A financial services company was struggling with data management, particularly for information stored outside enterprise applications such as CRM systems. With plans for growth through acquisitions, the organisation aimed to minimise manual intervention in data management and seamlessly integrate acquired data sets. However, a lack of clear data ownership, governance, and taxonomy made effective management increasingly unfeasible.

The company required a strategic data review to:

• Assess and improve data management practices.
• Establish a structured data taxonomy and ownership framework.
• Identify and implement technology solutions to automate data governance.
• Ensure compliance with SYSC 13.7 of the FCA Handbook.
• Support future acquisitions by enabling seamless data integration.

I conducted a thorough review of data stored outside core enterprise applications, identifying major gaps in data governance and classification. Given the scale of the issue, we recommended investing in third-party data management software rather than attempting manual resolution.

Key actions included:

• Stakeholder engagement: Worked closely with IT and business leaders to secure buy-in, breaking down political and operational barriers.
• Technology evaluation: Reviewed multiple data management solutions, providing recommendations and assisting the IT Director in preparing a ROI-driven business case.
• Data taxonomy development: Provided specialist support to define a structured approach to data classification, ownership, and lifecycle management.
• Implementation support: Oversaw the adoption of the selected solution, ensuring alignment with business needs and regulatory requirements.

With improved confidence in the IT team’s capabilities, I transitioned to an advisory role, providing oversight rather than direct leadership.

Key outcomes included:

• A structured data taxonomy, enabling consistent management and classification.
• Implementation of the selected solution, successfully managing 15TB of data, primarily PDF files, in line with business and FCA requirements.
• Elimination of unmanaged data, reducing risk and improving operational efficiency.

The company is now well-positioned to scale operations and acquisitions with a robust, automated data governance framework, ensuring long-term compliance and efficiency.

• Data Architecture
• Consultancy

• Digital Enablement

• Financial Services