E100 - Craig Price - Perfecting Customer Experience by Perfecting Customer Engines with Data Science

Imagine getting served a burger but it’s all bun and patty.
Nothing else.


Weird, but not bad, I guess - especially if you’re hungry. 


Now, imagine if your server strides over and adds on all your
favourite toppings and fixings. Some tomato slices, cheese, a
cold beer on the side, maybe even a cookie for dessert.


This is what you came for! This is what will make you come back!


But how did they know all your favourites?


Well, this isn’t your first time here. They’ve been paying
attention to what you like and what you don’t, and they’ve been
taking note.


The plain burger is customer service, but this is customer
experience. All the little notes they’ve been making as you come
in everyday, that’s where customer engines come in.
Meet Craig Price

Craig’s Role as a Data Science & AI Leader at Suncorp
Group


Craig Price is the Group Head of Data Science & Artificial
Intelligence Centre of Excellence at Suncorp Group. For over 100
years, the Suncorp Group has been building futures, offering
insurance, banking and wealth products and services through some
of Australia and New Zealand’s most recognised financial brands.
Their portfolio of brands includes AAMI, GIO, Suncorp Bank and
Vero. Suncorp Group Limited is a top 50 ASX-listed company with
over 9.5 million customers and 13,000 employees. They have been
an ‘Employer of Choice for Gender Equality’ for six consecutive
years, and in 2019, were awarded Silver Employer Status at the
Australian LGBTI Inclusion Awards and the Susan Ryan Age
Diversity Award.
Craig’s Other Work in Finance, Actuarial, and Data Science at
Suncorp Group​

Craig works with The Data Science & AI Centre of Excellence
at the Suncorp Group to maximise the value that Suncorp gets from
its investments by turning data into tangible business value. He
manages a team of data scientists and analytics professionals
building innovative solutions for market leading brands like
AAMI, Suncorp, GIO, and Apia.


Prior to this role, in Craig’s 20+ years with the Suncorp Group,
he has taken on the roles of the Principal Actuary for Workers’
Compensation & CTP as well as for Motor Insurance, the
Executive Manager of Personal Insurance Pricing Analytics,
Modelling Acceleration, and Data Science. More recently, Craig
was the Head of Data Science for Analytics & Business
Engagement. Outside of work, Craig is passionate about making a
difference in community development, disaster relief, and
educating children through opportunities from STEM.


Customer Engines, Customer Experience, and Intelligent Automation


In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Craig shares:


His experience volunteering at ADRA Australia


His role as the Group Head of Data Science & Artificial
Intelligence CoE at the Suncorp Group


The importance of having the Centre of Excellence model for data
science and AI at an organisation like Suncorp


What the financial service industry can do to win the long game


If models like Next Best Action and Next Best Offer to reduce the
churn rate could be incorporated into the next generation of
customer engines and


experience


Embedding data analytics for better customer experience


How this is different from traditional customer segmentation


How the role of intelligent automation converges with his work in
perfecting the customer experience


Putting together multiple teams to create a powerful customer
engine


How FSI can replicate the customer experiences of big companies
like Google and Amazon


If these points will become important add-ons for the Customer
Data Platform in the near future


His advice for other companies in the industry to get started
using intelligent automation and data analytics to build better
customer experience


Key lessons from his experiences in building these customer
engines a