Driving Business Success with Data: Lessons from Data Leaders at Financial Times, Malt, WeWork, and Pleo

Gold mines don’t produce wealth on their own, right? That’s how data is for modern businesses. It takes skilled miners, reliable tools, and a clear strategy to turn raw resources into measurable value.

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In much the same way, data leaders are driving business success by extracting meaningful insights, fostering collaboration, and this, in turn, also contributes to tangible impact like higher revenue. From leaders at Financial Times, WeWork, Pleo, and Malt, we see the impact data can drive when it is used with focus and intent.

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Here are five lessons from these leaders that can help any organization turn their data into a competitive edge. 

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#1 Treat data as a strategic core asset

Organizations need to ensure that data is used to improve processes, anticipate opportunities, and drive impact, which also contributes meaningfully to revenue growth. When organizations treat data as a critical asset, they only stand to gain value.

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At Financial Times, data is viewed on par with journalism; both are seen as defining strengths that differentiate the organization from its peers. This mindset has helped Financial Times stay ahead in the competitive media industry.

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“John Ridding, our CEO, has been saying very publicly that journalism and data are basically the two biggest competitive advantages the company has. That gives you a good idea of how highly data is regarded here. That doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do or that it’s perfect, but almost every role in the organization interacts with data in some way for day-to-day decision-making.”
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– McKinley Hyden, Director of Data Value and Strategy, Financial Times
How Financial Times Built Data Capabilities Worth £3.2M (and counting!)

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At WeWork, the data team analyzed data across its real estate portfolio, and the company was able to make decisions around which buildings to exit, where to reduce its footprint, and how to restructure lease terms.

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“Exiting bankruptcy was a significant milestone for WeWork, and much of that success was driven by the work done during the process. The use of data played a key role in achieving a successful turnaround and setting the stage for future growth.”
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– Thomas Dodson, Head of Engineering and Data, Ex-WeWork
How data helped WeWork exit bankruptcy

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Organizations that treat data as an asset are able to be more future-ready and equipped to handle more business scenarios. Doesn’t that sound like a great place to start? 

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#2 Create a culture of collaboration in your organization

Data needs to be shared across teams. Siloed insights limit impact, while collaboration ensures that data informs decisions at every level.

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At Malt, the data team’s cross-functional approach allows them to spot inefficiencies proactively and helps teams work together to solve organization-level challenges.

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“As a data team, we collaborate with various departments across the organization, supporting multiple business functions. Our transversal approach allows us to work with different teams, providing a holistic view of operations. This perspective helps us identify areas for improvement and fosters a culture of innovation throughout the organization.”
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– Anaïs Ghelfi, Head of Data Platform, Malt
Malt’s data ROI framework to prove your data team’s worth in big, bold numbers 

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Similarly, Pleo takes collaboration a step further by integrating both data and real-world context. This ensures that insights are actionable and tailored to the company’s goals.

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“We shouldn’t operate in silos—it’s collaboration that truly drives success. Our engine integrates both data and context, with invaluable input from our customers and customer success teams. By bridging these gaps, we can address the most critical challenges that our customers and company face.”
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– Sriram Sampath, Head of Data Analytics, Pleo
Pleo's proactive data strategy for customer success

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#3 Leverage data for proactive problem-solving

The best organizations don’t just react to problems, they actually anticipate them before they happen. This helps to stay ahead of competitors and adapt to changing market conditions.

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At Pleo, their Customer 360 engine allows the team to predict customer needs and intervene before issues arise. This approach ensures customer satisfaction and loyalty.

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“Our leadership recognizes the importance of building reliable, high-quality foundational data models to ensure confidence in the outcomes. At Pleo, we take pride in guiding our customers to their next best experience. That shared mission is what makes working at Pleo so rewarding.”
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– Sriram Sampath, Head of Data Analytics, Pleo
Pleo's proactive data strategy for customer success

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WeWork similarly used data to take control of its real estate footprint during its restructuring by analyzing usage patterns. 

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“Our data-driven efforts go beyond the basics. We’re working to predict customer behaviors and understand patterns that allow us to address issues before they escalate.”
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– Thomas Dodson, Head of Engineering and Data, Ex-WeWork
How data helped WeWork exit bankruptcy

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Proactive problem-solving isn’t just about avoiding risks. It’s about using data to make smarter decisions that align with long-term goals.

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#4 Invest in scalable and innovative data platforms

Data demands are evolving. So, organizations need to also stay ahead of the curve and build a strong infrastructure. How can you keep up? One guaranteed tip is that scalable platforms enable businesses to handle growing volumes of data, explore new technologies, and drive innovation.

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“We focused on a use case to demonstrate ROI by working with our customer care team. We implemented a tool to draft ticket responses for clients and freelancers. By tracking metrics and improving the model, we achieved a 50% reduction in ticket handling time for representatives.”
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– Anaïs Ghelfi, Head of Data Platform, Malt
Malt’s data ROI framework to prove your data team’s worth in big, bold numbers 

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The Financial Times also embraced innovation by integrating domain-specific tools and AI capabilities to enhance both internal workflows and customer experiences.

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“We’ve been using ChatGPT Enterprise, Gemini, and a few other domain-specific tools. We’ve also developed Ask FT, a Gen AI product for our FT Professional Sets, which allows users to go beyond simple searches. It’s still early, but we’re planning to do much more experimentation in this space.”
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– McKinley Hyden, Director of Data Value and Strategy, Financial Times
How Financial Times Built Data Capabilities Worth £3.2M (and counting!)

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Investing in scalable platforms ensures that organizations are equipped to handle current needs while also preparing for future opportunities.

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#5 Focus on real-world impact

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Data is only as valuable as the outcomes it delivers. You need to align data initiatives with business priorities to ensure that your efforts lead to improvements in revenue, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

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At Pleo, their Customer 360 engine integrates over 20 signals from across the business, providing actionable insights that drive customer enablement and growth.

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“At Pleo, we’ve built an engine that empowers our commercial teams to connect with the right customer at the right time. This engine, which has already benefited over 300 organizations internally, leverages more than 20 signals from various areas of the business.”
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– Sriram Sampath, Head of Data Analytics, Pleo
Pleo's proactive data strategy for customer success

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The Financial Times shows how focusing on high-impact initiatives can translate data capabilities into measurable business value. They use tools like Looker dashboards to enhance productivity and undertaking targeted projects such as a digital funnel redesign, the organization has achieved significant outcomes, including a 17% increase in conversion rates.

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“The estimated value of our data capabilities and outputs totaled about £3.2 million. Our most valuable category was Looker dashboards, contributing just over £1 million in productivity gains. For a single initiative, the standout was a digital splitter redesign experiment.”
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– McKinley Hyden, Director of Data Value and Strategy, Financial Times
How Financial Times Built Data Capabilities Worth £3.2M (and counting!)

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Striking gold with data

The lessons from these stalwarts show that much like miners striking gold, success comes to those who know how to dig deep and use their resources effectively.

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Organizations that prioritize data, encourage teamwork, and focus on meaningful results are the ones reaping the rewards. Whether it’s Pleo guiding customers to success, WeWork navigating recovery from bankruptcy, or Financial Times integrating domain-specific tools and AI capabilities driving innovation, these stories remind us that data can be the backbone of a business when used wisely.

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Want more inspiring stories and actionable takeaways from industry leaders? Dive into People of Data, the podcast where we spotlight data professionals reshaping the future. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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