Building a Data-Driven Culture: Lessons from Bumble, Southwest Airlines and More

The most successful companies have this in common: they don’t just have data—they act on it.  

In this special episode of Data-Driven Leadership, host Jess Carter unpacks key insights from recent conversations with leaders at Bumble, Stanley Black & Decker, Southwest Airlines, and Walker Information. Each company has found a way to use data to support their unique business advantage. Jess discusses how these lessons apply across industries and offers practical ways to think differently about your own data strategy.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to help your data team deliver real business value
• The importance of listening to customer feedback 
• Why structured, well-governed data leads to better insights

Things to listen for:

• (00:00) Introduction to the episode with Jess Carter
• (01:52) Bumble’s 90-day data team strategy
• (03:36) Walker Information on customer feedback
• (07:40) Why Stanley Black & Decker treats data as a product
• (11:48) How Southwest Airlines uses data to put customers first

Resources:

Love at First Insight: How Data Teams Shape Customer Experience for Smart Growth, with Bumble’s Lina Mikolajczyk

Jack Walker Explains How to Improve Customer Experience without Guesses and Assumptions

Why Treating Data as a Product Means Alignment and Growth for Stanley Black & Decker

Southwest Airlines Builds a Customer-First Culture with Data and Technology