User:Zachoudanis/sandbox/Clive Humby

Clive Robert Humby (born February 3, 1955) is a mathematician, entrepreneur and pioneer in the field of data science and customer-centric business transformation. Since 2014, he has been Chief Data Scientist of the consumer insights company, Starcount.

Early life and education
Humby was born in Leicester. He attended Wyggeston Grammar School, gaining four A- levels. He attended Sheffield University from 1972 to 1975, graduating with a B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics &#x26; Computer Science.

Career
He worked initially for East Midlands Gas in Leicester as a computer programmer. Deciding after nine months that this was not the career for him, Humby joined the American data analysis specialists CACI in 1976.

Based initially in Bermuda, he worked on a project that used data from the 1970 census to plan locations for U.S. Army recruitment offices following the abolition of the draft. The project formed the basis for major developments in site location, gravity modeling and geodemographics. He returned to CACI’s UK office in 1977, becoming Senior Vice President, Marketing Analysis for Europe. His other areas of specialism included customer profiling, the development of the ACORN classification system, and market research survey design.

In 1989, Humby left CACI to become joint founder and Chief Data Officer of global consumer insights business, dunnhumby, with his wife and long-term business partner, Edwina Dunn. The company applied science and technology to customer data, to help businesses understand consumer trends and behaviours. It went on to revolutionise the use of customer transaction data, through its relationship with Tesco which began in 1994. The launch of Clubcard in 1995 was the first mass customisation loyalty programme in the world, propelling the company to double its market share in less than three years. As a result, dunnhumby expanded exponentially, growing 100% year-on-year for five years. This led to them working with other retailers, and opening offices in 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas, employing 1500 people.

In 2006, Humby coined the phrase “Data is the new oil”. He elaborated by saying that, like oil, data is “valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used. [Oil] has to be changed into gas, plastic, chemicals, etc to create a valuable entity that drives profitable activity; so must data be broken down, analysed for it to have value.”

Humby and Dunn sold their stake in dunnhumby to Tesco in 2011. They then took time out from their careers to travel the world. In 2012, they set up H&#x26;D Ventures, a business and data science team exploring the possibilities of telecoms and financial services data. The company won contracts with Vodafone and Barclays Bank. In addition, in 2013 they became investors in Purple Seven, the UK’s largest theatre and arts analytics company, to evaluate the cultural behaviour of 19 million UK consumers.

In 2014, Humby was invited to join the data analytics company Starcount as Chief Data Scientist. The company acquired H&#x26;D Ventures in the process, a collaboration that created a unique consumer insights company combining the science of purchase and intent, and which brought the voice of the consumer into the boardroom. His prime motivation today is helping organisations harness the opportunities created by the explosion in big data. Humby believes that knowing the ‘average customer’ is not enough; granularity, and the relevant application of insights gleaned from data, are what make it invaluable. He also believes that the true worth of the ever-growing surge in consumer data lies in shaping long-term business strategy, not just short-term promotions.

Under Humby’s guidance, Starcount uses tools and skills for customer analytics to meet the challenges retailers face both on- and offline, with the added dimension of new open-source data and graph theory. The results help companies to anticipate what their customers will buy next, leaving them better equipped to formulate offers and products accordingly. Humby’s passion for data is undimmed. As a consultant he continues to undertake short- term assignments for both government and big business, on the role of big data in the future.

Leadership style
As an analytical leader, Humby believes in exploring the early implications of a project before undertaking the development of ideas. He espouses The Power of Two leadership principle. This teaches that the most effective way to lead an organisation is by putting it under the charge of two people with complementary skills. It is a model he and Dunn instigated at dunnhumby, and which he continues to advocate to this day.

Personal Life
He married Edwina Dunn in 1982. They have two children, Rowena born in 1991 and Max born in 1994. His hobbies include sailing, shooting and following the England rugby team. He divides his time between homes in London and Gloucestershire.

Philanthropy
Humby is a Trustee of the Royal Academy, as well as Chairman of the Friends of the Royal Academy.

Board Directorships and honours
He is on the retail advisory board of LetterOne, an international investment business. He is also a board director of Holland & Barrett.

Humby holds Honorary Doctorates in Engineering from the University of Sheffield, and in Business Administration from Kingston University London. He is an Honorary Companion of the Operational Research Society. He holds Honorary Fellowships of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Institute of Direct &#x26; Digital Marketing, and the Market Research Society of which he is also Patron.