In the realm of corporate data, few leaders have the clarity, conviction, and courage of Jodi Morton. With a storied career spanning leadership roles at KPMG, PwC, Comcast, and Warner Bros. Discovery, Morton has earned her reputation as a pragmatic visionary—someone who understands that the future of data governance lies not in restriction, but in responsible empowerment.
Currently the Chief Data & Insights Officer at KPMG US, Morton brings a refreshingly business-centric lens to data governance. “You can't be just a control function,” she says. “You have to have a value proposition for the business.” In an age where data is as strategic as capital, her message is clear: governance must stop being the department of "no" and start becoming the function of "know-how."
Bridging Governance and Business Value
Morton’s perspective is born from practical experience. At Warner Bros. Discovery, she served as the Chief Data Officer during a transformative merger—managing data across two media giants with vastly different infrastructures and cultures. Rather than taking a rigid, enforcement-driven approach, she adopted what she calls a “gentle nudge” strategy—building governance through influence rather than mandates.
It worked. By embedding governance directly into the business's daily processes and demonstrating its value, Morton shifted the perception of governance from overhead to advantage. “You have to embed in the business, speak the business’s language, and prove that governance is not just compliance—it’s fuel for smarter decisions.”
The Art of Influence
One of Morton’s superpowers is influencing without authority. Her governance approach isn’t top-down; it’s collaborative. “Don’t create committees to govern data that don’t have business representation,” she advises. “If you’re not close to the business, you’ll miss the mark every time.”
This focus on business alignment doesn’t mean she shies away from tough conversations—quite the opposite. Morton insists on clear, documented definitions of metrics, goals, and success criteria, especially when multiple departments are involved. “Language is everything. You need to get people to agree on what words mean before you start measuring.”
Balancing Innovation with Responsibility
Morton is no stranger to the pressures of innovation, particularly in AI and analytics. She embraces modern data platforms and capabilities, but not at the expense of oversight. Her team has built a “guardrails and guidance” framework for AI governance, encouraging experimentation while ensuring risks are understood and mitigated.
This philosophy echoes her broader stance on technology: “The tools are never the solution. You need people and process first.” Whether implementing a metadata management platform or building a data catalog, Morton ensures that business users—not just IT—are at the heart of the design.
The Next Frontier: Ethical AI and Transparent Governance
Looking ahead, Morton sees an urgent need for organizations to bring transparency and ethics into AI initiatives. She’s an advocate for governance structures that not only assess data quality but also evaluate model performance, fairness, and bias.
“There’s a huge opportunity to operationalize responsible AI,” she says. “But we can’t do that with yesterday’s governance frameworks.” Instead, she envisions a future where data governance is seamlessly integrated with AI lifecycle management, empowering teams to innovate safely and accountably.
Final Word: Govern with Empathy, Lead with Purpose
Jodi Morton’s message to the next generation of data leaders is simple but profound: approach governance with empathy. “You’re not just enforcing policy—you’re helping people use data better. And that’s a powerful mission.”
In a world where data is currency, Morton is showing us how to spend it wisely.
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