A Data Leaders Journey - Kieran Poynton

In this episode of the Databricks Diaries, Daniel is joined by Kieran Pointon, Director of Data & Analytics at Bromford Flagship LiveWest — one of the largest housing providers in the UK with around 120,000 homes following a recent three-way merger.Kieran brings 20+ years of experience across data engineering, BI, and enterprise architecture, including leadership roles at Halfords and Adidas. In this conversation, he opens up about the realities of merging three data teams, why he's betting on Microsoft Fabric over Databricks for his current platform, and how data science is helping real people get into work, education, and safer homes.What's covered:Kieran's journey from headphones-on software engineer to data leader — and how being an introvert shaped his leadership styleWhy "listen before you speak" is his number one piece of leadership adviceBuilding a high-performing data team at Halfords that could run without himMerging Bromford, Flagship, and LiveWest — three teams, three landscapes, three ERPsWhy he chose Microsoft Fabric over Databricks for the new platform (and the five-year bet behind that decision)The "left brain vs right brain" model: where the technology approach and business approach meet in the middleReal data science use cases changing tenants' lives — condensation/damp/mould prediction, customer complaint modelling, and the "Pipeline of Talent" NLP model that's helped 450+ customers into work and educationHow to get exec and board buy-in for data and AI initiativesWhat makes the best analytics team — and why it's not always about the best tools or the best engineersHonest advice for any data leader facing a merger or acquisition