Craig Boundy, CEO of Experian North America, captivated the crowd at Lancaster University’s annual Professor Sir Roland Smith Lecture last week.

Held on 26 September at the Institute of Directors in London, Mr Boundy was welcomed by Professor Angus Laing and Lancaster University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Smith before he addressed a crowd of alumni, partners and specially invited guests.

The theme of this year’s event – the 14th Sir Roland Smith Lecture – revolved around big data and the wealth of responsibility that comes with it.

Drawing on Experian’s experience, Mr Boundy talked about working closely with Cleveland Police Force which had over 1,800,000 records in their system despite the estimated population in the Cleveland policing area of less than 600,000. Reducing the amount of incomplete and duplicate records led to faster and more informed policing, showcasing areas of high and low crime, and, most importantly, helped to improve safety.

While demonstrating the tremendous positive opportunities presented by data, Mr Boundy also emphasised the importance of data security. He discussed the major threat cyber security presents and the importance of investing in security from both a business and consumer perspective.

Professor Angus Laing, Dean of Lancaster University Management School, said: “It was fantastic to welcome Craig as our speaker for our 14^th annual lecture. He delivered a very engaging and relevant presentation around the impact that data has on society.

“The legacy of Professor Sir Roland Smith continues through our lecture series which commemorates Sir Roland’s significant contribution to the UK's academic and business communities by inviting a chief executive of a well-established company to address our community of academics, alumni, partners and students.”

Craig’s presentation concluded with an extended and wide-ranging question and answer session with audience members. His final message was that sharing data is the key to success for the development of business strategy and to “use data as a power for good”.