The Data Strategy That Separates Global Winners From The Rest

In this episode of In Other Words, Jason Hemingway is joined by Willem Koenders, Global Leader in Data Strategy at ZS, to share what it takes to scale data and AI across markets without losing control. You can buy the latest AI tools in a week. Fixing the data underneath them can take years, and most companies start too late. The result is predictable stalled pilots, inconsistent outputs, and teams forced to work around the data instead of with it. Together, they uncover the governance missteps leaders repeat, how to make data strategy commercially relevant, and why clear accountability is the foundation for speed, trust, and personalization.

In this episode of In Other Words, Jason Hemingway is joined by Willem Koenders, Global Leader in Data Strategy at ZS, to get pragmatic about what separates AI progress from AI theater. Willem has guided more than 100 organizations across Europe, the US, Latin America, and Asia through the work of turning data into a business asset that supports growth and resilience.

You can buy the latest AI tools in a week. Fixing the data underneath them can take years, and most companies start too late. The result is predictable stalled pilots, inconsistent outputs, and teams forced to work around the data instead of with it.

Jason and Willem explore why the business case for governance cannot wait, how to balance global standards with local market realities, and what leaders should put in place to reduce risk while increasing speed, especially as AI moves closer to the customer through automation, content generation, and real-time experiences.

What You’ll Learn:

How to reframe data governance from a compliance burden into an offensive business capability
The critical mistake of postponing the business case for data governance
How to make data strategy measurable and commercially relevant
How to balance centralized data frameworks with with local regulatory and cultural requirements
Why LLMs require curated, dynamic, high-quality proprietary data
How to position humans strategically in AI workflows

Willem Koenders is a Global Leader in Data Strategy at ZS, renowned for his work helping enterprises scale operations globally through AI and automation integration. With over a decade of experience working across more than 100 organizations worldwide, he has pioneered approaches to embedding data as a core driver of business value, resilience, and customer relevance.

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Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction
[01:32] From Corporate Strategy to Data
[03:40] AI Moves From Efficiency to Revenue
[06:06] The Two Big Governance Mistakes Everyone Makes
[09:34] LLMs Can’t Reflect Your Brand Without Your Data
[12:17] Governance as a Growth Engine
[19:44] Finding the Human-Machine Balance in Global CX
[31:10] Leading Data Teams Across Borders
[36:17] AI for Data

Episode Resources:

Willem Koenders, Global Leader in Data Strategy at ZS Associates
ZS Website and LinkedIn
Simone Bohnenberger-Rich, CPO at Phrase
Jason Hemingway, CMO at Phrase
Georg Ell, CEO at Phrase
Phrase Website