Anna Farrés (Bismart)

The interviews with some of the protagonists of the past editions of the Data Management Summit are shown here. All the professionals who have participated in the DMS find them in the hall of fame

Tell us a little about your professional career

Since I graduated in business administration and management, my professional life has been linked to technology and everything related to information management in the company.
My first contact with the most professional working world was in the field of computerization of commercial networks, where I collaborated with large companies and discovered the difficulties, not only to collect correctly the data they needed for management, but to treat them properly to be able to obtain from them sufficient knowledge to support their business decisions.
Over the years I have gone deeper into this type of project until I arrived at Bismart, where my position as head of the pre-sales department allows me to participate in the definition of Data Management and Analytics solutions for a multitude of clients from different sectors, in projects ranging from Data Integration and MDM, to more traditional Business Intelligence, Big Data or Machine Learning.

What are your challenges, what do you like to do with data?

My goal is to help companies discover how far they can go with the data they currently manage. Not only do an analysis of their current data that allows them to assess what is happening in their company, but also see what data from other sources could integrate into their systems to find out why it happens, and try to predict what may happen.

Do you think companies have the right culture to manage data differently?

I think all companies are already aware of the importance of managing their data, but there are still many that have not integrated this idea into their company strategy, many still think that it is an issue that should be left in the hands of the IT department. As long as you don’t recognize the value of information as a critical asset at any level of the company, you won’t be sufficiently prepared for a true digital transformation.

What are the most important challenges for CIOs, CDOs, CTOs in 2020?

• Promote data culture in your company
• Define a roadmap: where is the company currently at data management level, where does it want to get to and in what time frame (globally, by areas, …). This roadmap should be reflected in some specific projects that transform the business or optimize current processes, with quick wins that allow users and managers to demonstrate the benefits of advancing in data management issues.
• Get talent and keep it in the company by offering exciting projects.

What do you want to talk about at the Data Management Summit?

I would like to discuss with the attendees the extent to which they have integrated the concept of Data Management in their company, especially in relation to data integration and management processes and Business Intelligence. Do they have specific policies for data management at a transversal level of the company? Are they considering working with Big Data and Machine Learning because they see the usefulness for their organization?

Since the beginning, you have supported the event Why?

I think it’s a good initiative to bring together those responsible for the company with experts from the sector who can contribute their experience in projects and initiatives that they may be considering, or simply to make them think about them. Supporting the data culture in the company is important.