For over a decade, I’ve been writing blogs on Data Governance.

When I first started, it was simply a way to get my thoughts and feelings down on “paper.” I wanted to make sense of the space in my own way, to explore ideas, and to share how I think about Data Governance with others who might be on a similar journey.

Over the years, that small intention turned into something much bigger than I ever expected. I’ve now written over 250 blogs - each one a snapshot of how my thinking has evolved, the challenges I’ve encountered, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

But now, it feels like the right time to hang up my “pen.”

Life has become busier, priorities have shifted, and stepping back from blog writing feels like a natural and necessary transition. This hasn’t been an easy decision - far from it. Writing has been a constant for me for many years, but sometimes, knowing when to pause is just as important as knowing when to begin.

So, it’s with a mix of gratitude and a little sadness that I’m sharing… this will be my final blog.

I wanted to use this last post as an opportunity to reflect - to look back at some of the content that has resonated the most. I looked at the data to pull together my top 10 blogs of all time. Some were obvious, but a few genuinely surprised me.

Before you dive into those, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read these blogs. To those who’ve shared them with colleagues or friends. To those who’ve used them as a resource, a reference point, or even a challenge to their own thinking. Your support has truly meant the world to me, and it has never gone unnoticed.

The blogs will remain available, and I hope they continue to be useful long into the future.

Anyway, here are my top 10. I hope you enjoy revisiting them as much as I did.

My top 10 blogs of all time

1. Data Owners and Data Stewards - What is the difference?

This blog clears up the often-confused difference between Data Owners and Data Stewards. It explains how both roles sit within data governance, what each is responsible for in practice, and how to decide what will work best in your organisation.

2. What is the Difference Between Policies and Standards?

This blog explores the often confused difference between data policies and data quality standards. It explains why the terms are used interchangeably, how I define each in a data governance context, and why clarity matters more than the terminology itself, as long as you clearly communicate what you mean.

3. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

This blog explores why pictures can be far more effective than words when communicating about Data Governance. Drawing diagrams or visual models helps people understand concepts, agree on scope, and remember information more easily. Even if you love lists, experimenting with visuals can make your communications clearer, more engaging, and much more impactful.

4. How To Identify The Right Data Owners?

This blog explains how to identify the right Data Owners in your organisation. It shares a practical approach for finding individuals who are accountable for data quality, why seniority and resources matter, and how to focus on the areas and people who feel the most impact when data is wrong. It’s a useful guide for anyone starting to define roles and responsibilities in data governance.

5. What’s the difference between Data Owners and Data Custodians?

This blog explains the difference between Data Owners and Data Custodians. Data Owners are senior business stakeholders accountable for data quality, while Data Custodians, usually in IT, maintain and manage the data according to business requirements. It also covers common questions about IT ownership, business teams as custodians, and why clear roles are essential for effective data governance.

6. What is a Data Domain?

This blog explores what a data domain really means in data governance. Nicola explains how the term differs from its technical definition, why clear definitions matter, and how thinking in logical groupings of data such as customer, finance or HR data can help you identify owners and manage data effectively. It is a practical guide for anyone wanting to speak the same language as the business and avoid confusion.

7. What do you include in Data Quality Issue Log?

In this blog I explain why a Data Quality Issue Resolution process is one of the first things I implement when helping clients with data governance. I walk through the key fields I include in a Data Quality Issue Log, from who raised the issue and its impact to assigning a Data Owner and tracking progress. It is a practical guide based on my experience for managing and resolving data quality issues consistently and effectively.

8. Data Glossary or Data Dictionary?

This blog explains the difference between a data dictionary and a data glossary, why each is important, and how a data glossary supports business understanding and effective data governance.

9. Defining Data Definitions and How to Write Them

This blog explains what a data definition is, why it matters in Data Governance, and how clear, simple definitions help the business and IT get on the same page, plus tips for creating effective definitions.

10. What is a Data Office?

This blog explains what a data office is. It’s essentially a central team that supports Data Governance, Data Quality, and sometimes Master Data Management. The key message is that the name doesn’t matter, what matters is having a central team in place and clearly communicating its role to the business.