01
Leadership review
Thomas Fraser
Chief Data Officer · Canada · Global perspective
Making trusted data useful in consequential decisions.
Open to
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
Highlights
The year, and the years before it, at a glance.
1
Trusted source of truth
Replacing 37 conflicting reports
₹410 Cr
Value from analytics
Verified by finance, year three
220
Models governed
Under one responsible-AI framework
9 days → 4 hrs
Time to decision data
For the executive committee
A letter from the chief data officer
Dear reader,
Trusted data becomes valuable when people can use it responsibly in a decision. I connect ownership, quality and analytical capability to business purpose, with explicit limitations and human accountability for consequential uses.
I help enterprises turn data into a trusted part of how decisions are made. My work spans ownership, quality, analytics and responsible AI, with a focus on the business practices that allow technical capability to be used well.
Thomas Fraser
Chief Data Officer
Strategic priorities
Where I focus my leadership.
02
Data governance
03
Analytics adoption
04
Responsible AI
Performance
What the priorities delivered.
Priority outcome 01
Enterprise data ownership
Business functions were maintaining different versions of a critical performance measure. I worked with the accountable owners to define the measure, document its source and agree how exceptions would be handled. The programme treated data ownership as an operating responsibility and gave users a visible path for resolving quality issues.
Priority outcome 02
Decision intelligence
An analytics initiative had produced technically sound outputs that were not part of the management routine. We redesigned the work around a specific decision, involved the decision owners in evaluation and made limitations visible in the way findings were presented. Adoption became part of the delivery definition.
Priority outcome 03
Responsible AI adoption
Teams wanted to move AI experiments into business use without a consistent review process. I convened product, data, risk and operating leaders to agree evaluation criteria, human accountability and monitoring responsibilities. The approach allowed use cases to be assessed on their actual purpose and exposure rather than on enthusiasm for the technology.
Year in review
A career, chapter by chapter.
- 2020 — Present
Chief Data Officer
Aldermoor Group
Leading enterprise data strategy, governance and analytics adoption. Working with business owners and risk colleagues to connect trustworthy information and responsible AI with defined decision needs.
- 2016 — 2020
Vice President, Data & Analytics
Fairhaven Holdings
Built data and analytics capability around priority business uses. Developed operating practices for data ownership, quality evaluation and the communication of analytical limitations.
- 2013 — 2018
Head of Analytics
Westmoor Housing Finance
Built the credit analytics capability that reduced losses while widening access to first-time borrowers.
- 2008 — 2013
Lead Data Scientist
Lumen Payments
Designed fraud models at national scale, and learned that a model is only as good as the decision it improves.
Governance
Board and committee service.
Current appointments
Westmoor Housing Finance
Independent Director
Risk · Data & AI Ethics (Chair)
2023 — Present
The Responsible Data Institute
Advisory Board Member
Standards Council
2020 — Present
Committee experience
- Risk
- Data & AI Ethics
- Standards Council
Stakeholder voices
What those I have served alongside say.
Made our data trustworthy enough to bet decisions on — and honest about where it was not.
The clearest voice on responsible AI in our boardroom.
Outlook
Perspectives on what comes next.
Data ownership must resolve a real problem
Naming an owner is only useful if that person can make the decisions needed to keep information fit for purpose.
Read the essayAnalytics delivery includes the decision routine
An analytical output can be accurate and still fail to influence the work it was intended to support.
Read the essayAI evaluation starts with purpose and exposure
An AI use case needs to be assessed in the context of the decision or task it supports.
Read the essayRecognition
Awards & honours
- Data Leader of the YearThe Applied AI Forum2024
- Responsible AI AwardThe Technology Leaders Review2023
Media
In the news
The Applied AI Forum · 2025
“Governing 220 models without slowing the business”
The Boardroom Review · 2024
“The board's role in responsible AI”
The Leadership Ledger podcast · 2023
“Episode 120 — Data people can trust”
An invitation
Looking ahead with Thomas.
Board appointments, advisory mandates and conversations about the decisions ahead.
Open to
- Board appointments
- Advisory roles
- Speaking invitations
office@thomasfraser.example