Julian Prower is the International Chief Operating Officer of Dun & Bradstreet, responsible for driving the company’s international strategy and accelerating growth across its owned, joint venture, and partner markets.
Since joining the company in 1985 as part of its European Technology organization, Prower has built a career spanning technology, country leadership, human resources, and business operations. His roles have taken him across Asia Pacific, Latin America, Canada, Israel, and Europe.
Throughout his four decades with the company, Prower has played a pivotal role in shaping D&B’s global operations and culture. He has spearheaded the establishment of the company’s technology and operations center in Dublin, championed people development as the firm’s top HR executive, and led major strategic initiatives, including the business integration program following the acquisition of a significant European partner company.
TOPICS Senior Editor Julia Bergström met with Prower in mid-August to discuss his 40 years at D&B, his approach to conflict resolution, and how to manage data when there’s more available than ever. An abridged version of their conversation follows.
What initially attracted you to the company, and what has kept you there all this time?
I’ve always been curious about how systems work and how emerging tools can transform the way we do business. When I joined Dun & Bradstreet, the company was investing heavily in computerizing its European operations. We were still in the “green screen” era — mainframes, paper reports, and telex machines — but it was cutting-edge back then.
The company’s investment in technology is where my professional roots began to grow, especially as I had access to some of the most advanced tools available at the time, and I was able to work on projects that fundamentally changed how we gathered and delivered business information.
Over time, I became just as fascinated with the business implications of technology as the technology itself. I watched D&B shifting from paper-based operations to fully digital systems, which enabled us to deliver insights to customers faster and more accurately.
For me, the pace of change has always been energizing. I’m not someone who thrives in a “status quo” environment, and Dun & Bradstreet has never been that kind of place.
Dun & Bradstreet is known for its trusted data. How do you ensure accuracy and integrity in an age of misinformation and AI-generated content?
Everything we do starts with trust. Our clients make high-impact decisions — on credit, risk, compliance, supply chains, sales acceleration, sustainability, and much more — all based on our data, so integrity is non-negotiable.
A key differentiator is that we own the data we provide. This gives us control over how it’s collected, verified, and maintained. We don’t just pass along raw data — we process and validate it extensively before it ever reaches a client. Every month, our systems run over 60 billion quality validations. This number has risen significantly in recent years as the amount of data we process has exploded and because the stakes have grown higher.
We know the digital world is full of bad data — errors, outdated records, even deliberate misinformation. Our quality frameworks are designed to intercept those issues before they can influence a client’s decision. Beyond cleaning and verifying, our role is to turn raw data into actionable intelligence that’s clear, relevant, and timely. That’s what gives our customers confidence in making a wide spectrum of key business decisions from managing risk to unlocking new business opportunities.
How is Dun & Bradstreet helping drive digital transformation globally?
Our role is to make trusted data accessible where and when it’s needed. More and more, that means integrating our insights directly into platforms our clients already use to enable seamless decision-making.
We’ve been using AI for years to improve data quality, develop predictive models, and deliver actionable insights. The current wave of generative AI brings new opportunities and challenges, and we’re working to harness its potential while maintaining the standards of accuracy and trust our clients expect.
You’ve worked in technology, HR, business development, operations, and strategy. How did you navigate such different roles?
Each transition was sparked by a moment of reflection and often by a leader who asked me a challenging question. For example, early on, my leader asked whether I wanted to spend my career in technology or use technology to influence the business more broadly. That question made me realize how motivated I was about technology’s impact on clients.
Moving into business development meant learning quickly. I built a team from scratch in Ireland and helped develop our next-generation intellectual property. That experience taught me a lot about culture and people, which led me to HR leadership. From there, strategy execution was the next logical step, followed by COO and GM roles.
The throughline in all these shifts was humility — acknowledging what I didn’t know, surrounding myself with people who had the required expertise, and constantly adding to my skills. My underlying belief is we never stop learning and must remain open to adding to our knowledge and adapting past experiences, it may not have been right then, but it could be now as the field constantly changes. It’s critical we remain curious!
Has your personal motivation changed over the years?
The core driver of wanting to make a meaningful impact hasn’t changed. But my understanding of how I can do that has evolved. Today, I’m motivated by the broader impact of transformation — helping businesses navigate complex environments, from AI adoption to regulatory compliance.
I’ve learned that change is the constant that keeps me engaged. The more dynamic the landscape, the more opportunities there are to innovate and to help our clients stay ahead.
What’s your advice for people who want to make a career shift?
First, go in with your eyes open. Be clear about what you’re getting into and honest about the skills you’ll need to develop. Second, build your support network — mentors, peers, and team members who can give you guidance and feedback.
You don’t have to know everything when you take on a new role. In fact, pretending you do can hold you back. The best leaders I know are the ones who listen, learn, and surround themselves with people who bring complementary strengths to the team. If you can show that you’re adaptable, combined with a relentless willingness to learn, you can make significant shifts successfully.
You’ve led teams across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. What’s your approach to working across cultures?
Respect and curiosity. When you step into a new cultural environment, your first job is to understand how things work there — not to impose your own way of doing things. It comes down to learning the formal business norms but also the unspoken rules that guide relationships and decision-making.
For example, in Japan, building trust takes time. Meetings may feel slower-paced to someone used to the UK or the U.S. But once that trust is there, relationships are incredibly strong and actions follow.
In Taiwan, I learned early on that when I suggested an idea, people tended to take it as a directive rather than an invitation for discussion. I’ve worked to encourage more open debate, making it clear that disagreement is not disrespect. Now my team is far more comfortable saying, “Julian, I think there’s a better way.” That’s when you start getting the best ideas, and it is the foundation of high-performing teams.
How do you rebuild trust when it’s been damaged?
You address it directly. Avoiding the conversation only deepens the problem. You have to acknowledge what happened, listen to the other person’s perspective, and work toward a shared understanding.
I’ve found that if you do that sincerely, relationships can come out stronger than before. In fact, some of my closest professional relationships began with a conflict we worked through together. Trust is hard-won but worth the effort to repair and has profound long-term impacts.
What’s one professional achievement you’re most proud of?
While there are many programs I could point to, what it really boils down to is the people I’ve worked with and the results we’ve been able to achieve together. A recent example is the integration of a major European acquisition, with more than 2,000 employees joining D&B. Many acquisitions fail because cultural integration is overlooked. We made it a priority to preserve what made the acquired company valuable while bringing people into the larger D&B vision.
The result was one of our most successful integrations, not because of the systems or processes we merged, but because people believed in the shared future we were building together.
Is your HR background still part of how you lead?
Absolutely. I see every leader as a “people officer,” whether they have that title or not. Developing talent, creating a positive culture, and supporting people through change aren’t just HR’s job — they’re core leadership responsibilities. My years in HR gave me a deeper appreciation for that, and I carry it into every role.
What advice would you give to young professionals?
Trust your instincts. Those gut feelings often signal something important — don’t ignore them.
Be curious. Things happen for a reason, even if you can’t see it immediately. Dig deeper before jumping to conclusions.
Have no regrets. When opportunities come, take them. You’ll never regret trying — you will regret holding back.
Taiwan is an indispensable player in global supply chains. What are the biggest needs you see here?
Taiwan’s economy is heavily export-oriented, and small and medium-sized enterprises make up 98% of its businesses. A lot of these play critical roles in global supply chains but lack visibility on the international stage. We help by verifying their credentials, increasing their exposure to overseas partners, and equipping them to navigate complex regulatory landscapes.
We also shine a spotlight on leaders through programs like the Top 1000 Awards, which now emphasizes sustainability, AI adoption, and digital transformation — three areas we see as essential for long-term sustainable growth and competitiveness.
What are the Top 1000 Elite SME Awards?
The awards recognize Taiwan’s top-performing export-competitive small and medium-sized enterprises. More than a ranking, it’s a platform for visibility and credibility. We’ve increased the weighting for sustainability to 60% of the score and added AI adoption and digital transformation aspects to reflect how the business environment is changing and to inspire companies to embrace the trends that will shape their future.
Some argue that AI’s energy use conflicts with sustainability. Your view?
It’s a valid concern — AI’s resource demands are significant. But I believe the benefits outweigh the downsides, especially as technology improves. Efficiency gains happen faster now than ever before. The key is to innovate responsibly, balancing the environmental costs with the opportunities AI creates to make systems more efficient and to contribute to a more sustainable world.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?
Family comes first, though my two daughters are grown and independent now. I’ve always been very active, starting with water skiing and windsurfing, later moving into cycling, running, triathlon, skiing, and snowboarding. I’ve run two New York marathons and am training for another this year. For me, sport is about both health and mindset. Training gives me space to think, problem-solve, and reset. It’s a form of mental clarity that’s hard to find in the middle of a busy workweek.