NBN Co wants to create a "data-as-an-asset culture"

NBN Co is standing up an ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Academy’ and assembling what appears to be a new team to create a “data-as-an-asset culture” internally.

The network operator has at least three open roles for either executive managers or managers in this space; the executive manager for data transformation, who will lead the team, has a direct reporting line to chief data officer Sonia Boije.

Boije was named chief data officer at the end of last year.

The executive manager’s role will be “developing and implementing programs, strategies, and initiatives to promote a data-as-an-asset culture”, according to the recruitment advertisement.

“Critical to the success of this role centres on your ability to enhance data literacy and drive data decision-making throughout NBN Co,” it states.

They will be supported by a manager of data culture development who “owns the data culture strategy and development of a data community that promotes a data-as-an-asset culture”.

A manager of data capability enablement is also set to be hired to “drive initiatives to foster a data-driven culture.”

“This involves assessing the team’s capability to determine gaps and training needs,” the advertisement states, adding this person will “contribute content to the Artificial Intelligence and Data Academy as part of the upskilling initiatives for the team.”

The exact reason why a “data-as-an-asset culture” needs to be cultivated now within NBN Co is unclear.

The company has been involved in extensive clean-up of data assets to aid the construction of the network in the past; and it continues to publish an array of data, publicly and to its internet provider partners, although it is possible that capability is concentrated in specific teams or functions, and unevenly distributed.

A spokesperson for NBN Co told iTnews that “strong data literacy and data-driven decision making is fundamental to our approach.”

“This has been the case for a long time and will continue well into the future to ensure we deliver on the digital needs of customers,” the spokesperson said.

“Specific to the roles currently being advertised, we look forward to meeting with interested candidates with strong data expertise who want to make a positive and lasting difference to Australia’s digital capability.”

It is possible, as the academy title suggests, that a renewed focus on data culture is at least partially driven by the rise of AI in an enterprise context, with most large businesses and government agencies at least experimenting with the technology to determine its potential in their respective contexts.