Data Doesn't Win Wars—This Does скачать в хорошем качестве

Data Doesn't Win Wars—This Does

I sat down with Paul Evangelista, Chief Data Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, to talk about what happens when decisions carry real consequences. Paul spent 30 years in the Army, moving from engineer officer to operations research analyst, and now leads data strategy where leadership gets forged under pressure. Behind every value creation plan sits a data problem. Paul breaks down how PE firms can build decision systems that actually work under stress, why fuzzy strategy creates more risk than messy data, and what the private sector can learn from military command structures. We talked about mission command principles, why trust forms the foundation of high-performing organizations, and how to build decision literacy before chasing data literacy. This conversation goes deep on what makes organizations capable of making better decisions faster. If you care about protecting enterprise value, this episode is for you. CHAPTERS [00:00] - Introduction [00:04:29] - Operations research during Covid response [00:08:57] - Tracking cadet performance through careers [00:13:45] - Mission command principles for organizations [00:20:50] - Commander's intent and cascading objectives [00:29:15] - Fuzzy strategy versus incomplete data [00:33:52] - Building trust in hostile environments [00:37:15] - Transitioning after 30 years service COMPANIES MENTIONED IBM - Graemeworked at IBM early in his career as a designated fixer for hostile recoveries, handling million-dollar implementations when clients were threatening legal action. Capital One - Graeme spent a decade at Capital One, including a transformative move from the UK to the US. He witnessed how the CEO communicated commander's intent by taking one week every year to personally address everyone in the company about strategy and direction. United States Military Academy at West Point - Where Paul currently serves as Chief Data Officer, leading the Office of Data and Analytics. The academy trains future Army officers and maintains structured data tracking cadets from admissions through their military careers. *GUEST INFORMATION* Paul Evangelista serves as the Chief Data Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he leads the Office of Data and Analytics. His career spans 30 years as an Army officer, beginning as a commissioned engineer officer and later transitioning to operations research and systems analysis. Paul deployed as a company commander to Iraq in 2003 and later served multiple deployments to Afghanistan as an operations research analyst. He became an academy professor in the Department of Systems Engineering at West Point, teaching nearly every course within the department. During Covid in 2020, Paul led a team of operations research analysts supporting critical decisions about bringing cadets back to campus, conducting predictive analysis on infection rates and infrastructure implications. This work led to his appointment as Chief Data Officer in spring 2021, where he built the Office of Data and Analytics from the ground up. Paul's office focuses on three core functions: empowering leaders at all levels with data and analytics, underpinning strategic decisions with analysis, and managing data risk. His work includes tracking cadet performance from admissions through their Army careers, using structured data systems built on Azure and Databricks platforms. Paul is transitioning from military service this spring after 30 years to bring his experience in high-stakes decision-making, hostile environment navigation, and data-driven leadership to the private sector. His expertise centers on building decision systems that work under pressure and creating organizations capable of rapid, truthful decision-making.