Adrienne Kiessel and Subbaiah Maneyapanda of Northern Trust joined us on The Data Citizens Dialogues podcast. Here are the main takeaways.
***
How many times have you heard “data is the new oil”? Probably too many. While the analogy highlights data’s inherent value, it doesn’t quite capture the complexities of governing that valuable asset. Often, data governance is perceived as a dry, technical exercise—a necessary evil rather than a strategic enabler. In this episode of The Data Citizens Dialogues, Adrienne Kiessel and Subbaiah Maneyapanda challenged this misconception.
Adrienne, Head of Enterprise Data Governance, and Subbaiah Head of Data Management Enablement, both at Northern Trust, shared their experience building a data governance program from the ground up. Their journey at Northern Trust, a leading financial institution, reveals that data governance, when implemented strategically, is about building a foundation for trust and innovation, enabling organizations to extract real business value from their data.
“It’s an amazing time to be at Northern,” Adrienne explains. “We are making so many strides in the direction of ensuring that data is a big focus for our organization.” This intense focus on data, fostered through effective governance, has been transformative, demonstrating that data governance is not just about policing data, but about unlocking its full potential.
Building a data-driven culture
Cultivating a data-driven culture is not just about implementing new tools and processes; it’s about fostering a fundamental shift in how an organization views and interacts with data. Both Adrienne and Subbaiah emphasized the crucial role of leadership in driving this cultural transformation. “It’s that buy-in from senior management,” Adrienne explains. “Once you have their buy-in… they’ll help the culture change.”
This top-down support, coupled with the active involvement of data governance professionals as “change agents,” as Subbaiah calls them, is essential for securing organization-wide commitment to the data governance journey.
However, cultural change doesn’t happen overnight. As Subbaiah points out, “We had to be very clear, transparent and collaborative. Because otherwise… why would you want to take up something new… unless you really had the understanding, and you believe that it was going to be a benefit for your business?” Northern Trust’s approach underscores the importance of not just telling people what to do with data, but why it matters—a critical element in building a truly data-driven culture.
Establishing a robust data governance framework
Building a robust data governance framework is the cornerstone of any successful data governance program. Adrienne says, “We’re built from the ground up. So we have our foundation, and everything that we do is really, really important.” This foundational approach, he argues, ensures that all subsequent data initiatives are built on a solid base of well-defined policies, standards, and procedures.
Central to Northern Trust’s framework is a centralized data governance structure, operating on a “hub-and-spoke” model. Adrienne explains that this model allows for a centralized governance management group (the hub) to provide guidance and support to the various business units (the spokes), ensuring consistency and alignment across the organization. This centralized approach allows for clear lines of communication and accountability, enabling Northern Trust to effectively manage its data governance program.
However, building a framework is not a one-time event. Adrienne stresses the iterative nature of their process: “It’s always, for us, an iterative process. And by making it iterative, ensures we don’t get stuck… It’s always changing, we’re able to grow.”
Moreover, Northern Trust leverages technology to empower its data governance framework, using Collibra as a central platform for data quality, cataloging, and collaboration. This combination of a strong framework, iterative development, and enabling technology forms the backbone of Northern Trust’s successful data governance program.
Fostering trust and adoption
Fostering trust and adoption is arguably the most crucial aspect of data governance. After all, even the most meticulously crafted framework is useless if it isn’t embraced by the organization. Subbaiah stresses the importance of viewing data not just as a technical resource, but as a strategic asset: “Data is the center of the organizational strategy.” This shift in perspective is essential for garnering buy-in and demonstrating the value of data governance to the business.
Subbaiah also stresses the importance of trusted data, which drives a lot of the knowledge, the insights. This trust is built on several factors, including data quality, provenance, and clear ownership. Northern Trust’s commitment to transparency and collaboration plays a vital role in building this trust. Its open communication and willingness to explain the “why” behind its data governance initiatives fosters a sense of shared understanding and encourages adoption across the organization.
Furthermore, Subbaiah explains that Northern Trust’s data management enablement team focuses on “awareness, education, training, support, all aspects of… how we deliver Collibra and other data quality tools.” This focus on empowering data users with the knowledge and skills they need ensures that data governance principles are actively applied throughout the organization. By prioritizing trust, transparency, and education, Northern Trust ensures that its data governance initiatives drive real business value.
Data governance is a marathon
Data governance is not simply a technical exercise but a strategic imperative that demands a cultural shift, a robust framework, and perhaps most importantly, a focus on building trust and adoption. A well-executed data governance program can drive innovation, improve decision-making, and ultimately contribute to business success.
As Adrienne wisely points out, data governance “is not a one-and-done, and it never will be.” It requires a continuous commitment to improvement, adaptation, and a willingness to embrace the challenges and opportunities that arise along the way.
Contact Collibra today to learn how we can help you improve data governance at your organization.
This article draws insights from the Northern Trust episode of The Data Citizens® Dialogues, where Collibra engages with customers to explore key topics like AI governance, data sharing and ensuring data reliability.
