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Rod Bates
Verified Expert in Engineering
Tech Advisor and Data Strategy Developer
Atlanta, GA, United States
Toptal member since August 29, 2025
Bio
Rod is a results-driven C-level executive with 25+ years of experience unlocking business value through AI, advanced analytics, and data strategy. Known for his ability to quickly immerse himself in a client’s business model, he identifies key objectives and challenges and activates deep domain expertise to deliver measurable impact. Rod has successfully built and led high-performing teams as a chief data and analytics officer, delivering results across Fortune 100 companies and SMBs.
Portfolio
Independent Consultant
Analytics, Data, Data Strategy, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI)...
Insight Global
Data, Data Strategy, Executive Leadership, Leadership, Team Leadership...
PwC
Analytics, Data, DataViz, Databricks, SQL, Data Strategy, Consulting...
Experience
- Team Leadership - 20 years
- Data Strategy - 20 years
- Analytics - 20 years
- Data - 20 years
- Machine Learning - 15 years
- Executive Leadership - 10 years
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) - 10 years
- Consulting - 10 years
Preferred Environment
Azure, Azure Databricks, Databricks, Snowflake, SQL, Tableau, Microsoft AI, Microsoft Power BI
The most amazing...
...thing I've done is grow a client’s market share by 10% using analytical and data-driven insights that surfaced high-potential market opportunities.
Work Experience
C-level Consultant in AI, Analytics, & Data
2025 - PRESENT
Independent Consultant
- Built a new pricing and rating model for mid-sized logistics companies, resulting in significant margin improvements.
- Developed a labor acquisition and retention model for mid-sized logistics companies.
- Implemented new cloud-based data and reporting infrastructure for a mid-sized logistics company.
Technologies: Analytics, Data, Data Strategy, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning
Chief Data & Analytics Officer
2022 - 2025
Insight Global
- Implemented AI and machine learning capabilities, resulting in significant top-line revenue and cost efficiency gains.
- Built the first-ever company-wide data infrastructure in Azure Databricks.
- Led the migration from Tableau Server to Tableau Cloud.
- Drove partnerships with key technology providers, including Microsoft, Salesforce, Databricks, Hubspot, and Bullhorn.
- Developed and implemented a pricing analytics platform to support gross margin growth.
- Increased field level by around 3,000 full-time equivalent productivity through optimized implementation of CRM, sales operations, lead management, and territory optimization.
- Built AI, data, and business intelligence teams providing capabilities across the entire enterprise.
- Implemented a master data management strategy for key data domains.
Technologies: Data, Data Strategy, Executive Leadership, Leadership, Team Leadership, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Visualization, Azure, Databricks, Azure Databricks, Data Governance, Data Engineering
Managing Director
2020 - 2022
PwC
- Served as the overall lead for multiyear, multi-million dollar data and analytics engagements with clients across all industries, from Fortune 500 to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
- Advised C-level client stakeholders on strategic roadmap development, investment planning, organization structures and operating models, and the implementation of enterprise data initiatives.
- Coached and mentored across the spectrum of junior associates up to the director level. Built project-level teams while developing individual skill sets and career paths.
- Consulted with a fitness equipment manufacturer on the data and analytics strategy, driving results on marketing and sales ROI improvement and product launch support.
- Consulted with several consumer products and services companies on market sizing, consumer segmentation and targeting, and pricing strategies.
Technologies: Analytics, Data, DataViz, Databricks, SQL, Data Strategy, Consulting, Management Consulting, Financials
Vice President, Data & Analytics
2015 - 2020
Coca-Cola Company
- Delivered $50+ million annually of measurable marketing efficiency while maintaining and growing market share in leading product categories.
- Led a $15 million modernization initiative to shift investment from legacy insights platforms to state-of-the-art analytical capabilities.
- Managed 20+ vendor relationships, with an annual budget in excess of $40 million.
- Realized $5+ million of bottom-line improvement on retail merchandising by activating computer vision technology to conduct retail execution measurement.
- Achieved $5+ million in supply chain operating efficiencies by leveraging machine learning and robotic process automation.
- Established and led the enterprise data and analytics center of excellence as the hub for accelerating digital transformation through data and analytics.
- Developed data partnership opportunities with distributors, retailers, food service providers, technology partners, and non-competing CPG manufacturers.
- Managed Coca-Cola’s relationship with Nielsen and an additional 50+ on-site, dedicated outsourced data and analytics resources.
- Led the development of cloud infrastructure for Coca-Cola North America to support analytics and performance measurement.
- Reduced data costs by 30% through a holistic data acquisition strategy to counter increasing data costs, while future-proofing against scarcity in the CPG environment.
Technologies: Analytics, Data Strategy, Data, Data Engineering, Marketing Mix, B2C Marketing, Marketing Research & Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Sales Analysis, Pricing Models, Retail Merchandising, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Computer Vision
Senior Director of Analytics
2013 - 2015
Epsilon
- Increased services revenue by 20% in one year as the analytics lead in the automotive sector.
- Boosted ROI by 25% by implementing next-generation marketing technology and analytics for clients.
- Contributed to the overall analytics consulting practice as an experienced subject-matter expert, mentor, and coach.
- Led a team of 12 data scientists and data engineers assigned to multiple clients in the automotive industry.
Technologies: Analytics, Data, Data Strategy, B2C Marketing, Marketing Analytics, Business Intelligence (BI), SAS, SQL, Python, Consulting
Head of Analytics
1997 - 2013
FedEx
- Identified and activated the marketing strategy for a $2 billion value opportunity in the small and medium B2B prospect universe.
- Managed a $10 million budget for master data management architecture.
- Negotiated and executed a $12 million enterprise syndicated data purchase from D&B.
- Developed time series and econometric models to deliver short- and long-range demand forecasts.
- Led teams of 10-15 data scientists, marketing analysts, and data engineers.
Technologies: Analytics, Data, Business Intelligence (BI), Pricing, Marketing Analytics, B2B, B2C, Machine Learning, Forecasting, Time Series Analysis, Master Data Management (MDM), B2C Marketing, Data Strategy, Unix Shell Scripting, SAS, SQL
Statistician
1996 - 1997
Intel
- Reduced defects in the end product by implementing statistical models in the manufacturing process.
- Applied the practical usage of experimental design, analysis of variance, and predictive modeling in an engineering environment.
- Provided statistical analysis and training to 40+ engineers to support continuous improvement efforts and the introduction of new technology.
Technologies: Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Multivariate Statistical Modeling, Statistical Analysis, SAS, SQL, SAS SQL, Unix, Unix Shell Scripting
Experience
Data Strategy for Coca-Cola
Re-engineered the company's overall data and research strategy in North America.
SCOPE OF WORK
• Improving business insights, marketing, data, and advertising investments through mix modeling.
• Securing 3rd-party data investments such as Nielsen.
• Partnering with functional teams in marketing, commercial execution, and revenue growth management.
• Rationalizing data and research budgets for optimal ROI and insight generation.
• Providing analytics support for new product development and launch.
• Partnering with technology teams to migrate legacy data to cloud infrastructure in Azure and AWS.
SCOPE OF WORK
• Improving business insights, marketing, data, and advertising investments through mix modeling.
• Securing 3rd-party data investments such as Nielsen.
• Partnering with functional teams in marketing, commercial execution, and revenue growth management.
• Rationalizing data and research budgets for optimal ROI and insight generation.
• Providing analytics support for new product development and launch.
• Partnering with technology teams to migrate legacy data to cloud infrastructure in Azure and AWS.
AI Application for a Logistics Client
Identified and implemented AI and automation solutions for a logistics client for business process efficiencies and commercial execution in pricing and in customer acquisition and retention. This included re-engineering the client's data infrastructure and reporting platforms.
BERT/LLM Implementation at Scale for Text Processing
Implemented BERT and similar models to improve the productivity of a large-scale workforce doing text entry, review, and editing. I integrated the functionality into existing workflows and set up ongoing tracking of accuracy levels and real-time capture of user feedback. I also combined public and proprietary data to create the most relevant resource for internal usage.
Education
1994 - 1995
Master's Degree in Analytics and Data Science
University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN, USA
1990 - 1992
Master’s Degree in Mathematics
University of Mississippi - Oxford, MS, USA
1988 - 1990
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Mississippi - Oxford, MS, USA
Skills
Tools
DataViz, Mathematica, JMP, IBM SPSS, Tableau, Microsoft AI, Microsoft Power BI
Languages
SAS, SQL, HTML, C++, Pascal, C, Fortran, Snowflake, Python
Paradigms
Business Intelligence (BI), B2B, B2C
Platforms
Unix, Azure, Databricks
Storage
SAS SQL, Master Data Management (MDM)
Other
Analytics, Data, Leadership, Team Leadership, Data Strategy, Text Analytics, Executive Leadership, Marketing Mix, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Consulting, Presentations, B2C Marketing, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Unix Shell Scripting, Data Structures, Mathematics, Mathematical Analysis, Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Logic, Azure Databricks, Financials, Cloud, Data Visualization, Data Governance, Data Engineering, Management Consulting, Marketing Research & Analysis, Marketing Analytics, Sales Analysis, Pricing Models, Retail Merchandising, Computer Vision, Pricing, Forecasting, Time Series Analysis, Multivariate Statistical Modeling, Sensor Data, Streaming Data, Large Language Models (LLMs), Transformers, BERT, Custom BERT
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