Loretta Mahon Smith will be at Data Management Summit International Edition 2021

Loretta Mahon Smith will be at Data Management Summit International Edition 2021

We unveil day after day all those professionals who will participate with their presence within one of the most important event of the Data Management. For the first time, a forum tries to focus on data management in its entirety, from governance, through security, the cloud, automatic learning, data virtualization and much more. Today we introduce Loretta Mahon Smith from DAMA International and IBM that will be presente at DMS.

Tell us a little about your professional career

I have been working with data for more than 30 years, first with a financial services firm as the in-house data modeler, architect, data governance advocate, and data archivist.  I moved to IBM to work as a consultant in 2011, and have taken on the Americas Leadership in the Services practice for Data Strategy & Governance.  At the same time I have had a parallel volunteer “career” working with DAMA International, starting at the chapter board level in Washington DC (DAMA NCR), the DAMA International Board, and over the past 3 years the peer-elected President of DAMA International.  As I move into the role of Past-President, I will be responsible for the Annual DAMA Award as well as running the DAMA International Elections.

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

The challenges are different with every client, but what I see is a pervasive need to look at data as an enterprise asset, and enable data professionals to deliver greater value and reduced risk through a combination of a strategy, customized best practices, and the right fit for incremental adoption.

Do you think that companies have the right culture to manage data in a different way?

I think that companies are seeing a change in their cultures due to external market pressure from COVID, from changes in regulatory requirements, and most of all from the demographic change of their workforce.   Tribal knowledge and manual procedures don’t scale.

What are the most important challenges for CIO, CDO, CDO, CTO in 2021?

Each CxO will have a different dimension of the same data challenges, and how they can best approach them is as a team with a data strategy that is aligned to business needs, driven by creating business value!  

What are you going to talk about in your speech at the Data Management Summit?

It is the professionals who understand the nuances of data management that are boots-on-the-ground change agents.  DAMA International has a Body of Knowledge and a Certification (CDMP) that will help those professionals have confidence in advocating changes based on best practices.  At the same time, organizations may not have the bandwidth to “go it alone”, and that is where strong partnerships who help create a clear vision and roadmap can become a critical success factor for the organization execution.

You’ve supported the event from the beginning. Why did you do that?

Any event that brings together the people who focus on data is an event that has my attention and support.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Continuous education is critical for every individual.  Whether through self-education via the DAMA DMBoK and associated primary references, or online courses I strongly recommend that individuals take their careers and the support of their organizations into their own hands. The CDMP Certification is a wonderful way to illustrate levels of expertise. The global community of DAMA International is a great place to find other like-minded professionals!  

About DMS

The DMS is a unique event to guide the data management community in the technological landscape, talking more about solutions than platforms. It wants to be an open discussion forum to share experiences and use cases. A fundamental summit for CIO, CTO, CDO, CDO, System Director, Data Scientist who implement emerging technologies to solve new technological challenges and align with new business opportunities.

Only CIO, CDO, CTO, Systems Director, BI Manager, IT Consultant, IT Department profiles will be accepted. It is mandatory to insert the LinkedIn profile in the form. Filling in the form will not be considered an admission. Admissions will be confirmed by e-mail. The web address for participants is: http://datamanagementsummit.org