Career

Ben Pattison is an experienced data and analytics executive with more than 30 years of global experience across Australia and the UK, leading data, insights, analytics, AI, technology, marketing and credit risk functions across financial services, travel, insurance, transport, manufacturing and retail. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Runik, providing fractional executive, advisory and consulting services across data, analytics, AI and marketing.

Ben most recently served as Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Flight Centre Travel Group, following senior data leadership roles with DuluxGroup, Transurban and Medibank, as well as more than 11 years with NAB. Across these organisations, he has led data engineering, platforms, governance, insights, analytics, data science, AI, marketing analytics and decisioning functions, with a consistent focus on translating data capabilities into commercial and customer outcomes.

His experience spans the full data and analytics lifecycle, from data infrastructure and governance through to advanced analytics, machine learning, AI and commercial adoption. Ben has delivered predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and personalisation, credit risk strategies, self-service insights platforms and AI capabilities, with a particular focus on building trusted, accessible data products that are adopted and used by the business.

Role at Factor

Ben brings a commercially grounded data and AI perspective to Factor’s Expert Advisor Network, helping executives navigate the gap between developing sophisticated data and AI capabilities and turning those capabilities into genuine business value. His experience leading data functions from both technology and business perspectives gives him a practical understanding of what is required to move beyond experimentation.

Through his work with Runik, Ben can provide an independent executive perspective on data and AI strategy, operating models, productisation, adoption and value creation. He is particularly well positioned to help organisations determine where AI can create meaningful commercial outcomes, how capabilities should be structured and owned, and what is required to move from pilots into trusted products that are actually used.

Ben is also well suited to executive roundtables and advisory discussions where senior leaders are working through the practical realities of scaling data and AI. His cross-industry experience enables him to bring perspectives from financial services, travel, insurance, transport, manufacturing and retail while keeping discussions grounded in business outcomes rather than technology for its own sake.

Key roles Ben works with include: Chief Data & Analytics Officers, Chief Data Officers, CIOs, CTOs, Chief AI Officers, Chief Digital Officers, Chief Customer Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Risk Officers, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and Data & Technology Leaders.

Previous Roles

As Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Flight Centre Travel Group, Ben led the organisation’s data and analytics agenda across a global travel business, with responsibility spanning data engineering, analytics, data science and related capabilities. His focus was on using data to support commercial decision-making and create value across a diverse business environment.

Prior to Flight Centre, Ben was Head of Group Data & Analytics at DuluxGroup, where he led data engineering, platforms, insights and reporting, analytics, data science and martech functions. He developed a reliable and well-governed view of products, employees, consumers and businesses while identifying opportunities to use predictive analytics and AI to support commercial outcomes across Australian, New Zealand and European operations.

At Transurban, Ben led Data, Insights & Analytics, using predictive analytics, machine learning and customer insights to support decision-making around customer behaviour, service usage and next-best action. Earlier, he led Customer Data Science at Medibank, following an extensive career with NAB across predictive analytics, marketing and credit risk leadership roles.

At NAB, Ben held senior roles spanning predictive analytics, marketing, secured and small-business credit risk and business credit analytics and strategy. His responsibilities included credit risk across a mortgage portfolio exceeding $200 billion, SME lending portfolios, predictive marketing analytics, automated decisioning and engagement with APRA. He began his career in consumer finance, banking and credit risk roles in the UK and Europe.

Media Presence and Industry Contributions

Ben is an active contributor to the data and AI leadership community and has presented at CDAO conferences and panels. He has also presented to regulators, boards and investors, bringing an executive perspective on the practical opportunities and challenges associated with data, analytics and AI.

A recurring focus of Ben’s work is the challenge of moving data and AI capabilities from experimentation into products that are trusted, adopted and capable of delivering measurable value. He has explored the practical realities of productising data and AI, including the importance of aligning product ownership with the business area that will ultimately realise the value.

With experience moving between industries, functions and operating models, Ben brings a practical perspective on how organisations can build data capabilities without overcomplicating their technology environment. His approach focuses on understanding the business problem first, establishing the right ownership and operating model, and creating the conditions for sustained adoption, scaling and commercial impact.

Leadership Philosophy

Ben believes the value of data and AI comes from solving meaningful business problems rather than simply producing more data, models or technology. His approach starts with understanding what drives the business, identifying where data and AI can create genuine value and ensuring those capabilities are accessible enough to influence real decisions.

He places strong emphasis on product thinking, adoption and business ownership. For Ben, successful data and AI capabilities require clear accountability, alignment with the teams that will use them and an ongoing focus on whether they are delivering the intended commercial or customer outcome.

As a leader and advisor, Ben combines technical depth with commercial thinking and practical execution. His experience building and leading large data and analytics teams has shaped an approach centred on continuous learning, innovation and delivery, while his work through Runik allows him to bring that experience directly to organisations navigating their next stage of data and AI maturity.