(US and Canada) Jenna Zhou, Dell Technologies Chief Information Architect and Director of Information Architecture, speaks with Angelo Mazzocco, AVAAP Vice President of Advisory Services, in a video interview about multidimensional thinking and why implementing enterprise information governance is no longer a choice but a requirement.

Regarding her master’s degrees in business administration and science, Zhou describes herself as a learner. She says she enjoys education because it provides multidimensional thinking and different perspectives. Zhou explains that her job is not only about technology but also deriving the best value, and combining the two offers a more comprehensive view.

Zhou maintains that not everyone needs degrees, but they must be able to connect technology with the business on the foundation of data and information.

Sharing her experiences in implementing enterprise information governance, Zhou highlights three cases:

1. Collaborating with Workday to migrate its HR system to the cloud: Workday had many integrations, so Dell helped the organization establish governance in that area.

2. Dell’s EMC Integration: EMC’s massive data had to be integrated and they already had a governance platform.

3. The GDPR readiness program cut across multiple systems and functional areas, put governance control over customer data, and improved customer data quality.

Sharing three key takeaways about implementing enterprise information governance, Zhou suggests:

1. Considering collaborative leading because data is everywhere and flows across multiple systems and functional areas.

2. Establishing specific capabilities while implementing programs instead of “boiling the ocean.”

3. Managing perception. People first need to understand that information governance enables business functions to harvest value in a more secure and trustable way. Immediately talking about control will trigger organizational resistance.

In conclusion,  Zhou says that in today’s digital world, every business transaction and process is represented in data, so enterprise data governance — or enterprise information governance — is no longer a choice but a requirement. 

CDO magazine thanks Jenna Zhou for sharing her expertise with the broader community.

See more from Jenna Zhou

Enterprise Data Governance Touches All Aspects of Data Management