Data Product Management in Action: The Practitioner's Podcast

S1 Ep#34: The Future of Data Mesh The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences.  In Season 01, Episode 34, Join host Michael Toland as he welcomes Tom DeWolf, a data mesh expert with a PhD in distributed systems and years of experience in software engineering. Tom shares insights from his four-year journey in data mesh, emphasizing the need for self-service in data products, the benefits of an evolutionary architecture, and the challenges of governance in multi-organization environments. He also discusses key lessons from past failures, highlighting the critical role of user engagement in building successful data ecosystems. Don't miss this deep dive into the future of data management! * About our Host Michael Toland: Michael is a Product Management Coach and Consultant with Pathfinder Product, a Test Double Operation. He has worked in product officially since 2016, where he worked at Verizon on large scale system modernizations and migration initiatives for reference data and decision platforms. Outside of his professional career, Michael serves as the Treasurer for the New Leaders Council, mentors fellows with Venture for America, sings in the Columbus Symphony, writing satire posts for his blog Dignified Product [http://www.dignifiedproduct.com/] or Test Double, depending on the topic, and is excited to be chatting with folks on Data Product Management. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtoland/]. * About our guest Tom DeWolf: Tom is an experienced hands-on architect and serves as the innovation lead, spearheading new innovative initiatives for ACA Group. His expertise lies in data mesh platform and platform engineering, leveraging his background in software engineering and experience in designing various architectures, including software, microservices, data platforms, evolutionary architectures, among others. Tom is the founder and host of Data Mesh Belgium meetup and the new Data Mesh Live conference, and active Data Mesh community thought leader. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdw/]. All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-product-management-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true].  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKd8zxhy7M-RDoKFgk1q3We40kWrk1RGZ8Hgqb772lJ6wIzA/viewform]  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!

S1 Ep#33 Bridging Business and Data: The Art of Data Product Management The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences.  In Season 01, Episode 33, Amritha, our newest host, chats with Sagar Nikam, Head of Product at CK Delta. Sagar shares his journey from finance to data product management, highlighting the art of translating complex AI/ML models into actionable business strategies. He discusses the challenges of defining data products, the importance of clear communication, and why adoption often outweighs accuracy. Sagar also offers insights on handling uncertainty, setting success metrics, and the cross-industry applicability of data product management skills. Tune in for a deep dive into making data-driven decisions that drive real business impact. * About our host Amritha Arun Babu: Amritha is an accomplished Product Leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling products across AI platforms, supply chain systems, and enterprise workflows in industries such as e-commerce, AI/ML, and marketing automation. At Amazon, she led machine learning platform products powering recommendation and personalization engines, building tools for model experimentation, deployment, and monitoring that improved efficiency for 1,500+ ML scientists. At Wayfair, she managed international supply chain systems, overseeing contracts, billing, product catalogs, and vendor operations, delivering cost savings and optimizing large-scale workflows. At Klaviyo, she drives both AI infrastructure and customer-facing AI tools, including recommendation engines, content generation assistants, and workflow automation agents, enabling scalable and personalized marketing workflows. Earlier, she worked on enterprise systems and revenue operations workflows, focusing on cost optimization and process improvements in complex technical environments. Amritha excels at bridging technical depth with strategic clarity, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across diverse domains. Connect with Amritha on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritha-arun-babu-a2273729/]. * About our guest Sagar Nikam: Sagar is the Head of Products at CKDelta, leading the development of AI-driven solutions, AI Agents, and intelligent applications that enhance decision-making and automation across industries. With experience in banking, utilities, and SaaS, he has successfully launched and scaled AI-powered products that drive real business impact. Sagar helps product teams seamlessly integrate AI, navigate challenges, and build solutions that are user-centric, explainable, and trusted. Connect with Sagar on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagarn136/].   All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-product-management-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true].  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKd8zxhy7M-RDoKFgk1q3We40kWrk1RGZ8Hgqb772lJ6wIzA/viewform]  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!

The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. In this episode of Data Product Management in Action, we introduce our new host, Amritha Arun Babu! With over eight years of experience, Amritha shares her transition from engineering to product management and her impressive journey. She discusses scaling Amazon Today’s same-day delivery program, building code-to-cash products, and her current role at Klaviyo, where she’s shaping AI-driven features and refining ML platforms. Amritha emphasizes the value of understanding user needs, designing secure, scalable systems, and overcoming cross-functional challenges. Her advice to fellow product managers: network, share your experiences, and enjoy the ride! * About our Host Amritha Arun Babu: Amritha is an accomplished Product Leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling products across AI platforms, supply chain systems, and enterprise workflows in industries such as e-commerce, AI/ML, and marketing automation. At Amazon, she led machine learning platform products powering recommendation and personalization engines, building tools for model experimentation, deployment, and monitoring that improved efficiency for 1,500+ ML scientists. At Wayfair, she managed international supply chain systems, overseeing contracts, billing, product catalogs, and vendor operations, delivering cost savings and optimizing large-scale workflows. At Klaviyo, she drives both AI infrastructure and customer-facing AI tools, including recommendation engines, content generation assistants, and workflow automation agents, enabling scalable and personalized marketing workflows. Earlier, she worked on enterprise systems and revenue operations workflows, focusing on cost optimization and process improvements in complex technical environments. Amritha excels at bridging technical depth with strategic clarity, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes across diverse domains. Connect with Amritha on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritha-arun-babu-a2273729/]. All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-product-management-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true].  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKd8zxhy7M-RDoKFgk1q3We40kWrk1RGZ8Hgqb772lJ6wIzA/viewform]  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!

The Data Product Management In Action podcast, brought to you by executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. In this episode, host Frannie Helforoush talks with our host Nick Zervoudis, Head of Product at CKDelta and founder of Value from Data and AI, about his new course designed to help data teams deliver maximum impact. Nick discusses the growing importance of being value-focused amidst economic challenges like inflation and layoffs. Tailored for data product managers and consultants, the cohort-based course emphasizes opportunity discovery, valuation, and aligning data initiatives with business profitability. Hosted on Maven, the interactive format fosters peer learning. Check out Nick's course on Maven [https://maven.com/nick-zervoudis/dpm-value-course?utm_source=linkedin?utm_medium=dpmia] and tune in to learn how to ensure your data and AI efforts deliver tangible results. * About our host Frannie Helforoush: Frannie's journey began as a software engineer and evolved into a strategic product manager. Now, as a data product manager, she leverages her expertise in both fields to create impactful solutions. Frannie thrives on making data accessible and actionable, driving product innovation, and ensuring product thinking is integral to data management. Connect with Frannie on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/frannie-helforoush-a7a11014/]. * Meet our Guest Nick Zervoudis: Nick is Head of Product at CKDelta, an AI software business within the CKHutchison Holdings group. Nick oversees a portfolio of data products and works with sister companies to uncover new opportunities to innovate using data,analytics, and machine learning.Nick's career has revolved around data and advanced analytics from day one,having worked as an analyst, consultant, product manager, and instructor for startups, SMEs, and enterprises including PepsiCo, Sainsbury's, Lloyds BankingGroup, IKEA, Capgemini Invent, BrainStation, QuantSpark, and Hg Capital. Nick is also the co-host ofLondon's Data Product Management meetup, and speaks and writes regularly about data & AI product management. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzervoudis/]. * Core offerings delivered by Value from Data & AI [https://www.linkedin.com/company/value-from-data-ai/]: * Data product management training * Fractional Data Product Manager * Data startup advisory * 1:1 coaching * One-off data and AI discovery projects * Data monetization advisory All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-product-management-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true].  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKd8zxhy7M-RDoKFgk1q3We40kWrk1RGZ8Hgqb772lJ6wIzA/viewform]  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!

S1 Ep#30: From Engineering to Data Strategy: Driving AI and Decision-Making The Data Product Management In Action podcast, season 1, is brought to you by Soda [https://soda.io] and executive producer Scott Hirleman, is a platform for data product management practitioners to share insights and experiences. Our guest this week is Theo Bell, a data product manager. She chats with host Nick Zerviudis and shares her transition from mechanical engineering to roles at Goldman Sachs and Palantir, emphasizing the importance of data integration in strategic decision-making. She discusses how Palantir helped a manufacturer prioritize client orders during raw material shortages and explores the challenges of convincing stakeholders to adopt new data models, advocating for production-ready pilots over proof-of-concepts. Theo also offers insights on fostering AI adoption within organizations, using a news summarization tool for a CEO as an example. She recommends the GTD framework and Surrounded by Idiots for enhancing productivity and communication. * About our Host Nick Zervoudis: Nick is Head of Product at CKDelta, an AI software business within the CK Hutchison Holdings group. Nick oversees a portfolio of data products and works with sister companies to uncover new opportunities to innovate using data, analytics, and machine learning. Nick's career has revolved around data and advanced analytics from day one, having worked as an analyst, consultant, product manager, and instructor for startups, SMEs, and enterprises including PepsiCo, Sainsbury's, Lloyds Banking Group, IKEA, Capgemini Invent, BrainStation, QuantSpark, and Hg Capital. Nick is also the co-host of London's Data Product Management meetup [https://lu.ma/london-data-product-meetup], and speaks & writes regularly about data & AI product management. Connect with Nick on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzervoudis/] and through his newsletter, Value from Data & AI [https://blog.valuefromdata.ai/]. * About our Guest Theo Bell: Theo is the Head of AI Product at Rimes, where she leads the company’s efforts to leverage AI technology in order to provide cutting-edge data management solutions to clients. Previously, Theo held key roles at Palantir Technologies and Goldman Sachs, where she enabled various industries to leverage data through AI/ML-driven software, notably Airbus' Skywise platform, the NHS, and the UK Ministry of Defense. Theo is dedicated to using AI and technology for global challenges, particularly in improving health, enhancing society, and fostering sustainable businesses. She holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.  Connect with Theo in LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-bell-phd-b197102/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]. All views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect their employers or anyone else.  Join the conversation on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-product-management-podcast/about/?viewAsMember=true].  Apply to be a guest or nominate someone that you know. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKd8zxhy7M-RDoKFgk1q3We40kWrk1RGZ8Hgqb772lJ6wIzA/viewform]  Do you love what you're listening to? Please rate and review the podcast, and share it with fellow practitioners you know. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue providing valuable insights!    .