

Data Governance-Special Interest Group - our first meeting
At DAMA-Vancouver BC, we love insightful presentations—but we also crave more interaction. That’s why we’re launching Special Interest Groups (SIGs), designed to foster deeper discussions and engagement on key topics.
Please join us for the inaugural session of our Data Governance SIG, where Michelle and Gordon will host a fireside chat with Karen Beckmann, former VP of Data Management at QuadReal Property Group and former IT leader at Rocky Mountaineer.
Karen will share real-world experiences, key insights, and strategies for successful Data Governance. We will also feed in questions from the topics you selected in our recent survey. This session will be highly interactive, with opportunities to engage directly with Karen, the hosts, and fellow attendees.
Your feedback is invaluable! Help us shape future SIG sessions by sharing your thoughts on the format and suggesting topics you’d love to explore next.
Please consider filling out this quick survey about DG-SIG preferences. Thanks.
Agenda: Wed Feb 12th
- 4:00 Welcome to the group
- Share survey results to introduce prioritized topics
- 4:15 Facilitated panel with Karen Beckmann (Gordon/Michelle) on
- Data Governance Friction and Success Factors
- Hopefully lots of questions from everybody to share experiences
- 5:00 Feedback from everybody on the format, priorities, frequency, next steps
- 5:25 Draw for "Data Strategies for Data Governance" by Marilu Lopez
Data Governance Unfiltered: Hard Truths, Tough Choices, and Real Wins
- How did you first achieve success in your data governance efforts?
- What were your early challenges or areas where you struggled to succeed?
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How do you gain traction and sustain progress in data governance initiatives?
- How do you manage risks or avoid major setbacks?
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What’s your perspective on the following approaches:
- Top-down vs. bottom-up strategies?
- Cutting priorities: What’s the first to go when resources are tight?
- Prioritizing data governance vs. data quality—what comes first?
- Securing budget: How do you sell the importance of data governance to leadership?
- When starting out, would you recommend focusing on a report catalog instead of a data glossary? Why or why not?
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How can teams effectively “clean” data while balancing analytics needs?
- What’s “good enough” in terms of data quality?
Join us for an engaging fireside chat with Karen Beckmann, a global data governance leader with a strong IT background and a track record of driving business transformation through effective data strategy. With experience spanning large enterprises and SMBs across industries, Karen specializes in building governance frameworks that enhance data quality, compliance, and business value. She has led major data initiatives at organizations like QuadReal, Amey, and Rocky Mountaineer, where she established scalable governance practices, streamlined operations, and aligned IT with business goals. Based in Vancouver, BC, Karen is a dual US and UK citizen with Canadian residency. She serves on the Women in Communication and Technology BC board, mentors emerging leaders in tech, and advocates for diversity and inclusion in the industry.
LOCATION: VIRTUAL ONLY
- There will be no recordings or AI note taking
- This event will focus on Premium Members but will not enforce the NDA constraint until it has been discussed in the group.
DG-SIG Vancouver 2025 Events - Mark Your Calendars:
- Please send in topics/vendors/paradigms you would like to see!
- Wed Feb 12th - Inaugural meeting with Karen Beckmann
- Wed Apr 2nd - To be determined. We are planning to have separate meetings of the DG-SIG every 2 months or so depending on demand with one meeting per year with the full DAMA group
- May 28 Marilu Lopez will give a one-day seminar on Data Strategies for Data Governance. This will be a Premium Membership ONLY meeting.
- May 29 Marilu Lopez will give a presentation on Data Strategies for Data Governance. (Premium Only).