50 Essential Data Analytics Thought Leaders in ANZ

If you are searching for the data analytics voices genuinely shaping how Australia and New Zealand use data to make decisions, you are in the right place. This list puts together 50 of the most influential people working in data analytics across both countries right now: chief data officers at some of ANZ's largest organisations, research leaders driving innovation at universities, and practitioners building data cultures from the inside out across sectors as varied as energy, healthcare, government, retail, and media.

The scale of the challenge these leaders are navigating is striking. According to Salesforce's State of Data and Analytics report, surveyed from June to August 2025, 88 percent of Australian data and analytics leaders say their data strategies need a complete overhaul before their AI ambitions can succeed. In New Zealand, that figure climbs to 89 percent. Across both countries, 83 percent of business leaders say they face growing pressure to drive business value with data, yet 48 percent of Australian data and analytics leaders acknowledge that their organisations occasionally or frequently draw incorrect conclusions from data with poor business context.

AI has become the single biggest data priority for Australian leaders in 2025, rising from seventh place in priority order in 2023, while 76 percent of ANZ data and analytics leaders say they feel pressure to implement AI quickly.

The people on this list are working inside that pressure every day. They are making the case for data governance when boards want to rush toward AI. They are advocating for data literacy when organisations are still working from spreadsheets. They are building the technical foundations that make data-driven decision-making possible at scale.

Each person was selected on the basis of their active contribution to the field in 2025 and 2026, their seniority and influence within ANZ's data and analytics landscape, and the breadth and relevance of their public-facing work.

Rather than recycling the same handful of names that appear on every global data list, this directory surfaces the people who genuinely deserve to be far better known to anyone working in or alongside the data analytics profession in Australia and New Zealand. These are not merely impressive title holders. They are practitioners, advocates, researchers, and strategists who have built something, published something, or led something that has moved the field forward.

If your leadership team needs to get better at the human side of a data-driven transformation, including how they communicate, how they make decisions together, and how they hold each other accountable, Book Jonno White to facilitate a session or keynote for your next leadership event. Jonno White, bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, is trusted by organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

For more on data analytics thought leaders globally, see my blog post '35 Leading Thought Leaders on Data Analytics Globally' at https://www.consultclarity.org/post/thought-leaders-data-analytics-globally.

Why Data Analytics Matters in ANZ

The business case for data analytics in Australia and New Zealand has never been stronger. The distance between organisations that are genuinely data-driven and those that aspire to be has also never been wider. Incomplete, out-of-date, or poor-quality data remains the single biggest factor preventing ANZ organisations from becoming truly data-driven, according to the Salesforce State of Data and Analytics report (November 2025). This is not fundamentally a technology problem.

It is a leadership and culture problem.

What separates the organisations making meaningful progress is rarely their choice of analytics platform. It is the quality of their data leadership: the presence of strong chief data officers, active data governance cultures, and data literacy programmes that reach beyond the technical team. The leaders on this list understand this distinction viscerally, and they are making it central to their day-to-day work.

The ANZ data analytics market is also evolving in ways that create both opportunity and urgency. As AI systems become more deeply embedded in business operations, the quality of the underlying data and the rigour of the governance around it become more consequential, not less. Bad data fed into a spreadsheet produces a wrong number. Bad data fed into an AI system that is making thousands of decisions a day produces systemic harm at scale.

This is why data governance, data quality, and data literacy are not separate from the AI agenda. They are its prerequisites.

For organisations ready to build the human capabilities that support a genuinely data-driven culture, including teamwork, clear communication, and shared accountability across technical and non-technical teams, bring Jonno White in to deliver a keynote or facilitation session. International travel is often far more affordable than organisations expect. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

How This List Was Compiled

Every person on this list was selected on three criteria. First, active and current contribution to the data analytics field in Australia or New Zealand in 2025 or 2026, supported by published work, public speaking, or institutional leadership. Second, a demonstrated track record of influencing how data and analytics is practised, not just discussed, within their organisation or sector. Third, a genuine and current connection to the ANZ data and analytics ecosystem, rather than a historical association or peripheral advisory role.

The list brings together voices from across Australia and New Zealand, spanning corporate, government, healthcare, retail, media, technology, and university sectors. It draws from both countries' leading data conferences, independent research, and direct institutional sources, rather than recycling the same small handful of names that show up on every data list. These are the people who genuinely deserve to be widely known by anyone working in or commissioning data analytics work in Australia and New Zealand.

Section 1: Data Governance and Strategy

Data governance and strategy are the invisible infrastructure on which every data analytics initiative depends. The leaders in this category are building the frameworks, policies, and cultures that allow data to be trusted, shared, and used effectively at enterprise scale. They are the voices answering the board question: "Can we actually trust our data?" and "What does responsible data use look like in an era of AI?" Their work is often invisible to the outside world but foundational to everything else in the data analytics stack.

1. Kate Carruthers

Head of Data, Analytics and AI, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Kate Carruthers has spent two decades building data governance and analytics functions at some of Australia's most complex organisations, from Westfield to UNSW Sydney, where she established the university's first enterprise AI system in production in 2019 and led the re-architecture of the cloud data platform in 2022 to support AI, machine learning, business intelligence, and low-code applications from a single set of data pipelines.

She is now Head of Data, Analytics and AI at the Australian Institute of Company Directors, where she works with the leaders who set governance standards for Australia's largest organisations. Named one of Australia's most powerful women in technology by Smart Company in 2014 and included in the Constellation Research Business Transformation 150 global list in 2021, Carruthers is one of the country's most consistent and credible public voices on data governance, AI ethics, and digital transformation.

2. Professor Fang Chen

Executive Director, UTS Data Science Institute, University of Technology Sydney

Distinguished Professor Fang Chen leads one of Australia's most significant applied data science research organisations. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, data analytics, and infrastructure, with particular focus on transport, energy, and smart cities. She delivered some of Australia's most advanced data-driven transport solutions, including predictive analytics for Sydney Trains and V/Line, and groundbreaking research integrating transport and energy systems.

In February 2026, Professor Chen was named Woman of the Year at the ITS Australia Awards, in recognition of more than two decades of work materially improving how Australia's transport networks are planned and operated. She has won multiple national honours including the Australian Museum Eureka Prize and the NSW Premier's Prize for Science and Engineering, and is a consistent advocate for increasing women's participation in data science and engineering careers.

3. Andrew Watson

Deputy Commissioner and Chief Data Officer, Smarter Data Program, Australian Taxation Office

Andrew Watson leads the ATO's Smarter Data Program at Deputy Commissioner level, one of the most consequential data roles in the Australian public sector. The ATO holds the tax and financial data of every individual and business in the country, making Watson's work on data strategy, governance, and AI application genuinely public-facing in its impact.

In April 2026, the ATO publicly outlined extensive plans for AI deployment, with Watson at the centre of that agenda, focusing on building trusted data foundations before deploying AI at scale. He was a featured speaker at both the 2026 Australian Government Data Summit and the AI Summit Australia in September 2026.

4. Alicja Mosbauer

Special Advisor, Data Governance, Australian Government Department of Veterans Affairs

Alicja Mosbauer is one of Australia's most respected voices on public sector data governance. As former Chief Data Officer at IP Australia, she built a modern data analytics platform that transformed how the organisation engaged with its data, and developed governance frameworks adopted as reference models across the APS. She joined the Global Editorial Board of CDO Magazine for APAC in 2024, reflecting her standing as a practitioner-thought leader in government data governance.

Her work on metadata management, data quality, and data literacy in public sector contexts reflects a practical, outcomes-focused approach: governance that enables data use, rather than merely constraining it.

5. Duncan Young

Chief Data Officer and First Assistant Secretary, Health Economics and Research, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Duncan Young brings more than 20 years of senior public service experience in national statistics to the CDO role at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. He previously led the 2016 Census at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a landmark transformation to digital-first design, and served as national programme manager for the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey in 2017.

He was a judge on the 2026 APS Data Awards, a speaker at the 2026 Australian Government Data Summit, and sits on the National Disability Data Asset Council as a data and governance expert, bringing deep analytical rigour to one of the most complex and sensitive data environments in the federal government.

6. Paul Robards

Chief Data Integration Officer, Australian Department of Defence

Dr Paul Robards is responsible for Defence's Data Strategy and the One Defence Data Platform, a programme that will enable Defence to better govern, trust, share, discover, and use data across one of the most complex and security-sensitive organisations in Australia.

His presentation at CDAO Sydney 2026 drew particular attention for its frank discussion of the governance challenges involved in integrating data across services, agencies, and classification levels. His work represents one of the most demanding data leadership environments in the country, where the consequences of poor data governance are not merely commercial.

Section 2: Enterprise Data Transformation

These are the data leaders running large, complex analytics functions inside ANZ's major corporations. They are responsible for the data infrastructure, teams, and cultures that allow organisations with hundreds of thousands of customers and billions in revenue to make decisions from data rather than instinct. Their work is the closest thing ANZ has to a real-time benchmark for what enterprise data maturity looks like in practice.

7. Tracy Moore

General Manager, AI and Data, MYOB

Tracy Moore leads AI and data at MYOB, Australia's business management platform used by more than one million small and medium businesses across Australia and New Zealand. Her work sits at the intersection of applied AI and the practical data challenges of SMEs, a segment of the economy often underserved by data thinking focused on enterprise.

In 2026, the AI BAS product, reducing administration burden for GST-registered small businesses, was delivered under her technical leadership. MYOB was named the most innovative company in banking and financial services by the AFR in 2025. Moore has written for MYOB's thought leadership platform on managing AI-related risks and using AI to drive productivity and business growth.

8. Catherine Arnold

Chief of Data Services, SEEK

Catherine Arnold leads data services at SEEK, Australia's dominant employment marketplace operating across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. SEEK's data assets are extraordinary: billions of data points on labour market movement, in-demand skills, and how jobseeker and employer behaviour is shifting in real time.

Arnold's role involves making that data actionable for SEEK's product teams, partners, and the broader policy conversation around employment. She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025, contributing to discussions on AI and data democratisation in modern enterprises, and her work on scalable data services that serve both internal analytics and external data products is among the most sophisticated data-as-a-product functions in the ANZ market.

9. Ben Pattison

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Flight Centre Travel Group

Ben Pattison leads data and analytics at Flight Centre Travel Group, one of the world's largest travel retail companies and one of Australia's most data-intensive businesses. Flight Centre operates across more than 20 countries, meaning Pattison navigates the intersection of global data governance and locally relevant analytics simultaneously.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2026. His work on balancing centralised data governance with distributed commercial analytics in a multinational environment offers lessons relevant to any large enterprise operating across multiple geographies.

10. Suzie Cardwell

Chief Data Product and Technology Officer, Nine

Suzie Cardwell holds one of the most complex data leadership roles in Australian media, overseeing data products and technology at Nine Entertainment, which operates television, streaming, digital publishing, and radio. Audience data sits at the centre of Nine's commercial model, and first-party data strategy has become existential for media companies as third-party cookies disappear.

Cardwell was a featured speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. Her perspective on data governance in the media sector, where content personalisation, advertising revenue, and audience trust all depend on the quality and management of audience data, represents one of the most commercially urgent data leadership challenges in the Australian market.

11. James Fitzpatrick

Chief Data Officer, Allianz Australia

James Fitzpatrick brings actuarial training and 25 years of financial services experience to the CDO role at Allianz Australia. His remit covers data governance, enterprise data products, and applied data intelligence, turning vast transaction and claims data into strategic advantage. His actuarial background gives him a distinctive lens on data quality and statistical rigour that differs from data leaders who have come up through engineering or product routes.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026, addressing strategies for balancing AI innovation with data governance in a regulated insurance environment. Allianz Australia's website confirms his current role and the scope of his data and insights leadership responsibilities.

12. Milica Ng

Senior Director, Head of Data Science, CSL

Milica Ng leads data science at CSL, the global biotechnology company headquartered in Melbourne that is one of Australia's most significant international businesses. Data science at a biotechnology company operates at the intersection of clinical research, manufacturing analytics, and commercial intelligence: technically demanding and subject to regulatory requirements where data quality and auditability are not optional.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her perspective on embedding data science into the operations of a complex, globally regulated business offers lessons that reach well beyond biotechnology.

13. Saurav Sachdev

Head of Data, Coles

Saurav Sachdev leads data at Coles, one of Australia's two dominant supermarket groups serving millions of customers weekly across more than 800 stores. At Coles, data is operational as much as it is analytical: inventory management, pricing, supplier relationships, loyalty analytics, and e-commerce all depend on data infrastructure working reliably at extraordinary scale.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His contributions to discussions on how large retail data functions balance the pressure for short-term commercial insights with the longer-term investment needed for genuine data maturity are directly applicable across the retail sector.

14. Craig Rowlands

General Manager, Enterprise Data and AI, Australian Unity

Craig Rowlands leads enterprise data and AI at Australian Unity, the mutual organisation providing health insurance, financial services, and aged care across Australia. Australian Unity's data challenge is distinctive: it spans multiple regulated industries and serves some of the most vulnerable Australians, creating ethical obligations and practical complexity around data use that most commercial CDOs do not face.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His work on building cross-sector data capabilities within a mutual, where commercial and community mandates coexist, reflects leadership challenges shared across healthcare, aged care, and financial services.

15. Dr David Black

General Manager, Data and Analytics, Scentre Group

Dr David Black leads data and analytics at Scentre Group, which owns and operates Westfield shopping centres across Australia and New Zealand. Retail analytics at scale, including foot traffic modelling, retailer performance, customer journey analytics, and the integration of digital and physical behavioural data, is technically demanding and commercially urgent in a sector under sustained pressure from e-commerce.

Black holds a doctorate and brings academic rigour to a commercially demanding role. He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025, contributing to discussions on how physical retail uses data to compete with digital platforms.

Section 3: Financial Services and Fintech Data Leaders

Australia's financial services sector is among the most data-intensive in the economy, regulated tightly and operating at extraordinary scale. The data leaders in this category are building the analytical capabilities that power lending decisions, insurance pricing, wealth management, and digital payments for millions of Australians and New Zealanders.

16. Ram Radhakrishnan

Chief Analytics Officer, TEG

Ram Radhakrishnan is Chief Analytics Officer at TEG, one of Australia's largest live entertainment and ticketing companies. TEG's analytics challenge involves understanding how millions of Australians decide which events to attend, how they discover those events, and how to price and market them effectively, all in a market where data on consumer behaviour is rich but patterns shift rapidly with cultural trends and economic conditions.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026, and his work on consumer analytics at scale in the entertainment sector offers a distinctive lens on the relationship between data and audience engagement.

17. Urvashi Chadha

Head of Data, ASX

Urvashi Chadha leads data at the Australian Securities Exchange, one of the most significant financial market operators in the Asia-Pacific region. Data at the ASX is not incidental to the business: it is, in many ways, the product. Market data, trading analytics, and the governance frameworks that ensure data integrity across the exchange's systems are central to ASX's role as the infrastructure of Australia's capital markets.

She was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026, and her perspective on data governance in a highly regulated financial market infrastructure environment is among the most technically rigorous on this list.

18. Akanksha Wangnoo

Executive, Data Risk Governance, NAB

Akanksha Wangnoo leads data risk governance at National Australia Bank, one of the country's four major banks. Data risk governance in banking sits at the intersection of regulatory compliance, operational risk management, and strategic data enablement: a role that requires equal parts rigour and pragmatism.

She was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. Her work on building data governance frameworks that manage risk while enabling analytics and AI in a complex, regulated environment is directly relevant to any large organisation navigating similar tensions between governance and innovation.

19. Peta Stevenson

Group Head of Data and Analytics, Cbus Super Fund

Peta Stevenson leads data and analytics at Cbus, the industry superannuation fund serving Australia's construction and building industry with significant assets under management. Superannuation data analytics involves understanding member retirement outcomes, investment performance, and the risk factors that affect both, in a regulatory environment where member benefit is a legal obligation.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her work on building data capability inside an industry fund reflects the growing sophistication of data analytics in Australia's superannuation sector.

20. Sveta Freidman

Global General Manager, Data and Analytics and Vice President of Data, Xero

Sveta Freidman leads data and analytics globally at Xero, the New Zealand-founded cloud accounting platform used by millions of small businesses around the world. Based in Wellington, she holds a role with both deep ANZ roots and genuinely global scope. Freidman has stated publicly that one of her core goals is to build understanding of customer lifetime value by channel and segment level to optimise Xero's business approach around the outcomes that matter most.

Previously Global Director of Data Analytics Science at carsales.com.au, she brings a cross-sector perspective on how data science can be embedded into digital marketplace businesses. Her perspective was featured in LinkedIn's B2B Marketing Report 2025 as an example of advanced measurement strategy in practice.

Section 4: Government and Public Sector Data Leaders

Data analytics in the public sector carries a particular weight: the decisions it informs affect services that millions of Australians and New Zealanders rely on, from emergency response and taxation to healthcare and social services. The leaders in this category are building the data capability of government, often in environments where political sensitivity, resource constraints, and public trust obligations make data leadership uniquely demanding.

21. Hamish McEwen

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Hamish McEwen's work at Fire and Emergency New Zealand offers one of the most compelling recent examples of what happens when data leadership is applied to genuinely consequential problems. Following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, McEwen and his team developed a Common Operating Picture using geospatial tools, sharing FENZ's Computer-Aided Dispatch data with Auckland Emergency Management to enable real-time situational awareness across multiple agencies.

His statement that "by sharing our emergency data we can really strengthen the resilience of our communities" captures the practical philosophy behind mission-driven data leadership. He was a featured speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025, and his work has been documented by Eagle GIS as a landmark case study in government data sharing.

22. Sarah Cawsey

General Manager Data, Auckland Council

Sarah Cawsey leads data at Auckland Council, New Zealand's largest local government authority, serving the Auckland metropolitan area. Her role involves turning the vast operational and planning data of a major city authority into insights that improve service delivery, planning decisions, and resource allocation for 1.7 million residents.

She was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025, contributing to discussions on how local government organisations can build data maturity under the resource constraints that are endemic to the sector.

23. Fiona Thomson

Director of Analytics, Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, New Zealand

Fiona Thomson leads analytics, monitoring, and evaluation advisory at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities in New Zealand, a government agency whose mandate sits at the intersection of data about diverse communities, equity of service, and cultural competence. Her work involves not just the technical dimensions of analytics governance but the harder questions about how data about communities is collected, interpreted, and used in ways that respect and accurately reflect those communities.

She was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025, bringing a perspective on analytics for equity and cultural responsiveness that is increasingly important as ANZ data practitioners grapple with the obligations of te Tiriti and multicultural service design.

24. Graeme Simpson

Chief Technology Officer, Stats NZ

Graeme Simpson is Chief Technology Officer at Statistics New Zealand, the government's primary data and statistics agency, which produces the official statistics on which national policy, business, and public debate depend. As CTO, he is responsible for the technology systems that collect, process, and publish that data.

He was a speaker at the 2026 NZ Government Data Summit, contributing to discussions on how government can build trusted data foundations that support both statistical integrity and public confidence in an era of increasing data complexity.

25. Rob Hodgson

Chief Data Officer, Natural Hazards Commission, New Zealand

Rob Hodgson leads data at the Natural Hazards Commission, New Zealand's government insurer against natural disaster. In a country with one of the world's most active natural hazard profiles, the quality of the data underpinning risk assessment, claims processing, and prevention policy carries consequences that reach into every community in Aotearoa.

He was a speaker at the 2026 NZ Government Data Summit. His work on building data governance frameworks that support rapid, fair claims processing in the aftermath of major events reflects one of the more important and least-discussed applications of data analytics in the region.

26. Andrew Spiegelman

Head of Data and Analytics, Service NSW

Andrew Spiegelman leads data and analytics at Service NSW, the New South Wales government agency responsible for delivering government services to the public. Service NSW handles millions of customer interactions across digital, phone, and in-person channels, generating data that informs how services are designed, delivered, and improved.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026, contributing to discussions on how government agencies can use data to personalise and improve the citizen experience while maintaining the privacy and security obligations of a public authority.

27. Liz MacPherson

Deputy Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner, New Zealand

Liz MacPherson brings a distinctive lens to the ANZ data analytics conversation: she is the regulator's voice on how data is used and governed, not just the practitioner's. As Deputy Privacy Commissioner, she operates at the intersection of data analytics capability and data rights, helping organisations understand the boundaries within which data use is legally and ethically acceptable.

She was a speaker at the 2026 NZ Government Data Summit, contributing to discussions on data governance frameworks that build public trust in the use of government and organisational data.

Section 5: Healthcare and Mission-Driven Data Leaders

Healthcare and mission-driven organisations face a distinctive data analytics challenge: they often hold some of the most sensitive data in existence, operate under tight regulatory frameworks, and are accountable to communities rather than shareholders. The leaders in this category are building data capability in environments where the purpose of analytics is unambiguously to improve lives.

28. Kate Lucas

Chief Analytics Officer, Department of Health, Victoria

Kate Lucas is Chief Analytics Officer at the Department of Health, Victoria, overseeing the analytical function that supports one of Australia's largest state health systems. Health analytics at government scale involves population health modelling, health system performance measurement, workforce planning, and the analytical support for policy decisions that affect millions of Victorians.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her work on building analytics capability inside a state health department, where resources are constrained and the stakes are high, reflects challenges common across the public health sector in Australia.

29. Tonya Higgins

Head of Data and Insights, Beyond Blue

Tonya Higgins leads data and insights at Beyond Blue, one of Australia's most trusted mental health organisations. Her work applies analytical rigour to a sector where the data challenges are profound: understanding how mental health services are being accessed, where gaps exist, and how public mental health trends are shifting, in a context where analytical quality directly affects how organisations advocate for and allocate support.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her contribution to the broader data analytics community lies in demonstrating what genuinely mission-driven analytics leadership looks like when the outcome is human wellbeing.

30. Dr M Maruf Hossain

Data and Analytics Leader, Banking and Financial Services

Dr M Maruf Hossain was recognised as one of the global top 100 innovators in data and analytics, a recognition featured at CDAO Melbourne 2025. An ANZ-based data analytics leader with doctoral qualifications and deep expertise in the banking and financial services sector, his work addresses the specific challenges of building advanced analytics capability in an industry where regulatory requirements, data quality standards, and the consequences of poor analytical decisions are among the most demanding in the economy.

His recognition as a global innovator reflects the reach of ANZ-based analytical thinking beyond the region, positioning Australia and New Zealand as genuine contributors to the global data analytics conversation rather than passive recipients of global trends.

31. Xavier Varalda

General Manager, Data, Analytics and Data Governance, Sigma Healthcare

Xavier Varalda leads data, analytics, and data governance at Sigma Healthcare, one of Australia's largest pharmaceutical and healthcare product distribution companies. Healthcare supply chain analytics involves demand forecasting, inventory optimisation, and the governance of sensitive pharmaceutical data across a complex distribution network.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His work on building integrated data governance in a sector where regulatory compliance and operational efficiency must coexist reflects a challenge common across regulated industries throughout Australia.

32. Kennie Greagen

Applied Research and Innovation Manager, Foodbank Victoria

Kennie Greagen brings an unusual and genuinely valuable perspective to the ANZ data analytics conversation. As Applied Research and Innovation Manager at Foodbank Victoria, her work applies data and research methods to the challenge of food insecurity, one of the most urgent and underanalysed social issues in Australia.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her inclusion on this list reflects the conviction that data analytics thought leadership is not the exclusive property of the corporate sector: some of the most creative and consequential data work in Australia is happening in organisations trying to solve social problems with limited resources.

Section 6: Media, Retail, and Consumer Analytics Leaders

The consumer-facing sectors generate some of the richest data in the economy and face some of the most intense pressure to turn that data into competitive advantage. The leaders in this category are building the analytics capabilities that power personalisation, supply chain efficiency, audience engagement, and commercial growth at scale.

33. Hari Marappan

Senior Manager, eCom Data Strategy and Delivery, Woolworths Group

Hari Marappan leads e-commerce data strategy and delivery at Woolworths Group, one of Australia's most data-intensive retailers with millions of online and in-store customer interactions weekly. E-commerce analytics at scale involves understanding customer behaviour across digital channels, optimising product discovery and pricing, and building the data infrastructure that supports both personalisation and supply chain efficiency.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. His work on eCom data strategy at one of Australia's largest retailers reflects the frontier of how traditional bricks-and-mortar retail is using data to compete in a digital-first market.

34. Sam Stark

Head of Capabilities, Data and AI, Endeavour Group

Sam Stark leads data and AI capabilities at Endeavour Group, which operates the Dan Murphy's and BWS retail networks across Australia. Retail analytics in the liquor sector involves rich customer behaviour data, loyalty analytics, and the specific regulatory considerations around responsible service of alcohol.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. His work on building data and AI capability at scale across a large, geographically distributed retail network reflects challenges directly relevant to any consumer goods business navigating the transition to data-driven operations.

35. Caroline Atford

Head of Data and Insights, Stuff

Caroline Atford leads data and insights at Stuff, one of New Zealand's largest digital media publishers, operating news, lifestyle, and community content across a network of local and national mastheads. Her work involves turning audience behaviour data into insights that support editorial strategy, advertising partnerships, and digital product development.

She was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025. Her perspective on audience data analytics in a public interest media environment, where commercial sustainability and editorial independence must coexist, is distinctive and important for anyone thinking about the data dimensions of the media industry.

36. Sean Narayan

AI and Business Intelligence Lead, Bidfood New Zealand

Sean Narayan leads AI and business intelligence at Bidfood New Zealand, the country's leading food service distributor. Supply chain and distribution analytics, including demand forecasting, inventory management, and supplier analytics, is a domain that generates enormous value through incremental improvements and is often underrepresented in discussions of data analytics leadership.

He was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025. His work on integrating AI into business intelligence workflows in a distribution business reflects a practical and commercially grounded approach to data transformation that is directly applicable across the logistics and supply chain sectors.

Section 7: Technology, Energy, and Infrastructure Data Leaders

Some of the most technically complex data analytics work in ANZ happens in the infrastructure sectors: energy, utilities, telecommunications, and technology platforms. The leaders in this category are building data capabilities where data volumes are extraordinary, safety and reliability obligations are high, and the transition to AI and real-time analytics is changing the operational model.

37. Simone Roberts

Head of Data and AI, Snowy Hydro

Simone Roberts leads data and AI at Snowy Hydro, which operates one of Australia's most significant pieces of energy infrastructure, the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme, as well as gas and diesel plants and retail energy operations. Energy analytics involves generation forecasting, market trading analytics, asset performance, and the complex data challenges of integrating renewable energy into a grid in transition.

She was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. Her work on building data and AI capability inside a major public energy infrastructure business reflects challenges at the frontier of Australia's energy sector transformation, where data quality and governance directly affect national grid reliability.

38. Yash Khanna

General Manager, Data Governance, nbn

Yash Khanna leads data governance at nbn, Australia's national broadband network, which connects millions of homes and businesses to Australia's digital infrastructure. Data governance at nbn involves the management of network performance data, customer data, and the governance frameworks that ensure data is accurate, accessible, and used appropriately across a complex, regulated business.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. His work on building enterprise data governance at a national infrastructure scale offers lessons relevant to any large, regulated organisation managing data at population scale.

39. Marc Ashworth

General Manager, Data Science and Data Product Engineering, nbn Australia

Marc Ashworth leads data science and data product engineering at nbn Australia, working alongside the governance function to build the analytical and product capabilities that turn nbn's vast network data into insight. The separation of data science and data product engineering from data governance at nbn reflects the growing maturity of Australia's largest data organisations in structuring their data functions.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His work on data product engineering at network scale is technically sophisticated and commercially consequential, representing the frontier of how national infrastructure organisations are building data-as-a-product capabilities.

40. David Miller

Chief Data Officer, Macquarie University

David Miller is CDO at Macquarie University, one of Australia's leading research universities, where data analytics supports both the academic mission and the commercial operations of an institution with more than 45,000 students and a global research programme. Higher education data analytics spans student outcomes, research performance, operations, and the increasingly complex data governance obligations of an institution that handles sensitive student and researcher data.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. His work on building CDO capability in a university context reflects challenges common across the higher education sector, where the data function must serve both administrative efficiency and research excellence.

41. Christian Biggs

Director, Data Analytics and Transformation, University of Melbourne

Christian Biggs leads data analytics and transformation at the University of Melbourne, one of Australia's most research-intensive universities. His work involves building the analytical capabilities that support both the university's academic mission and its operations: student analytics, research performance measurement, and the data infrastructure that supports decision-making at an institution of significant scale and complexity.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His contribution to discussions on how higher education institutions can use data to improve student outcomes while navigating the sector's distinctive privacy and ethical obligations was particularly noted by conference attendees.

42. Apurv Baviskar

Head, Data and AI Strategy, Architecture, Innovation and Product, Medibank

Apurv Baviskar leads data and AI strategy, architecture, innovation, and product at Medibank, one of Australia's largest private health insurers. Health insurance data analytics involves understanding the risk and cost drivers of health claims, personalising health and wellbeing offerings, and building the analytical infrastructure that supports Medibank's transition from a transactional insurer to a broader health partner.

He was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. His work on integrating data strategy, architecture, and product development within a health insurer reflects the growing sophistication of Australia's health sector data practices.

Section 8: Independent Practitioners and Ecosystem Builders

Data analytics thought leadership in ANZ is not only happening inside large organisations. This category features the practitioners, platform builders, and advocates who are shaping how the broader data community develops, connects, and learns.

43. Erin Evans

CEO, Intelligen

Erin Evans is one of Australia's most active voices on data leadership and talent. As CEO of Intelligen, a specialist data and analytics recruitment and advisory firm, she runs the Humanising Data podcast, which has become a significant listening resource for Australian data professionals. Through three seasons, the podcast has featured conversations with chief data officers, data engineers, and analytics leaders across the country.

Evans understands why data teams succeed or struggle, what makes CDOs effective over time, and how organisations can build the data capability they need in an intensely competitive talent market. Her 2026 podcast season features conversations with data leaders across Australia with 20-plus years of experience building data analytics functions.

44. Graeme Jackson

General Manager, Data and Analytics, Enterprise Vector New Zealand

Graeme Jackson leads data and analytics at Enterprise Vector, a New Zealand-based engineering and technology services company. His role involves building the analytical capabilities that support a complex services business operating across multiple sectors.

He was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025. His perspective on data analytics leadership in a mid-market New Zealand business, rather than a major bank or government agency, reflects the practical challenges facing the majority of ANZ organisations that are not at the leading edge of data maturity but are working steadily to get there.

45. Su Jella

Vice President and Board Member, Women's Tennis Foundation; Women in AI APAC Award Winner

Su Jella is a data and analytics leader who brings distinctive depth in the diversity and inclusion dimension of the field. She is a recipient of the Women in AI Award for APAC and was recognised as one of the Top 25 Analytics Leaders, recognitions featured at both CDAO Sydney 2026 and CDAO Melbourne 2025.

Her board and vice president role at the Women's Tennis Foundation sits alongside her data analytics practice. Her work advocating for women's representation in data analytics and AI reflects one of the most important systemic challenges the field faces: how to build the diverse talent pipeline that genuinely data-driven organisations need to realise the full potential of their data investment.

46. Mudit Srivastav

Director, Data Science and Engineering, Colonial First State

Mudit Srivastav leads data science and engineering at Colonial First State, one of Australia's major wealth management platforms. Wealth management data science involves client portfolio analytics, risk modelling, and the engineering of data pipelines that support investment decisions at scale.

He was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. His work on building data science capability at a wealth manager, where regulatory requirements and fiduciary obligations frame every analytical decision, reflects challenges common across Australia's financial planning and investment management sector.

47. Alix Higgins

Associate Director, Data Governance and Analytics, NSW Telco Authority

Alix Higgins leads data governance and analytics at the NSW Telco Authority, the New South Wales government agency responsible for the state's emergency services telecommunications infrastructure. Data governance in critical communications infrastructure is a high-stakes environment: the reliability and availability of data about network performance, coverage, and incidents directly affects the ability of emergency services to respond effectively.

She was a speaker at CDAO Sydney 2026. Her work on building governance capability for critical telecommunications infrastructure represents one of the most important and least-discussed applications of data governance in the public sector.

48. Amanda Princi

Head of Data Enablement, Transurban

Amanda Princi leads data enablement at Transurban, the company that owns and operates motorway networks across Australia and the United States. Transport infrastructure data analytics involves traffic modelling, tolling analytics, infrastructure performance measurement, and the increasingly complex challenge of integrating data from connected vehicles and smart infrastructure systems.

She was a speaker at CDAO Melbourne 2025. Her work on enabling data use across a complex, regulated transport infrastructure business reflects challenges at the frontier of how physical infrastructure is becoming data-intensive.

49. Chris Carter

Head of Data and Intelligence, Financial Market Authority, New Zealand

Chris Carter leads data and intelligence at the Financial Market Authority, New Zealand's financial markets regulator. Regulatory data analytics is a distinctive domain: the data must be accurate enough to support enforcement, the governance must be transparent enough to withstand legal scrutiny, and the analytical methods must be sophisticated enough to detect market misconduct and investor harm at scale.

He was a speaker at CDAIO New Zealand 2025. His work on building intelligence capability at a financial regulator represents one of the most important and most demanding applications of data analytics in the New Zealand public sector.

50. Jan Sheppard

Chief Data and Analytics Officer, PHF Science

Jan Sheppard leads data and analytics at PHF Science, a New Zealand organisation working at the intersection of health and scientific research. She was a speaker at both CDAIO New Zealand 2025 and the 2026 NZ Government Data Summit.

Her work on building data analytics capability in a research and public health environment reflects the growing importance of data-driven approaches in the life sciences sector across New Zealand and the broader Oceania region. Her contribution to the 2026 NZ Government Data Summit discussions on trusted data and responsible AI in public health contexts brings an important scientific rigour to the policy conversation.

Notable Voices We Almost Included

Putting together a list of 50 is an exercise in editorial choice, and there are voices that came very close to making the cut. Dr Lisa McCallum, a data governance expert and researcher at Western Sydney University with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare data, brings deep specialist knowledge to the regulatory dimensions of health data governance. Benedict Chiu, Director of Services at the Australian Research Data Commons, works on the data infrastructure that underpins Australia's national research system. Rakesh Kalyankar, Head of Data Services at AustralianSuper, is building data capability inside one of the country's largest superannuation funds.

Mary-Ellen Mallinson, Manager of Business Intelligence at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, represents an important voice on how government can use analytics to support business development.

Some global voices are so well-established in the data analytics conversation that they appear on virtually every list of this kind: they have earned their place through genuinely important contributions. We chose to give the 50 slots to the ANZ voices who equally deserve to be widely known to anyone working in or commissioning data analytics across Australia and New Zealand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Data Analytics Leadership

The leaders on this list have navigated territory that trips up even well-resourced organisations. Here are five mistakes that appear consistently across the ANZ data landscape.

The first is treating data governance as a compliance exercise rather than an enabler. Many organisations build data governance frameworks because they have to, not because they see governance as the foundation of analytical credibility. The result is governance that is technically present but practically ignored: frameworks that sit in SharePoint documents while data teams work around them. The leaders on this list understand that governance without culture change is theatre.

The second mistake is deploying AI before the data foundation is ready. Seventy-six percent of ANZ data and analytics leaders say they feel pressure to implement AI quickly, but 89 percent also acknowledge their data strategy needs a significant overhaul first. These two facts are in direct tension. Organisations that rush AI deployment without first addressing data quality, lineage, and governance are building on sand.

The leaders on this list, almost without exception, advocate for sequencing: foundation first, AI second.

The third is confusing data access with data literacy. Having a self-service analytics platform that nobody uses is not data democratisation. Genuine data literacy means that non-technical leaders can critically evaluate the data they are presented with, ask the right questions about methodology and sample, and make decisions that are informed by rather than blinded by data. Building that literacy is a cultural and educational challenge, not a technology one.

The fourth mistake is measuring data team performance by output rather than impact. Data teams that are measured on the number of dashboards delivered or models deployed quickly learn to optimise for those metrics. The organisations making the most progress are measuring data teams on the quality of the decisions their work enables, not the volume of their output.

The fifth mistake is underinvesting in data talent development. ANZ faces a genuine and persistent shortage of experienced data analytics professionals. Organisations that rely on external recruitment alone to build their data capability will always be constrained by a tight market. The leaders who are building sustainable data functions are investing in developing talent internally, building clear career paths for data professionals, and creating the learning environments that keep strong people engaged.

Implementation Guide: How to Start Working With These Thought Leaders

The most direct way to engage with the ideas and perspectives of the people on this list is to follow them where they are most active. LinkedIn is the primary platform for most ANZ data analytics leaders: it is where they share thinking, engage with the community, and surface the questions they are wrestling with in their current roles. Following the people on this list and engaging with their content is a practical form of continuing professional development that is available at no cost.

For organisations building or maturing their data analytics function, the conferences at which many of these leaders speak, particularly CDAO Sydney, CDAO Melbourne, and CDAIO New Zealand, offer structured access to a concentration of ANZ data leadership thinking that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. These events are worthwhile not just for the formal content but for the peer conversation they enable between data leaders navigating the same challenges.

For those seeking to understand how Australian government data leadership is developing, the annual Australian Government Data Summit and the NZ Government Data Summit are the most important gathering points for public sector data practitioners and leaders. Many of the government-sector voices on this list are regulars at these events.

If your organisation is at an inflection point in its data journey, and the limiting factor is not technical capability but leadership alignment, team culture, and the human dimensions of change, engage Jonno White. Jonno White, bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out with over 10,000 copies sold globally and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, works with leadership teams to address the communication, accountability, and decision-making challenges that determine whether strategy translates into actual change. Whether the data transformation is happening in corporate, government, healthcare, or education contexts, the leadership challenges are consistent. Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Many organisations find that international travel for workshops is far more affordable than expected.

For more on data analytics thought leadership beyond ANZ, check out my blog post '50 Best Thought Leaders in Data and Analytics (2026)' at https://www.consultclarity.org/post/50-best-thought-leaders-in-data-and-analytics-2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the top data analytics thought leaders in Australia and New Zealand?

The leaders who consistently appear at the top of the ANZ data analytics conversation include people like Kate Carruthers (Australian Institute of Company Directors), Professor Fang Chen (UTS), Andrew Watson (ATO), James Fitzpatrick (Allianz Australia), and Hamish McEwen (Fire and Emergency New Zealand). The full list of 50 in this blog represents the breadth and depth of ANZ data analytics leadership across sectors, including corporate, government, healthcare, media, and education.

What does a Chief Data Officer do in Australia?

A Chief Data Officer in Australia is typically responsible for defining and executing the organisation's data strategy, establishing data governance frameworks, overseeing data quality and data management, building data literacy across the organisation, and increasingly, governing the use of AI and machine learning systems that rely on organisational data. The role has evolved significantly in the past five years: the CDO is now expected to be a business strategist as much as a technical leader, with a mandate to drive commercial or mission outcomes from data rather than simply managing it.

What is data analytics maturity in ANZ?

Data analytics maturity in ANZ refers to the level of sophistication with which an organisation uses data to make decisions. According to research published by Salesforce in late 2025, the majority of ANZ organisations still have significant work to do: 88 to 89 percent of data and analytics leaders say their data strategies need a major overhaul before their AI ambitions can succeed. The most mature ANZ organisations combine strong data governance, high data quality, embedded data literacy, and clear business-outcome measurement for their analytics investments.

How was this list compiled?

Every person on this list was selected based on their active and current contribution to the data analytics field in Australia or New Zealand in 2025 or 2026, verified through independent sources including institutional websites, news coverage, and published speaker records from major ANZ data conferences. The list spans sectors and geographies across both countries, with deliberate attention to including both enterprise leaders and those working in government, healthcare, and mission-driven organisations.

Can I hire someone to facilitate data strategy and leadership conversations for my team?

Yes. Jonno White works with organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally to facilitate leadership team conversations that address the human, cultural, and communication dimensions of strategic change, including the kind of alignment work that data transformation initiatives require. Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator and bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out. His facilitation helps leadership teams get clear on what they are trying to achieve, how they will make decisions together, and how they will hold each other accountable.

Email jonno@consultclarity.org to discuss your next leadership session or keynote.

What is the best data analytics conference in Australia?

CDAO Sydney (organised by Corinium) is currently Australia's largest annual gathering of senior data and analytics leaders. CDAO Melbourne, also run by Corinium, is Victoria's largest annual gathering. The Gartner Data and Analytics Summit in Sydney brings global analyst perspective to the ANZ market. The Australian Government Data Summit is the primary conference for public sector data leaders.

Each of these events brings together a different cross-section of the data analytics community and serves a different purpose. For New Zealand, CDAIO New Zealand in Auckland is the primary gathering of senior NZ data and analytics leaders.

Who are the leading women in data analytics in ANZ?

Women are well-represented at the senior levels of ANZ data analytics leadership. This list includes Kate Carruthers, Professor Fang Chen, Tracy Moore, Catherine Arnold, Sveta Freidman, Tonya Higgins, Suzie Cardwell, Milica Ng, Peta Stevenson, Alicja Mosbauer, Kate Lucas, Sarah Cawsey, Fiona Thomson, Liz MacPherson, Caroline Atford, Su Jella, Alix Higgins, Amanda Princi, Simone Roberts, and Jan Sheppard. Su Jella is a recipient of the Women in AI Award for APAC and has been a consistent advocate for increasing gender diversity in the data and AI professions.

Final Thoughts

The 50 people on this list are not waiting for the data analytics conversation in Australia and New Zealand to mature. They are the people making it mature, right now, in the organisations, sectors, and communities where they work. They are doing so in an environment where the pressure to deliver on data and AI is intense, the talent market is tight, and the gap between what organisations aspire to achieve with data and what they have actually built is often significant.

What they share, across very different sectors and roles, is the conviction that data analytics is fundamentally a leadership challenge, not a technology challenge. The technology is available. The platforms are accessible. What determines whether an organisation becomes genuinely data-driven is whether its leaders have the will, the skill, and the cultural commitment to govern data well, to invest in data literacy, and to hold themselves accountable for the decisions they make from data.

If your leadership team is ready to take the conversations inside your organisation to a higher level, whether around how you make decisions, how you communicate complex information, or how you create a culture where data is genuinely trusted and used, Jonno White can help. Jonno White is a bestselling author of Step Up or Step Out (over 10,000 copies sold globally), a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the host of The Leadership Conversations Podcast (230-plus episodes, listeners in 150-plus countries). He works globally and regularly travels throughout Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Many organisations find that international travel is far more affordable than expected.

Email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Step Up or Step Out is available at https://www.amazon.com.au/Step-Up-Out-Difficult-Conflict/dp/B097X7B5LD.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, bestselling author, and leadership consultant who has worked with schools, corporates, and nonprofits around the world. His book Step Up or Step Out has sold over 10,000 copies globally, and his podcast The Leadership Conversations has featured 230-plus episodes reaching listeners in 150-plus countries. Jonno founded The 7 Questions Movement with 6,000-plus participating leaders and achieved a 93.75% satisfaction rating for his Working Genius masterclass at the ASBA 2025 National Conference. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Jonno works globally and regularly travels for speaking and facilitation engagements.

Organisations consistently find that international travel is far more affordable than expected.

To book Jonno for your next keynote, workshop, or facilitation session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

Next Read

If you found this list useful, you will likely want to explore the global perspective on data analytics thought leadership. For more on the voices shaping how data analytics is practised globally, including data strategy, decision intelligence, responsible AI, and the evolving CDO role, see my blog post '35 Leading Thought Leaders on Data Analytics Globally' at https://www.consultclarity.org/post/thought-leaders-data-analytics-globally.