Randall (Randy) Gordon

Meet 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐥 (𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲) 𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫. Randy mastered the Cello long before he ever managed a data lineage. His degree in Cello Performance taught him early on that a single out-of-tune note can ruin a symphony. Today, he applies that same "ear for harmony" to the world’s most complex financial systems. As the 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 at Cross River, Randy treats data not as a static resource, but as a living performance that requires constant tuning to remain "fit for purpose."

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🏗️ 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 "𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧"

Randy is a pioneer of the "𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧" philosophy. At Cross River, he didn't just implement a data catalog; he built a collaborative ecosystem where Data Owners use technical metadata and business glossaries to democratise data for self-service analytics. By implementing a Data Governance Checklist for new products, he ensures that every application is built with protection and quality baked in from day one. His work is proof that 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 "𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤" 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫.

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🌍 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫

In the age of GenAI, Randy is leading the conversation on AI Governance. He spearheaded a cross-functional process at Cross River, collaborating with Legal, Risk, and InfoSec to evaluate AI use cases through a risk/benefit lens. His focus is on Data Provenance: ensuring we know exactly where AI training data comes from and how it’s being used. He frequently shares these insights in his TDAN.com - The Data Administration Newsletter column, "𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬," where he uses everything from Tolkien metaphors to classical music to explain the complexities of modern data management.

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💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞

Randy’s perspective is uniquely shaped by his background in music. This "orchestral" approach to data allows him to see the harmony between distributed systems and centralised standards. Whether he is discussing Data Observability or the ethics of unstructured data at NYC conferences, his mission is consistent: to move governance away from being a "zoo curator" of dead artifacts toward a living, breathing framework that empowers every user.

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