Why Data Quality Improves When Teams Understand the Customer Journey with Adrian Thibodeau
In this episode of the Data Reliability Experience, we are joined by Adrian Thibodeau, former Managing Director & Global Head of Quality Engineering at S&P Global Ratings, and Shrikant Patel, Chief Product Officer at iceDQ, for a candid conversation on why data quality is fundamentally a customer experience problem — and what it takes for data teams to truly solve it.
Drawing from over 20 years of experience across quality engineering, enterprise data, and product leadership, the discussion explores how organizations can bridge the gap between technically sound pipelines and the real-world customer journeys that depend on them — and why that connection is the key to lasting data reliability.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Why data teams are often several steps removed from the customers their data actually serves
2. How the absence of customer journey context silently undermines data quality
3. What it means to move beyond siloed testing toward validation that reflects real user workflows
4. How leaders can empower engineers and business users to work toward shared data outcomes
5. Practical steps organizations can take today to connect data reliability to customer experience
6. How platforms like iceDQ support every persona — from QA engineers to business users to managers
This episode delivers practical, experience-led insights for data leaders, quality engineers, and product teams navigating the gap between pipeline performance and customer impact.
About the Guest – Adrian Thibodeau
Adrian Thibodeau is a senior technology and operations executive whose most recent role was Managing Director and Global Head of Quality Engineering at S&P Global Ratings. Over a 20-year career spanning data, technology, operations, and program management, he has led global teams advancing quality engineering strategy, strengthening enterprise data controls, and modernizing delivery across complex, regulated platforms.
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