Steorra
James Miller, founder of Steorra

FOR DATA,ANALYTICS & AI LEADERS

Helping data leaders think clearly, lead well and stay themselves.

Coaching and training for those who are good at the work and want to be better at the job.

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Personal resilience

Strategic influence

Commercial ownership

Operational grip

James Miller, founder of Steorra

ABOUT ME

Hi, I'm James - I've sat in the seat you are in now.

I coach data, analytics and AI leaders, and the teams around them, recognising that people will always matter more than technology.

For nearly 25 years I built data functions, led transformations, grew teams and advised many organisations. Early on, I realised the technical work was the easy part. Getting funded, getting heard and thriving in a tough role took a different set of skills.

Now I help data leaders discover what kind of leader they want to be, while staying true to themselves.

Read my full story

MY FOCUS

Four areas where data leaders grow, and get stuck.

The technology is rarely what holds leaders back. In my experience these 'bearings' define great data leadership. Most leaders are strong on one or two — coaching and training build the rest.

N

Personal

“I'm good at this job. I'm not sure it's good for me.”

Stay anchored in your values and energy, in a role that brings purpose and results.

E

Strategic

“I find out about priorities after they've been set.”

Shape priorities rather than receive them. Lead through influence at the highest levels.

S

Commercial

“The board keeps asking what value we deliver.”

Speak the language of value, cost, and risk, so the business funds what matters.

W

Operational

“Every week starts with a fire I didn't see coming.”

Run your function with the grip of a real operator: clear rhythm, clear accountability, fewer surprises.

Take the 2-minute bearings check

HOW I CAN HELP

You got the job for the work. Now the job is everything else.

Most data leaders are promoted for technical excellence, then handed a function with no map. Steorra exists for that moment, and for every recalibration after it.

James Miller in one-to-one conversation

01

1:1 executive coaching

For individual leaders. From a single diagnostic session to ongoing support, at your pace and on your agenda.

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James Miller speaking with a leadership team around a meeting table

02

Leadership team coaching

For data and business leadership teams. I work with the team as a whole on how it leads, decides and works with the rest of the organisation, alongside each leader’s own goals.

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James Miller speaking on a panel at a conference

03

Business fluency

Business training for data teams: how the business makes money, building investment cases, influencing stakeholders, and running the work. Shaped around your team’s real work.

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Need something different? Talks, workshops and bespoke programmes are available. Get in touch

MY APPROACH

Coaching philosophy

I believe most data leaders already know more than they give themselves credit for. They got where they are by being good at difficult things.

Yet it is easy for this to get lost in the noise: the pressure to have every answer, the unwritten rules about what a leader should look like, and the advice from people who’ve never done the job. Add a full diary and a board that wants results by Friday, and your own judgement gets harder to hear.

I believe coaching is how you find the yourself again. It gives you time to think properly, the safety to confront your limiting beliefs, someone to ask the questions you’ve been avoiding, and space to work out what you actually want from your role.

Working in data can take a lot out of you. The pressure is real, and the best leaders I’ve worked with weren’t the ones who never struggled. They found ways to stay steady, recover, and keep enjoying the work. It’s a great career, and you should get to enjoy it, not just survive it.

My coaching draws on my Henley training in executive coaching, the ICF Code of Ethics, and more than 25 years of building and leading data functions.

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WHAT PEOPLE SAY

What leaders say after working with James.

“I had the privilege of working with James on client engagements and his combined commercial and data acumen is just incredible. His ability to solve real business challenges with the power of data that links directly to business outcomes is just amazing. James also has an incredible amount of EQ and just is able to relate to people in a way that is rarely seen and experienced on our industry. He was just fantastic to work with. A CDO and data leader that is able to help organisations unlock the value of data driving performance, outcomes and culture. A one in a million and happy to recommend..”

Mignon Mapplebeck

Data & AI Director, Women in Tech Top 3

“Really happy to recommend James, he is so knowledgeable around data and so relatable at the same time. It's great to work with someone who knows their stuff.”

Caroline Carruthers

CEO, Carruthers & Jackson

“There are very few James Millers around, incredibly knowledgable whilst maintaining an air of humility. I’ve had the pleasure of working with James for many years, collaborating on lots of transformational projects. His ability and energy to command a data strategy process whilst taking customers or stakeholders along for the journey is second to none. I can’t wait for our paths to cross again. As a team member, compatriot and coach, James earns my highest recommendation.”

David Chapman

Enterprise Account Executive, Tableau

WORKING WITH ME

What working with me is like.

You probably have more of the answers than you think.

The job is just too loud to hear them. My coaching makes room to think. It’s practical and forward-looking: we focus on where you want to get to, what’s already working, and the next step. I draw on established coaching research and methods, not a single model, and on my own years in the seat.

The aim isn’t to turn you into a different kind of leader. It’s to help you lead well as yourself.

  • Mostly, I'll ask questions.

    You do the thinking; my job is to make it sharper.

  • When I've done the job, I'll say so.

    If my own experience might help, I’ll offer it, and you decide what to do with it

  • I'm direct.

    If I think there is something deeper going on, I'll mention it. Politely. Once. Then probably again.

  • It stays between us.

    Sessions are confidential. If your organisation is paying, they see the outcomes we’ve agreed, nothing more.

Start with a conversation.

Book a free discovery call. Thirty minutes, no obligation — just an honest conversation about where you are and what might help.

Book a call with James