Gareth Powell

Tech-Exec’s Data Leader of the Year 2024 | DataIQ100 x 10 | Group Data Officer & Partner | CDAO | Strategic Advisor | Experienced thought leader in Data & Analytics

Manchester Area, United Kingdom

About

I have been a prominent figure in the Data & Analytics space for 25 years leading industry-recognised data functions “The 100 most influential people setting the data-driven business agenda in the UK”. I've featured in the Data IQ 100 list 10 times across 4 different organisations / 3 different verticals A confident, influential and experienced thought leader with a strong customer-centric focus. Commercially astute with a proactive and innovative approach to solving business challenges through data and analytics with an ability to change mindsets Data strategies delivered for 3 PLC’s in Telecommunications, Retail and Financial Services as well as Legal Professional Services highlighting great adaptability in highly transformational settings with the ability to translate data and technical analysis into actionable insight with tangible benefit across both B2C and B2B Created teams from scratch and have led a team of 75 with oversight of significant budgets as well as managing external consultants Strong experience reporting to C-suite: CEOs, CCO, CFOs, CIOs, MDs Coordination and delivery of thought leadership away days on Data for CEO, Board and senior leadership teams Developed and driven data cultures: delivered advanced analytical roadmaps requiring collaboration with both technical and commercial business directors My goal is to empower every individual to use data, analytics and insight in the decision-making process and to enable “citizen analysts” Ethical AI manifesto delivered as part of CSR Strategy I contribute to the wider Data community through regular speaker engagements including: IQPC CDO Summer Exchange, Corinium Group’s Chief Data & Analytics Officer summit (moderator and panellist), The Data Crowd does Leeds Digital Festival, CX Management in Global Telecoms Summit (joint highest feedback score), Retail Business Tech EXPO, Festival of Marketing, National Innovation Centre for Data with PwC, DataBoss with Corecom, DAMA UK, Xpertise Data & AI Leadership, Boscia’s Data Collective Conference, CDO Hub (presenting and chairing). I have delivered a number of webex including collaborations with Cynozure, Jaywing, Marketing Week, Teradata and Celebrus as well as podcasts including Cynozure’s Diary of a CDO 40 press articles / media references including Forbes, Drapers, ISP Review, eConsultancy, Exponea, Essential Retail, Briefing, Marketing Week, Legal Practice Management, Fashion United, Retail Times, Tech-Exec, DataIQ Established the first ever Legal Data Leaders forum with Katchr Data Crowd Steering Committee member

Experience

  • Group Data Officer & Partner at Irwin Mitchell
    Jun 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 2 mos

    I joined as Group Data Officer & Partner in a 1st generation CDO role. The legal and professional services sectors have a huge opportunity to become much more data-driven. Irwin Mitchell Data strategy developed: "Good quality, easy-to-access information makes it easier for people to do a great job and provide a great service" I am accountable for data within the Group across data platforms, data architecture, data engineering, data governance and through to analytics and data science.

  • Boycott your Bed (Part-time · 6 yrs 4 mos)
    • Co-Chair
      May 2025 - Present · 1 yr 3 mos

      Established a presence in Manchester / North-West for the Boycott your Bed event which supports Action for Children. In our first year, our new board raised £40K via 72 sleepers / 15 businesses. Watch this space for 2026!

    • Northern Board member
      Apr 2020 - Apr 2025 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      Flagship Action for Children event & the UK's longest-running corporate sleep out. Action for Children are working to improve life for children in the UK, so every child and young person has a safe and happy childhood. Join forces with family, friends or colleagues to raise money by spending the night under the stars across one of our 5 UK locations. Wherever you sleep, the money you raise can make children’s dreams of a safe and happy childhood come true.

  • Strategic Advisor at Anumana
    Mar 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 5 mos

    Helped establish an Analytics consultancy specialising in end-to-end delivery of data. Anumana also has a social impact focus by offering data upskill programme to schools and academies

  • Studio Retail Limited (Manchester Area, United Kingdom)
    • Director of Data
      Oct 2021 - Jun 2022 · 9 mos

      Reported to the CEO in the first Director of Data position for Studio Retail. I was accountable for data within the Group across data platforms, data architecture, data engineering, data governance and through to analytics and data science

    • Head of Enterprise Data Products and Insight
      Jun 2021 - Sep 2021 · 4 mos

      Instilled a data and analytics culture at the heart of Studio Retail to transform how data was used to become a strategic asset. Lead and built teams covering reporting, customer analytics & marketing effectiveness measurement, trading analytics, customer service / experience analytics, data science and data strategy

  • Insight and Analytics Director at TalkTalk
    Oct 2019 - Apr 2021 · 1 yr 7 mos

    Responsible for leading a centralised Insight and Analytics division to create a step-change in value creation through decisioning with data across the Group (B2C and B2B)