Top 10 Data Governance Trends for 2025
#17 Or how to stay ahead
Hello 😀
I cannot believe 2024 is almost in the past.
That’s what I really love about years ending : this moment where you just take a step back and look at what’s coming next !
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Agenda
What a year
Top 10 trends to watch
What a year.
I feel like 2024 was a year of revelation for Data Governance.
💎 People are starting to see real benefits from it : clean, structured, and governed data is accelerating decision-making and innovation.
🛠 Initiatives and toolings are getting sexier thanks to AI agents.
👥 More companies are recruiting data governance managers and master data experts or looking for external resources. New roles are gaining traction like the Data Governance Engineer.
Top 10 trends
Let’s see what we need to watch in 2025.
1️⃣ LLM for data governance
I’ve been using ChatGPT the whole past year literally EVERY DAY as Data Governance Manager for synthesis, pain points analysis, data matching, etc.
🦫 Some tools like CastorDoc are taking the lead by integrating LLM capabilities enabling :
Easy discovery of data assets and access in self-service for Business teams
Quick answers to governance-related inquiries, data lineage identification, and suggestions of corrective data quality measures for Data Stewards
2️⃣ More automation for Data Governance
Data tasks keep people busy - but with low added-value tasks : consolidation of different datasets, adding columns to a file, exporting files and reimporting them in another system, etc. These simple tasks lead to many errors further in the lifecycle of data.
👉 We are moving towards automation of these data tasks and inclusion of quality checks. You can do it with tools like PowerAutomate.
3️⃣ Increased focus on data transformation
Business need more than ever to be able to transform data — which means restructuring, cleaning, validating it in ways that improve its quality and increase its value. DBT has invading the space and is giving the ability to data analysts to transform data with SQL.
💡 For data consolidation you can also create custom applications with Retool for Business teams and connect it easily to your data sources via API.
4️⃣ Data modeling is core
Data modeling will no longer be optional.
Having clear, standardized data models ensures consistency in how data is understood, structured, and shared. It is critical for :
Aligning cross-functional teams and meeting the various data demands.
Acting as a a common language, reducing silos and improving interoperability between systems like ERPs, CRMs, and modern cloud platforms.
5️⃣ Data quality first for Machine Learning
The focus will shift from model optimization to data quality as organizations recognize that better data is the key to superior AI performance.
Data contracts have also appeared to ensure input data for training remains consistent over time in terms of schema and quality.
Customized datasets to reflect the specific nuances of a domain or industry has also become a key trend.
6️⃣ Data management tool consolidation
The data management landscape is heading towards consolidation, with tools increasingly offering an end-to-end suite of functionalities.
And this is a good news ! Rather than relying on a patchwork of specific tools for data cataloging, data quality checks, lineage tracking, and metadata management, companies will benefit from integrated platforms.
👉 Big players, like Collibra, Informatica, and Alation, are expanding their portfolios to include quality frameworks, AI-driven data discovery, and robust lineage tracking.
7️⃣ Cloud-based Data Governance
Exit on-premise tools !
Companies are increasingly relying on cloud-native tools such as Snowflake, Databricks, and AWS. These platforms provide built-in governance functionalities like data catalogs, lineage tracking, and compliance management.
Why this trend is growing fast :
Distributed teams in multinational organizations can access centralized governance frameworks without needing complex on-premise setups.
Cloud platforms are embedding AI-driven capabilities that enhance governance by automating classification, tagging, and anomaly detection.
8️⃣ Going at SME and startup level
Smaller companies face rapidly issues like data silos, data ownership confusion and lack of document classification. As they scale, these issues grow exponentially. Implementing data governance early provides a solid foundation for future growth.
💡 I’ve co-written last month an article with Sera Ecvimen on this topic to provide some simple solutions for startups.
In the coming year, expect modular governance approaches tailored for SMEs and startups to grow, providing just the right level of governance they need without overwhelming them.
9️⃣ Data Governance embedded in data products
Embedding data governance directly into data products is becoming a critical shift. Instead of treating governance as a separate, standalone activity, organizations are integrating governance principles and frameworks into the design and delivery of their data products.
Data Governance is moving away from being centrally managed by IT teams to being owned by product teams responsible for specific data assets.
👉 This aligns with Data Mesh principles where data governance is federated but consistent across domains.
🔟 Data Governance Managers wanted
As we approach 2025, the demand for Data Governance Managers is skyrocketing. Companies of all sizes are recognizing the importance of this role in shaping and maintaining their data-driven initiatives. New roles are entering the space as well, I’ve discussed this on an episode of DataGen podcast if you’re interested.
I know it’s hard to recruit on these jobs, as they require various skills and knowledge, from data and information management to change and communication.
It’s easier than you think to transition to this role, especially if you have a technical background.
💡 You can still follow my Data Governance training online to get up to speed !
See you soon,
Charlotte
I'm Charlotte Ledoux, freelance in Data & AI Governance.
You can follow me on Linkedin !
Hey Elie,
No it's now on a Notion space with more content.
You can join here : https://www.charlotte-ledoux.xyz/training
Hey Charlotte,
Great post!
Are you still offering your course on Udemy?