Data is a People Challenge: Building Trust, Embedding Governance, and Growing Leaders at BCI

When British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) realized its centralized data resources weren’t meeting the needs of specialized business functions, leadership knew the solution wouldn’t be found in technology alone, it would require a people-first strategy. Backed by strong executive sponsorship, BCI restructured its data program to adopt a “franchise model,” embedding governance directly into business lines while maintaining a central access point for standards, frameworks, and support. Take away specific solutions to:

• Build deep trust across your organization through consistent, transparent data cycles and an agile approach to reworking reports and foundations.
• Create innovative career pathways by rotating talent across business lines while maintaining continuity in core engineering expertise.
• Embed product managers and trained business-facing data leaders, closing the gap between technical execution and investment management decision-making.
• Iterate quickly and efficiently to match the evolving needs of both governance and operational teams.

Transform your data operating model into a people-powered engine to accelerate decision-making and strengthen governance.