Christina Sandema-Sombe, Co-founder and Chief Data Analytics and AI Officer at Datum Cafe, joins Peter Geovanes, Founder and CEO of Juris Tech Advisors, in a video interview to discuss sustainable data practices through knowledge management, the importance of structured knowledge management, how the Datum Cafe supports C-suite alignment, the paradox of AI adoption, and why data transformation demands alignment, empathy, and a clear narrative.

Building sustainable data practices through knowledge management

Shedding light on knowledge management, Sandema-Sombe emphasizes the need for a structured approach to reduce inefficiencies and build long-term capability. She highlights organizations’ approach to data initiatives on a use-case basis and says that while this could be effective in the short term, the approach often lacks continuity. She notes that teams are assembled, disbanded, and reassembled with different people each time, which creates a cycle of inefficiency.

“Often, you’re not working with the right people because you haven’t really done any of that. Then, the next time that you want to do a piece of work, you have to find new people. Reteach those people; reform these things,” says Sandema-Sombe. The result is a “very choppy cadence of delivery,” with limited repeatability and high organizational vulnerability.

Organizations must lay a solid literary foundation and be able to connect people to the knowledge they need, she says. To perform effectively, individuals need to be clear on what the organization expects from them, be aware of any changes in processes, and understand the technology they’re using, including how they’re expected to use it.

Adding on, Sandema-Sombe stresses the need for individuals to know how to prioritize tasks in a way that delivers higher value to the organization. She also addresses the risks of role changes, layoffs, and other disruptions that can break critical workflows if knowledge isn’t effectively shared.

“How do we make sure they know what they need to know? They can repeat it, and we won’t have breaks in our ability to be able to do this as a discipline,” remarks Sandema-Sombe.

The power of knowledge management

To address these gaps, Sandema-Sombe discusses the importance of intentional knowledge management. “It’s really about capturing that knowledge across your organization and making it available so that anybody can pick it up. Anybody can get upskilled like that,” she says.

Explaining further, Sandema-Sombe says that effective knowledge transfer is not limited to documentation as it involves enabling people to connect and learn from one another.

“Being able to connect your people to people who have done it before… that can be one-on-one, but it can also be in groups in the formation of things like communities of practice or communities of expertise.” These communities, she says, allow for the informal but powerful exchange of problem-solving experiences.

By putting the right mechanisms in place to foster engagement and collaboration, organizations can accelerate their maturity, says Sandema-Sombe. Summarizing her perspective, she says, “Knowledge management is about connecting the people to the people, connecting the people to the process, connecting the people to the technology — but at every point of that connection, it’s important that the people are engaged and that’s how you get success.”

How do clients approach Datum Cafe?

When asked how clients approach Datum Cafe, Sandema-Sombe states that for organizations that are starting out, a lot of it is about C-suite education. This includes helping leaders understand foundational concepts such as why data governance is necessary, how to structure it, whether a federated model is appropriate, and what strategies they should consider.

The goal is not only to build their understanding of data efforts but also to clarify the role they play in driving those efforts, says Sandema-Sombe.

In some cases, organizations are already practicing good data stewardship at a small scale and are looking to expand. They might have one successful stewardship body but are unsure how to replicate that success across other parts of the business.

Sometimes, the issue is a lack of a multidisciplinary team, says Sandema-Sombe. She maintains that most data teams tend to be heavily technical and don’t always focus on change management or broader strategic concerns.

Meeting organizations where they are means understanding where breakdowns occur, especially with people, and identifying where there’s potential for better alignment across departments, says Sandema-Sombe. For instance, she says, if a team has a particular approach to data and if it is aligned with the organization’s risk framework, Datum Cafe can help facilitate and enable that thought.

She also points out the need to engage other internal partners, like HR, to ensure having the right resources required to enable data initiatives across the organization. She adds, “Lots of people read the literature, and it says, you need to have an enterprise data council, and nobody tells you how to do it. We can help you with that.”

How Datum Cafe supports C-suite alignment and the challenges around it

Speaking of partnering with the C-suite as an extension to help them in the journey, Sandema-Sombe states that the Datum Cafe is a helpful voice. She says that many in the C-suite opine that the organizational expectation and the actual place where the organization stands in the journey are not married well.

Adding on, Sandema-Sombe says, “And when you fail to deliver, these roles are disappearing, or people are getting let go within three years and being replaced, and so on and so forth.” Yet, she says, like in any other department, there is an order to things in data.

Quality is critical to being AI-ready, says Sandema-Sombe, as she says how Datum Cafe helps with the foundational steps and manages expectations with a broadened industry view. Working with the C-suite, the company enables them to acknowledge the cornerstone that must be in place and the way to build it.

It can be challenging for someone to participate if the direct manager is not supportive. If the C-suite does not see itself having a role, then the entire organization operates under the assumption that they do not need to be involved. Instead, everything just gets handed off to the data team with the expectation that they’ll deliver it all on their own, she remarks.

“I think it’s the lack of understanding, like we say, it’s a team sport, but I think people think the team sport is between the data people,” shares Sandema-Sombe. She clarifies that the team sport is actually between the “data people” and everybody else.

Moving forward, Sandema-Sombe highlights a critical gap in how organizations often structure their data leadership. She mentions a situation where the people that Chief Data and Chief AI Officers need to work with do not report to them. This disconnect, she explains, can severely limit the ability of data leaders to mobilize the resources they need. Without formal structures to support cross-functional collaboration, prioritizing data work becomes incredibly difficult.

She emphasizes the need for tangible enablers, such as clear policies, mandatory training, and integration into performance evaluations that reinforce data work as an organizational priority.  

Without these, the Chief Data or AI Officer is left in a difficult position, either trying to deliver without necessary expertise or getting caught in constant negotiations for time and resources.

The paradox of AI Adoption

Next, Sandema-Sombe reflects on the broader context of AI adoption, noting the stark contrast between how quickly AI is being embraced outside the corporate world versus within it.

However, inside many organizations, progress lags. She attributes this to a fundamental lack of clarity and commitment.

“It’s not adopted as well inside the corporation. And a lot of that is just because of just a lack of clear alignment around what it is that organizations want to do with data and how willing they are to support it.” Sandema-Sombe underscores that real adoption is not about buying the newest tool but it is about investing in the cultural transformation needed to support data-driven work.

Ultimately, she notes that creating a truly data-driven organization requires more than assigning responsibility to a single leader — it requires a shift in mindset across the business.

Referring to solid data practices, she says, “We are increasing our risk posture and our ability to be defensible in an audit because we know how to manage our data correctly, and that is everybody’s job.”

Why data transformation demands alignment, empathy, and a clear narrative

Many organizations underestimate the scope of change involved in becoming data-driven. There’s often a gap between what leadership expects and what is realistically achievable without proper support, says Sandema-Sombe. “There’s a misalignment between what is expected and what is actually reasonably achievable.”

She elaborates that data transformation impacts people far beyond tools and systems; it reshapes jobs, routines, and workplace identity. And without intentional support, that shift can feel threatening.

Because the shift is so profound, Sandema-Sombe states that it will not work without consistent alignment across all levels of the organization.

“You have to have buy-in all the way through because you’re going to encounter challenges. It’s such a big shift.” This buy-in needs to be built into the organization’s very structure if an organization expects to be data-driven, she adds.

One of the most powerful barriers, according to Sandema-Sombe, is fear. Many employees may not understand what the shift means for them, and in the absence of clear messaging, they create their own stories, which are often driven by anxiety.

She continues that without a clear, human-centered narrative, fear of job replacement can dominate the conversation, even when it’s not grounded in reality. Sandema-Sombe stresses that organizations must intentionally share the “why” behind their data journey, framing it in terms of opportunity, empowerment, and growth.

Without that kind of communication, she concludes that transformation risks being seen as just following the hype cycle.

CDO Magazine appreciates Christina Sandema-Sombe for sharing her insights with our global community.