Rob Walden

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT ROB WALDEN

I\'ve spent 15 years proving that data leadership isn\'t about dashboards: it\'s about impact.Here\'s what that actually means: I\'ve helped organisations save £Ms, won awards for innovation, and built teams from scratch that people genuinely enjoy working for. But the real story is simpler, I love solving complex problems with data & AI, and I\'m pretty good at getting others excited about it too.My journey:From forecasting emergency department attendances using weather patterns at NHS Leicester, to building global labour cost models at Rolls-Royce, to now leading behavioural analytics and AI product strategy at MHR. I\'ve learned that the best data work happens at the intersection of technical excellence and genuine business understanding.What drives me:Well, I\'m obsessed with three things:Commercial outcomes - Every data initiative should have measurable ROI. If we can\'t articulate the value, we shouldn\'t build it.Trusted data - You can\'t make good decisions with bad data.Great teams - The best insights come from diverse, engaged teams who feel empowered to challenge and innovate.Some wins I\'m proud of:→ Redesigned analytics dashboards that drove 35% sales revenue increase→ Built ROI model securing £5M+ in commercial opportunity and executive buy-in→ Working with UK Government on gender pay gap reporting standardsBeyond the bullets:I\'m a dad and someone who genuinely believes data can make the world better (even through TV and film choices). I read obsessively about data innovation and still get excited when a model works better than expected.Currently exploring:How behavioural analytics can genuinely change user behaviour (not just measure it), the ethical boundaries of AI in HR technology, and how to build data teams that people actually want to join.not just work for.If you\'re working on data strategy, AI/ML applications, or building analytics teams that drive real change, I\'d love to connect and swap stories.