Talent Champion – Das Dasgupta

Talent Champion Spotlight

AEF Talent Champion - Das Dasgupta

Das Dasgupta, Ph.D.
Chief Data Officer
Saatchi & Saatchi

Data expert and visionary, Das Dasgupta brings extensive experience in advanced analytics, digital transformation and strategic business management to his role as chief data officer at Saatchi & Saatchi. With more than 20 years’ experience across all aspects of data analytics and operations, Dasgupta leads the agency’s data operations.

Dasgupta joined Saatchi from Viacom where he served as corporate senior vice president as the head of science and digital transformation. While there, he played an integral role on company-wide digital transformation initiatives, including leading the company’s Data Science Center of Excellence.

Outside of his role at Saatchi, Dasgupta is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California where he teaches advanced analytics and logistics. He also serves as co-chair of analytics and research on the Association of National Advertisers and sits on the Advisory Boards of o9 Solutions, Exeest, and Skan.ai.

What prompted you to get involved with the AEF and why are you passionate about the future of the industry?

The advertising business is going through a tectonic shift with consumer data from multiple channels and sources that brings the business closer to the end consumer than ever before. Harnessing the proven value of Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence is a huge opportunity for advertisers to leverage data and generate actionable insights to inform creative, media, and strategy. ANA’s AEF is playing a central role in developing future Marketing and Advertising professionals armed with analytics as a key tool, and I wanted to be a part of contributing to this development. As an Adjunct Professor of Data Science and Operations at USC’s Marshall School of Business, I tread between both academia and practice, and want to build a bridge between these two worlds.

What is the best career advice you've ever received?

Check your ego at the door, roll up your sleeves, walk the aisles of the fulfillment centers and learn by doing – watch how data is born and how it flows through the system. Until then you cannot call yourself a Data ‘Scientist’. Learn from the folks in the trenches.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The opportunity to build from scratch a ‘Data-at-the-Center’ Model with people, processes, and technologies to inform strategy, creative, media, and operations.

"Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society."
— Gord McLean, President and CEO at ANA Educational Foundation