Closing the Data-to-Action Gap | Aaron Fossum (Senior Director of Digital Analytics)

On this episode of The Data Storytellers Podcast, we welcome back Aaron Fossum, Senior Director of Digital Analytics at Norwegian Cruise Line, to explore how data teams can bridge the gap between insights and business action. Aaron shares the playbook he presented at the Leading Business Change with Analytics & AI Masterclass, detailing how his team translates analytics into meaningful business impact.

We dive into building a data-driven culture, refining analytics processes, and enabling better decision-making through structured insights, automation, and stakeholder collaboration. Aaron also discusses the challenges of managing ad hoc reporting vs. strategic analytics, and how teams can position themselves as trusted advisors rather than report vending machines.

Connect with us:

• Website: https://thedatastorytellers.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-data-storytellers

• Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-data-storytellers-podcast/id1493766476

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• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9e56lhYUfORiOHMiLlPmA

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to Aaron Fossum and Norwegian Cruise Line

02:22 - What NCL does and Aaron’s role in digital analytics

06:03 - How to turn data insights into real business action

10:57 - Why data alone isn’t valuable without execution

13:58 - The three types of analytics projects in business

20:00 - How to escape the “report vending machine” trap

22:48 - Moving from ad-hoc meetings to structured conversations

26:41 - How to build trust and credibility as an analytics team

32:53 - Focusing on the most important business problems

39:21 - Creating a culture of curiosity and self-directed analytics

47:37 - Key questions for teams looking to improve their analytics processes

51:19 - Aaron’s vision for data at Norwegian Cruise Line in 2025