Why this book exists
After 11+ years of implementing data governance programs for companies like PPG (manufacturing – paints and specialty coatings) and Highmark Health (integrated health and wellness), I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself across industries and company sizes.
Organizations sometimes spend millions on data governance tools and initiatives, only to watch them fail spectacularly because they missed the most critical ingredient: genuine executive sponsorship and a business first approach.
What you’ll learn
- How to secure genuine executive sponsorship (not just approval)
- Why business objectives must drive your governance program
- How to build a collaborative framework that engages all stakeholders
- The critical role of change management in governance success
- How to measure and demonstrate business value early and often
- Practical approaches to AI governance that protect while enabling innovation
- How to select the right tools without getting caught up in vendor promises
- How to establish AI ethics principles that align with business values
- Frameworks for responsible AI development and deployment
- Strategies for model monitoring and performance management
- Approaches to AI risk assessment and mitigation
How to use this book
Each chapter builds on the previous one, taking you through the complete journey from chaos to a well-functioning governance program.
You’ll find:
- Real-world case studies from experiences as a data architect and governance “player coach”
- Periodic Check-ins to a program disaster showing how proper governance could have turned it around
Disclaimer
While the examples and case studies that are documented in this guide do come from real life experience, some of the details have been altered. Sometimes to make a point…and sometimes to protect the “guilty“. If you happen to see your organization in any of these stories, it is purely by coincidence.
There are various Artificial Intelligence(AI) supplements available that can help organizations adding this discipline to their business. These are identified throughout the book in their own callout boxes. Contact our head chef at Chef@FiveStarGovernance.com for more information.
AI Callout:
AI Governance is a natural extension of Data Governance, as a matter of fact it is built upon the very same principles and best practices. Which is why this book focuses mainly on Data Governance and the extension of AI Governance is available from our Head Chef.
Book Forward
This book is the result of years spent in the trenches leading governance programs, facilitating executive workshops, and translating complexity into clarity. It’s not just a collection of ideas; it’s a strategic foundation for how data and AI governance can actually work in practice. It is the product of lived experience, strategic experimentation, and a fair amount of creative license built from the ground up. Not just to explain governance, but to reframe it in a way that resonates with executives, practitioners, and skeptics alike.
I’ve taken care to ensure that the ideas presented here reflect my own voice, shaped by years of hands-on leadership, stakeholder and change management, and creative storytelling. If something feels familiar, it’s likely been reimagined with intent; feel free to reach out and discuss it with me. If it feels new, I hope it sparks action.
Throughout these pages, you’ll find familiar ingredients: industry frameworks, regulatory models, and cultural references that have shaped the data and AI governance landscape. Where I’ve drawn from these sources, I’ve done so transparently – citing, adapting, or transforming them to t the context of modern business challenges.
The goal isn’t to reinvent the wheel, but to round it out, align it, and get it rolling in the right direction. Every concept here has been pressure-tested through real-world engagements and reimagined into modular formats, ready to be deployed in workshops, coaching sessions, and consulting engagements.
This book is both a standalone resource and a gateway to deeper, hands-on transformation. Governance isn’t just about control, it’s about trust, accountability, and measurable impact. That starts with how we communicate.
So consider this foreword both a disclaimer and an invitation: what follows is original, honest, and built to serve.