How to Win Stakeholder Buy-In: Lessons from VP of Data, Veronika Durgin

Most data projects don’t collapse because of the tech. They collapse when stakeholders aren’t involved in the right ways.

In this episode of Data-Driven Leadership, Jess Carter sits down with Veronika Durgin, VP of data, to explore why stakeholder engagement makes or breaks a data strategy.

Veronika also shares lessons from two decades in data, from troubleshooting transactional databases to leading enterprise-wide initiatives. She reflects on the moment she recognized data as a true business asset, explains why curiosity and a growth mindset are foundational habits for data leaders, and outlines how to design solutions that deliver value more than once.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to keep stakeholders aligned and invested in your strategy

• Why data leaders should always think about the exit plan

• What to do to make unused data valuable to the business

Things to listen for:
(00:00) Introduction to the episode with Veronika Durgin

(02:25) Learning through doing and building a foundation for strategy

(05:35) Plan B thinking and lessons from a sledgehammer story

(09:04) Early career memories from Y2K to database administration

(12:55) Discovering Infonomics and seeing data as a business asset

(15:43) Why treating data with a product mindset changes outcomes

(19:16) The hidden costs of data hoarding and storage waste

(23:33) How to keep stakeholders engaged and aligned on priorities

(30:38) Using Six Sigma to frame problems and business impact

“Infonomics” by Doug Laney: https://www.amazon.com/Infonomics-Monetize-Information-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1138090387

Veronika’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdurgin/

Veronika’s Medium: https://medium.com/@durginv

Veronika’s Substack: https://thinksolverepeat.substack.com/