Richard Balson

Richard Balson is an experienced data science leader currently serving as the Head of Data Science at Woolworths Group, where Richard oversees a team of 80 data scientists focusing on logistics, campaign and search optimization, and data asset development. Prior to this role, Richard held positions at National Australia Bank, including Head of Data Science and Acting Chief Data Scientist, where Richard expanded the data science team significantly and contributed to the development of ethical governance frameworks. Richard also led data science initiatives at ANZ as Associate Director and gained consulting experience at IBM. Additionally, Richard's early career included roles as an Analyst at Veda and a Research Assistant at the University of Melbourne. Richard holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria.