The Market Intelligence Champion: How to Identify the Right Leader for Your Organization

Data is everywhere today, and having a Market Intelligence Champion who shepherds data is essential. But, this role isn’t just about collecting data—it’s about interpreting, analyzing, and transforming insights into strategic business decisions. Hiring the wrong person for this role can be costly for the business and overwhelming for the person you put in that role if they don't have the proper skillsets.

The Traits that Can Turn the Tides

With mounds and mounds of data, you might think anyone with a data role might be the right person to assume this role. But, the right Market Intelligence Champion blends analytical expertise, strategic thinking, industry knowledge, and experience. Find the right person, and your business could be humming sooner than you can imagine. Some key traits I'd look for are:

• Analytical Mindset – Experience in interpreting complex datasets and deriving insights.
• Business Acumen – Understanding of how intelligence drives business strategy.
• Communication Skills – Ability to translate data into actionable insights for stakeholders.
• Technology Proficiency – Familiarity with intelligence tools and data visualization software.
• Curiosity & Adaptability – Ability to stay ahead of industry trends and adjust strategies accordingly.

The Skills That Drive Smarter Business Decisions

Beyond industry knowledge and experience, an effective Market Intelligence leader needs to be able to tell a relatable story to all pockets of the organization:

When Bad Intelligence Leads to Worse Decisions: Dangers of Poor Leadership

I'm not trying to paint too much of a negative picture, but your Market Intelligence Champion is a key stakeholder for big ticket decisions. Choosing wrong can have far-reaching consequences, like:

• Missed Opportunities – Poor insights or misinterpretation of data can lead to ineffective business strategies, missing critical market trends.
• Wasted Resources – Without a skilled leader, investments in data tools, technology, and research can be underutilized or mismanaged.
• Erosion of Competitive Advantage – Competitors with better intelligence capabilities will make smarter, faster decisions, leaving your company behind.
• Loss of Stakeholder Trust – Inaccurate or unreliable intelligence erodes confidence among executives and decision-makers, reducing buy-in for future intelligence efforts.
• Operational Inefficiencies – A lack of clear intelligence direction leads to redundant work, disjointed reporting, and wasted effort.

Measure twice, cut once.

My grandfather, a master carpenter, taught me many things. But, the most important lesson he passed to me was to measure twice, cut once. While this role is important, I implore you to take the extra time to invest time in finding the right person and not rushing to fill the role. If you measure twice and cut once, your strategic initiatives will have a much greater chance of going according to plan.