follow as a business data scientist. He’ll also tell us why the agile methodology is not the best to use for ML/AI projects, what are the important things to follo

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Ensuring ROI on Predictive Analytics Projects
Import from medium.com
February 27, 2023
With the fast-paced growth in data professionals: Data scientists, analysts, engineers, and the lines between data roles being blurred, measuring and communicating the ROI of data teams is no easy feat. But given the large investment in this area, understanding this value presents an existential que

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Change Management 101: Managing Change in Data Projects
Import from medium.com
October 31, 2022
Change is the only constant in business, and it’s up to leaders to make sure their employees are on board with it. If your company wants to succeed in today’s rapidly changing environment, it’s critical that employees learn how to adapt and thrive in the face of change. So, how do you encourag

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

The 3 SIGHTS all organizations should obtain | Deals not to be missed & upcoming FREE events
LinkedIn
January 31, 2022
Data Analytics and Business Analytics have turned into those buzzwords which everyone is using, but with different meanings. Not to mention the never ending questions and debates on:

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data

Guide to Data Governance Roles and Responsibilities
Import from medium.com
November 29, 2021
If you’re at the beginning of your data governance journey, one of the very first steps you’ll need to take is to identify who in your…Continue reading on Medium »

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

5 main reasons to leverage a data governance maturity model
Import from medium.com
November 19, 2021
A data governance maturity model is a sought after tool as it brings quite a few benefits which could be placed in the following 5 buckets:Continue reading on Medium »

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

How to do a great data governance assessment?
LightsOnData
November 04, 2021
When starting a data governance program, one needs to do a data governance assessment and understand current status, challenges and priorities. This as-is analysis will help you put together a business case for data governance and understand what you should first tackle.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data

What is the difference between business dictionary and business glossary?
Import from wordpress feed
October 11, 2021
Is a business dictionary not the same as a business glossary? They are similar, but not the same. Both of these artifacts have the same purpose, what differs is some of the rules that govern them. Let's uncover what these are. Table of Contents How is a business dictionary different?Governing rulesP

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Statistics and Machine Learning in Python
AI Summary
September 08, 2021

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Tags: AI, Big Data, Digital Disruption

What is the difference between data management and data governance?
Import from wordpress feed
September 07, 2021
The difference between data management and data governance should be easily understood by any professional, especially one working in the data field. Unfortunately, even though there's a lot of information out there about these topics, I feel that they create more confusion that clarification. 

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

What is the difference between data classification and data categorization?
Import from wordpress feed
August 03, 2021
Data classification is often used as a synonym with data categorization. Are they the same? Not quite, so let's clarify this confusion as these terms are often used interchangeably when in fact they shouldn't.  Is there a difference between data classification and data categorization in th

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How I would learn data governance (if I had to start over)
Import from wordpress feed
July 27, 2021
As you might know, I'm putting together a lot of content and creating online courses on data governance drawn from my own practical experience as a data governance professional. Knowing what I know now, I want to share with you how I would learn data governance if I had to start over.  Bef

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

How will data storytelling transform your business
Import from wordpress feed
July 15, 2021
Modern companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions to offer better products and services. According to TechTrend’s review on global data use, we created 2.5 quintillion data bytes daily in 2020; this means there is more data now than ever to extract value from. Moreover, the field

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Tags: Big Data

Data governance implementation through a gardening analogy
Import from wordpress feed
June 15, 2021
Today I'm did a bit of gardening. As I was planning the work in my head, I realized there were quite a few analogies between data governance and gardening. So let's use the gardening analogy to understand how we could establish a good data governance program.1. Understanding the driver In my garden

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Tags: Big Data

Data governance questions you should ask
Import from wordpress feed
June 02, 2021
Table Of Contents Questions you are askedQuestions to ask the interviewer 1. What stage is your data governance program in? 2. What were the main factors for making other programs successful at their company?  3. How do you define your company culture?4. What is your vision for the da

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Tags: Big Data

How to choose and select a data governance sponsor
Import from wordpress feed
May 19, 2021
As most of us already know, the data governance sponsor plays a critical role in the success of a data governance program. Without sponsorship, data governance often fails. But, we have to be a bit picky here and not just go for any sponsor. Here's is one main guiding criteria in selecting a sp

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Tags: Big Data

What is the difference between a Data Analyst and a Data Scientist?
Import from medium.com
April 13, 2021
Difference between a data analyst and a data scientistThere’s a bit of a confusion as what the difference is between a data analyst and a data scientist.I went over 100 job descriptions and I must have read over 50 different articles and white papers from reputable sources, including top-notch uni

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Data Governance Interview Questions and Answers (part 2)
Import from wordpress feed
March 22, 2021
In this article we'll go through the type of questions that you might get in a data governance interview that are meant for the interviewer to better gauge your previous data governance experience. Similar to the of the article on the Data governance Interview Questions and Answers - Part 1 the

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Tags: Big Data

2 Board Memberships
VP of Online Services
Data Governance Professionals Organization
March 31, 2016

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Director of Programs at One World D5240
Rotary International
June 01, 2014

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Tags: Big Data, Innovation, Leadership

2 Citations
Executing Data Quality Projects: Ten Steps to Quality Data and Trusted Information
Academic Press
June 04, 2021
Cited on the definition of Big Data and description of its Vs

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Data Voice to your Rescue in your Data Science Journey
Medium
April 05, 2021

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

6 Coursewares
PRACTICAL DATA GOVERNANCE: IMPLEMENTATION COURSE
LightsOnData
July 12, 2021
Learn how to implement a data governance program from scratch or improve the one you have.

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Tags: Big Data, Change Management, Digital Disruption

Data Governance Maturity Models Online Course
LightsOnData
June 28, 2021
Learn all there is to know about data governance maturity models in order to establish or improve your data governance program.

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Tags: Big Data, Change Management, Digital Disruption

Data Visualization for Data Storytelling Online Course
LightsOnData
January 11, 2021
Data storytelling and data visualization are becoming absolute must-learn skills. As all organizations become increasingly data-driven, the ability to work with data and drive information out of it isn’t a bonus, it is essential.

Learn how to tell compelling data stories, accompanied by effective data visualizations, that will engage your audience.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Learn to Create an Award-Winning Business Glossary
LightsOnData
May 04, 2020
Learn step-by-step how to implement an easy to use and efficient Business Glossary that users will adopt and management will praise.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Data Profiling
iDataQuality Academy
September 02, 2019

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

The cost of poor data quality
iDataQuality Academy
September 02, 2019

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

4 Founders
Lights On Data Merch
LightsOnData
September 01, 2020
Fun data merchandise for us data geeks

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Lights On Data Show
Spotify/ Anchor/ Lights On Data
August 28, 2020
Each episode puts the lights on various data topics with renowned industry experts. We cover the following topics in a fun and informative interview format: big data, data science, data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data visualization, data storytelling, data governance, data management, data quality, data strategy, digital disruption, digital transformation, and much more.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

LightsOnData Academy
LightsOnData
April 01, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Principal - LightsOnData Training & Consulting
LoD
March 01, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Innovation

10 Industry Awards
Best Data Management Blogs
Feedspot
October 30, 2021
LightsOnData.com has been selected by the panelist from Feedspot as one of the Top 15 Data Management Blogs on the web in 2021.

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Tags: Big Data

President’s Staff Award for Leadership
The University of British Columbia
August 30, 2021
A passionate advocate for the importance of data, George Firican championed the shift towards a data-driven culture for fundraising and alumni engagement. His foundational work is creating a world-class data governance program with specialties in business intelligence, data analytics, data quality management and data stewardship. His innovations in this area are recognized at UBC and within the data governance industry at large.

George brings people together and identifies opportunities that lay within our data. For example, his Business Glossary initiative fosters common understanding across teams at DAE, reduces work at cross-purposes, and enables the university to better serve and engage donors and alumni. This award-winning initiative was adopted by others in higher education and fundraising and spotlights UBC as an industry leader. George built upon this foundation to develop opportunities such as Segmentation Models and Geo-Markets Dashboards, which allow fundraisers and alumni engagement officers to explore location-based information and create effective strategies in key markets. His work has resulted in numerous industry awards; including Gold and Platinum awards from the Council for Advancement in Support of Education.

A calm and empathetic leader, George fosters an open and respectful environment that inspires diversity in opinion. He encourages his team to leverage their lived experiences to consider new ways to understand, analyze and present constituent communities, allowing for deeper engagement with the community but also a more diverse mindset within DAE.

Outside of work, George founded the Lights On Data YouTube and LinkedIn channels where he provides a forum for sharing knowledge, best practices and experience among industry leaders and peers.

George’s vision, determination, partnership and creativity are an asset to DAE and UBC as well as peer institutions across Canada and the community at large.

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Tags: Big Data, Education, Creativity

Top 3 Data Podcasts
Data Community Content Creators Awards
June 22, 2021

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Tags: Big Data

Gold for Key Geo-Markets Dashboards
honor issuerCouncil for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
February 01, 2021
Received the Gold award for a visual self-serve tool that is fed various constituent/customer data as well as geo-location information of more than half a million records that are updated nightly if any changes are detected.
The tool enables the alumni engagement and fundraising teams to confirm their regional strategies and plan a better targeted constituency engagement within our 21 key geographic zones and their sub-regions.

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Tags: Big Data

Top 20 Data Management sites in 2019
Feedspot
November 06, 2019
LightsOnData.com has been selected by the panelist from Feedspot as one of the Top 20 Data Management Blogs on the web in 2019.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption

Best Advancement Services Initiative - alumniUBC Segmentation Model
The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE)
June 10, 2019
Received Gold for the innovation and work done by my Data Analytics team in collaboration with alumniUBC on the alumniUBC Segmentation Model.
The goals were to better understand our alumni interests and needs. This had to be bigger than just anonymous survey results. We wanted to be able to point to an alumnus’ record know that this set of differentiators suggests this person is most likely to participate in a certain activity. This led to better email open rates, lower unsubscribe rates and just overall better awareness of UBC's alumni programs and services.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Quality & Productivity Bronze Award for Business Glossary
Canadian Association of University Business Officers
June 01, 2018
Received the Bronze award for the Business Glossary and "How to DAE" (an internal Google-like engine for information) implementations and their achievements.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Innovation, Leadership

Circle of Excellence Award - Platinum & Gold for Business Glossary
CASE International
August 01, 2017
Received the Platinum and Gold award for the Best Practices in Advancement Services for the Business Glossary and "How to DAE" (an internal Google-like engine for information) implementations and their achievements.

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Tags: Digital Transformation, Emerging Technology, Innovation

Best Practice in Advancement Services - Tracing Program
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
February 02, 2015
Received the Bronze award for the Best Practices in Advancement Services for the Tracing Program, its best practices, implementation and its achievements from June 2013 to October 2014.

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Tags: Big Data

Best Practices in Advancement Services - Data Governance & Quality Program
CASE
June 02, 2014
Received the Bronze award for the Best Practices in Advancement Services for the Data Quality Program, its vision and concept, evolution, strategy, best practices, and its achievements from June 2012 to October 2013.

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Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, Innovation

11 Influencer Awards
IoT Thought Leader of the Year Nominee
2021 Industry Insights IoT Awards
December 16, 2021

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Tags: Big Data, IoT

70 Podcasts from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders You Should Listen To in 2022
Thinkers360
November 08, 2021

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Tags: Big Data

Received Gold for the Most Helpful Data Video Channel (‘Lights On Data’ with George Firican)
Data Literacy
November 04, 2021
Most Helpful Data Video Channel
GOLD: ‘Lights On Data’ with George Firican – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIssfqi_KLgyZ_YhtETI7Aw

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption

Data Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn
Medium
June 09, 2021
A Curated List of Influencers to Help in Your Data Journey

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Tags: Big Data

Trending in #Data in LinkedIn for 7 months in a row
LinkedIn
February 03, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Innovation, Leadership

Top 20 Data Management Sites in 2020
FeedSpot
February 03, 2020

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Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, Innovation

Top 50 Thought Leaders
Thinkers 360
October 31, 2019

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Tags: Big Data

Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Digital Disruption
Thinkers 360
October 28, 2019

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Tags: Digital Disruption

Trending in DataGovernance for 3 months in a row in 2019
LinkedIn
October 01, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

World's Top 60% Marketing, Social Media & Tech Influencer
Kred
September 02, 2019

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Tags: Big Data

Global Influence in 547 cities & 47 countries
TweepsMap
August 01, 2019
Tweepsmap analyzed my Twitter followers by location and demographics. Global Influence in 547 Cities & 47 Countries

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Tags: Big Data, Leadership, Social

1 IP Asset
Forget Me Not: Digital Post-it notes
Exago BI Podcast
November 07, 2008
Never forget again. Type in your notes, reminders, or ideas on the virtual Forget-Me-Not paper. Open multiple Forget-Me-Nots, fill them in, change their color and stick them anywhere on your desktop. Your notes will be saved automatically.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

3 Journal Publications
Top 5 data quality myths
IQ International
December 30, 2019
Article on the five data quality myths and challenging cultural influences faced when leading IQ improvement

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

How Business Intelligence and Data Governance Support One Another
IG World
August 23, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Best practices for powerful dashboards
TDWI Business Intelligence Journal
May 22, 2017

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

6 Keynotes
Trends and Outlook: The big topic of big data
BrightTalk: Big Data and Analytics 2021
December 15, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

The 10 Vs of Big Data
DataCon Middle East
December 08, 2020

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Tags: AI, Big Data, Digital Disruption

The 3 Pillars of a Successful Data Governance Program
IRMAC
September 16, 2020
Many organizations agree that data governance is needed, but it can be a daunting program to undertake all at once. What steps do you need to take to ensure adoption and a sustainable program? What should your initial focus be? What foundational blocks should you put in place to build a data governance program and start managing your data as an asset? This keynote will provide potential solutions to all these questions.

Key takeaways:

Best practices for setting up a strong Data Governance foundation
The most important 3 steps to take to create a sustainable data governance program
Lessons learned from successful and failed implementations

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Dark data: the hidden potential
Qlik Scotland
September 11, 2020
You’ve heard of big data, small data even, but what is this concept of dark data? This session will clarify this concept and and the reasons why organisations have dark data, while also exploring its risks as well as potential and benefits that it could bring to a business and even an entire industry.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Data Governance Best Practices
CDO Forum
June 08, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Big Data in Alumni Engagement
Data Driven Advancement
February 22, 2019

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

9 Media Interviews
Founder of LightsOnData.com and LightsOnData YouTube Channel
DataManagementU
May 10, 2021

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Business of Data | Data Conversations Over Coffee with George Firican
Corinium Global Intelligence
October 14, 2020
George talks to me about dark data, what can be done to take advantage of the value that lies within this "forgotten" data, and the risks and liabilities of dark data.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

It's Ok To Fail, Not All Ideas Take Off The First Time
EatMy News
October 13, 2020
For the most part, it's the people. The people such as your audience, your clients. You need to understand them and their needs that you're trying to meet. It's also the people that you're partnering and collaborating and working with because you can't do everything on your own.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Master Data Maestros Interview: George Firican
Nube Technologies Master Data Maestros
March 29, 2020
Interview and discussion the master data management landscape, current challenges, and MDM implementation best practices.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption

Importance of Establishing a Business Glossary
ThinkLinkers
February 12, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Co-existing with Artificial Intelligence
ThinkLinkers
February 12, 2020
George Firican shares his opinion about the 4th Industrial Revolution and how humans should co-exist with Artificial Intelligence

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Tags: AI, Big Data, Digital Transformation

Data Myths
ThinkLinkers
January 15, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Business Blast Interview with Tyler Wagner
Business Blast
July 15, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Using BI to Audit Data Quality: a Data Talks Interview
Data Talks
May 14, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

5 Panels
Future of Analytics
Data Management Summit 2021
March 17, 2021
Analytics has changed, companies do not use it looking at the past, but looking at the future. The culture of analysis has definitely killed the reporting. Decision-making needs today’s data and tomorrow’s. ETL, ELT, ET(L), Data Virtualization and above all Data Lake and the Cloud have changed the architecture of companies. Roundtable Facilitator: George Firican

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Securing Buy in for your Big Data Initiatives in a Data Driven Culture
Big Data Analytics Summit West Coast
September 30, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

The case for the cloud
Cloud Data Summit North America
May 27, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Data Governance and Driving the Business Through Data
SINC Northwest IT Security Leaders Forum
October 07, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Faculty Panel on Gift Processing & Donor Records Workshop
CASE
October 26, 2018

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Tags: Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation, Innovation

185 Podcasts
Data Governance 2.0: Transforming Control into Collaboration with AI
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February 06, 2026
Join George Firican on the Light On Data Show as he discusses the concept of Data Governance 2.0 with Nagim Ashufta, founder and CEO of Driva. They explore the shift from traditional data governance to a collaborative, AI-powered model. Learn about the importance of stewardship, connecting data crea

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Blockchain's Impact on Banking: Interview with Investor Matthew Le Merle
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January 30, 2026
Join George Firican in this insightful episode of the Lights On Data Show as he interviews Matthew Le Merle, Silicon Valley investor and co-founder of Fifth Era Partners. They discuss how blockchain technology is revolutionizing banking, payments, and asset management. La Merrill shares his perspect

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

NCOA: The Key to Accurate CRM Address Data
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January 23, 2026
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George Firican and guest Scott Eganhouse, Salesforce Address Data Evangelist, discuss the critical role of National Change of Address (NCOA) in data governance, compliance, and AI readiness. They delve into how NCOA updates can significantly improve C

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How To Redefine Your Role Before AI Does It For You
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January 09, 2026
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George welcomes Josie Haines, an Emmy-winning technical leader famous for her contributions at Apple. They discuss the complex issues of career burnout, imposter syndrome, and the critical need for tech professionals to redefine their roles in the fac

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

What Really Drives Career Growth in Data Analytics
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December 19, 2025
Career growth in data analytics is often misunderstood.In this episode of The Lights On Data Show, George Firican and Albert Bellamy explore what actually influences career progression, from resumes and LinkedIn profiles to interviews, impact, and mindset.A practical, experience based conversation f

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How Is AI reinventing MDM and Data Governance?
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December 12, 2025
As organizations deploy AI, how should master data management and data governance programs evolve, or be reinvented, to stay relevant?Join George Firican and Bruno Billy, President of APGAR North America, and Ken Brown, Head of Customer Success as they will explore how MDM and Data Governance are be

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Why Data Sovereignty Matters for AI Innovation (Interview with Vinay Samuel from Zetaris)
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October 30, 2025
In this episode of The Lights On Data Show, George Firican speaks with Vinay Samuel, CEO and Founder of Zetaris, about how organizations can build AI systems that are cost-efficient, sovereign, and trusted.They explore what it really means to own your AI: from keeping intellectual property and data

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Changing Student Recruitment and Retention with AI
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July 18, 2025
Join George Firican as he discusses with Emily Chase Coleman, CEO of HAI Analytics, about the convergence of EdTech and AI in transforming higher education. Learn how predictive modeling and AI are enhancing recruitment and retention strategies, identifying at-risk students, and optimizing financial

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

ROI Framework for Data Teams
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July 11, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, George Firican interviews Ollie Hughes, CEO and co-founder of Count, to explore the challenge every data team faces: showing real Return on Investment (ROI). Ollie shares a clear framework built on four principles that help data teams break free from the '

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Unlocking the Future of Enterprise AI with Salesforce Agentforce
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July 04, 2025
Join host George Firican on the Lights On Data Show as he interviews John Kucera, Senior Vice President of Salesforce AI, to explore the transformative power of Agentforce. Learn how this technology is reshaping enterprise AI by automating digital labor, offering powerful new capabilities like obser

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How to Get Your KPIs Without the Data Hassle
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June 20, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George Firican discusses effective KPI management with veteran tech entrepreneur and product leader Lior Gerson, co-founder and CEO of Target Board. Lior shares his insights on overcoming common data challenges facing executives, the importance of a c

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How to Master the New Era of Data Management - with Kamal Hathi
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May 30, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George Firican discusses the rapidly evolving landscape of data management with Kamal Hathi, Senior Vice President and GM at Splunk, a Cisco company. They explore the challenges organizations face as they scale and adopt AI, emphasizing the importance

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How AI Agents Are Reshaping Data Observability
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May 23, 2025
In this episode of the Lights on Data Show, host George Firican dives deep into the evolving world of data observability with guest Salma Bakouk, co-founder and CEO of Sifflet. They explore how modern data strategies are shifting, especially with the rapid advancement of AI, and discuss the increasi

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Machine Learning in Complex Systems and Non-Linear Systems: Interview with Dr. Chris Kulp
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May 02, 2025
George Firican interviews Dr. Chris Kulp, Professor of Physics specializing in non-linear dynamics and machine learning. The discussion delves into how machine learning is revolutionizing both natural and social sciences by identifying patterns in massive data sets that humans might overlook. Dr. Ku

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

AI Compliance & Risk Management: Best Practices with Santosh Kaveti
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April 25, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George Firican discusses AI compliance and risk management with Santosh Kaveti, the founder and CEO of ProArch. As AI technology advances rapidly, Santosh shares valuable insights on securing and operationalizing AI in organizations, understanding dat

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Unpacking DevOps Bull: Challenges, Solutions, and the Future
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April 18, 2025
Join George Firican as he hosts Cory O'Daniel, CEO and co-founder of Massdriver, in an engaging episode of the Lights On Data Show. They delve into the complexities of cloud operations, DevOps, and infrastructure management. Cory discusses his controversial article 'DevOps is Bull(bleep)'

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Data Lineage Best Practices: Interview with Caitlyn Truong
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April 11, 2025
In this episode of the Light On Data Show, host George Firican dives into the critical yet often overlooked aspect of data management: data lineage. Special guest Caitlyn Truong, co-founder and CEO of Zengines, shares her expertise from over 20 years in financial services, telecommunications, and en

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How to Start and Thrive as a Freelance Data Scientist
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April 04, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George welcomes back Dimitri Visnadi, a successful freelance data scientist. Dimitri shares his journey into freelancing, emphasizing the mindset shifts and practical steps necessary to build a sustainable freelancing business in the data science fiel

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Creating Immersive Experiences with AI
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March 21, 2025
In this episode of the Lights On Data Show, host George Firican explores the innovative integration of AI, creativity, and immersive experiences with guest Geoff Thatcher, Executive Creative Director for the Game On AI experience at the College Football Hall of Fame. Geoff discusses how AI is transf

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How to Future-Proof Your Career and Thrive in the AI Industry with Dr. Joan Bajorek
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March 14, 2025
Join George Firican in the latest episode of the Lights on Data show as he interviews Dr. Joan Bajorek, an AI expert who has navigated two AI layoffs and built 22 income streams while closing six and seven-figure contracts. Learn actionable insights from her new book, 'Your AI Roadmap,' (htt

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Industrial AI: Transforming Manufacturing
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February 07, 2025
In this episode of the Light on Data Show, hosts George and Diana explore the transformative potential of AI in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Their guest, Bryan DeBois, Director of Industrial AI at RoviSys, shares insights from his 25 years of experience.
They discuss the primary driver

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Business 101 for the Data Professional
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January 31, 2025
In this episode of the Lights on Data show, hosts George and Diana welcome Jordan Morrow, often called the 'Godfather of Data Literacy,' for an insightful discussion. Jordan, a bestselling author and pioneer in data literacy programs, shares key insights from his latest book, Business 101 for the Da

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How Organizational Culture Impacts Data Governance Success
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January 24, 2025
In this enlightening episode of the Lights on Data Show, co-hosts George and Diana delve into the vital topic of how organizational culture impacts data governance success. Joined by Joyce Myers, Chief Data Officer at Modern Technology Solutions, they explore the importance of culture, its effects o

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Simplifying AI for Non-Tech Leaders
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January 19, 2025
Join George and Diana on this exciting episode of the Lights on Data show as they dive into the transformative, yet often confusing, world of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
They are joined by Sumedha Rai, an AI strategist and thought leader with over a decade of experience, who simplifies complex AI

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Why Copilot Is An Illusion
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January 10, 2025
In this episode of Lights On Data Show, host George Firican is joined by T. Scott Clendaniel, Director of Data and Analytics and AI expert from Gartner, to discuss the controversial perceptions surrounding AI tools like Microsoft Copilot. Scott shares insights into why Copilot might be more of an il

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

25 Speaking Engagements
The 3 metadata tools for data scientists
DATAcated
October 05, 2021

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Data scientist vs. data analyst
Data Geeks Saturday 2021
August 07, 2021
What is the difference between a data scientist and a data analyst? They sometimes overlap, but they are not the same. Let's clarify this once and for all.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Putting the Lights on Dark Data
DataWorkout: Beyond the Hype
June 17, 2021

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Tags: Big Data, Blockchain, Digital Disruption

Three artifacts to manage your metadata and reference data
Publications Office of the European Union
March 16, 2021
An overview of 3 important tools any organization should be using to manage their metadata and reference data. In this session you will learn what a business glossary, a data dictionary and a data catalogue are, the benefits they bring, and what the relationship between all 3 is.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Breaking the rules of data visualization
DATAcated Conference
February 11, 2021

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

How to Establish a Successful Data Governance Program with Limited Resources
Dataversity DGIQ
December 07, 2020
Many organizations agree that data governance is needed, but it can be a daunting program to undertake all at once. What steps do you need to take to ensure adoption and a sustainable program? What should your initial focus be? What foundational blocks should you put in place to build a data governance program and start managing your data as an asset? This session will provide potential solutions to all these questions. 

Key takeaways:
• Best practices for setting up a strong Data Governance foundation
• The most important 3 steps to take to create a sustainable data governance program
• Lessons learned from successful and failed implementations 

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

3 foundational blocks of data management
Chief Data & Analytics Officer Africa 2020
November 10, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

The importance of data quality
Brainstation: Improving Data Quality Through ETL Automation
October 13, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

3 Must-Have Artifacts for the Data Driven Organization
Data Governance for the Public Sector
October 02, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Understanding the Evolution of Big Data to Increase Productivity
Big Data Analytics Summit West Coast
September 30, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

A Practical Introduction to Data Governance Maturity Models
Master Data Marathon
September 30, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

3 Must-Have Artifacts for the Data Driven Organization
Big Data London
September 24, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Dark data: friend or foe?
IQPC
August 04, 2020
We've heard of big data, small data even, but what is this concept of dark data? This session will clarify this concept and this data's attributes, while also exploring its risks as well as potential and benefits that it could bring to a business and even an entire industry.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption

Why You Need a Business Glossary and How to Implement One Successfully
Virtual Thinklab
May 07, 2020

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Business Glossaries, data dictionaries, and data catalogs
DAMA Vancouver
February 28, 2020
Come learn about the business glossary, data dictionary, and data catalog, the benefits they bring, and what the relationships are between all three.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Innovation

The Ultimate Guide to Building an Award-Winning Business Glossary
Dataversity
December 09, 2019
It’s estimated that the average information worker spends 9.5 hours per week searching for information, and 42 percent of middle management accidentally uses wrong information once a week. Business glossaries are an effective solution for improving communication and productivity, ensuring a common understanding of business terms and increasing information and data trust. So, what do you need to do to create an efficient business glossary or improve the one you have? George Firican has created award-winning business glossaries and wants to provide you with the knowledge to do the same. In this session you will learn:

The real difference between business glossaries, data dictionaries, and catalogs
Building the business case for a business glossary
Best practices for creating unambiguous and consistent definitions
The must-have and nice-to-have attributes
Managing the life cycle of a term
How to manage, maintain, and fund it
Productivity hacks and other useful tips

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Innovation

Data is the new oil: The Importance of Data Governance & Data Quality
DAMA Vancouver
November 15, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

Big Data in Fundraising
CASE VIII
February 13, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Emerging Technology, Innovation

DIY Data Governance
TDWI Vancouver
March 02, 2018

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Data Quality: Paths to Success
Data Driven Advancement
February 10, 2017

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Tags: Big Data, Change Management, Digital Disruption

How to Start a Big Data Analytics Project
Leveraging Big Data & Analytics
October 20, 2016

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Predictive Analytics

Starting and evolving a Data Quality Program at University of BC
Data Governance & Information Quality Conference
June 25, 2014
It is a fact that poor quality data is costing large amounts of money to institutions all over the world. Within the fundraising and alumni relations domain this might equate into potentially lost prospects, donors, donations, alumni engagements, and resources needlessly spent on redundant procedures, etc. The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) "Start an Evolution" campaign aims to raise $1.5 billion dollars for students, research and community engagement and to double the number of alumni involved annually in the life of the university by 2015. As such, a Data Quality Program is crucial in supporting this goal. This presentation will show how UBC’s Development and Alumni Portfolio started and evolved a Data Quality Program, its success stories and lessons learned.

You will learn:
Critical steps in developing a Data Quality Program
Adopting a methodology for success
Gaining support and fostering cultural change towards the importance of information quality
Showcasing data quality improvements

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Social Media Metrics
CASE VIII
February 14, 2014

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Contact Data Accuracy: From Bad to Great
Data Driven Advancement
February 14, 2014

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

3 Data Governance Steps to Always Follow
TDWI Vancouver
September 06, 2013

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

1 Training
The Ultimate Guide to Building an Award-Winning Business Glossary
Data Governance & Information Quality
December 06, 2021
It’s estimated that the average information worker spends 9.5 hours per week searching for information, and 42 percent of middle management accidentally uses wrong information once a week. Business glossaries are an effective solution for improving communication and productivity, ensuring a common understanding of business terms and increasing information and data trust. So, what do you need to do to create an efficient business glossary or improve the one you have? George Firican has created award-winning business glossaries and wants to provide you with the knowledge to do the same. In this session you will learn:

The real difference between business glossaries, data dictionaries, and catalogs
Building the business case for a business glossary
Best practices for creating unambiguous and consistent definitions
The must-have and nice-to-have attributes
Managing the life cycle of a term
How to build, improve, manage, and fund it
Productivity hacks and other useful tips

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Transformation, Digital Disruption

56 Videos
The Cloud Mistake That Kills Your AI Roadmap
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June 22, 2026

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What Makes AI Trustworthy? | Thoughts from Vancouver Web Summit
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May 26, 2026

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Seeknimbly AI at Web Summit: Plug-and-Play HR Agents for Small Teams
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May 22, 2026

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What You See Online Isn’t What Everyone Else Sees
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April 20, 2026

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Swag Review From Gartner D&A Conference
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April 10, 2026

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Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 2026 - Recap
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March 20, 2026

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Why AI Projects Fail: Context Is King
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March 19, 2026

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From Data Insights to Business Decisions with Zoho Analytics
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March 18, 2026

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Stop Migration Fatigue: Keep Your Data Where It Is
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March 16, 2026

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Building Trust in AI with Live Data, Context, and Guardrails | Denodo 9.4
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March 16, 2026

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Blockchain: Faster Payments for Global Enterprises #shorts
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March 09, 2026

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Inside the Italian Pavilion: Spatial Computing on Apple Vision Pro
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March 06, 2026

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Secure Record Keeping: Avoid Mail Nightmares! #shorts
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March 06, 2026

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Blockchain Payments: Disrupting Transaction Fees Forever #shorts
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March 05, 2026

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Data Governance 2.0: Focus on Business Purpose, Not Just Data! #shorts
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March 04, 2026

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The Future of AI: Transitioning from Large to Small Language Models
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July 04, 2024

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The Future of AI: Key Trends and Initiatives for Businesses and Society
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July 03, 2024

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How Restricting the Budget Became a Blessing in Disguise for Data Science Team
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July 02, 2024

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How Successful Enterprises Integrate AI Initiatives into Workflows
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July 01, 2024

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Unlocking the Power of AI: How IBM is Shaping the Future
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June 30, 2024

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Building an Effective AI Governance: Best Practices and Tips
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June 29, 2024

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Tags: AI Governance

The Rise of Deepfake Videos: How Advanced Technology is Blurring Reality
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June 27, 2024

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Maximizing Team Alignment: Key Strategies for Effective AI Leadership
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June 26, 2024

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How to Build a Community and Drive AI Engagement: Secrets for Success
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June 25, 2024

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AI Literacy in Organizations: Boosting Non Technical Staff's Understanding
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June 24, 2024

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5 Webinars
The Pillars of a Successful Data Governance Program Implementation
DAMA Winnipeg
September 14, 2021

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Data Driven Organization 101: 3 Must-Have Artifacts
Data Management & Intelligence
May 13, 2020
Join us for an eye-opening session on the 3 of the most important tools any organization should be using if they want to be data driven. In this session you will learn what a business glossary, a data dictionary, and a data catalog are, the benefits they bring, and what the relationship between all 3 is.

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

The Foundational Attributes of the Business Glossary
Dataedo
January 23, 2020
If you're looking into getting a Business Glossary started or improving the one you already have, you might be wondering what are the best practices for what you should capture about your business terms. Join this webinar to find out what attributes you need to capture in order to lay a strong foundation for your business glossary and increase the benefits brought by this tool and artifact.

Join the webinar hosted by George Firican, award winning Data Governance & Business Intelligence leader and public speaker, and Piotr Kononow, founder and CEO at Dataedo.

Who is this webinar for:

BI, Data warehousing and Analytics practitioners
Data & Business Analysts
Data Governance professionals

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

The Business Glossary, Data Dictionary, Data Catalog trifecta
Dataedo
November 13, 2019
Here's an overview of 3 important tools any organization should be using. In this webinar you will learn what a business glossary, a data dictionary, and a data catalog are, the benefits they bring, and what the relationship between all 3 is.

Who is this webinar for:

BI, Data warehousing and Analytics practitioners
Data & Business Analysts
Data Governance professionals

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Business glossaries - The What, the Why, and the How
Dataedo
October 11, 2019

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

2 Webinars
How to tell a great story using data
Trek Magazine
July 08, 2020
Storytelling has earned its place as the most important tradition humans possess. How can we become great storytellers when those stories rely on data? What are those best practices on data visualization that we should follow and what are the pitfalls we should avoid?

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Tags: Analytics, Big Data, Digital Disruption

Uncovering Data Governance Maturity Models
DAMA UK
June 18, 2020

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Digital Transformation

1 Whitepaper
Best Practices for Powerful Dashboards
LoD
March 28, 2018
In any domain in any organization, great dashboards are valuable not only because they can sum up important information and offer a single view of data, but also because they are simple to use and offer a quick, unambiguous way to draw meaningful conclusions from data.
Developing and designing such powerful dashboards does not come easily. Organizing data so it can be easily consumed and quickly understood by operational staff or decision makers requires a thorough understanding of the data and the business needs as well as skills, knowledge, and experience. The design, format, annotations, filters, arrangement, visualization type, and the underlying data all help make the difference between just another dashboard and a powerful dashboard.

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

3 Workshops
How to Kick-Start a Data Governance Program
Council for Advancement and Support of Education International Workshops
October 09, 2018

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

How to improve contact data quality
Council for Advancement and Support of Education International Workshops
October 08, 2018

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

Best Practices on Data Governance
Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education Workshop
September 17, 2018

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Tags: Big Data, Digital Disruption, Innovation

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All things data

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Events

1 Physical Event
How to Establish a Successful Data Governance Program with Limited Resources

Location: Washington, D.C    Date : December 07, 2020 - December 11, 2020     Organizer: Dataversity

Many organizations agree that data governance is needed, but it can be a daunting program to undertake all at once. What steps do you need to take to ensure adoption and a sustainable program? What should your initial focus be? What foundational blocks should you put in place to build a data governa...

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