Major multi-brand luxury retailer Saks Global Holdings — which includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks OFF 5TH, Last Call, and Horchow — continues to redefine the luxury shopping experience. By leveraging a unified customer data platform, advanced technologies, and strategic partnerships, the company is shaping the future of modern luxury retail.

Against this backdrop, part 1 of this interview series featuring Veronika Durgin, VP, Data at Saks, introduced the concept of the “AI readiness cake” — a layered model designed to enable scalable, responsible AI through strong data foundations, seamless access, business alignment, and cross-functional collaboration.

This second part builds on that foundation, as Durgin and Gautam Singh, Head of Analytics, Data, and AI at WNS Analytics, explore how to cultivate a sustainable data-informed culture, define guardrails for agentic AI, and develop the right talent for an evolving digital ecosystem.

Why “data-driven” isn’t always the goal

When asked about embedding a data-first culture, Durgin distances herself from popular terminology. “I don’t like data-driven at all. I’m not a fan of this phrase. I think to me this phrase means that we kind of let data decide for us.”

Instead, she champions a data-informed approach — one where human judgment and context augment the data, not get replaced by it.

“We take the data that we can get, but then we also apply our knowledge and critical thinking. Data helps us make better decisions, but it doesn’t make decisions for us.”

Durgin offers a pointed critique of dashboard obsession: “I don’t believe in worshiping dashboards. They’re helpful, but they shouldn’t be making decisions for us.”

This distinction becomes a throughline as she addresses how organizations can use AI and data responsibly, with human agency intact.

Agentic AI: Why humans must stay in the loop

The conversation shifts to agentic AI — autonomous systems that use generative AI to pass information between software agents. To Durgin, letting such systems operate unchecked evokes the scenario of a broken telephone: “The first person whispers something and the last person hears something totally different.”

This, she emphasizes, is precisely where deterministic frameworks and human oversight are vital. “There need to be guardrails and people who understand context, who have critical thinking to make sure that the inputs and outputs are appropriate.”

When challenged on whether guardrails themselves could be automated, Durgin draws a clear boundary rooted in risk tolerance: “If you are solving a problem that has a pretty high risk tolerance, it’s okay to automate the guardrails. But if you have low risk tolerance, you need to be a little bit more strict.”

For domains like healthcare, she’s unequivocal: “I don’t want to go to any medical facility where there aren’t checks and balances because it impacts my health.”

She stresses that agentic systems can boost productivity but should never replace human discernment — especially in critical systems.

The future of talent: Architects, not just coders

With the pace of AI innovation accelerating weekly, Durgin admits she’s concerned about current industry trends regarding the growing need for multi-skilled data talent. She predicts a scenario where replacing junior talent with automation could backfire, creating a gap in context, critical thinking, and problem-solving depth.

Durgin believes future data professionals will become “architects” and “generalists” who understand broader implications and how things fit together. Even engineers, she notes, must now step out of their silos. “Now more than ever, we actually all need to talk to people. AI tools are just gadgets. Understanding where and how to use them is still very much a human skill.”

Talent shortage and the hype economy

Addressing talent shortages in high-demand roles like data science, Durgin responds with both historical context and economic realism. “I started in data when there was no Google. The help came in the form of a book. If you couldn’t figure out how to solve your problem, there was a phone number on the back to call.”

She emphasizes the only constant is curiosity and the willingness to learn: “You have to enjoy learning in order to keep up.”

Wrapping up, Durgin highlights the constant supply-demand wave in the job market and encourages people who have the skills in demand to take advantage of the situation.

Disclaimer: The interviewee’s insights are personal and not representative of any current or past employer.

CDO Magazine appreciates Veronika Durgin for sharing her insights with our global community.