dunnhumby Growing Through 'Democratization of Data'

Customer data pioneer dunnhumby reports strong momentum over the last twelve months, including a raft of senior appointments and plans to add another 25 percent to its headcount.

New CEO Guillaume Bacuvier joined last May from Google, replacing Simon Hay who had left three months earlier, and has promoted a strategy of extending the benefits of customer data science to smaller firms. Partly as a result the firm has grown its global client base over 25 percent in the twelve months, and says it is well-positioned to continue this after successfully 'building out' and integrating its customer data science platform.

Bacuvier (pictured), who was previously VP of Advertising Solutions for Google in Europe, says prior experience taught him two lessons of relevance to this strategy: 'First, the market for innovative data solutions is far bigger than the Fortune 1000, which we also serve. This is particularly true of retail - the world's toughest industry - but the reality is that customer data savvy and competence is a requirement for any consumer-facing business today. By 'democratizing customer data science' - that is, making it accessible to companies of all sizes, from many different industries - we have a proven recipe for growth.

'Second, by opening up our platform to a multitude of other parties, we have an opportunity to grow the addressable market for customer data science at an exponential scale'.

dunnhumby says it has major new clients in the US, Russia, Chile and Thailand; and has expanded its global footprint to fifty offices in more than 30 countries. Around 25 percent of its more than 2,000 employees are data scientists, and the firm says it 'is increasing staff by 25 percent to support acceleration and demand'.

Senior hires include Gianluca Carrera as Chief Solutions Officer; David Jack as Chief Technology and Product Officer; Mike Pittman as Chief Information Security Officer; Denise Sefton as Chief People Officer; David Parry as Global Head of Marketing; and Tom Block as Global Head of Retail Pharmacy. The appointment of a Global MD for its multi-channel media business Connect Media will be announced shortly.

Meanwhile the company has agreed a new ten-year lease on its UK headquarters at City Tower Manchester.

Web site: www.dunnhumby.com .