Data Doesn't Win Wars—This Does

I sat down with Paul Evangelista, Chief Data Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, to talk about what happens when decisions carry real weight. Paul spent 30 years in the Army, from engineer officer to operations research analyst, and now leads data strategy where leadership is forged under pressure. We talked about why decision literacy matters more than data literacy, how mission command principles translate to private equity portfolio companies, and why trust is the foundation of high-performing organizations.

Behind every value creation plan is a data problem. Paul breaks down how PE firms can build decision systems that work under stress, why fuzzy strategy is more dangerous than messy data, and what the private sector can learn from military command structures. If you care about building organizations that make better decisions faster, this conversation is for you.

Chapters:

1. 00:10 - The Importance of Real-Time Decision Making
2. 01:07 - The Role of Data in Military Decision Making
3. 16:25 - Understanding Mission Command in Military and Business
4. 28:21 - The Impact of Strategy on Business Resilience
5. 36:22 - Transitioning from Military to Private Sector

Companies mentioned in this episode:

1. United States Military Academy
2. Microsoft
3. Azure
4. Databricks
5. Capital One

Guest Information

Paul Evangelista is the Chief Data Officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he leads the Office of Data and Analytics. He spent 30 years as an Army officer, including combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and holds expertise in operations research, systems engineering, and decision science. Paul is transitioning from military service this spring to bring his experience in high-stakes decision-making to private sector leadership.