With the significant uptake in companies recognising the value in big data and the potential for it to generate up to $3 trillion in economic value globally[1], DataIQ has launched the IQData50, in association with IBM, an inaugural list to champion the most influential business professionals driving business success from the intelligent use of data in the UK.

Vivian Reding, vice president of the European Commission, who tops the power list, has put her political equity behind a sweeping reform of current European data protection law, which dates from the dawn of the internet age. The draft regulation, which includes a consumer right to have deleted any personal data relating to them and greater harmonisation across the EU’s 27 member states, will have a profound effect on data-driven marketing in the UK as well as across Europe. Ms Reding beat senior executives at global organisations including Google and Facebook to take the crown of the most powerful player in data.

Edwina Dunn, co-founder of dunnhumby, hosted a celebration at the Kensington Roof Gardens to praise the 50 most influential business professionals who are setting the data-driven marketing agenda. Those mentioned in the power ten list sit in the boardroom and are rule makers.  The people that DataIQ ranks the most influential in shaping the UK data landscape today are:

Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission

Peter Fleischer, global privacy counsel at Google

Janet Smith, group loyalty officer at Tesco Stores

Erin Egan, chief privacy officer at Facebook

Christopher Graham, information commissioner

Andy Day, business intelligence director at News UK

James Morgan, head of business intelligence at British Gas

Simon Hay, chief executive officer at dunnhumby

Sir Martin Sorrel, chief executive officer at WPP

David Sear and James Hanscomb, chief executive officer and insight director at Weve

The rest of the list encapsulates two other categories: the data titans - defined as client or supplier data owners - and the influencers - a list of thought leaders with industry input.

DataIQ compiled the inspiring list using a set of objective criteria to recognise those with the greatest regulatory powers, budgetary control, evidence of industry contribution and influence, best practice in data privacy, a track record of creating valuable data assets, and innovation in digital and mobile. Extra ‘points’ were awarded for those with a high public profile.

Adrian Gregory, chief executive of DataIQ, comments, “It gives me great pleasure to present the first-ever IQBigData50 which showcases the individuals who are making extraordinary strides in the field of data innovation. DataIQ created the definitive list of data power players – the people who have been honoured are the people we believe possess the most influence, profile, experience and knowledge to drive this vibrant industry further forward. These are the people who, with the explosion of data sources in recent years, know how to get to the data that counts – to move along that continuum of best practice data capture, to intelligence and ultimately, to profitable actions.”

Heidi O’Mahoney, IBM’s big data and analytics executive for the UK and Ireland, adds, “IBM is delighted to be the big data partner of the IQBigData50. We are proud to recognise achievement and bring peer endorsement to big data and analytics practitioners and thought leaders in the industry. All of the individuals who make up the IQBigData50 have taken on the big data challenge and they are prevailing. They are in the trenches making big data work within their organisations. We look forward to seeing how the IQBigData50 inspire other organisations to follow their tremendous strides.”

Exclusive category partners for the IQ Big Data 50 include Acxiom (Multi-channel), Callcredit (Data-driven marketing), Pure360 (E-mail and UBM (events including TFM&A, Internet World and The Big Data Show).

The complete printed IQBigData50 list will be available at stand E48 at this year’s Technology for Marketing and Advertising show (TFM&A) at Earls Court and distributed in the spring edition of the DataIQ journal.

[1]http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/open_data_unlocking_innovation_and_performance_with_liquid_information