Many companies use data science as a *supportive* function for various business initiatives. However, the emergence of new business models has made it possible for some companies to *differentiate* via data science. When this is the case the company needs to think very differently about the role and placement of data science in the organization. Spoiler alert: it needs to report into the CEO!
Eric Colson is the Chief Algorithms Officer at Stitch Fix, where he specializes in social algorithms. He is also an advisor at Earnest (consumer lending), Data Elite (Big Data incubator), and Mortar Data (Big Data Platform). Previously, he was VP of Data Science & Engineering at Netflix and has held analytical positions at Yahoo!, Blue Martini, Proxicom and Information Resources. He holds a B.A. in Economics (SFSU), a M.S. in Information Systems (GGU), and a M.S. in Management Science & Engineering (Stanford).