WINNING THE HEAD, T HE HEART AND THE HERD FOR DATA CULTURE

STEFANIE BABKA is a marketer with a second diploma in public relations, who is fascinated by the interface between people and technology. She has over 20 years’ experience in digital marketing, public relations and digital transformation in different industries (automotive, FMCG, science & technology), and for the last 10 years she’s led teams of different sizes.

Stefanie has published two books on social media, and as a pivotal employee of major corporations, she’s organised and supported countless big events, including IAA, Stars & Cars, Autosalon Geneva and Fashion Week. She’s launched more than 50 digital products, apps and websites, and ran campaigns and projects for more than 60 brands such as Mercedes, Smart, Dodge, Saab, Kit Kat, Wagner Pizza, Maggi, Beba, Purina, Perrier and Vittel.

At Merck, she led various big transformation projects, including the introduction of the digital workplace EVA (consolidating 160 intranets into one) and the change and comms stream of the Group Data Strategy. She’s also supported rebranding and the integration of newly acquired companies.

As the Global Head of Data Culture, Stefanie is responsible for communication, change management and upskilling programs on data and AI, including the Merck Data & Digital Academy and their enterprise-wide data & digital community. Stefanie is passionate about bringing together artificial intelligence and human intelligence to drive meaningful insights and data-driven decision-making.

STEFANIE BABKA

Stefanie, you have an interesting title. Tell us about yourself, how you stepped into this role and what you do as ‘Global Head of Data Culture’.

When we first established an enterprise-wide data strategy at Merck I led the Change & Communication workstream, and this is how I grew into this topic. As a result of this strategy, the Merck Data & AI Organisation – including a role for data culture – was established. And I was happy to take that role. This was, and still is, a perfect mission for me: I have a background in digital marketing and my data love comes from customer data. I have seen the power data can unlock if you target someone in the perfect perception moment with the perfectly tailored message.

Today, my team and I run the group-wide data & AI upskilling and change management initiatives at Merck to enhance the data culture in our company.

Merck is recognised as a leader in establishing a datadriven culture within a large corporation. Could you elaborate on the strategies used to develop a strong data culture within your organisation?

To build a strong data culture I always say we need to win the head, the heart, and the herd.

For winning the head, we focus on fostering the right skillset among our employees. This can be done by upskilling, reskilling or hiring. For upskilling we have two main approaches. The first is what we call ‘curiosity-sparked learning.’ This approach allows employees to find a starting point in a moment of curiosity and begin their learning journey. They can select their background, skill level, time budget, and topic of interest to find suitable training options in our comprehensive training hub. This flexibility empowers employees to take control of their learning at their own pace.

For those who prefer a more structured learning path, we offer guided learning programs. These range from simple data & AI literacy paths to our flagship program, Fast Track Upskilling for Data and Digital. This intensive program offers up to 10 weeks of full-time training, enabling participants to become what we call ‘citizen data scientists’. The beauty of this program lies in its practical approach – participants bring in their own projects, which allows them to tackle real business challenges or opportunities using real data. Additionally, each participant is paired with a mentor to ensure that by the end of the training, they not only gain knowledge and skills but also develop their own data or AI solution.

Winning the heart involves engaging our employees emotionally. We do this by creating a data appetite through storytelling and fun activities such as our Data Escape Room. These initiatives make learning enjoyable and memorable, helping employees see the value of data in a relatable way.

Lastly, for winning the herd, we emphasise the importance of community. We foster communities of practice to enhance exchange and learning across sectors and functions. This approach ensures that data culture is deeply rooted in our organisational practices, promoting collaboration and continuous improvement. By addressing these three areas – head, heart, and herd – we create a comprehensive strategy that embeds data culture throughout the organisation.

Can you share examples of successful initiatives that have improved data-driven decision-making at Merck? Certainly! One of our standout initiatives is our internal everyday AI companion, which we call myGPT Suite It is available to all employees to foster generative AI literacy at scale. It has quickly become one of the most used tools at Merck, allowing employees to save significant time in their daily tasks. These initiatives exemplify how data and AI are transforming our decision-making processes at Merck, allowing us to deliver innovative solutions more efficiently.

How do you measure the effectiveness of data literacy programs across different teams?

We use a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics to measure effectiveness. Qualitatively, we gather insights from employee engagement surveys focused on winning the head (Do you feel you have the right skills?), heart (Are you looking forward to working with data & AI more?), and herd (Are you applying data-driven ways of working in your team?), along with training evaluations and feedback surveys.

Quantitatively, we rely on system data, such as the number of use cases in production within Foundry and the monthly user statistics for our everyday AI companion myGPT Suite. Notably, myGPT Suite ranks among the top 10 most used tools at Merck, even without including any mandatory services, indicating its widespread adoption and utility.

By addressing these three areas –head, heart, and herd – we create a comprehensive strategy that embeds data culture throughout the organisation.

STEFANIE BABKA

How do you ensure that employees at all levels understand the importance of data in their roles?

We’ve developed a comprehensive Data Culture Concept that targets five distinct groups within the organisation: executives, managers, data & AI practitioners, everyone at Merck, and physical operations (production and lab personnel) . This plan utilises different angles to spread ‘data love’ across the company. Executives create top-down excitement, while practitioners and enthusiasts are equipped with materials, tools, and arguments to foster a bottom-up data culture. By addressing the specific needs of each group, we ensure that every employee understands the pivotal role data plays in their work and in the broader success of Merck.

How do you stay updated on the latest trends and technologies in data and AI?

Staying updated is crucial in our fast-evolving field, and I engage in a variety of activities to ensure our training remains up to date. This includes reading industry news, listening to relevant podcasts, participating in training sessions, and collaborating with our tech teams. This multifaceted approach allows me to keep abreast of the latest developments and ensures that we continuously integrate cutting-edge innovations into our data culture strategy.