Signal Johnson & Johnson pairs accountants with data scientists on a shared analytics team inside finance

Summary

Deloitte describes Johnson & Johnson bringing data science and engineering talent into its finance organization. According to Bridgette Link, who leads finance solutions and technology, the goal is to build better predictive models that finance teams can put to use. To do so, the company is placing some of its strongest accountants alongside data scientists on a shared reporting and analytics team. That team sits within the finance function itself rather than in a separate technology unit. Link describes the arrangement as a convergence of the accounting and engineering professions aimed at solving some of the organization's biggest problems. The example illustrates the report's broader theme of combining financial judgment with technical skill.