George Firican

💬 Founder of LightsOnData.com and LightsOnData YouTube Channel
Focused on providing informative content such as ONLINE COURSES, templates, guides, best practices, articles, white papers, and other useful resources to help you with your data governance and data management questions and challenges

💬 Creator of online courses that are engaging, new, and thorough. 
Courses: Building an Award-Winning Business Glossary, Data Governance Maturity Models, Data Governance Fundamentals, etc. - check them out here: https://www.lightsondata.com/courses/

💬 Providing LinkedIn content strategy for data-focused companies and products, as well as those with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI, data science, data management, and data governance areas.
Connect with me today and ask how I can help you reach the data audience.

💬 Host of Lights on Data Show - a podcast and LinkedIn Live weekly show that provides insights into the data world and showcases people that help to shape it.

💬 Get some fun data merchandise here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/lightsondata/all

💬 International key note speaker, conference speaker, and panelist (spoken at over 60 different conferences).

💬 I love being on camera, hiking, surfing, filming, and video editing
YouTube: @LightsOnData


🏛 My experience and specialties: 
• Expertise in data governance, information quality, business intelligence & data management
• Extensive background in web and application development with experience of the full life-cycle of a project
• Strong leadership capabilities, organizational and communication skills

Specialties: 
• Enterprise information management: Information quality, data governance and stewardship, master data management, business intelligence, business process improvement
• Development: Web and application development, relational database design and development
• Planning: Budget and resource planning, agile and waterfall project management, team development and leadership
• Tools and Applications: Collibra, Tableau, MS Visio, MS Project, Premiere, Photoshop

Director, Data Governance & Business Intelligence

George Firican 💡

Pst…there’s a raffle coming up for a chance to snag a cool grand prize!

Join me at Data & Analytics After Hours on Monday, March 9th, 5:00–6:30 PM in the Exhibitor Showcase at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit! 

I’ll be there with the wonderful:

💡Kate Strachnyi 
💡SCOTT TAYLOR  
💡Ravit Jain 
💡Aditi Jain  
💡Andreas Welsch 

Let me know if you can join.

Still need to register? Use code DATA2 to save $450 off registration: https://lnkd.in/gZh6rfQC

#GartnerDA #DataCommunity #DataSummit

💡 Award Winning Data Governance Leader | Content Creator & Influencer | Founder of LightsOnData | Podcast Host: Lights On Data Show | LinkedIn Top Voice

How do you scale AI without increasing risk at the same time?
Well…

Many organizations are still trying to figure this out.

Moving AI into production isn’t just a technology challenge.
It’s an AI and data governance challenge.
A risk challenge.

And often a coordination challenge between data, data science, and risk teams.

If this question is on your mind, this session at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit should be an interesting one to attend.

Join Ali Can Toprak (Enterprise Data Governance Manager at ExxonMobil) and Felix Van de Maele (CEO & Co-Founder of Collibra) as they discuss how data management is evolving into a unified AI governance discipline.

What you’ll learn:
✅ How to bridge the gap between data, data science, and risk teams
✅ The secret to building a shared semantic context to scale AI
✅ How ExxonMobil strengthens accountability across the enterprise

⏱️ 1:15-1:45 PM 
📍 Sun 4, Level 2

See you there!

#data #AI #datagovernance #partnerpost

Collibra Gartner 2026 George Firican Felix Van de Maele

There was a large exodus from ChatGPT lately.
So which is your go-to LLM?

Graphic Source: Amit Rawal  

#llm #AI

No alternative text description for this image

Italy is known for many things: culture, incredible food, beautiful landscapes.
But during my visit, I also discovered something else:

Innovation.

At the Italian Pavilion I met Donato De Ieso (Co-Founder and CEO of dillium), who showed me what they are building with spatial computing and the Apple Vision Pro.

One example that stood out: creating interactive 3D models from simple photos.
Imagine being able to:

✅ Take a photo of a product and instantly turn it into a 3D model
✅ Zoom in, rotate it, or even explore inside it
✅ Break it apart piece by piece to understand how it works

This has huge implications for training, maintenance, design, and product visualization. Instead of transporting large equipment or complex machinery, you can interact with it digitally in a shared spatial environment.

It felt a bit like stepping into a "Tony Stark style" interface.

What I find fascinating is how technologies like spatial computing move us from just looking at data and models on a screen to actually interacting with them.

And that opens the door to entirely new ways of learning, collaborating, and making decisions.

Sometimes innovation shows up in the places you least expect it. Even between a cafe latte and a plate of pasta in Italy.

What industries do you think will benefit the most from spatial computing?

#innovation #VR #technology

Would you like one of these modular phones/ gadgets?

Why do you think these aren’t taking off?

Note: video not mine

#technology #tech #gadget

One of the most valuable things you get from the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit is perspective.

Not just from the sessions.
From the people.

At this summit there are hundreds of conversations happening between data leaders, architects, analysts, and governance professionals.

Some will be about AI.
Some about data platforms.
Some about governance and trust.

But many of the most interesting insights is also happening in the hallways, between sessions, and during those spontaneous meetups with people who care about the same challenges you do.

These are the conversations that spark ideas.
The ones that turn into collaborations months later.
The ones that remind you how strong and passionate this data community really is.

Looking forward to reconnecting with friends and meeting new people over the next few days.

If you are here as well, come say hello.

What is one topic you are most excited to discuss or learn about this week?

#Data #AI #GartnerDA

When at Gartner Data & Analytics Summit…

You do many things:

✅ Get data-driven insights
✅ Validate your strategy from their on-site data , analytics, and AI experts
✅ Learn what’s new in the vendor space

And of course NETWORKING!

Hope to see you there. I’ll be on the floor covering the event and conducting some interviews.

Use my discount code: DATA2 to get $450 off your registration.
https://lnkd.in/gZh6rfQC

#data #AI #GartnerDA
Note: Proud to be an official sponsor of the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit

At the Zoho Analytics booth, we had a really interesting discussion about where analytics is heading across industries and…

…what it takes to turn data into decisions that actually shape how organizations operate.

And of course, there was a live demo.
It’s always fascinating to see how it approaches the journey from data → agentic insight → decision.

I also had the chance to sit down with Sailas Sundaram, Head of Product Strategy at Zoho Analytics, for a conversation about the evolving role of analytics and what teams should be thinking about as AI becomes more embedded in how we work with data.

(The full interview will be coming next week so watch out this space.)

I’m curious:
“What do you most want to see when a vendor gives an analytics demo at a conference?”

#data #analytics #AI

How many of you have run into these problems when trying to move AI into production?

⚠️ Governance and access issues
⚠️ Missing business context
⚠️ Data that can’t be trusted

This is where many promising AI initiatives stall.
The model works. The pilot looks great.

But connecting AI to real enterprise production data turns out to be the hard part.

If you’re here at Gartner D & A Summit 2026, this session tackles that exact challenge:
“AI Has a Production Data Problem. Here’s How Teams Are Solving It”

⏱️ Monday, March 9 | 1:40 - 2:00 PM
📍 Theater 1, Exhibit Showcase

The session explores how organizations are moving AI into production with Simba Intelligence, giving AI governed access to enterprise data without copying data, breaking pipelines, or losing control.

If you're curious how teams are solving this, it’s worth attending.

And if you'd like to start or continue the conversation, visit Simba Intelligence from insightsoftware at Booth 329.

#data #artificialintelligence #AI #partnerpost

Did you know the Inca civilization managed one of the largest empires in the Americas without a written language?

Instead, they used quipu. A system of knotted cords that allowed them to record numbers, track resources, and manage logistics across thousands of miles of roads.

All of that… centuries before spreadsheets, databases, or dashboards.

Sipping a cafe latte in an old Inca town made me think about how humans have always tried to bring order to information. Whether through knots in rope or modern data platforms, the goal has not changed much.

Understand what you have.
Organize it well.
Use it to make better decisions.

Different tools. Same mission.

Sometimes data history goes back further than we think.

Let’s keep putting the LightsOnData.
-George Firican 

#data #history

At conferences, I usually ask vendors one question:
“How does this help shape a decision?”

Not a prettier or quicker dashboard. A decision.

This year, I’m curious how analytics platforms are handling the shift toward AI-assisted and agentic experiences.

When a platform talks about AI-assisted or agentic analytics, I’m especially interested in:
✅ How it sits on top of a real data foundation
✅ How the semantic layer holds up
✅ How it helps shape decisions in practice 

That’s the lens I’m bringing to the Gartner floor this year.

Zoho Analytics is at Booth 428 and offering on-site demos, so if you’re evaluating BI or analytics platforms, it’s a chance to explore how they’re approaching this shift.

You can book a demo slot here:
https://lnkd.in/ekEpps8g 
Now I’m genuinely curious:

When you visit analytics booths at Gartner, what do you actually want to see demonstrated?

#data #analytics #partnerpost

Turning retail data into real business results can be a tough problem, but the solution isn’t more tech. It starts with grounding your data strategy in business outcomes and building from there.

In this article, I break down how retail teams can move from disconnected dashboards and siloed analytics to a practical, value-focused data strategy. 

Key lessons include: 
1️⃣ Start with the business problem not the tools + Clarify the goal first (like reducing churn or improving customer experience)
2️⃣ Empower better questions across teams so insights actually lead to action
3️⃣ Put data governance in place early to build trust in your numbers
4️⃣ Balance pace with capacity so you deliver wins without burning out
5️⃣ Build data literacy and ownership so everyone speaks the same language 

I also cover where the retail data push usually starts, how AI fits in practically (not hype), and what future trends are shaping smarter operations. 

If you work in retail or data and want strategies that actually move the needle, I hope this will help you:
https://lnkd.in/gEubetHW

Why does FSA/ MEBS represent a step-change in enterprise modeling?

Checkout this latest article from Robert Vane as he goes over:
✅ Why We Keep Failing at “Enterprise Modeling”
✅ The Insight: Business Behaviour Is Largely Deterministic
✅ A New Foundation for Deterministic Enterprise Modeling
✅ Why This Matters for Today’s Data & EA Community
✅ Why This Work Is Gaining Momentum

and much more:
https://lnkd.in/gyqdgvBW

#datamodel #dataarchitecture #data

I'm passionate about helping institutions turn complex data into clear, actionable strategy.

As President and Co-Founder of Plaid Analytics, I work at the intersection of data science, enrollment strategy, and higher education transformation. We help colleges and universities across North America make better decisions—whether that’s forecasting enrollment, navigating international student policy changes, integrating student systems, or building a data informed culture. 

With a background in institutional research and enrollment services, I’ve been on the front lines of the data chaos many institutions face: disconnected systems, unclear ownership, and inconsistent definitions. I co-founded Plaid to fix that—through smart tools, streamlined processes, and a team that genuinely understands how universities work.

I also teach Analytics and Interpretation in the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, helping the next generation of professionals build the skills to ask the right questions, visualize results effectively, and think critically about data in context.

Current areas of focus:
• AI and predictive modeling for enrollment and course planning
• Scenario planning for domestic and international enrollment
• Empowering stakeholders across the institution to use data effectively

Always happy to connect with others working to make data more useful, ethical, and impactful

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