Organizations have invested heavily in modern data platforms, yet many still struggle to make data easy to discover, understand, and trust. As AI adoption accelerates, the need for data with clear definitions, ownership, lineage, governance, and quality is becoming even more critical.

In this CDO Magazine panel discussion, data leaders from Huwise, Verisk Analytics, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Cox Automotive explore how organizations are moving beyond simply publishing datasets to building trusted, reusable data products designed around business outcomes.

The panel examines how data marketplaces can improve discovery and self-service, why trust and governance need to be built into data products from the start, and what organizations need to consider when preparing data for AI and autonomous agents. The discussion also highlights the importance of balancing data foundation investments with measurable business value and organizational change.

Key Takeaways

• Treat data as a product, not simply an asset. Define clear ownership, users, quality expectations, business context, access rules, and intended outcomes.
• Build trust by design. Governance, quality, lineage, observability, and stewardship should be embedded throughout the data product lifecycle—not added as an approval step at the end.
• Make data easy to discover and use. Data marketplaces can provide a central place for business users to find, understand, and access trusted data products.
• Design data products for reuse and AI readiness. AI-ready data should be machine-readable, standardized, governed, and supported by appropriate access controls and observability.
• Balance foundations with business outcomes. Data leaders should continue strengthening their foundations while delivering practical use cases and demonstrating measurable value.

Speakers:

• Adam Reiser — Sales Director for North America, Huwise
• Arlind Mucaj — AVP, CDO Exchange & Partnerships, Verisk Analytics
• Jessica Jolly — Global Head, Alexion Data Office, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Ben Flusberg — Chief Data Officer, Cox Automotive
• Moderated by: Matthew Vandevere — VP Strategic Services, Precisely