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Carolyn Stebbings, Chief Operating and Inclusion Officer, RAPP

Describe your career to date

 

My career has been eclectic to say the least. Thirty years ago, I started in buying, moving to sales, chancing my arm to get into the agency world, and today having the enviable position to bring all that experience and operational rigour to bear. Has it always been easy? No. Have I questioned if I fit in? Absolutely. Has it been fun? Hell yes. Unearthing the reason something happens; implementing and testing hypothesis; course correcting along the way to deliver results; being prepared to fail, get up, and carry on; and being vulnerable and humble to be a stronger leader. 

What challenges do you see for data in the year ahead that will have an impact on your clients and on the industry as a whole?  

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) – specifically generative AI (genAI) – remains top of the agenda in 2024 for everyone on the planet. Not only because it is all-pervasive in every industry, but also because of the media spin and ethics that touches everyone’s soul and morality and can see it being weaponised without regulation. 

How are you developing the data literacy of a) your own organisation and b) your clients? 

 

In 2023, our data literacy programme took on a new shine; developed by practitioners, tested by all. Our learning and development programme now has three modules mandated for all new starters across all departments, however experienced. Delivered by disciplinarians, each module ends with a test and certificate – gamifying participation and maintaining optimal data literacy. 

How are you preparing your organisation and your clients for AI adoption and change management? 

 

Our innovation and data tech excellence community helps us and our clients stay optimal as AI becomes ever pervasive. We draw on global expertise, so we do not become myopic to one industry sector or location. We are informed by real business issues that CMOs face today, such as, “marketing has become a science project and lost its way,” or “my data is siloed”. We are identifying and deploying AI projects that will bring automation and intelligence to our solutions whilst curating the optimal stack that creates multi-dimensional records for every customer. Supporting best practice to maintain brand ownership of its data assets with privacy at its core. 

Carolyn Stebbings
has been included in:
  • 100 Enablers 2020 (EMEA)
  • 100 Enablers 2021 (EMEA)
  • 100 Enablers 2023 (EMEA)
  • 100 Enablers 2024 (EMEA)

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